Page 70 - ODUMar-Apr2019

moving, they’ll usually charge it. If they refuse it, it’s time to try a different bait.

Fishing fast means fishing heavy. Getting down to a fish fast — hopefully before it leaves — is critical to
maximizing opportunities. Tungsten jigs sink fast while retaining a delicate profile, and are the best
choice when crappies show a preference for smaller offerings. Jigging spoons are great options anytime
crappies are aggressive and eager to attack a larger profile. They easily punch through slushy holes and

get back down to other fish quickly once one has been caught.

Turkey Baster Panfish?. One surefire strategy for determining the types of wintertime foods preferred
by bluegills, perch and crappies is to take a living, breathing sample. Fly fishermen use a small stomach
pump (resembles a miniature turkey baster) on stream trout in order to match the hatch. It works with
panfish, too, and it’s completely harmless to fish, other than depriving them of recent eats.

Fill the pump with water with a quick squeeze, insert the tube into the fish’s mouth and a few inches
down its pharynx, which leads directly to the stomach. Be gentle! Squirt the water into the stomach and
release the pump, which vaccums up any recently ingested critters. Squirt said contents into your palm
and have a looksee.

A fish’s recent meals reveal the
anatomical details of each eaten
bug, as well as plenty of the goo that
represents zooplankton and other
partially digested “whatnot.” You

also learn potentially productive lure
colors, and can quickly tie on
something you know panfish will
want to eat. Identifying specific prey
items also suggests fruitful jigging
cadences. Mayfly larva, for example,
swim with undulating tail kicks that
can be mimicked with various soft

plastic baits.

The Strength of the Snell. While most ice anglers rely on one or two favorite knots, the truth is you can
do a lot better than an improved clinch, Trilene or other customary line-to-jig connection. If you’ve
never tried a snell knot, including versions such as the Marka knot or a Uni-Snell knot—you’re missing
out on a ton of advantages for almost any jig presentation, particularly for panfish jigs and ultra-thin

mono or fluorocarbon lines. Actually, the advantages of a well-tied snell overwhelm those of traditional
knots.

One, a snell knot positions your jig at the ideal horizontal position—no need to reposition your knot,
ever. Two, the knot is recessed and tied around the shank of the hook, so it rarely requires retying (you

can often fish most of an 8-hour day with the same snell knot and jig.) Three, snell knots are almost
bulletproof-strong. Finally, the knot itself acts as a form of soft plastics keeper, pinning the chosen bait
tight to the jig collar. The plastic further protects the knot by sliding right over the top of it. Moreover,
you can tie either version with traditional eyelet jigs, or Russian “through-head” jigs. Here’s a
link to a few top ice jig knots (see #3, #6A and #6B).