Minnesota guide Matt Johnson gives his latest Buzz Bite Report on the ice conditions in the Twin Cities on January 15th, 2024.
Twin Cities: 1-15-2024
There are some ice fishing opportunities in the Twin Cities, but you need to practice ice safety and use common sense. Spud bars, ice picks, and a throw rope should be mandatory if you head out onto the ice.
We do have some good ice forming with this recent cold snap and it won’t be long before most of the area lakes have fishable ice.
Some shallow lakes in the Northern part of the Twin Cities have anywhere from three to five inches of ice.
On the lakes that have safe ice we have been catching lots crappies and bluegills.
Target both crappies and bluegills in traditional mid-winter spots. Schools of crappies can be found in the muddy basins in depths between twenty and thirty feet of water.
Look for a mix of bluegills and crappies in shallow weed beds with standing green weeds. The best depths have been between seven and twelve feet of water.
With the lack of snow cover on the ice we’ve had a lot more success chasing the shallow fish that are using the weeds as cover. It just seems like those crappies out in the basins are hyper sensitive to sound and are constantly on the move.
The best bait by far has been the Clam Pinhead Pro Spoon in the 1/32-ounce. Majority of the time I am fishing this spoon with no bait. It has worked great for both big bluegills and crappies.
The Clam Dropkick Jig in a size twelve or ten tipped with a Maki plastics or wax worm has also produced a lot of fish.
Anglers can also expect to run into some largemouth bass and northern pike in the weed beds as well.
