Steve – Ski ??

Steve,

I’m new to this muskie thing, but thought I should try it through the ice. I’m hoping to get up to Mille Lacs in the next few weeks. I realize things can change considerably by then, but here are a few questions.

1)What is a typical area to fish for muskies through the early ice?? Shallow or deep, weedlines??

2)What is a good bait this time of year to hang off a tipup and one for vertical jigging?? I always use smelt for pike, will they work well for the ski’s also??

Any general info you can provide is much appreciated!!

JK

JK,

Ice ski’s can be tricky and for the most part I don’t even bother. BUT if I was going to try Early Ice I would treat them exactly like Pike and go shallow. After we get a foot of ice head to the deep edges….and find the bait fish. Smelt is perfect! I would also try tipping a smaller bulldawg or a fuzzy duzzit and jig them deep.

Only other recomendation would be to use heavy tackle and to cut your hole as big as possible…. nothing like watching the big ones come up and hit something! Cut a 2 x 3 hole and you have a really cheap big screen TV!

Good Luck!

Steve

Thanks Steve!! I saw a lot of big fish on Mille lacs last year late ice. I was hoping to get into them early this year before the oxygen levels dwindle. Maybe we’ll be lucky and not have the snow we did last year???