Thinking abut winter fishing brings back memories of when I was young and ice fishing with my uncle in northern Minnesota. But what would posses a person to go out into the freezing cold just to go fishing? How about a nice stringer full of fish?


Up north, ice fishing is a great way to restock your freezer full of tasty walleye or some nice perch. For those of you from the south, the perch we catch up north are not the same as bluegills or sunfish. They are more related to the walleye family and just as delicious.





You can’t go ice fishing here in Oklahoma, unless you bring along a raft. However, winter fishing is just as productive if you keep a few tips in mind.


First of all, winter is a great time to go fishing if you don’t want to be bothered by other fishermen. There are not too many people that will venture out into the cold just to fish. However, the fishermen that do go out are true sportsmen who love and respect the sport. You don’t have to worry about the people who want to leach onto your area if they see you catching your fill.


When fishing during the winter you will want to remember that their metabolism is much slower. So, they don’t spend a lot of time chasing after their meal. Their strikes will be much more subtle so you will have to pay more attention to what is happening on your line.


If you are after crappie, this is a great time to fish. Crappie tend to hang out in one area during the colder months of the year. If you can find one, chances are that you will catch as many as you want from that one area. But remember, you need to fish slower than normal if you want to catch them.


Check around man made structures first. Crappie will usually be hanging around the docks and piers so that they can catch the bait fish that are feeding off of the algae growing on these surfaces. If these areas don’t produce, try to fish about 10 feet deep. You will definitely find some in that depth gathered into large schools.


While fishing during the winter is is best to use smaller minnows or jigs. Just remember to work those jigs slowly.

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