5 Great Ice Flies for More Panfish Under the Ice
Do you ever find a panfish bite under the ice where the fish are stubborn and just won’t eat anything? Or do you get sick of having to rebait a jig after every fish? What’s the solution, you might ask? It’s Ice Flies. Ice Flies have been used by anglers for decades to target finicky, timid, winter fish. They started as a cross-over of classic trout flies but have since been tweaked into niche fly patterns, specifically tied and modified for ice fishing. Extra movement, more flash, color, and extra weight are just some of the features that have been incorporated over the years to trigger bites through subtle hints of bugginess. Additionally, flies have the added benefit of not requiring extra bait, thus simplifying any trip’s gear list. In my opinion, there are five main categories of patterns to mimic winter panfish food: Scuds, Mayflies, Caddis, Midges/bloodworms, and lastly,…