Do you love big bluegill?

East coast Ice fisherman

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A place to share tecniques ,past successes /failures and future prospects for fishing Gills and other fish through the ice.

Location: Ringwood New Jersey
Members: 21
Latest Activity: on Thursday

Finally...On the Ice!

We'll, the Carp Whisperer Bob and I got out for a little ice fishing today at a local pond that had 4 inches of good clear ice, We rigged up for bluegills with jigging rods and 1/10 oz Kastmaster spoons meal worms as a tipping bait. We didn't get a single bluegill, but we got some of these...

Ended up with 4 bass for myself in about 2 hours of jigging. Bob had two good strikes, including a bigger fish that ran his drag some. Bass went fro 14 to 17 inches. I lost about a 20 inch bass right at the hole...the fish just hovered slowly in the water just below the ice...giving me a great view of what I was losing! Would have been my largest ice bass had I got a hand on her. I got all my fish on 2 pound mono. Fish were 5-6 feet deep.

At least I got to feel a few fish today and get a slight 'fix' for my ice fishing habit! We have done good on gills here, but not today.

High today was 30 F with light winds. Might go tomorrow, but they are calling for sleet and freezing rain...sheeeesh!

The window for ice fishing here is very narrow...maybe only a few days this year. Calling for 65 on Wednesday! Crazy!

Carp guru Bob had to put me in my place..'.a 4 or 5 pound fish isn't a big fish to me" but I think he still had a good time. Glad to be out and glad to catch a couple fish!

Discussion Forum

Top Ten Ice Fishing Lures 4 Replies

TOP TEN ICE FISHING LURESNot sure I've ever caught a Fish through the ice on a lure un-tipped.1/4 oz. and 1/3 oz.Swedish Pimple,Nickle or Gold /Green Prism Tape/Shiner Head-Pickerel, Crappie Red…Continue

Started by John Sheehan. Last reply by John Sheehan Jan 10, 2024.

Plastics for Ice Fishing 3 Replies

I hope to get some safe Ice this Year 2024. Last Year I did no Ice Fishing at all. If I get the chance this Year, I'd like to get into using a variety of Plastics for Panfish and Predators. Any…Continue

Started by John Sheehan. Last reply by John Sheehan Jan 9, 2024.

Tipping with Perch eyes 2 Replies

Continue

Started by John Sheehan. Last reply by John Sheehan Jan 22, 2022.

Ice Fishing Chronicles 2009-? 7 Replies

In NJ we are allowed 5 rigs .I generally set 3 tip ups ,Jig a rod and have a dead stick rod hanging off a bucket. I switch on and off with the jigging rods .I have two set up for Gills and pan…Continue

Started by John Sheehan. Last reply by John Sheehan Feb 13, 2018.

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Comment Wall

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Comment by Bruce Tomaselli on January 26, 2014 at 5:47am: What a day, Jim. Good for you. You don't get many of those. Enjoy!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on January 25, 2014 at 10:02pm: John...had a great day today despite being a little under dressed for the wind chill. Caught 13 bass thru the ice, a new personal best for quantity thru the ice, and 12 came out of one hole! That's crazy stuff! Again...gold 1/8 oz KastMaster tipped with maggots. Three to 4.5 feet of water, about 6 to 12 inches off the bottom. I kept 4 smaller bass and a nice gill for the pan. Had 10 fish between 16 and 20 inches...great fun on the micro ice fishing rods with 2 and 4 pound test!

Plus, the day before, I got a 22 incher, another 'ice' PR during a brief 30 minute effort while the grand kids were napping. Cold weather coming, I think we will have good ice for a few weeks yet. 6-7 inches now.

Here are a few highlights from the past 2 days...

I hope to get on the gills, as this is one of my best bluegill lakes, but the bass have stolen the show! Good luck and keep posting those ice catches!

Comment by John Sheehan on January 20, 2014 at 7:57am: Hoping for Thursday and Saturday Jim .Good luck if you go out!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on January 19, 2014 at 9:49pm: Cold snap this week in the Mason Dixon area John! I am hoping to get on the ice by the week end! How about you?

Comment by John Sheehan on January 13, 2014 at 8:05am: Herman Bros, Condello and Livingston are catching on the ice!! I'm jealous!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on January 10, 2014 at 9:51pm: I hope that good base of clear ice remains, even if it gets thinner. Maybe another arctic snap can put enough on it to get back out a few more times.

Comment by John Sheehan on January 10, 2014 at 9:07pm: That away Jim !Love the Acme spoons .Kastmaster , Lil Cleo, are my favs. Same conditions up here 6' of ice is gonna be demolished by a downpour ifthe weather reports correct that is .I was hoping for an expedition to the ice on Sunday .

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on January 10, 2014 at 7:01pm: You know, I have never caught anything on a Kastmaster.

I was flinging them alot when I had my kayak. I kept one rod fitted with one most all the time. I caught a few perch on some small ice spoons, and I nailed a really nice pickerel on an L-J 'Krocodile.'

But the Kastmaster has remained a mystery. For what its worth, I went for a looong time never catching anything on a Beetle Spin. Then one day, BAMM! The fish started to come on it.

So, I'll get back to those KM's one day. Keep at it, keep at it, keep at it...

Comment by Jim Gronaw on January 10, 2014 at 6:21pm: Dave...I piled them each on the smaller trebles. The small Kastmaster has been a long time fav for bigger bluegills in my region when we do get good ice conditions. But they don't really hold as well as the single. When I am spooning yellow perch or crappies, I always use the single. But for gills, I hook more on the smaller trebls on the KM than a larger single.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on January 10, 2014 at 5:45pm: Went on local ice today and had 5 inches of good clear ice, but it will rapidly diminish with the incoming warm rain and temperatures. Still...was happy to catch a few bass and only one bluegill.

Good deal on the ice fix - looks like you had fun. Interesting - the maggot tipping on Kastmasters. Did you replace the trebles with single hooks, or just pile on three grubs?

Personally, sir, I'm ready for the rain to stop. I endure it, because I must.