Breaking Down Basins for Panfish

Breaking down basins for crappie and bluegill. Tips for identifying key basin features that hold panfish midwinter. This particular winter, the amount of snow and slush on some lakes has made the basin patterns even more powerful as weeds die in shallow water.
Jason Mitchell joins Ice Team Pro Tony Mariotti in western Minnesota but these basin patterns are unfolding across the upper Midwest right now. We also share presentation tips for triggering and catching panfish that are in the typically midwinter funk by using finesse tungsten jigs and light line. In addition, we modifying the jigs with Clam Silkies to give the jig a bug like action in the water. Tips for how to rig and trim the Silkie to catch panfish this winter.
Shop the Products:
Clam Silkie: jasonmitchello...
Drop XL Jig: jasonmitchello...
Straight Drop Spring Bobber Rod: jasonmitchello...
Spooler Elite: jasonmitchello...
Ice Armor Bib: jasonmitchello...
Ice Armor Jacket: jasonmitchello...
Ice Defense: jasonmitchello...
JM Legend XT:jasonmitchello...
Vexilar FLX-28: jasonmitchello...
Be sure to checkout the Virtual Angling App in the App Store, Google Play, or at virtualangling...

[@acmund]

The best teacher in the game. Thank you Mr. Mitchell.

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Thank you for watching. We appreciate the kind words. 👍

[@farhenheit628of1200]

Ima try peltier lake tomorrow morning!

[@MountainStateAngler]

Once again you educate with actual information that puts the angler to succeed. I don't comment often on your videos because they are perfect, but I have to say, every video I have watched from you has made me a better angler, always something informative for us. I always wondered what to do with these panfish when I have no luck. Thank you Mr. Mitchell!

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Good luck this winter!

[@jayrobertson232]

First class, Mr. Mitchell! You are absolutely head and shoulders above anyone else in your industry. Thank you. JR

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Thanks for watching 👊

[@scottrouwhorst881]

Nice

[@ADKflyguy]

J.M. You are the man! Forget about the fish you land, imagine all the fish your content has landed. Just awesome. You have stepped my game up ten fold.

[@nathanking9083]

Tuff ice season in the dacks ....checking a few spots on champlain today 🙏

[@valentinepayne6464]

Love fishing in the winter north bay area Ontario .some beer and a few buddies nothing better than this.

[@laddyaddy1963]

I’ve learned a lot from Jason over the years!

[@troymaziarz3343]

Jason, can you describe how you tell where a hard bottom meats a soft bottom? What do you see on the ice, or what do you look for?

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Contour maps can help. Look for a sharp break meeting a deep flat. The flats in deep water are often soft, also set your range on your Vex to triple of the depth you are fishing and look for a second or third echo. If you get a second and third echo, you are on rock. Just a second echo is usually sand or gravel. No extra echo is soft bottom.

[@5199John]

Another great video! Thanks Jason! I will be trying your Silkie "T" bone trick this week! Keep 'm coming! Also, appreciate you listing the gear you used.

[@brianschaaf2337]

Good evening Jason. Will you be at the Fishing and Hunting expo in Madison?

[@roysaari3028]

Always enjoy your great attitude…thanks for taking us along!!

[@jimlayton8642]

Thank you so much Jason. Cheers.

[@terryattewell5842]

Always great content and enjoyable. Thanks and keep them coming

[@pwillis13]

Thanks for the great tips. Going to test them out in NE Iowa later this week.

[@Erieeyes]

Your lucky our ice season just ramping up in Western N.Y. great video

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Thanks for watching and good luck this winter!

[@badcrispy3933]

Caught a 20” walleye while jigging for pan fish on an 1/32 pink wonderbread jointed pinhead pro tipped with a minnow head in 18 feet on a gentle slope adjacent to 35 foot hole.

[@juliosdiy3206]

Dahaaaaam bingo!

[@hardh2ogillz]

Just curious - is your transducer that far below the bottom of the hole for a reason?

[@hardh2ogillz]

NM - rocking it side to side.

[@philgorski1418]

Do you ice fish any lakes in marathon county in Wisconsin? What are they?

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

I have fished a few lakes on the Wisconsin River years ago but it might have been 20 years ago

[@ffinkral]

Great video! I'm heading to northeast south dakota this month. Going to try the basins. You going there this winter to film at all?

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

We find perch running basins or basin transitions in those dish bowl prairie lakes.

[@bdotfishing3429]

Thanks for not sharing the lake name. It got wrecked after you there a hand full of years ago. There finally coming back

[@tjfaulkner7897]

13:45 shoulders!

[@kevinstenberg9638]

Jason another good teaching video! If you are seeing sunfish/ crappy on your Vex. how often will you change jigs trying to get them to bite? And do you usually start with a #5 tungsten? Thanks

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

I often start out bigger and scale down. I will change jigs but often find I also need to change holes. If you wear out your welcome in a hole where you catch a few fish and than struggle, it is sometimes easier to move. If I get an indication that the tough fish that are left are small, I move. Sometimes just giving a hole a rest can also work well. Good luck!

[@Wentz_Outdoors]

I’m confused on how you found those devils lake crappies a couple years ago

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Send us a DM

[@aaronlutze1514]

I like the rod what kind?

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Clam 27 inch Straight Drop Spring Bobber

[@Ouropouros]

Jason you make the most informative and well produced fishing videos on youtube. Hoping to catch a fish fry of crappie this weekend.

[@witterhemi]

what model of ice shack are you using in this video jason?

[@JasonMitchellOutdoors]

Scheels exclusive JM Legend XT