Often overshadowed by larger, more well-known waterbodies there are hidden gems fisheries scattered all across the region. Whether these are sloughs in the Glacial Lakes region of eastern South Dakota, small dams across central South Dakota or even an unknown fishery just outside the Omaha Metro area of Nebraska there is a literal goldmine of fisheries just waiting to be discovered. Ice season is often one of the best times to target these areas as heavy weed growth may prevent these fisheries from effectively being fished throughout the open water season.
What You’re Looking For
Wherever you are reading this right now, I have no doubt there is an excellent fishery near you packaged in just a few acres of water. It may take some digging, but once you find your goldmine you are likely going to experience your best fishing all season! Your search will likely cover some miles and involve a lot of drilling, but there are a few key factors to look for to narrow your search.
Many of these excellent small fisheries will feature the same recipe. They will feature relatively deep water (many will be much deeper than you think), a mixture of emerged (out of the water) and submerged (in the water) vegetation and a variety of species such as bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish and bullhead.
Clear water is another important factor in finding the perfect waterbody. Water clarity will go hand-in-hand with what vegetation is present. If there is an abundance of submerged weeds, this means the water is generally clear enough for sunlight to penetrate through the water column and allow plant growth. If there is an abundance of emerged vegetation with minimal submerged vegetation, this means the water is likely too dirty for the sunlight to penetrate the water column and plants are forced to break out of the water to reach the sunlight they need.
Once you’ve narrowed your waterbody down, it’s time to see if you’re digging in the right area. The important thing you need to keep in mind is that many of these true hidden gems are just a few acres in size. This means that 15-20 minutes dedicated to drilling can help you really narrow the depths and key features of a waterbody.
Drill, Drill and Drill
Start your search in what you expect will be the deepest part of the waterbody. This prevents you from drilling into very shallow water and also gives you a rough idea of how deep the water is. If you’re fish a small dam, start your search nearest to the dam as this will be the deepest area. For sloughs or other flooded areas, start near the middle. After taking a quick depth in your first initial holes, you’ll have a good idea if the waterbody is deep enough.
After determining if the depth is adequate enough to continue, take some time and drill holes approximately 5-10 paces apart in all directions. It is generally best to approach this as a team with one angler drilling holes and another checking depths with a flasher. The more anglers as part of this system, the more territory you will cover in less time.
Once you’ve finished your search, take a moment and soak in the information you’ve learned. Where is the deepest area you found? Are there any noticeable deep or shallow spots that stick out? How about any branches or weeds that appear on your flasher? Pinpoint these areas and drill a few more holes around them. Many times there is a good area, but a specific spot within that area can be dynamite.
Attack Aggressively
Once you’ve got your holes drilled, it’s time to have fun! Select what you think will be your high percentage areas and get to work. When I’m approaching these areas I like to fish aggressively, but I take a different approach than I do when I’m targeting walleye on a larger body of water. Normally, when I speak of fishing aggressively I am referencing flutter spoons, larger rattle spoons or lipless lures. However, on these smaller bodies where I am most likely to encounter bluegill, perch and/or crappie I take a different approach to aggression.
My go-to bait of choice is a 4-5 mm tungsten jig with a Clam Maki plastic. A Maki Plastic is 1.25 inches and when paired on a relatively small tungsten jig it doesn’t particularly jump out as an aggressive search lure. The key is how I fish it.
Initially dropping down the hole, I stop my bait sometimes as high as 4 or 5 feet from bottom. Depending on depth and water clarity I may even stop it in the middle of the water column. The exact depth will vary based on how deep you are fishing and how clear the water is, but my general rule of thumb is at least as high off bottom as the water clarity is. For example, if water clarity is two feet I want to be at least two feet off bottom.
Once I’ve stopped my bait, I give some fairly aggressive jig strokes. The reasoning here is the higher you have your bait, the farther away it can be seen. The aggressive jigging paired with increased height off the bottom can bring aggressive fish in from a distance. If you draw fish in, you’re already on them. The higher they go in the column and farther they come from, the more active they are.
If this high stroke does not draw fish in, I drop to the bottom in about one foot increments giving aggressive jig strokes as I go down. If my screen is still empty, I’ll drop my bait all the way to the bottom. I then beat the bottom with my jig aggressively. The compact package paired with the weight of a tungsten jig can create a significant disturbance on the bottom. This will attract nearby fish as they will think another fish is either actively feeding or something is in distress.
Once you’ve beat the bottom, give one more aggressive rip at your original depth. If your screen is still empty, it’s time to hit the next hole. The key is to not waste much time on unproductive holes. When I’m in search mode, I generally spend 3-5 minutes at a hole. If I can’t call them in, I’d rather go looking for new areas as opposed to hope a school moves through.
Generally, your first couple fish will be eager to take your more aggressive presentation. These are often the most active fish in the area and often times some of the largest. If you’re seeing fish on the screen but they aren’t committing you have done your job of finding them, now it’s time to make them bite!
Tone it Down
Once my challenge is coaxing fish into biting as opposed to locating them, it’s time to stair step yourself down in aggressiveness. The easiest modification is to tone down your jig strokes. If your jigging action can’t coax biters, it is time to change your bait options. The first change I’ll make is to downsize my plastic.
In this situation, I favor a VMC Moustache Worm, but I pinch one of the tails off. This gives me a smaller, more compact presentation and also allows me to give slight jig strokes. My goal is to move the bait just enough to make the tail move. Utilizing this reduced jig movement, my triggering mechanisms becomes bait level. Once I can get a fish engaged with my presentation, my goal is to ever so slightly bring it higher and higher. The higher I can get the fish in the column, the more likely it is to bite. Maintain your jigging action, but just slowly bring the bait up the longer the fish is engaged in your offering.
If you’re still struggling to get bites, it’s time to break out the meat. In this situation, my best presentation is one or two wax worms or spikes on the same tungsten jig. Additionally, the best action is to let the bait sit motionless. The best place to set your bait is at the highest level you have got fish to engage with your bait. This may be four feet off bottom or it may be 6 inches. If you’re observing fish hug tightly to bottom, they may be digging insects out of the mud and you may be better off laying your jig directly on the bottom.
Regardless where your bait is placed, the key is to let it sit motionless. In some situations, I may place my rod on the ground next to me and simply watch the rod tip. It seems counterintuitive, but many times trying to jig a fish that is engaged with a motionless bait often results in fewer bites (this is why deadsticks are so effective but that is a whole different conversation). Once I see my rod tip pop, I slowly lift it up. If you feel weight, set the hook!
Get That Bonus
The above approach is excellent for locating and triggering panfish, which are the most common species sought after in small ponds and dams. You may encounter an excellent trophy bluegill bite, numerous perch or even an abundance of crappie. If you are searching for your bonus fish of the trip, there is no better option than a tip up!
Tip ups are an excellent option to increase your lines in the water and search for a different bite on the same water. Aside from minimal time deploying and baiting, tip ups are extra chances to make a memorable day with very little time taken out of your search efforts. Generally, bass will be the most frequent species caught on a tip up in these situations. However, when present, walleye, northern pike and even catfish will be eager to bite your tip up as well.
Set your tip ups where shallow areas sharply transition to deep water. This could be a point, hump or even on the outside of a deep hole. Predators will often rest out in the deeper water, but will be eager to strike a bait that appears to be in distress. Placing your baits on this transition area allows you to target predators that may be resting out deep or actively searching the shallow areas.
For your bait selection on your tip ups, don’t be afraid to go large! Shiners, chubs and even small bluegill (where legal) are excellent candidates to be placed under your tip up. A single treble hook right behind the dorsal fin allows maximum life and action out of the bait while also ensuring a strong hook up percentage. The key is that when you set the hook, you hit the fish’s mouth and don’t set it into your bait. In the ideal situation, your bait will come off when the hook is set. This ensures maximum penetration on your hookset.
There are no guarantees when it comes to searching for goldmines. In fact, you’re likely to find more ghost towns than you are pots of gold. Fortunately, there are ways you can maximize odds in your search. Do your research before you hit the water, have an attack plan for breaking down the waterbody and fish aggressively until you contact fish. When everything comes together, you’ve hit the jackpot! Good fishing!
Related Articles
Plastics have taken the ice fishing industry by storm. This is for good reason, these plastics attract fish and replicate their natural forage. Nick Harrington and Chris Seylar detail the best ways to deploy these baits in Plastics for Ice Panfish.
Tip ups can often be one of the most successful tactics to both locate and catch a variety of species. Nick Harrington and Chris Seylar break down the best way to deploy your tip ups and dead stick rods in Tip Up Strategies.
Whether you are a new angler or experienced veteran, everyone loves to catch Bluegill! Bluegill can be caught all year, especially during the winter months. Chris Seylar breaks down everything you need to know about catching bluegill in Guide to Catching Bluegill Year Round.
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