Ideally anglers would love to have safe ice by Christmas and most of the time Santa brings us this gift. December ice can be a bit sketchy so start small and look for the arms of lakes to freeze up first. The great part of the lake arms are that they are shallow and since they freeze first the submerged vegetation will still be in tack to find your Christmas bluegill. These arms are also sheltered from the main lake making wind less of a factor when it comes freezing quick.
Small bodies of water can yield big blue gills and will freeze fast. All sorts of public potholes dot Benzie, Antrim, Leelanau, and Grand Traverse counties. Some great first ice fishing can take place on large shallow lakes like Missaukee, Manistee, Cadillac, Mitchell, Little Glen, Skegmog, and Fife just to name a few. These lakes have a tendency to freeze up quick and brave souls who venture out reap the rewards of easy limits.
First ice baits of choice have got to be plastics. Plastics are easy to rig and in fact many come pre-rigged. They are durable and even scented. This is not the finesse ice bites of mid-winter, this is fast and furious. Simply put, it is just faster without bait. Trust me on this, these new plastics work awesome.
First ice can yield big catches, but can be dangerous. Tell someone where you’re going or at least what county you will be in. Carry spikes for safety, use a spud to test the ice, and walk with your auger across your chest. This trick saved my hide a few times! Basically use common sense this season. Happy holidays, stay on top, and good luck fishing.
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