LATE SEASON CHAOS

Warm water fish spawn in the spring. The length of daylight in March, accompanied by increased oxygen levels from snow and ice melt, triggers fish to form large schools as they anticipate the coming spawn that will occur in the shallows after ice-out. This is the absolute best time of the year to fish for white perch. Several small schools will join to form large schools. These huge schools of fish have one thing on their minds this time of year…food! They need to eat before the spawn, and they’re after hatching insects in the mud and smelt. Finding schools of pre-spawn white perch means non-stop action that sometimes lasts all day.

When I am fishing for white perch or crappie, you will usually see me sitting over a basin or on an inside turn as the sun rises. To clarify, a basin is a depression, and an inside turn is like an underwater cove. Whether I’m targeting crappies or bluegills, or white perch, I focus on areas 25 to 30-feet of water. Zooplankton rise from the bottom at dusk and feed until the sun begins to rise at dawn. This concentration of plankton draws baitfish, which in turn draws gamefish. Basins can be fished early and late in the day since zooplankton concentrations will be highest then and the bowl-like feature of the basin will hold the plankton and baitfish in that area, but they can also serve as a resting place for well-fed white perch or crappies, so basins are always worth a look.

` Requires ½" drill chuck (see web site for recommended drills) ` Foam float prevents the drill from sinking ` Thermal wrap on light weight aluminum shaft ` Durable composite flighting ` Drill through 36" of ice without extension (12" and 18" extensions available) ` Durable tool steel chipper blades ` Large center point for safer drilling of old holes ` Three sizes available:

6" 7.5" 8.5"

FREE blade sharpening

for the life of the product

(see web site for details)

Order direct on-line now or get one at your favorite tackle shop kdrillauger.com

Made By AWC 6667 West Old Shakopee Rd, Suite 102 Bloomington, MN 55438 952-224-3649 Patented Technology #7,946,355 & #10,544,626

Watch the K-drill in action at kdrillauger.com

Official Member

K-Drill is Made in the USA

Other areas to try are deep coves with feeder streams. Warmer temperatures and longer days in March create runoff from melting snow. The only good source of oxygen this time of year will come from streams carrying oxygenrich water and microorganisms into the lake. As lake smelt begin to stage in shallow water, they will congregate in these areas and the white perch will follow. Coves will be hot and cold however, because the fish will move in and feed until they run the bait out. Then it will take some time for the bait to return and the process to repeat.

My go-to lures are a size twelve white and orange Epoxy Drop or a 1/8-ounce Blade Spoon with a single hook (In New Hampshire you must use a single hook with a single hook point if you wish to use bait.) from Clam Pro Tackle, tipped with three or four spikes (maggots) or a tiny piece of worm. The Epoxy Drop sinks fast, getting you back down to the fish quickly, which is important when a school moves in. The color really depends on the water clarity and light conditions. On bright days use bright colors, on dark days use dark colors, and in stained water use neutral colors.

March ice fishing is a blast, but later season seems to turn on all the fish in the lakes I fish. This is your best chance at catching big numbers of big fish, especially when targeting warm water species since they spawn in the spring. Most anglers enjoy the warmer temperatures that occur in March. After a long cold winter, it’s nice to be out on the ice catching huge panfish and not need to bundle up as much. As ice conditions can change by the hour this time of year, it is important to stay safe. If you hear the ice popping and banging it might be a good idea to get back near where you came from. New pressure ridges can form, or existing ones can collapse, and late ice pressure ridges are some of the most dangerous. Play it safe but have fun out there.