Ice Out Tactics

[BrianSnat]

The ice has completely left the local lakes as of last weekend. In a few weeks the water will warm and bass fishing will be like shooting fish in a barrel, but I've always had a difficult time catching anything right after ice out.

Do you have any tactics or secrets you'd like to share for this time of the season?

I should add that just before ice out (and pretty much all winter long), I was catching some bass through the ice on a shiner or jig worked 2-3 feet above the bottom in 15-25 feet of water, but nothing doing when I try to fish there now.

[Lund Explorer]

Congrats on getting rid of the last vestiges of winter, as we still have up to 18" of the hard stuff keeping us off the lakes at this point.

My favorite tactics for when the ice finally leaves is to concentrate on several key shallow water areas.  The first are boat canals.  Most have a dark bottom and are not exposed to much wind.  I'll start at the mouth of one, and slowly work my way to the back end throwing small in-line spinners, tubes, or flukes.  Once I've gone to the back end, I move to another canal as traveling through these narrow waters will usually spook any fish I don't catch.  The second area I key in on are semi-sheltered coves where lily pads and other shallow weeds will cover during summer.  The key areas are located along the NW shorelines and have a dark bottom that warms faster than the rest of the lake.  I use the same basic lures here as well.

If you don't have either of these features on the lake you are fishing, the next area I would try is the inside edge of any weedlines.  Try a yo-yo style of retrieve with a lipless crankbait to cover lots of water.

[B A S S E R]

Got my first one yesterday on a red eye shad. chrome and blue.

[bassmajor]

I've had luck around deep structure or on deeper portions of mainlake points with a plastic craw bait on slow moving c-rig. 

This year I am also going to try some hair jigs with a small pork or plastic trailer worked very slowly.

Hopefully soon, about 12 inches of ice left up here....but temps will be in the 30s all week.   >

[Chris]

I tend to target points because it is a highway to deep water. Fish tend to stage on them and move up as the water warms up. On some water they tend to use the long tapering points and other water the points that are short but steep. I target the bass with either a wacky rig senko or either lipless crankbaits or other crankbaits depending on the depth or how steep the point is or how active they are. (if they are less active I will target them with a jerkbait) If I find that the bass are still deep I will use a jigging spoon to pick them up or a dropshot. Good luck 

[stratosjoe]

Ice out my favorite time of the year no boat traffic usually have the lake to my self. I have tried a lot of things in my 50 years of bass fishing but about 4 years ago I started using a 3" or smaller black neon tube texas rigged thru the side (less plastic) with a split shot about 4-6" up the line. start out slow on warmer banks especially rocky areas bounce if they won't hit it fished slow (works for me and LM)