12-08-2002, 06:53 PM
[cool] Drop-shotting is a tried and proven ploy for ice fishing. As you correctly surmise, you don't want to use large worms and grubs, like you would for bass fishing in open water. but the little twisters, tubes and assorted ice flies work well.
Rather than waste a good opportunity, by putting a sinker on the end of your line, use a tandem jig rig. Use either a Kastmaster, Swedish Pimple or larger jig on the bottom...both for weight and large fish attraction. Make your dropper a smaller plastic or ice fly. It's kind of a reverse from the old small bait below a Spoon technique. You will sometimes catch more fish on the bottom than the top, and vice versa. You can even expect an occasional double. That's fun to try to get though the ice hole if the fish are large and rambunctious.
This is a great way to A. get your small dropper jig to the bottom in deeper water faster, B. have a shot at both larger and smaller fish...or fish of different species, and C. to try different sizes and colors until you find the hot ticket.
If you are fishing for bluegills, then a sinker on the bottom and TWO droppers...at 12" and 24" is a good tactic. In fact, with a sinker on the bottom, you can even use regular flies, tipped with a waxworm. This has also worked for trout, at Strawberry. Use small black or chartreuse flies for panfish...larger white, black. chartreuse or hot red patterns for trout. Use nymphs, wet flies or small wooly worm or wooly buggers, to about size 8 or 6. Bigger flies seldom work as well under the ice.
Split-shotting, jig and dropper, tandem rigs or whatever you want to call it, it does work. Experiment around with sizes, colors and distances between weight and droppers. The big advantage of having a heavier weight on the bottom is to give you better "touch". You can feel the slightest tick if you maintain a slight pull on the line from the weight.
If you have a good sonar, to tell you how far above the bottom to set your dropper, you can greatly increase your odds. As a general rule, it is better to have the dropper slightly above the fish than below them. Most fish will come up to take a bait, but few will nose down if the bait is too far below them. I have fished droppers as much as six feet above the bottom sinker to take suspending fish...especially sunfish and crappies.
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Rather than waste a good opportunity, by putting a sinker on the end of your line, use a tandem jig rig. Use either a Kastmaster, Swedish Pimple or larger jig on the bottom...both for weight and large fish attraction. Make your dropper a smaller plastic or ice fly. It's kind of a reverse from the old small bait below a Spoon technique. You will sometimes catch more fish on the bottom than the top, and vice versa. You can even expect an occasional double. That's fun to try to get though the ice hole if the fish are large and rambunctious.
This is a great way to A. get your small dropper jig to the bottom in deeper water faster, B. have a shot at both larger and smaller fish...or fish of different species, and C. to try different sizes and colors until you find the hot ticket.
If you are fishing for bluegills, then a sinker on the bottom and TWO droppers...at 12" and 24" is a good tactic. In fact, with a sinker on the bottom, you can even use regular flies, tipped with a waxworm. This has also worked for trout, at Strawberry. Use small black or chartreuse flies for panfish...larger white, black. chartreuse or hot red patterns for trout. Use nymphs, wet flies or small wooly worm or wooly buggers, to about size 8 or 6. Bigger flies seldom work as well under the ice.
Split-shotting, jig and dropper, tandem rigs or whatever you want to call it, it does work. Experiment around with sizes, colors and distances between weight and droppers. The big advantage of having a heavier weight on the bottom is to give you better "touch". You can feel the slightest tick if you maintain a slight pull on the line from the weight.
If you have a good sonar, to tell you how far above the bottom to set your dropper, you can greatly increase your odds. As a general rule, it is better to have the dropper slightly above the fish than below them. Most fish will come up to take a bait, but few will nose down if the bait is too far below them. I have fished droppers as much as six feet above the bottom sinker to take suspending fish...especially sunfish and crappies.
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