Ice isn't done yet!

While the panfish bite has really picked up from the warmer weather and several smaller lakes, or lakes with current have seen some serious ice deterioration from last week’s warmer temps; there is still plenty of safe ice in the area. The bigger lakes are the safest bets right now for safe travel, many of which are still averaging over 15″ of ice. If you’re going to be out, stay away from the smaller narrows between islands and plan your travel to utilize the larger gaps. Tomorrow we are supposed to get 5-8″ of snow to put some traction and insulation back on top of the ice and the next week’s overnight lows dipping into the low teens will hopefully help our ice stick around until the end of the trout season on March 31. If you still have ice fishing on the brain, Ely has you covered! Here are a few fish from the past weekend!

Attachments:

1. 

   image-49.jpeg
   

2. 

   image-48.jpeg
   

3. 

   image-47.jpeg
   

4. 

   image-46.jpeg
   

Awesome report, Ben! I’m planning to spend a few days in Ely next week over my spring break, hopefully the ice sticks around. I’ll be staying at a cabin on Burntside, so if you have any tips for out there, I would appreciate it! I’ve never caught or targeted lakers through the ice.

Overnight temps are forecast to drop into the low teens and even single digits through next week, you should be good! If it’s sunny push deeper between 55-70 feet if its cloudy try 30-50. Mornings I’m usually in the shallow range and if the fish stop showing up mid-day I’ll push deeper. 3/8 oz Rattle spoons with a minnow head have been awesome this year in pink, red, and green shiner. Sometimes pounding the bottom with a 3″ tube jig or 3/8-1/2oz bucktail jig works well. Let it sit on the bottom for 20-30 seconds between lifts and when a mark comes in reel up and don’t stop. If you’re jigging 10 feet off bottom and a fish comes up at you, start reeling away, the closer she gets, the faster you reel, never stop. Cat and mouse them up and down, if you make it hard to get they will take it, if you make it easy, that fish is gone!