Collect Your Own Live Bait

Collect your own live panfish bait ahead of your ice-fishing trip. Goldenrod grubs are found in the swellings on the stems of goldenrod plants. Store the bulbs in the refrigerator or the freezer for up to several weeks. Don't crack open the bulbs until you're ready to use the grub. Goldenrod plants grow in open fields and along railroad beds and roadways. They're considered a weed and no one will object to your taking them. If there's a hole in the bulb-shaped swelling, don't bother collecting it. The grub has either matured and left the plant or a predator has broken in to eat it.