By Chip Leer

Get The Drop On Winter PanfishGet The Drop On Winter Panfish

The most productive ice anglers I know pay attention to the rate at which a lure falls through the water.

A slower fall will entice more strikes, especially if fish are highly pressured by anglers or affected by weather.

Actively feeding fish may hit fast-falling lures with abandon. But most of the time we're faced with fish that aren't super aggressive, and they need more time to eyeball the bait before deciding whether or not to eat it.

Size and shape of line and plastic will adjust the fall rate of lures as we know them, what is exciting for ice fisherman this year are jigs made lighter metals than traditional lead or tungsten. Materials that flow naturally in the water column.

The latest generation of lead-free jigs, which more closely resemble a fly, have weights as light as 1/100 of an ounce. When dropped into the water, they seemingly float in the abyss. It's easy to see why they work so well; if you've ever looked at an insect floating in the water it is weightless, rarely dropping and darting like traditional ice lures.
Tipping a fly with a scent-impregnated plastic such as one of Northland Tackle's Impulse lineup not only slows the fall even more, it encourages tentative fish to hold on longer, allowing you time to set the hook.

Fishing these lightweight wonders is pretty simple. Despite the slow drop rate you can free-line in shallower water and sight fish if possible.

Light line is best. If you're targeting fish in water deeper than, say, 10 feet, you'll want to add a dropper weight above the fly on enough of a tag end for the fly to act natural and float. You'll feel the bite. Fish eat it and swim away because the Impulse plastic encourages them to keep their mouth closed.

In fact, this past summer while playing with these flies off my dock, I caught the same bluegill over and over, they can't say no.

For anglers who fish to catch, this new non-lead series of flies is a must-have addition to the jig box.

For 2016, Northland Tackle has introduced the Helium Fly and Larva Fly. The Helium Fly comes pre-rigged with Impulse in different sizes and shapes to emulate natural aquatic insects. The Larva Fly is a new tungsten jig head that fishes heavier while maintaining the natural fly look and feel.
Add a few of each of these options to your quiver this winter and you, too, will be asking yourself, "How slow can this go?"

For more Information, go check out www.northlandtackle.com.