Gear Essentials for Panfish

When the ice forms and ice anglers are finally rewarded for their patience all year, the various panfish species are among the first groups of species to target. They are popular and plentiful just about everywhere that gets cold enough for water to freeze, and they continue to bite all winter. Depending on the panfish species you plan to target and where you live, there is some gear that will serve you well, according to popular Wisconsin ice guides Troy Peterson and Vince Moldenhauer.

Dipping for Perch

The Upper Mississippi River is a fisherman's paradise with a healthy population of several species. For guide Vince Moldenhauer, ice fishing is primarily about jumbo perch, with the occasional bycatch of bluegill, bass, and pike. He also employs a unique approach, using an airboat to get to the shallow backwaters holding perch, generally anything with remaining green vegetation that offers everything a fish needs below the ice. He uses a straightforward method once at his best areas, blending old-school and new-school gear.

Moldenhauer keeps it simple with the same rods and reels that have served him well for years. They are slightly longer than many ice fishing rods, between 44 and 55 inches, so he and his clients can stand back and jig through the water column without standing directly over shallow fish.

"I'm not a spinning rod guy; I'm old-school and like custom-made shoot-thru blanks with a small spring on the end and the small palm reel," he said. "Most of the time, the water is 5 feet or less, sometimes only a few inches, and you can easily work the entire water column with those rods.  This allows you to dip your bait and not worry about reeling or your reel freezing up when it's freezing, like most winter days."

While he dips his bait in a way reminiscent of fishing with a cane pole, he does utilize more modern products, specifically fluorocarbon line and tungsten jigs with various grubs and shad tails, typically in pink and orange. For his line, he prefers 3 lb Seaguar IceX fluorocarbon.

"Some guys still use monofilament, but my thinking is that if the technology is there for a better line, why not use it?" he asked. "That's a solid line that makes it easy to snap your baits, and when you catch a bigger fish, you can still wrestle them out of there with no problem. It also holds up well when we have some ice forming on the edges of the holes or when my clients aren't the best at checking their lines for damage. The only thing I'll do is change out that six feet of line every few trips."

Mr. Bluegill Stays on the Move

Captain Troy Peterson, owner of Mr. Bluegill Guide Service, fishes for many species both on open water and through the ice, but panfish species, like the bluegill, are one of his favorite targets each winter. Over the years, his approach has evolved, and he utilizes a more "run and gun" approach to cover water when ice fishing, similar to how he targets fish in open water from a boat. This allows him to put the odds in his favor of landing in the best places.

"One thing that's happened in recent years is that the clothing we use is so much better, so you can stay out in the open without a portable shelter to keep you warm and comfortable," he said. "The clothes are so good at keeping us warm that you can be on the ice and move easily from one spot to another, and mobility is key for finding fish. Instead of pushing around your shack, you are wearing it and can keep moving until you find the fish."

Aside from the improvements in clothing, Peterson has also changed his approach to using longer rods than he used to. He says the current trend is much longer ice rods, five or even six feet long, which allow ice anglers to stay further back from the holes, spooking fewer fish.

"A lot of times, these are very clear lakes, and you don't always have the snowpack on the ice to hide you," he said. "Bluegills and crappie, they can see very well, and we've had to step up our game and be more stealthy to catch them. Longer rods have been a game changer when you are in the open, not in a shack that shields you."

Peterson typically uses custom rods and makes his own, but he says that companies like Elliott Rods, with their Evolution Ice Series, have run with the trend of longer ice rods. Typically, he'll pair these rods with a 1000-size spinning reel, and 3 lb Seaguar IceX is his go-to for panfish.

"These fish have incredible eyesight, and IceX has been dynamite because of how invisible it is," he said. "It also stays straight with very little memory, which can be a downfall for some lines in cold weather. 3 lb is a good all-around size that gives you enough strength from line hitting the edges of the ice, but it's also small enough to fish tiny jigs."

The baits he uses to run the gamut vary whether he's targeting shallow bluegill or crappie in deep basins or around deep cabbage. "I use many 3 to 5mm jigs and plastics," he said. "We also use a lot of little hair jigs and flies to imitate bugs. There are also some really good soft plastics, like the Z-Man LarvaZ, that look just like a little hellgrammite."

Ice fishing season is special for many anglers, and targeting panfish is a great way to stay on the bite all winter. With the right gear and approach, the coldest time of year can produce the hottest fishing action.