Northeast Nebraska Late Ice

This has been the best ice fishing season I’ve seen in quite a few years in Nebraska. Some friends and I dialed in a pretty good bluegill and largemouth bass on a few area state lakes the and city park pond right here in West Point. The city and state totally refurbed our lake and it’s turned out rather well.

I promised Brian Hass I’d take his son Blake fishing so I did some scouting the other night and found fish right on a 8′ break. The fishing was fast and furious, perfect for kids! We had wonderful weather and no wind so we didn’t need a shelter, my wife Kayla and 22 month old daughter Logan also came down. Brian and his sons Blake and Tanner quickly started catching fish on #16 Custom Diamond Jigs in Fire Tiger with a single spike or with the smallest Fat Boy in Gold. We set the boys up with two holes and a Marcum LX-5. One would jig just off the bottom and the other a little ways up so they could both watch their jigs. It was just like a video game for those kids! They quickly learned what fish were and how their “jig would turn into a fish color!”

After making sure the kids were having fun and catching fish I drilled a few more holes so they could move around a little bit. Both boys were great at sharing the Marcum, I was impressed. After a bit I picked up a rod when the bite slowed for awhile. My daughter Logan was having a ball “lipping” the bass and returning them for everyone. The boys and Brian were treating her pretty special. Pretty soon she was “on to the game and where the fish came from” She sat on my lap and I let her hold the rod, lo and behold we got a nice bite and caught her first fish, she reeled like a pro! I was so proud, not bad for 22 months old (we’ve been reeling in fake fish with ice rods at home this winter).

Tom Cohee and I have also had a ball with the bull bluegill at a few area state lakes and private sandpits (ReelWeeds were great in sandpits!). Some of the scenery in Nebraska is just gorgeous this time of year. I also want to compliment the Neb GP for all their hard work using Aquatic Habitat funding. They’ve really done a good job with a lot of lakes.

Tom and I found nice gills and bass all to ourselves in about 18′ on some flats a few weeks ago and followed them into the deep edge (12-14′), then shallow edge (6-8′) of the brushpiles. Again the Custom Jig #16’s shined along with small teardrops. Some days the fish wanted a lot of jigging with a subtle lift, other days pounding bottom, or even staying up 3-4′ off the bottom. The bass really loved the Gulp! small nightcrawlers.

We’ve really come to use spring bobbers. I’d especially recommend them for children.

I hope you get some kids out fishing. Do your homework and get them on a “hot” bite. It really makes you feel like a king, even more so when you help out a neighbor. Our local paper did a small article too that highlights how good the fishing is down in our park, I hope that a lot of kids see that and grab a rod.

Plus, it makes a guy feel good when your buddies call your daughter “Logan VanDam”

All in all, this has been my favorite ice season ever. I dislocated a shoulder back at the Mille Lacs GTG so I didn’t get to travel up to SD for perch, or LOTW for walleyes or Ontario for lakers this year. I ended up taking a lot of people out that normally don’t ice fish and we had some great times. Rarely do we get such good ice anymore.

Be safe those of you still on late ice, and remember, if they’re coming in and you’re not getting bit – change up. Go smaller, bigger, less aggressive, something almost always work if you can find the fish! I was amazed at how much better a #16 would catch fish than a #14 some days or vice versa.