By: Chas Thompson
January brought awesome ice on most of the lakes, but the fish were biting ever so light. But our New Years sub zero temperatures that firmed the lakes has held the fish tight to the bottom. Teasing them up has tested the best anglers. If you are not using a quality flasher, try a short rapid jig about 1-2 feet from the bottom. The quick jig will often set the hook before you notice a bite.
The bluegills are buried in the weed beds. Smaller jigs with live bait seem to be the ticket. We have had some success on real fine small plastics on #16 & #14 jigs, but live bait has been the best solution. The crappie seem to be mixing in with the gills. Spikes have been producing better than wax worms. If you have not tried the different colors of spikes, you should. Pike on both tip ups and spear holes have been of medium size with the anglers I have spoken with, but prolific.
Crappies are barely biting and have not been moving around too much. Soon you should find them suspended over some deep holes. Smaller lakes with saddles or basins have been holding medium size schools. We found it very productive to change holes every couple of fish or if you put a small one back. They seem to be less timid if you don’t fish the hole out. Jewel tipped jigs with #14 & #12, garnished with a spike during the day have worked well. Use the GPS and a free app on your smart phone to record the spot when you find them. They haven’t been hitting real hard on the bite but if you can detect them sucking it in by the slack in the line, you will be into a limit in no time. I was able to get the glow jigs with a glow plastic working for the first hour of dark on the last couple of trips in January. The addition of a LED light bar on my hopper bucket, made it really easy to give them a UV charge on every up.
Safe ice thicknesses seem to be prevalent, but always use a walking spud when heading out onto an unfamiliar lake. I recommend keeping a 5-yard comfort zone between you and anyone not in your group out of courtesy, sometimes the quiet is as pleasing as the catch. Please remember to share ice conditions on www.miiceguys.com/report-ice and observe Michigan limits and rules. Be a Great Michigan Sportsman!
Chas Thompson
MI Ice Guys
www.MiIceGuys.com
(616) 953-0423
