Panfish are on a Good Bite – But Otter Tail Lakes Country is Warming Quickly
Good morning spring fishing enthusiasts. Otter Tail Lakes Country is warming quickly. Panfish are on a good bite—the bite that defines late ice panfishing. Of course, it’s a travel-and-fish-at-your-own -risk situation because the ice is coning/chunking which is a sign of severe degradation. It’s not quite to the point where anglers need planks and waders to get to the ice sheet, but it’s getting close. Yesterday, I drove onto a lake with my Polaris Ranger and decided I should leave the machine on the shoreline, just in case. I walked out a hundred yards and drilled a few holes to check for ice thickness to see if I should continue with my Ranger. There was barely 1 foot of junky ice! I’m glad I left the machine on shore! If your gut says to be cautious, then listen to it.
A common fishing mistake I see this time of year is that folks fish too far down. Panfish are busy feeding on a
presumably new and robust food source near the surface—just under the ice. Therefore, be careful to angle as though it’s mid-January and February. If you fish “1 foot off the bottom” it’s very likely that you’ll be beneath the panfish (especially the larger sunfish and crappie). The problem with fishing below panfish is that they do not like chasing baits down; they feed upward so the shallower the better. My favorite way to fish panfish this time of the year is to fish shallow water—in 5 feet or less, and find the fish immediately under the ice. It’s all sight fishing—you can leave you’re flasher units at home. Just look down the hole and wait to see them come in. I’m actually careful how I approach my holes, because the fish are only a couple feet away. I wear non-bright clothes because the fish can see me, and I try to walk softly and quietly approach each hole. Crappie usually come right away if they are near—they feed very aggressively in super shallow water—that’s why they are there. Sunfish are a bit trickier because they’ll approach a bait more cautiously and will spook if they see you.
What lakes to fish? Choose lakes that are known to have strong panfish populations. Drill large weed flats the meet the shoreline. I pay less attention to drop-off proximity during late ice, and pay more attention to weeds. I like to look into a fish hole and see bent-over cabbage stalks and other decaying vegetation laying on the bottom. For any shallow water fishing—summer or winter—use light action rods and light line so that you’re reaction to bites are a bit delayed. It’s very easy to over-set a hook in shallow water. In most cases, the fish will tug and fight for a moment and then you can pull them out of the ice—no reeling necessary. Be safe, and good luck fishing Otter Tail Lakes Country this week.
By Ross Hagemeister, Meister Guide Service
