Winter time fishing
Does anyone feel like the first ice over and ice out affects the fish? My good friend and I discussed this today on the lake.
We live in an area where a day of ice and a week of soft water can be common.
His stance was that sometimes a good day or two of ice can almost reset the fish.
Thoughts?
I'm afraid we don't ice over here. Even if it gets cold enough, the nuclear plants keep the water 50+ most of the year. The boat ramps can get a little tricky though.
Interesting thought Rich. Change is key and disappearing ice is certainly a positive change in the winter. I think of things in things in terms of rising and falling water temps. If the ice is disappearing, the water temp is warming and I would look for fish activity to increase.
This weekend in our part of the country we will certainly have a test model. The last two days have been below freezing and most small water has some thin ice, tomorrow we are supposed to have a warm rain. Well see how it affects the fishing for sunday.
Details will be reported!
That will be an amazing swing in conditions Rich. 20 degrees last night and 55 rain on Sunday. Look forward to hearing your report. Good luck in the derby!
Hey Rich,
The fish don’t necessarily reset; however, they’ll respond to any given environment accordingly. They will move but not far, and most times it’s more of a vertical movement once they settle-in to wintering areas. Look for the biggest flats on the lake with adjacent, sharp dropping breaks. Grass or some other form of cover will certainly make it even more attractive. Also, if these areas have bait, the fish will be there. The most efficient traditional lures will be hard jerkbaits, blade baits, and jigs. If I see bait and fish on my electronics but I’m not getting bit, a finesse jig or hair jig will almost always fill-out a limit. It can be a grind, so plan your day accordingly.
Peace
