New Ice Fishing Tackle; Glow Lures

I am constantly adding new ice fishing tackle to my arsenal as well as open water tackle. Its an obsesion really, I like new lures and never know what is going to be the next great lure out there.

So, I have been sitting here in my garage on an old Chevrolet truck bench seat for about 3 hours now. I would estimate that within the confines of the 25 or so of the Plano Stowaway tackle boxes sitting in front of me there are 2500 lures. All of which are used in one way, one water body, for one species of fish. They all seem to have a place in my arsenal at some time.

I have many opportunities to try out new ice fishing tackle because I live within 3 hours of world class rocky mountain stream fishing, 4 hours from some of the best Lake Trout fishing I have experienced, 20 minutes from great rivers, lakes, streams, ponds and creeks. There are Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brooks Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye, Sauger, White Fish, and Sturgeon among many others, in the summer I know exactly what lures I am taking to the water with me; I know what the fish eat.

THEN THE WATER FREEZES!!!!

When fishing through the ice fish can be like your mother in-law, no matter what you do you never seem to please her. I for a lot of years felt like on certain days there was nothing I could do, I could turn the entire lake into Swiss cheese and only imagine a fish on my line. Now days there new ice fishing tackle that can help solve those winter fishing woes.

My favorite new ice fishing tackle is Glow Lures. Glow Lures are just as there name implies, they glow in the dark. I resort to these lures when the bite is slowing down or when there is a thick layer of snow over the ice creating a darker atmosphere under the ice.

These lures are just like the glow in the dark stuff from the past, they charge with a light source. You can purchase small lure chargers at many tackle stores; charge them in the sunlight, under any light really. I have a battery powered LED trouble light that has a 4” X 10” Flat surface; I hang it beside me and charge my lures with it. Most lures require recharging every 5-10 minutes for the glow to be a contributing factor in bites.

I always take a few glowing jigs with me in various sizes to the ice. I think you should to, you shouldn’t be disappointed. Use them in any situation that you would use any regular ice jig. The added glow may just be the key factor in hooking that trophy circling below.

The most important thing to remember when using glowing lures is that if they aren’t glowing they aren’t working. Keep you lure charged with the light or you might as well be using regular lures. Glowing lures can be effective from the top of the water column to the bottom. If you are fishing in the daylight outside of an ice shack with glow lures I do not remove the slush from the ice fishing hole. When you skim the slush out you are letting pillars of light penetrate way down into the water. If you leave the slush the light penetrates far less and appears more natural to the fish. This way the glow will be more visible throughout the water from top to bottom.

Pan fish seem to be especially responsive to glowing lures. Tight lipped perch can seemingly turn into ferocious attackers devouring everything under the ice that glows in the dark.

I always take new ice fishing tackle with me whenever I hit the hard water. Just what to take can be a challenge, or more exactly what new ice fishing tackle to buy. We all go to the bait shop looking for the lure that will really work. The problem is that most fishing lures hanging on the store wall are built to attract fisherman more than a particular fish.

When I want some new tackle I purchase proven designs with a modern twist rather than the wild and weird or photo realistic pictures of strange things. Not to say that these lures don’t work, its just that now when I spend my hard earned cash I want a great working product not pretty one. Glow lures are one of these products.

I have seen and bought Glow Lead Head Jigs, Swim Baits and Spoons for ice fishing. The best working of these lures are painted conventionally with the glow added in the clear coat or regular paints. These lures appeal to more fish than an ugly green looking lure when the glow starts to fade. This way if the glow brings the fish in and the glow starts to fade the color and look of the lure will still draw bites.

There are ways to take advantage of glowing tackle without buying a whole new arsenal of fishing tackle. You can purchase Atlas-Mike's Glow Yarn or products such as Spike-It? Dip 'N Glow Plastic Lure Dye. I also use Spike-It, Garlic Dip-n-Glow, Worm Paint for soft plastic baits. It depends on the type of bait and manufacturer as to how long it holds up but have gotten really great results from the product.

Don't be afraid of new ice fishing tackle, Good luck and happy fishing!

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