Well as it goes every year I'm chasing those early open water pannies.
I count 4 days after the ice goes out and start to hit the water in small protected lakes that warm up quickly.Maybe even some rivers like the one in this picture that flow into Big Sandy Lake near McGregor Mn.
The tactic is using a jig-n-cork method.
These fish are very spooky and nomadic at this time of the year. They slide from deeper warmer water into the shallows to feed and keeping my baits very small is so important.
I can not stress enough that at this time minnows will rarely intice a fish to bite. You'll need something more along the lines of what you used ice fishing.
Have fun out there chasing these pannies ,but also do yourself a favor and release 95% of the big ones.
The fish you see in the pics are not the really big ones that we already let go.
I most often toss back every slab 13 inches and over.I also release all of those under 10 inches and there's some days they all go back to swim and fight again.
