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How to Ice Fish With Corn Borers

Three thousand years ago, natives of the Alaska and Canadian North America territories fashioned spears to fish through the ice in order to survive the harsh winters. More recently, ice fishing has become a popular sport. In her book, "Ice Fishing," Laura Purdie Salas explains that modern ice fishing became popular during the 1950's, and the techniques and tools became more creative and efficient, including types of bait. The corn borer, a grub found in corn stalks, is one of the most effective ice-fishing baits. Corn borer grubs are especially effective on panfish like bluegill and crappie.

Things You'll Need

Corn stalks
Sharp Knife
Corn borer grubs
Corrugated cardboard
Glass jar with lid
Refrigerator
Teardrop-shaped lure
Fishing line
Fishing pole
Fishing bobber

Instructions

Collecting Corn Borer Grubs
- 1
  Cut small strips of corrugated cardboard and place them in a glass jar.
- 2
  Locate corn stalks with holes, and carefully slice into the stalk with a sharp knife. Locate the corn borer grubs in the stalks.
- 3
  Place your corn borers into the glass jar, cover with a lid, and place in an isolated corner of a refrigerator until ready for use.
Ice Fishing With Corn Borers
- 4
  Choose a teardrop-shaped lure -- red, orange, bright green or white -- from your tackle box.
- 5
  Thread the corn borer onto the lure's hook, but do not push it past the hook's tip.
- 6
  Lower the line carefully into the water until the bobber touches the water.
- 7
  Gently raise the fishing line up and down -- jig -- while watching it carefully as it rises and falls.
- 8
  Set the hook -- snap the line upward -- if the line begins to slack or act unusual.

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