Ice fishing! any hints or tips?

Nwaite · Feb 6, 2016

After being a vegetarian family for the last 4 1/2 years we have started eating meat agen.

So me and my son who is 6 started ice fishing. .. if we're going to be eating meat we would like to hunt is our self or farm raise it.

Wanted to know if any one has any tip?
We're using shiners for bait.
Mostly bass, Brook trout and perch were we fish.

Cadillactaste · Feb 6, 2016

Just to make sure the ice is thick enough...that sort of fishing always made me nervous. We once allowed fishing in the winter months. But...had ones to young out ice fishing alone. So the lake voted to just closes the lake to no fishing...not many ice fishers. And the one irresponsible family had a thick skull refused to ice fish with them...their kids knew what they were doing. The only other couple that ice fished...was the one who came up with the idea to close the lake to fishing. He would rather ice fish elsewhere...than learn of one of those children drowning in the ice covered lake. So the lake voted at a meeting...and now signs go up...NO FISHING all around the lake. Just to protect ones we feel should not be ice fishing alone.

fredman · Feb 6, 2016

Just make sure your hole is big enough so you can get that monster outa there...

Seriously mate I know absolutely nothing about that. When I do see it in a movie I always think that...why is that damn hole so small

I do respect your approach big time. We grew up huge meat eaters in SA. It still is the centre of that culture. Barbeque crazy like you Americans

Nowadays we eat very little meat in our household though. It just faded away by itself....
My son and his girl are the same as you. They are for the best part vegetarians but do eat meat if they gather it themselves. That also gives him an excuse to fish every weekend. What I like most about it, is the respect they have for their bodies. Its a lifestyle that sure keeps you thinking about what you put inside your body. Man they make the most fantastic vegetarian foods. I don't even miss meat when i eat there ... Huge respect for them. Not easy doing something like that in today's society...

sorce · Feb 7, 2016

Fish more than you have to when it is warm.
Then you can just go ice fishing in the freezer.
Take the kids sledding!

Sorce

M. Frary · Feb 7, 2016

Best ice fishing tip I can give is to get In Fisherman magazine and find some videos. Those guys flat out catch fish wherever and whenever they can.
There is actually a lot of science that goes into fishing and being successful. I myself don't ice fish but a lot of my friends do.
The one thing that you will need,just like in bonsai is patience. And just like this hobby,the more you get out there and do it the better you get.
Good luck! And whack 'em!

GrimLore · Feb 7, 2016

Nwaite said:
Wanted to know if any one has any tip? We're using shiners for bait. Mostly bass, Brook trout and perch were we fish.

What type of water structures are you fishing? What I mean is it a Lake, Pond, Quarry, or River? Methods don't vary a lot but I use different in each with good results.

Grimmy

Nwaite · Feb 7, 2016

Pond today. ... didn't get any thing today...

But it was a good time and the kids love it.

fredman · Feb 7, 2016

The best way to learn about a new style or area's fishing is to join a club, or at least talk to someone that knows. The sooner the better so your family don't go hungry

sorce · Feb 8, 2016

Here's my fishing partner with one from Jan6th. You gotta have all the cheating gear to make waiting easy! Tent, fire, beer, juice boxes!

I only been once.....I didn't have the right boots, and with 3in of wet slush on top the ice, it sucked!

Ice makes for a good surface to go walk out on to grab everyone's broke off lures from the trees you can't get to dry in summer.

Nwaite said:
and the kids love it

Nice!

Sorce

fredman · Feb 8, 2016

sorce said:
Tent, fire, beer, juice boxes!

Hell I can do ice fishing

GrimLore · Feb 8, 2016

Nwaite said:
Pond today. ... didn't get any thing today...

Small pond, know the pond and if possible check it out in the Summer. Reason being you don't want to be in the shallows and preferably with an area that contains some structure like a ledge or fallen tree. Next thought - the fish are running with a very low metabolism so use tiny spoons dressed with a small piece of bait, 1/4 inch or less. Perch in particular will school so drop your lines at different depths to get a feel for what depth they are active at. Then adjust accordingly

Grimmy

fredman · Feb 8, 2016

Yeah very sound advise. Fishing is much more than dropping a line in the water. Like any hunting you must know your quarry. Most important is to find them, or at least have a knowledge where they prefer to be. To do that you must know their habits and what they target in each season.... know what they prefer to eat !!! Check out your area in summer and make notes about where the structures is. Know exactly what you're targeting so you can be at the right place and imitate their food best. Its like bonsai...the more knowledge you gain the "luckier" you get in finding the right approach

Nwaite · Feb 8, 2016

Thanks every one! I'll definitely do some homework on the local ponds/lakes around my place for next year.

M. Frary · Feb 8, 2016

fredman said:
. know what they prefer to eat !!! C

To catch an owl,observe the mouse.

fredman · Feb 8, 2016

Another thing I'm thinking of is the ponds. Are they isolated or connected to an under stream? I cant see a isolated pond holding quality fish...! I might be wrong. Something worth thinking of...

sorce · Feb 9, 2016

fredman said:
why is that damn hole so small

fredman said:
holding quality fish.

Quality fish don't fit in the hole anyway!

Sorce

M. Frary · Feb 9, 2016

fredman said:
Another thing I'm thinking of is the ponds. Are they isolated or connected to an under stream? I cant see a isolated pond holding quality fish...! I might be wrong. Something worth thinking of...

Golf course ponds have some of the largest bass and sunfish you will see.

GrimLore · Feb 9, 2016

M. Frary said:
Golf course ponds have some of the largest bass and sunfish you will see.

South Hills C.C. Jamestown, NY. Tom runs the place and gave me permission to fish off hours there - LOTS of 3+ pound Smallmouth 10 - 12 years ago. He explained to me that nobody had fished them to his knowledge in over 15 years back then and it was a riot on a Summer night. Never tried Ice fishing there though.
At the farm Grandmother has her 2 acre pond is under fished also. It is Spring fed and I found the shore near the inlet at dawn to be highly productive in the Summer but in the Winter deeper structure holds them at 15 - 20 foot.

Grimmy

fredman · Feb 9, 2016

M. Frary said:
Golf course ponds have some of the largest bass and sunfish you will see.

Yeah that's true. Everywhere lately fish is being stocked in ponds. I had in my mind Nwaite fishes the back country though.. he sounded rural to me...

Anyway any quality fish will have a massive problem in a frozen pond.. not much oxygen and no nutrients entering the water....so the whole "eco system" grinds to a halt. Their biggest focus will be on surviving those conditions. Don't think they'll expend any energy looking for food. Like Grimmy said go small, but you'll have to drop it right on top of them. Also I think their winter hangout places will vary from their preferred summer areas. They might not even be around structure, but somewhere where the water is "warmest" and most oxygen...even if you do find them, the bite will be so subtle, and they'll drop it as soon as they know its artificial.... Yeah ice fishing in a pond, will be challenging to say the least I imagine

Maybe a small livey on a circle hook...? That way it will feel the vibrations and come out its hiding, and hook itself...

Gotta find the livey first hey...

M. Frary · Feb 9, 2016

fredman said:
Yeah that's true. Everywhere lately fish is being stocked in ponds. I had in my mind Nwaite fishes the back country though.. he sounded rural to me...
Anyway any quality fish will have a massive problem in a frozen pond.. not much oxygen and no nutrients entering the water....so the whole "eco system" grinds to a halt. Their biggest focus will be on surviving those conditions. Don't think they'll expend any energy looking for food. Like Grimmy said go small, but you'll have to drop it right on top of them. Also I think their winter hangout places will vary from their preferred summer areas. They might not even be around structure, but somewhere where the water is "warmest" and most oxygen...even if you do find them, the bite will be so subtle, and they'll drop it as soon as they know its artificial.... Yeah ice fishing in a pond, will be challenging to say the least I imagine
Maybe a small livey on a circle hook...? That way it will feel the vibrations and come out its hiding, and hook itself... Gotta find the livey first hey...

Big fish eat little fish. Little fish eat bugs. Fish don't get nutrients from the water. They only use the oxygen in the water. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water so all of the water in a pond is saturated with oxygen. Most ponds are fed by a water source such as a spring or creek so the oxygen is replenished in winter also.
Fish are cold blooded animals so the colder it gets the slower they go. In lakes, reservoirs or ponds it doesn't matter. The same is true when the water gets hot in summer,they slow down then too. The oxygen levels are lower than in winter. In winter they only eat every so often because their metabolism slows down also to conserve energy. No matter what,in a river or a lake or pond ,fish slow down when it is as cold as it can get.

Ice fishing! any hints or tips?

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