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March is a key month for chasing panfish and that's just fine by me. I don't know if it's my advancing age or what, but getting out there on the ice on sub-zero days to chase three-to-a-pound bluegills and eight-inch crappies is losing some of its luster. Just about the time I hatch a good plan to get out there with my boys and fish, the local meteorologists forecast another stretch of insanely cold weather and stiff winds. No thanks. I think I'll wait for March to roll around.

Each season I look forward to the aggressive panfish bite during late-ice, and it's a welcome change indeed to sit outside with the warm March sun on my face and hands. I've said it before, but to me there's no better time to be had than when I'm able to catch a Twins spring training game on the portable radio while I'm out there under the bright sunshine jigging up a limit of bluegills and crappies.

Around our neck of the woods, a number of places are perennial March sunfish and crappie producers. These areas really begin to heat up in late February and only get more productive as the month of March progresses. Some of these "usual haunts" for sunnies include Pancake Island on South Center, out in front of the Government Center on North Center, the south bay of Chisago Lake, as well as out in front of the A-frame and eagle's nest.

If it's crappies you're after, the water out in front of the old Dew Drop Inn on South Center seems to always give up hard-biting fish in March. Also look at the 7 - 9-foot "saddle" between Sunset and Park Points, as well as the spots I mentioned on Chisago Lake, later in the afternoon into early evening.

Jigging any of these spots from mid-afternoon until dusk will most likely yield a mixed bag, so it's always a good idea to bring along euro-larvae, waxies and minnows wherever you decide to fish.

One of the greatest advantages to March ice fishing is that anglers can get by with far less equipment and perform far less work prior to fishing. Unless you're working water off the beaten path, a good chisel is all you'll need to quickly re-open a number of skimmed over holes. The idea is to keep on the move and trust your electronics. If your flasher doesn't get any returns in a particular hole, move and drop your transducer down the next hole. When you do mark fish, hunker down and exhaust the hole. You'll be surprised at how many fish will come out of a hole before the remainder of the fish drift off.

Every month of the year holds key fishing patterns that an angler can take advantage of each and every season. For years now, I've made a habit of taking notes regarding where I fish, the date, time of day, depth, live bait type, lure color, size, speed, barometer, and general weather conditions. If you begin to keep track of this general information, it won't take too many seasons before you begin to see consistent patterns. Fish movements and feeding habits on any given body of water are indeed seasonal and cyclical. Recognizing and tuning into these patterns can make you a far more productive and efficient angler.

Dan Brown's weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie's Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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