You don't need a lot of tackle for bluegills under ice but it pays to use the right stuff

A bunch of us rented a cabin for the week at a Pennsylvania state park, nd we were having quite a time with a string of perfect days and perfect conditions.

It was my fourth straight day on the ice, for which I was very thankful, but I was starting to drag.

Santa might have found enough presents for every good girl and boy if he had gone through the pile of rods, tip-ups, tackle, electric auger, electronics, camera, food, drink and whatnot in my sled. Each day, I had pulled that overloaded sled nearly three-quarter of a mile across the frozen lake and back again. It took close to 40 minutes with a breather in the middle.

The Frozen Chozen agreed that it was time to lighten our loads. To a man, and woman, we had figured out what was working and what wasn’t needed. knew I didn’t need five rods for bluegills, spunky as those pale 9-inch beauties might be. I certainly did not need tip-ups for bass as we were out of shiners.

There was no need for spoons, ice plugs, or the three boxes of ice jigs d been carrying. I whittled my tackle down to one box with 20 jigs and plastics and stuffed that lone box in the pants leg of my snowsuit before taking off.

I had five holes drilled and my first fine bluegill on the ice a little over an hour after turning off the cabin’s coffee pot. Wonder bread-color tungsten jigs sweetened with a larva scored again.

While I wouldn’t say it’s the only lure you might ever need for mid-winter bluegill, a small ice jig from 2mm to 5mm with corresponding size 14 to 10 hook is hands down the best. I catch at least 90 percent of my big bluegills with such jigs. Sometimes I tip them with bait, sometime with soft plastics, sometimes both. The jig is the essential element.