The Best Ice Fishing Techniques for Late Season Panfish

Adjustments in locations, lures and presentations can help you catch more crappies, bluegill and perch late in the ice fishing season.

Late season ice fishing produces some of the best opportunities to catch quality panfish across the ice belt in North America, but finding success during this period can be difficult for many. Locating crappies, bluegill and perch and getting them to bite becomes more of a chore than it was weeks or even days earlier. Studying a lake map and making the proper adjustments during this timeframe decreases the chance of experiencing any kind of a late ice fishing season slump.

Sometime between late February and mid-March, fish begin to change their habits. Many factors play a role in what the fish do and where they go. The primary driving factor is food. The secondary factor relates to reproduction and spawning locations. Both are important to understand because fish tend to react differently depending on the food sources and layout of the body of water where they live.  

We’ll look at three types of panfish commonly sought after across the ice belt and discuss  fishing locations, lure/bait selections, and adjustments that can increase your success late in the ice season.

Crappies

Crappies spend much of the winter suspended in basins where they feed on minnows, plus plankton, and other microorganisms. As the season progresses and the days get longer, crappies begin to move shallower, near the first breaklines adjacent to their spawning areas. With the longer days, sunlight penetration lasts longer, and new vegetation begins to grow, adding oxygen in these areas. This oxygen, along with the weed cover, attracts minnows and other aquatic creatures that are looking for a safe haven away from predators.

Crappies roam the edges of these weeds in hopes of connecting with an easy meal as they go in and out of the short vegetation, sometimes even getting right up in the vegetation. A rule of thumb when targeting late ice season crappies is to start drilling holes shallow and work your way out beyond the breakline.

I typically take along a small underwater camera, like an Aqua-Vu, to check the holes as I drill them. The camera allows me to see the ecosystem below and what aquatic species are present. Crappies tend to be schooled up, and once located, can be easily tricked into a bite if you notice what they are feeding on and where in the water column they are residing.

Through experience, I have observed that crappies seem to prefer a horizontal-postured presentation over vertical. I believe this may be related to their fondness minnows and other floating sources of food they eat.

Horizontal baits I like to use for crappies during late season include the Lindy Tungsten Toad and Little Nipper. I like to start with the smallest size in my arsenal and dress it with a lot of bait. Gradually, the fish will tell me how much they want, sometimes being just a single maggot or plastic. Some of the best crappie action, I’ve found, comes by quickly lifting the jig and dropping it slowly while keeping the line tight at all times during the drop.

Since these crappies are suspended, it is important to keep the bait at or slightly above them. They will come to get it. Crappies are known for their “up bite,” and you will notice that on your electronics as they race to grab your bait. Remember the mention of keeping your line tight during the drop? When line goes slack, this is the “up bite.” Set the hook!

A recommendation is to start with the fish suspended closest to the bottom of the ice. Crappie’s eyes are on the side of their head, so they see to their left, right and forward best. When you catch the fish at the top of the school, the fish towards the bottom are less likely to leave because fish aren’t zooming by them frantically as they’re being caught.

Bluegill

Bluegill spend a majority of the winter up shallow or slightly outside shallow areas on the same breaklines where you find late ice crappies. They prefer vegetation, and in most healthy bodies of water across North America, you will find green vegetation somewhere in the lake year ’round. This is where you want to start your late season bluegill escapade. Again, a compact underwater camera is important, but a good lake map can also point you in the right direction by identifying areas with a soft bottom adjacent to deep flats. Once you locate green vegetation, these fish won’t be too far away.

Bluegill spend more time near the bottom, where insect nymphs and larvae burrow. For this reason, I begin fishing for larger bluegills outside the weed edges and toward the bottom. I don’t go too far beyond the vegetation as these fish tend to move a lot during late ice between the weeds and the soft bottom areas. Both areas offer up a smorgasbord of bugs, snails and other microorganisms throughout the day. Drilling holes over the weeds and making a semi-circle around these areas will keep you in contact with fish all day.

The adjustments I like to make for these late ice season bluegills are to tie on a #12 Lindy Tungsten Toad or a 1/16-ounce Lindy Frostee Jigging Spoon with a dropper chain tipped with maggots. Both have their benefits in each location.

The Tungsten Toad works well in the softer bottom by bouncing it in the mud and making a cloud, which draws in curious bluegill looking for an easy meal. As they show up, I tend to gradually rise the jig off the bottom with the fish in follow. Generally they will bite within a foot of bottom using this presentation. Sometimes, when they don’t react to this presentation, I will adjust to a similar approach as I mentioned for crappies – a fast rise and slow fall, keeping the line tight on the fall. This brings in fish from a distance with the larger, more aggressive bluegills reacting quickly and taking the bait.

When fishing the weeds, I prefer a smaller lead jig around a size 14. The smaller lead jig falls slightly slower than a tungsten jig and I can maneuver it through the weeds more easily. I set my Vexilar to shallow mode and low power so I can see through the weeds better. Larger bluegills will be toward the top of the vegetation, so I spend more time above the weeds or right at the top edge, occasionally bumping the vegetation with my jig and plastic. I prefer plastics in weedy conditions because they deter the smaller fish hiding in the weeds from biting.

The spoon and dropper chain come in handy when none of the presentations are getting the fish to commit. Pulsing the spoon at a steady pace allows the maggots to move naturally in the water. The color and shine from the spoon gets the bluegill’s attention. The dropper chain allows for space between the spoon and the bait. This small adjustment triggers the bite and puts a lot more fish topside during late ice when fish have been pressured or are just not as aggressive as they were earlier in the season.

Perch

Perch are similar to bluegill as they also prefer softer bottom due to the abundance of food burrowing in the mud. Perch spend most of their winter in the deeper basins of a lake, sometimes up to 40 feet deep.  Late ice perch can still be found in the soft bottoms of all lakes during this time period up until ice melts, at which time they migrate shallower to their spawning grounds.

When targeting perch over softer bottoms, a few things should be considered: location, lure type, and presentation. For location, find a mid-lake structure surrounded by soft bottom. The best perch fishing can be found within 300 to 400 feet of the structure. Look for the steepest contour and drill from there out 300 feet, making a hole every 20 to 30 feet. Use a camera can help locate the larger schools of perch and decide where to begin and drill additional holes.  

For lures, I prefer to tie on a 1/8-ounce Lindy Quiver Spoon and a #12 Lindy Tungsten Toad and usually have two rods rigged with each. Perch will vacate areas quickly if food isn’t kept in the vicinity, so I keep two rods baited and ready at all times.

The same presentation can be used here as with soft bottom bluegills – bounce the spoon/jig in the mud and create a sediment cloud. The more perch present, the more aggressive they become, chasing to pin the spoon down.  I start with a spoon/jig tipped with maggots. If I only get lookers, then I switch to more aggressive rips – up to three feet off the bottom. This brings in larger, aggressive perch, which react to the spoon without hesitation.

Key Takeaways for Late Ice Panfish

• Crappies move from the basin to shallow, weedy areas and suspend here.
• Crappie see to the left, right, and front, and it is best to fish the top of the school first.
• Larger bluegills spend more time outside shallow weed edges eating bugs in the mud and weeds.
• Don’t overlook a spoon and dropper chain for finicky bluegills.
• Perch prefer deeper water and soft bottoms around structures. Look for the steepest contours.
• Perch mostly eat bugs at this time. Spoons tipped with maggots produce the best results.