Best baits for right after ice out.

[Redog]

So what are some of your favorite bait to throw Right after the ice melts off? Say for bass....maybe pan fish as well? I’ve heard that the catfish bite can be good to really early but I’m not a catfish guy. <€€€>€

[liljakec]

Jig, jerkbait, and ned rig are my go to baits right after ice out. If you are lucky enough to find a flat that is 40-42 then I break out a chatterbait and lipless crank

[Redog]

Do you guys like the red color on chatter baits and traps? I have had good luck with a rock crawler crank bait in early spring as well as the other baits noted above.

[liljakec]

Do you guys like the red color on chatter baits and traps? I have had good luck with a rock crawler crank bait in early spring as well as the other baits noted above.

I normally give the red a shot in the spring. Some days they really eat it while other times they want something else. Just experiment while on the water and see what they prefer that day

[Redog]

I normally give the red a shot in the spring. Some days they really eat it while other times they want something else. Just experiment while on the water and see what they prefer that day

Thats good advice.

[Hunna]

Rattle trap and crank bait.

[Iowabass3826]

I go with whatever liljakec tells me to throw.

[Redog]

One bait I had some luck with that I haven’t used much in the spring until last year was a zoom fluke. I throw it on a 3.0 ewg hook. Really I just twitch it slow and wait ect. I think it works best around structure as well and if you can find a school of bait on the graft evan better. I’m going to try it again this year and also going to try it on a Carolina rig for fun.

[STEVE81]

A jig and a jerkbait are my go to in this area at ice out. Crankbait (like a DT6) would be my next.

[Redog]

A jig and a jerkbait are my go to in this area at ice out. Crankbait (like a DT6) would be my next.

All good advice. Have you moved south yet Steve81? Hoping to see a ice out video soon!

[STEVE81]

Haven’t moved just yet. Should be at the end of the month and it won’t be all that far south. Just the St Louis area. So not a ton warmer than here. You also won’t see an ice video from me. I didn’t get out on the ice once this year. Since it took so long to get any safe (to me) ice, I sold all of my gear off. In fact, Jake is the guy that grabbed most of it.

I’m hoping to get the boat in some lakes as soon as I get there and start filming again. I haven’t wet a line since November and that’s dangerously close a felony, I’m pretty sure!