Well, it’s been a heck of an ice season thus far and it looks like it’s going to continue. Most of the bites around this area have been stellar this year. I’ve been finding roughly 16” – 22” of ice recently, but as always, check as you go and be safe out there.
Crappies can be found roaming the basins right now. Mobility is key for catching these fish. Drill a lot of holes, wear the appropriate cold weather gear, and you will be rewarded with a good bite. I’ve been using aggressive jigging cadences with horizontal jigs and plastics combinations. Be sure to pull your knot towards the bait so that your presentation stays horizontal.
Bluegills can be found in 14-20 feet of water on weed edges and adjacent flats. When targeting these fish, you need to create competition to get them to bite. Natural colors have been working the best (gold, black, and green.) To catch the giants, you need to stay patient and be persistent. They have a very short bite window and will eventually move through.
Perch can be found on mid-lake structure on secondary breaks in 24-32 feet of water. You can target these fish with pink jigs or perch pattern spoons tipped with waxies or plastics. The most important thing is to keep the school active by having 2 rods rigged and always have a bait down. If you’re on a school of small fish, move until you find bigger fish. As dumb as it sounds, big fish school with big fish.
Walleyes can be found on mid-lake structure as well on steep break lines. These fish often school with bigger perch and can be found in 20-35 feet of water. Be sure to pound bottom to create excitement and take advantage of your second rod by rigging it with a deadstick minnow. The go to colors are pretty typical, but gold/pink and gold/orange spoons have been the best. If fish aren’t committing experiment with baits that have a rattle and don’t have a rattle. I’ve been a big fan of the Leech Flutter Spoon this year.
Keep enjoying the ice season and hopefully we see you on the ice!
Tight Lines
Brent Relopez
Team Yukon Outdoors
