Alright, here's the deal, I have never ice fished before, but next weekend there's a tournament on a pond I know very well from fishing there from the boat a ton of times. So, I'm looking for advice on what to put down there and what types of areas will be best. I do have access to an ice fishing jig setup or a tip up or whatever, I just don't know what to use. I'd appreciate any help I can get!!

Well I don't fish for bass on the ice just because we can't get out to the deeper areas. I'm stuck with perch, whitefish and trout. By just guessing, I would fish the same lures just as from a boat in winter conditions.

I would try a jig and pig/chunk combination, fat Ika, a S. Carolina rigged worm, shaky head worm or try a S. Carolina rigged suspending crank. Just have to remember to fish very slow with slight twitches.

We rig tip ups with a 1/0 hook and a shiner, but any baitfish will do.  We usually fish in water anywhere from 10-15 feet, but that might vary from lake to lake.  Once you drill a hole, put a big lead sinker on the hook to sound the depth of the water.  Hold the line so you keep the right depth, remove the weight and put a shiner on the hook.  You want the bait a few feet from the bottom, so reel about 2 feet of line onto the tip-up and set it in the hole.  Put out as many of these as you have/ local regs allow.

Its a pretty basic setup, but works well.  We usually catch bass, pike, pickerel and even trout.  Hope that helps, good luck.

thanks. That does help...a lot. Anyone from the area and is familiar with Turtle Pond in Concord/Loudon N.H. should show up. The tourney is Saturday the 31st, starts at 10:00 till dark. I'll be out there just because I need to catch me a bass...BAD! I think I'll try to get some shiners on tip ups, and try some jigging as well. Should be a good time

There is a lot of ice fishing on one of my favorite bass fishing places, but I have not heard of anyone catching bass through the ice there.  I am not saying you can't, just I haven't seen it here.

i wouldn't go with that Carolina rigged crank through the ice (or any of those suggestions not so good through a small hole in the ice) try some wax worms i have gotten s couple big ones while fishing for sunnies, try by weeds and structure, other live bait will work good to. And bass do go shallow to i saw a real nice one through my spearing hole in 6ft but it wouldnt bite when i put a jig in front of it  

You can try a jigging set up with a maggot on it or a shiner. Also a tip up with a shiner on it. Unfortunately with ice fishing you get what takes the bait. Its simplicity at its best. Make sure you dress warm. Good luck and tight lines

Ice Fishing for Bass can be quite the chore. Bass really slow down. A shiner on a tip up might work. You need to find the weeds they will hold there but will not be real active. I have caught more bass jigging for Blue Gills which is a blast on a UL panfish ice rod. Sometimes just a small jig tipped with spikes or bee moths will do the trick. Good luck

more bass are caught during first ice and last ice periods. They are very hard to catch during the dead of winter. but it can be done fish deep and hope you hit one in the nose.