What Bait Is Used for Ice Fishing?
People who enjoy ice fishing also enjoy a healthy choice of baits that fish will chase during the cold months under the ice. In addition to live baits, there are artificial lures designed to resemble the creatures that fish feed on while waiting for the spring thaw.
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Lures
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Ice fishermen will use small lures to catch fish on their jigging rods, which are smaller types of the standard rod and reel fishing pole. These lures will have smaller hooks than normal fishing lures used on open water and are quite flashy since they can be only be presented to the fish in an up-and-down motion through the ice.
Maggots and waxworms
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Maggots and waxworms are some of the most popular live baits used to target fish such as bluegills and crappies during the ice-fishing season. Waxworms in particular are chosen since they are larger than a typical maggot and can be put on a hook by themselves or added to an artificial lure presentation to make it even more appealing.
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Spikes and Eurolarvae
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Spikes and Eurolarvae are maggots that are smaller than waxworms and the average maggot; these ice-fishing baits come in many different colors. Since they can remain alive for quite a long time after having been hooked, they can attract fish. Many anglers will put these creatures on the hooks of their artificial lures.
Minnows
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Minnows are probably the most popular bait employed by the ice fisherman. Minnows will garner the attention of crappies, perch, pike, bass, trout and many other fish species in the winter as they hunt for food.
Shiners
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Shiners are larger versions of the typical minnow and come in many different sizes. Pike fishermen, for example, will opt for larger shiners while people looking to catch trout and crappies will purchase the smaller-sized shiner. The largest type of live bait is the sucker, which can be over a foot in length and utilized when trying to bring home a large predatory fish like a northern pike.
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