# Ice off bass



## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

What kind of advice do you guys have for bass right at ice off. I know the standard answer is pretty much jerk baits but how about blades? Do they work as well as they do in late fall? Do you stay away from big baits? Jigs and craw imitations work or not, given the craw dads aren't out in full bloom yet? How about senkos? I'm talking real early, as soon as the ice leaves so mid 30s water. Last year I was catching largies top water in low 40s water. That changed my perspective a bit on how warm its gotta be to catch them. Granted that was at metzgers marsh and nearly the whole thing is under 2 ft so that helped with the surface baits, but still it was surprising at the time.


----------



## walleye willey (May 29, 2014)

Bassthumb said:


> What kind of advice do you guys have for bass right at ice off. I know the standard answer is pretty much jerk baits but how about blades? Do they work as well as they do in late fall? Do you stay away from big baits? Jigs and craw imitations work or not, given the craw dads aren't out in full bloom yet? How about senkos? I'm talking real early, as soon as the ice leaves so mid 30s water. Last year I was catching largies top water in low 40s water. That changed my perspective a bit on how warm its gotta be to catch them. Granted that was at metzgers marsh and nearly the whole thing is under 2 ft so that helped with the surface baits, but still it was surprising at the time.


I would like to see some response from others on this also , I have done pretty good slow rolling a spinner bait with a plastic double tail trailer , I would think Blades would work because they sure work for Walleye's in cold water


----------



## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

*Ice-Out Fishing!*

Several years ago. I had gone fishing five times at Ice-Out and did not get a bite. I went through all the basic early season fundamentals. Did not have equipment issues. But otherwise, I went out five freakin' times and didn't get bit. Then...
Then... One more time! Then... On my next outing. I caught a 6lb.13oz. bass and a couple of others. Then again, 10-days later. I caught a 6-pounder, a 4-pounder, and a 3-pounder! And I ended up having the best bass fishing season of my life throughout the rest of the year. My goal that year was to catch five bass over 5-pounds out of five different public lakes. I caught eight bass over 5-pounds out of six different public lakes. Three of the eight were over 6-pounders. I promised myself not to set a goal like this again. When I say things(me) got a little weird that year/ a little obsessive... that is an understatement.

Last year at *Ice-Out *I went out very early.  Real early. Real real early. I was breaking ice with a canoe paddle to get to the area I wanted to fish. I caught fish on this outing. And hit 'em hard all season.

Where am I going with this post? I am suggesting, keep doing what you're doing. You mentioned all the right techniques. It will happen.

Note - Tie on a 1/4oz. bass jig and tip it with a small Venom Sweet Dream or similar trailer until the water warms up.

Here's a pic of my canoe paddle bashing through the ice early season trip last season.

Note - The ice had thawed as I was on the small lake that day. You may not see ice. But it was there earlier.


----------



## 3 dog Ed (Apr 25, 2014)

I second the slow rolling spinnerbaits. My best luck has been with light(1/8oz) single blade baits that spin at a slow retrieve. Hammered them at times very early and very late. North or east shores getting maximum southern sun exposure.


----------



## NCbassattack (May 5, 2014)

Beautiful fish! Since we don't have to worry about "ice out" here, those tactics you used work most days in winter. Like you said, the key is s-l-o-w. In a couple of weeks, I'll be switching to the Suspending Rattlin' Rogue, done well on that bait.


----------



## Bassbully 52 (Feb 25, 2014)

I got out this weekend on two different lakes. Water temps were 37 with ice still in some coves. Sunday morning there was 1/8 inch thick ice where there was none the day before. In fact the lake I fished Saturday was locked up with surface ice when I passed it to go to the other lake.
I marked allot of bait and fish but it was tough. I did in the evening finally get a decent bass on a flat side crank in 6' of water.


----------

