Adding to your Arsenal – Mississippi Backwaters

As most of you know me… I fish the back waters of the Mississippi River about 80% of my ice fishing time.. This outing was exactly that.. My first outing of the year at a community spot called Gremore Lake…

There are a few things that make this back water of the Mississippi River a GO TO place for early ice..

This is a dead end of the slough

This still may have green vegetation

Best chance of safest ice travel

Lakeview Resort for a hot lunch !!!

 

`Gills crappies and perch will all come here with the safety of a cover over their heads and an abundant amount of food which makes jigs like the VMC Waxie Jig and a Mustache Worm irresistible for a panfish to take !! I was fishing in an area that varied from 5 to 7 fow and with these shallow waters it’s important to fish the full water column.. Most of the time you will find the gills and perch on the bottom and the crappies suspended from a foot or so off the bottom to just under the ice..

I like to use the Marcum LX-5 for a couple of reasons for the shallow water bite… Having this unit set on Super Fine Line is fantastic to get a good jig to fish size mark on the screen… I like to keep my jig to show up as just a yellow blip something showing up on and off and when a fish comes in I can releate to it as… Just outside the cone or right under the hole…or…If the return is waving at me with a yellow green and red return I am certain it’s hungry and I’m getting interest in my offering !!! One more tip I like to do is to keep the transducer as far OUT of the water as you can… This will help to keep the line wrapping around the cable and it will give you a bigger range of coverage under the ice..

Be safe out there !!!

The Tug is the Drug !!!