Fish-Hawk.Net

As a follow up to the thread what minnows do you like for ice fishing I pose this question. Can one constantly catch fish during the ice fishing season without using minnows for the typical species of walleye, pike, lakers, perch, bluegill and crappies?

The only time I use live minnows is when I'm out for brookies and lakers.

I do use some larger frozen minnows for pike though

Other than that, I constantly use a jigging spoon or jigging rap or jigging something for walleye, pike, perch, crappy, bass... the list goes on and on.

Carlco

I've only ever caught pike without bait - and that was at a lake in Sask that was absolutely polluted with snot-rockets. Watch your fingers - those little friggers would have probably hit anything moving in the water.

Panfish can easily be caught without minnows. Try using small jigs tipped with berkley power baits.

Lake Trout can be caught on white tubes.

Minnows seem to work best for Walleye and Pike.

Cheers,

Mike

Last winter I didn't use minnows at all and my catch only improved.
And this is for all species of fish, not just panfish. You are a lot
more mobile if you are not using live bait.
On another side, if I fished stationary, say from a permanent
shanty, I would definitely go with minnows.

Let's see......if i had a 4 wheeler and a big permanent shack i'd prolly be inclined to bring out a pail of minnows but, since i travel super light, i'm 100% hardware and still manage to catch a few fish I love to be out in the cold

I like to mix it up. I usually set up a tip-up with a live minnow in one hole and then jig with either spoon, plastic or minnow with the rod in the other hole.

I have been equally successful with both, but I do like to have a few minnows on hand.

fill your tubes with catfood (seriously) then try them for lakers.

Last week I bought jigging tackle and it will be a first for me.
I have always only used minnows and worms and fished mainly for walleye and pike and whitefish.
Saying that I am anxious to try the new gear, but will bring live bait as well.
Norm

Jigging with dead minnows most of the time as I too am usually jigging. Very occassionally I'll use live ones if I want to let my line sit.

Use live for Brookies, Bows always though

Live minnows on set lines.

Dead and salted ones for pike,

And after using minnows to tip jigs/spoons and missing to many fish, I now only use heads, tails or tiny minnows to tip with.

Some days it's the set lines others it the jigs

I like this thread, RRC. It's great to see all the different tactics and approaches people use. (Catfood, for example!)

W.