Soft Water Baits for the Hard Water Season

With some of the northern lakes starting to freeze over and some of the first actual ice reports starting to flow through I thought I would take a few minutes and talk about a bit of a crossover during this transition period. When thinking about ice fishing many techniques and almost all gear is specialized for the specific hard water scenarios you will face. With that in mind there are many baits that will transfer from the soft to hard water season saving you both time and money. There are a number of baits that fit the topic but I think 2 of the most productive that Ive seen and used are the tube jig and a small swimbait. Both do a great job of imitating baitfish that game fish in our northern lakes feed on. Tube Jig: I highly recommend the Berkley Havoc Smash Tube. If you have read some of my previous posts you know I really like a lot of shapes in the Havoc line. The smash tube isn't perfectly round, instead has almost a "Squished" or "Smashed" profile which gives it 2 sides that are a bit flatter than the other and a great gliding action. Swimbaits: When fish are looking for a little more action a small swimbait is a great choice. The paddle tail gives off a lot of vibration and is a great imitation of smelt and cisco. I really like the profile of the XZone Swammer. Take a look at their line, some great colours and a number of different sizes to chose from. Every time on the water is learning experience... it's all about getting better!