No Ice, No Problem: Open Water Panfish Tips for Winter Success

When you think of days of chasing panfish during winter, many anglers think of hole hopping across their favorite frozen lake chasing big bluegills and crappies. However, not everyone gets the ice-covered bodies of water that northern anglers do. So how can you still go out and catch a limit of panfish in the winter with no ice?

Even though there might not be any ice, the panfish are going to react to dropping temperatures in a similar way. They’re going to want to move into areas where the water stays the same temperature for a longer period of time.

Oftentimes, this means that they pile up in holes of deeper water, or in areas with inflows of warmer water like springs and streams. It’s also important to pay attention to the type of structure that you have on the bottom of the body of water.

During this time of year, it’s pretty common to find panfish in areas with a softer bottom, covered in weeds for protection from predators and cover to hunt prey.

All of these indicators can lead you to areas that are packed with giant schools of bluegills, crappies, and perch.

When you find an area packed with panfish, it’s time to start fishing. The main things to consider here are your gear and your presentation strategies.

One of the best options for going after panfish is a solid ultralight spinning rod. You’ll want one of these around 6 feet long, and pair it with a smaller spinning reel and 4 to 6 pound monofilament or fluorocarbon. This gives you the best option to fight these fish and detect subtle bites.

You’ll want to pair this setup with a good crappie jig. Tungsten jigs are widely accepted as some of the best jigs to use for panfish these days, and for good reason. These jigs can be extremely small, while still sinking deep into the water quickly due to their density. They come in all different shapes, colors, and sizes, so feel free to bring a wide selection along and try a few until you find the combination that works best.

Lastly, you’ll want some bait. When going after panfish, there are a few good choices. Minnows, leeches, worms, and artificial bait are all going to be great options to pick from. Here again, bring a few along and see what they’re biting on best.

There are two main ways you’re going to want to try fishing your jig in the open water for panfish. The first is to just add a bobber to your line, set it to the proper depth to put it in front of fish, and cast it out. This works particularly well when you know the fish are suspended off the bottom at a certain depth.

Alternatively, you can try your jig without the bobber and just do some vertical jigging. For this, position yourself above the fish and drop the jig down. This works best when you know the fish are holding tighter to the bottom, and you can jig right off the bottom.