March Ice fishing for Panfish

Jason and I arrived at a private lake in the darkness just before dawn.

Jason’s ION electric auger was the perfect choice for a lake surrounded by house at 5:30 am. We drilled in 5ft, 6ft, and 8. we expected the fish in the 8 foot hole the only one on the lake. But the fish were in 6 around the outside of the hole.

DupageAngler.com member Dark Star (Jason) caught a gill in the 6ft, so we set up shop.

The fish came in waves and we caught fish at a steady pace. The day started at 3 degrees and ended in 20. Fishing was nice and comfortable once the sun came out.

We caught the trifecta of this lake, Bluegills all big as or hand, crappie all 10 inches or better and a couple bass! Changing presentations was the key for me. Fish were caught on Swedish Pimples, Slender Spoons, jigs of all sorts, Little Atom Plastics, Aurora Lure Maggies, wax worms and spikes.

It was a great day until a nice but concerned homeowner came out to check our permission. We talked everything was fine and discussed fishing for a while. Another homeowner thought we were out there arguing and called the cops. Thank god we were talking to the family I know when two cops showed up thinking were fighting with an home owner were trespassing!! Then we talked fishing with them as the admired Jason’s equipment

All in all it was a great especially after some great fishing and meeting the local law enforcement!

Pondboy's DuPage Guide Service Has Great Time Ice fishing

 I received a message from an old high school friend John M (DuPage Angler Member) and he let me know that his nephew, an avid fisherman had never been ice fishing before.

I called DA Member Dark Star (Jason) to give me a hand. My shelter will only hold two cold anglers at one time. His Frabillshelter and ice fishing skills would be a big help.

This ice fishing season has been sort of hit or miss and only a few honey holes have been regular producers. We picked a lake we call Star Trek because this lake has been a constant producer the whole season despite temps or time of day. My client John wanted crappies but I had to be honest with him that that they had been inconstant, but the lake I would bring him to had some beautiful gills.

DS and I arrived on the lake at O’dark thirty and started searching for fish after digging out his vehicle from a snow drift, which sucked, because I snapped my shovel digging him out.

Our first area in the middle of the lake, we were counting on being loaded with fish, was a blank wasteland so we drilled and parked on a sharp break that went from 4 FT to 10 FT very quickly. Both of our fish finders lit up like Christmas trees so the choice was an easy one.

Our clients arrived, got stuck in the snow as well, and then we started at it. My client’s nephew fished with me and John with DS. The young kid really seemed to like fishing with the Fish TV. Well lets face it, TV fishing is just pretty damn cool! The catching started fast and furious and I could not even set a rod up for myself the first hour as the young gun pulled fish in on almost every drop.

AuroraLures Magic Maggies caught quite a few gills and bass! A couple came on dead stick rods, and the rest jigs, waxies and spikes. The red spikes out produced their natural counter parts two to one. This winter, the red spikes have been working better everywhere we go.

The frigid morning started cold in the teens, but as soon as the sun rose it warmed up nicely and we now had perfect conditions. Layers and gloves came off and everyone was fishing in comfort. Thank God man, Finally no sub-zero crap to fight with!

The bite slowed but the fish would constantly come through about every ten minutes or so. As a matter of fact, anytime I would mention moving a few more would be caught and it became a running joke. DS and I switched partners because our techniques are very different. I was in a ShappellS3000 with a nice floor coupled with a Lowrance 4x color elite along with the Fish TV. Dark Star was in a brand new Frabbill with nice bucket seats coupled with a flasher color video combo.

John and I traded stories and threw the bullshit around about high school and common friends it was a GREAT time!

If you want to learn to ice fish and have a similar experience to this one please contact Pondboy’s DuPage Fishing Guide Service. I would love to hang out and fish with you! You can fish and create an AnglingAdventure of your own!!about high schoolaab have been regular producers. We pick a lake we c

Quick Trip "a dance with Maggie"

Jc Crappies and I were able to get out for a short time before the frigid temps of 2014 struck. It was right after a big snow and getting to many of our spots was just not going happen without the roads being better. We pick a very small pond behind a large building that helped block the wind. This lake is like a box of chocolates we never know what we are going to get. Sometimes it is bonanza sometimes bust.

Jc lowered his knew camera down and we sent Magic Maggie down to do her work. Slowly his screen filled with fish! They were not aggressive besides a couple fish that surprised us. We had to get Maggie to dance and entice these fat boys to go. Then we started hitting the gills not crazy but consistently until or time ran out.

It was a blast we both had different tungsten jigs with Magic Maggies from Aurora Lure Company. They worked great when it slowed I would pair the Maggie with a spike. This really helps your bait last if you are using the live stuff. I also used a couple Swedish Pimples and Big Eye spoons tipped with a Maggie and or a spike. These baits are pretty cool and I am sure you will hear more about them.

Below is a promo for the Maggie with just a little bit of footage from that day.

Great Start to the Ice Season – Jackpot Bluegills

This Ice Season Started for us early! A good old fashion winter, who would have thought it after last year’s warm short season. Looking for safe ice was our first concern. We drove north because we heard of safe ice up at the top of the county. Every small pond Sooner Bass (Ted) and I stopped at my spud bar went through( this is a heavy bar use to test ice before you walk on it). Surprisingly, it was the large ponds or small lakes that had safe ice. I believe it was the lakes with wide open areas where the frigid winds aided the ice creation.

 We had checked several places all unsafe. When we were about to give up Sooner who said hey it cannot hurt lets check this bigger pond I fished once a while ago. This lake is surrounded by cat tails and is sort of hidden as well as old. When the spud bar could not break through we ran to the car to get our stuff. It was about 7pm and dark. Right away we started nailing huge gills! The small ones would be considered ok at many of the ponds we fish! The night bite ice fishing historically has not been good to me so this was awesome.

Since this was the only safe ice, I and other DuPageAngler.com Members returned a few times. Beard Heads on and every time produced something. I even took my daughter in seven degrees. The heater was blasting as she caught 17 gills and loved using the Fish TV. Five trips I fished with JC Crappies (Chusum), Dark Star (Jason), Crankin King (Scott), Brim (bob), and Fluke (Alan) all hardcore DuPage Anglers. All had their Beard Heads on and we were all staying warm.

We used many techniques. Straight lining, floats n jigs, floats n minnows, Little Atom plastics and our new weapon, Magic Maggies from Aurora Lure Company. The Maggies are awesome, if you put one in your hand next to a real wax worm there is not much difference except one is trying to get out. These come in red and white and caught a ton of fish. We are field testing these now and are excited at the early results. I will revisit these plastic baits once Aurora Lure Company has them on sale.

Getting out more then a couple times in December was awesome. Catch and releasing a pile of full grown bluegills was the star on top of the angling tree. I am looking forward to the rest of this season.

Little Atom Lures Catch Cold Front Fish

After a couple of 80 degree days the temperature plummets down 30 degrees and my bass bite I had been enjoying shuts down.

DupageAngler,com has a podcast on Wednesdays which I co-host. We were talking about the benefits of being a multi-species angler. Two of those is the ability to drop what you are going after and the willingness to change water.

Since my bass bite was dead I decided to switch to bluegills in small ponds. I grabbed only a small ultra light and a box of Little Atom plastics. I rigged a fat-boy jig, a small Thill float, and a purl micro Nuggie. My third cast I hook into the first of 3 bass. Funny, I came to this pond because the bass were not biting. I then got into some nice gills. I continued to switch colors and from Nuggies to Wedgees.

Once the bite slowed I switched lakes and quickly caught a handful of fish. Yahoo!!! The temp drops, I am wearing a jacket, and I just had a great couple of  hours. Little Atom came through big time!

These baits are affordable, durable, sleek, and deadly. They are so sensitive that it only takes a slight twitch to get the tail moving. If there is some wind and waves you don’t even have to get the baits moving at times. They are so sensitive that the waves do the work for you. You can purchase them HERE.

You can listen to our latest PODCAST where we discuss these baits and others.

Four Friends and a New Frozen Lake

What a strange winter this has been! The Temperature will be in the 20s, no 40s, um no 30s! With the up and down temps, the avid ice angler in the Midwest has had to keep his eyes and ears open for safe ice. Last week we were placing our bets on DuPageAngler.com on whether we would even be able to get on the ice for the weekend.

This trip would include DuPage Angler Members Dark Star(Jason), JcCrappie(Chunsum), Brim Reaper(Bob), and myself. The four of us traded phone calls and made plans to try a new location. Usually I stay on small lakes and ponds where I know I will find fish and numbers in short order however with the weather, only bigger bodies of water had safe ice. Area ponds and small lakes had 3 inches or less. We decide to try Loon Lake at Silver Springs State Park. DS told me that this lake was suppose to have yellow bass which immediately had me day dreaming of the yellow bass bonanza that use to be the norm up at the chain before the great die off.

We arrived at 8 and were lucky enough that two guys were already on the ice. This saved us from having to find a safe place to get on. We just had to follow their line of holes back to the shore. We had to climb down a short embankment which for us is a major pain in the rear do to the plethora of crap we bring, but since we had four guys we just made a make shift assembly line down to the lake.

Everywhere we drilled, the ice was a very safe 5 inches. Now in my head I know that its safe, but this lake was cracking and popping like a gigantic bowl of rice crispies! I mean it was loud and nonstop. I have never heard a lake groaning and complaining so much. This made me on edge especially as a couple freight train cracks shot right between our legs.

We started drilling shallow and kept moving deeper never going too far without drilling another hole to make sure the ice was still safe. We had four augers to start. But this little auger snapped its blade, and this little auger died, and this little auger popped a screw. Yeesh!

When we hit 17 foot of water we marked something interesting. DarkStar dropped his camera and we found an old picnic table down there covered in algae like an old ship wreck. Problem was no fish were on it. Since at this point we had drilled half the lake never finding any concentration of fish we just set up camp and hoped for scaly visitors.

After a while I thought I heard JCCrappie say that he saw a fish under the ice. Not long after that Brim says “Hey I see fish swimming 3 feet down!” I thought to myself what are these guys smoking? It is 17 feet here! Why in the world would there be…… “Jesus there is one!” I said. I cranked my line up as fast I could to get back to the surface. My jig hit three feet and instantly zizzzzzzz went my drag the fish slammed it!!! It was a beautiful trout! I heard there might be some there left from the fall stocking but to be honest I did not think we would get any. This was my first Inland Trout through the ice! I was stoked!!

Right after that I rigged a minnow and float rod three feet down and the guys in the other shelter did similar set-ups. About 20 minutes later my minnow does the nervous something huge is going to eat me dance. Then in an instant it’s gone! I was lucky enough to score a second trout. Yes!! Soooooo cool!!! I let them go hoping someone else might catch them once more.

The bite was really tough but the guys managed to score a handful of gills and JCCrappie did catch a yellow bass!! (Jerk so jealous)

Although the bite was slow I had so much fun. Being able to add a new species to my ice angling adventures was pretty sweet. Loon Lake offers a variety of species including crappie, perch, and cats as well. Even though we did not slam them I will return to this lake next winter just for the variety and the chance to catch several kinds of fish in a single outing. Silver Springs was a nice place for four friends and a new frozen lake.