Ice Fishing For Largemouth Bass

[Greed]

I've done some research on targeting Largemouth Bass through the ice and quite honestly there isn't too much information on the subject. I was hoping if anyone else out there has gone out of their way to catch bass through the ice. I'm aware that there are other species of fish to ice fish for but I don't care for catching trout and perch through the ice.

I have a good idea as to where the Bass will be holding in the small body of water that I fish, ice fishing is also legal. Live bait is illegal to use where I live so I am unable to use live shiners on a tip up which would probably be the best way to catch them. I'm also unsure on what kind of rod and lure presentation I should be using. Should I use micro jigs on a light rod or should I pick up a stiff rod and try jigging a regular bass jig? Also are there any alternatives to using live bait on a tip up for bass? Maybe a senko dead sticked under a tip up?

[CWB]

I've caught plenty of bass while pike fishing with tip-ups. A couple over 6lbs. Most off the deep weedege and some in shallower weedy bays. I have caught a few jigging for panfish but far more on golden roaches and most of them deeper. Might not be the best option to target if you can't use live bait but they can be caught. Start at the last place you caught them at in the late fall. If it's sunny out maybe try shallower bays close by. You're gonna have to move around. That's why I have the Clam 1 man hut and a gas auger. Move around and cut lots of holes. Good luck!

[Bluebasser86]

Find a warmwater discharge lake so you don't have to ice fish

[roadwarrior]

We don't have ice.

[lazeebum]

We don't have ice.

If your lake is frozen, you live in the wrong place.

[NoBassPro]

I haven't gone out of my way to get them, but I know they'll hit jigging raps and panfish sized soft plastics from time to time.

[Grey Wolf]

Ice is for skating , isn't it ?

[RyneB]

I have found that the small BPS leech on a small drop shot is the way to go. Theres a company called Maki Plastics that make little ice fishing plastics. They have a variety of plastics that will catch bass and other species. For those people who feel sorry for us guys that get ice. I like ice fishing just as much as open water fishing. I dont have to worry about wind, the trolling motor,rods and lures everywhere on a boat deck. I got my 1 man flip over with a heater and few poles. Its actually really relaxing. Catching a 3 lb largemouth on a 24" UL ice rod is funner than catching a 3 lber on 50 lb braid and 7 foot flipping stick.

[Packard]

I have found that the small BPS leech on a small drop shot is the way to go. Theres a company called Maki Plastics that make little ice fishing plastics. They have a variety of plastics that will catch bass and other species. For those people who feel sorry for us guys that get ice. I like ice fishing just as much as open water fishing. I dont have to worry about wind, the trolling motor,rods and lures everywhere on a boat deck. I got my 1 man flip over with a heater and few poles. Its actually really relaxing. Catching a 3 lb largemouth on a 24" UL ice rod is funner than catching a 3 lber on 50 lb braid and 7 foot flipping stick.

Agreed, and perch on a ultralight put up a good fight and taste great!

[clayton86]

I seen an episode of in fisherman and they had a segment on jogging for smallies threw ice they used just a finese jig and a ice rod for like walleye just go slow I'd imagine.

Maki plastics are amazing I seen em in ation last year then found out the guy who makes em a teacher where I work just in a satellite school 20 minutes down the road from my school. I'd pick some up for ice fishing for anything.

[Lund Explorer]

Ice is for skating , isn't it ?

In cube form, it goes quite well with scotch!

[Lund Explorer]

I've done some research on targeting Largemouth Bass through the ice and quite honestly there isn't too much information on the subject. I was hoping if anyone else out there has gone out of their way to catch bass through the ice. I'm aware that there are other species of fish to ice fish for but I don't care for catching trout and perch through the ice.

I have a good idea as to where the Bass will be holding in the small body of water that I fish, ice fishing is also legal. Live bait is illegal to use where I live so I am unable to use live shiners on a tip up which would probably be the best way to catch them. I'm also unsure on what kind of rod and lure presentation I should be using. Should I use micro jigs on a light rod or should I pick up a stiff rod and try jigging a regular bass jig? Also are there any alternatives to using live bait on a tip up for bass? Maybe a senko dead sticked under a tip up?

After many years of sitting in an ice shanty looking down a 2'x4' spearing hole, I can tell you that LM Bass are one of the hardest fish to catch during the winter. The vast majority of bass that swam through were completely shut off from feeding and just slowly swam past whatever bait I'd drop down to them. Perhaps one in fifty would turn towards what I had put down, and no more than one in ten of those actually resulted in a bite.

As you are limited to using artificial baits, I would suggest jigging Rapalas. Fish the bait with slow movements about 1' off the bottom for a short while, then move up another foot and repeat the process. Do this upward movement 5-6 times and then go back down towards bottom.

Another bait choice I would consider would be a small Berkley Gulp minnow.

[Ratherbfishing]

When you say "live bait" do you mean any live bait or just fish? I've caught a bunch of largemouth under the ice simply using a teardrop jig tipped with a wax worm. Or a swedish pimple tipped likewise. Also, a jig tipped with a small gulp minnow will work, too. Bass will eat the smallest meals when its cold and the meal is hanging right in front of them. You may catch a bunch of smaller fish along the way but here's a tip-if you suddently stop getting bites from "lesser" fare, don't leave right away. A larger predator fish will often scare off other contenders while he's eyeballing the meal. I've seen it more than once. Also, if you can, use a flasher fish finder. That will help you locate the bass and also put you in the right depth. I swear by them.

[WRB]

Largemouth bass are members of the sunfish family and have a hard time surviving in iced over lakes.

Target some other species when ice fishing and give the bass a break until the ice thaws.

Tom

[Big Fish Rice]

Bass chomp under a frozen lake? Heck yes they do!

Our smaller lakes are frozen already, but instead of freezing like I did as a kid while ice fishing, I would rather use this time to restock and read as much as possible...inside where it's warm

Bass can be caught year round though, so if this is something you want to experiment with, grab a 3" or 4" worm and rig up a dropshot.

If you know the frozen lake, target weedlines around 15-20' for largemouth and some deeper drops for smallmouth. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to find them.

Good luck out there and be safe!

[River Rat316]

Jigging spoons, if you can't use waxies or euro's, get some gulp maggots or small plastics. Most of my winter bass have been just off the weedline around inside turns. They don't completely shut down but there are really small feeding windows. A lake loaded with bass also helps. Dropshotting small plastics should also work, I am going to experiment with this this year.

[RyneB]

I seen an episode of in fisherman and they had a segment on jogging for smallies threw ice they used just a finese jig and a ice rod for like walleye just go slow I'd imagine.

Maki plastics are amazing I seen em in ation last year then found out the guy who makes em a teacher where I work just in a satellite school 20 minutes down the road from my school. I'd pick some up for ice fishing for anything.

When i started using Makis, my ice fishing success sky rocketed. Tell him he makes a great product.

[clayton86]

When i started using Makis, my ice fishing success sky rocketed. Tell him he makes a great product.

My brother in law was introduced to maki plastics last year on the ice me and his budy were kicking his arse catching fish ever few seconds just hundreds and he couldn't buy a bite we all were using live bait till an old timer gave Chad a MAKI the one that looks like a frog foot and he went from 10 fish all day to slamming as much ad we were with live.

[RyneB]

The MAKI has been my best producer through the ice. When i first saw it i couldnt believe it would catch a fish. I get a lot of hits on it as it just sits there. Those little arms just have a nice subtle action. The Dragi has caught the majority of my bass and yellow bass.