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,…
‘Gill Shrimp
Veteran ice fishermen have long known that scuds (or freshwater shrimp) are a favorite food for big panfish and trout under the ice. The ‘Gill Shrimp ice fly is a close imitation of a scud, enticing finicky slab bluegills, crappies, and trout with life-like marabou that breathes convincingly imitating the many legs of a scud. These flies often turn negative fish that reject the baited jig into biters, a situation common with finicky cold-front panfish. Pair them with a larger tungsten fly or jig to help get it down fast. Hook: #10-14 nymph or curved scud Thread: 8/0 UNI Eyes: Black Bead-Chain Underbody: 5-7 wraps of .015 lead-free wire Tail: Natural gray chickbou or marabou and silver flashabou Rib: X-fine silver wire Body: Natural gray chickabou or marabou and gray UV Ice Dub in a dubbing loop, wrapped to eyes Legs: X-small centipede Note: The described pattern is for a gray…