Hows the p4 bite been?

Went out today. Have not been on P4 since October. Not 1 bite. Only saw 2 fish caught all day. Has the winter bite been a bit slow lately or was it just one of them days?

How was the water clarity?

I caught 9.
Smallest 18″ biggest 9.2#.
Half over 5#.

Winter trips to P4, sure was a treat while I lived in Iowa. I brought cookies(homemade)as instructed for my first visit to Everts. That’s when I learned Dean enjoyed a cookie now and then.

Jonesy,

Did you fish after sunset or just during the day? I’ve had trips down there in the winter that were dead until after sunset and then it’s like a flip is switched and the bite is on.

Thinking about heading down to P4 later is afternoon.

Thanks,

Boone

boone wrote:

Jonesy,

Did you fish after sunset or just during the day? I’ve had trips down there in the winter that were dead until after sunset and then it’s like a flip is switched and the bite is on.

Thinking about heading down to P4 later is afternoon.

Thanks,

Boone

X2

Seems like as the flow slows and the water is clear, the bite windows are early and late especially if it’s sunny out.

basseyes wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>boone wrote:</div>
Jonesy,

Did you fish after sunset or just during the day? I’ve had trips down there in the winter that were dead until after sunset and then it’s like a flip is switched and the bite is on.

Thinking about heading down to P4 later is afternoon.

Thanks,

Boone

X2

Seems like as the flow slows and the water is clear, the bite windows are early and late especially if it’s sunny out.

Was only able to make it during the day. Perhaps that was the issue

Or go deeper….clear water fish during low light or go deeper. Might get into some saugers deeper, too. Look for you 18-24’ with some flow.

Matt Moen wrote:

Or go deeper….clear water fish during low light or go deeper. Might get into some saugers deeper, too. Look for you 18-24’ with some flow.

or go shallower. We caught lots of saugers and walleyes this weekend and never fished deeper than 13′. Just need to get away from boat traffic to fish shallow. These shallower fish love high skies.

Great advice.

Have noticed longer leaders with lighter line can make a difference when the water is clear during the day in off peak times, and like Matt is saying, going deeper and finding flow. Plus getting it away from the boat enough to still fish effectively.

Mike W wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Matt Moen wrote:</div>
Or go deeper….clear water fish during low light or go deeper. Might get into some saugers deeper, too. Look for you 18-24’ with some flow.

or go shallower. We caught lots of saugers and walleyes this weekend and never fished deeper than 13′. Just need to get away from boat traffic to fish shallow. These shallower fish love high skies.

Any clue why those fish will go shallow with the high skies?

I went to P2 instead of P4 late this afternoon. I set up on a wing dam and the bite turned on about 20 minutes after sunset. In the next 45 minutes I got 5 ranging between 18-22″ and missed about that many solid hits that didn’t hook up or came unbuttoned. Water clarity was pretty good and I had about 33 F for water temperature. Pitching a firecracker chartruese Moxi on a 3/8 oz head got most bites.

Boone

basseyes wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mike W wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Matt Moen wrote:</div>
Or go deeper….clear water fish during low light or go deeper. Might get into some saugers deeper, too. Look for you 18-24’ with some flow.

or go shallower. We caught lots of saugers and walleyes this weekend and never fished deeper than 13′. Just need to get away from boat traffic to fish shallow. These shallower fish love high skies.

Any clue why those fish will go shallow with the high skies?

2 thoughts why. Warmer water gets the bait fish more active in shallow. Warmer water helps the female walleyes with egg development. High skies, clear water can bring them in shallow but you can imagine boat traffic can move them back out just as fast. The bite we had going Saturday in 13′ of water died Sunday. Ended up getting back on them by focusing on 6 to 10′ range.

Bill O. wrote:

Winter trips to P4, sure was a treat while I lived in Iowa. I brought cookies(homemade)as instructed for my first visit to Everts. That’s when I learned Dean enjoyed a cookie now and then.

Good memories ! :]

The bite has been tough from my sources. Of course someone always is on them doing something ! I would expect that the mid day bite is slow but prime time will be kicking in shortly. Cant catch em on the couch !

Mike W wrote:

2 thoughts why. Warmer water gets the bait fish more active in shallow. Warmer water helps the female <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes with egg development. High skies, clear water can bring them in shallow but you can imagine boat traffic can move them back out just as fast. The bite we had going Saturday in 13′ of water died Sunday. Ended up getting back on them by focusing on 6 to 10′ range.

That makes perfect sense, thanks.

basseyes wrote:

Great advice.

Have noticed longer leaders with lighter line can make a difference when the water is clear during the day in off peak times, and like Matt is saying, going deeper and finding flow. Plus getting it away from the boat enough to still fish effectively.

I know some don’t agree with this but I always run fluorocarbon leaders when the water is clear regardless of depth. There have been days it has been the difference between catching fish and not.

I just run straight braid to the lures when fishing shallow clear water and catch fish. Guessing it might just not matter when they are aggressive. Might have to give that a try on the days when they are just bumping lures.

And thank you Jonesy for getting this post started. Its just a little bit of brightness in a endless sea of ice fishing posts. Its only December and Im already sick of ice fishing pictures and questions. Yes there is a hole in the ice and you pulled a fish out of it.

Mike W wrote:

I just run straight braid to the lures when fishing shallow clear water and catch fish. Guessing it might just not matter when they are aggressive. Might have to give that a try on the days when they are just bumping lures.

Last February and March on pool 4 a leader was a must. Another guy in my boat couldn’t get a bite running straight braid with the same baits. I think it’s super critical with slow presentations.

I agree on this thread….I had planned to I’ve fish this weekend but it might be time to grab the boat if 494 is open.

Mike W wrote:

And thank you Jonesy for getting this post started. Its just a little bit of brightness in a endless sea of ice fishing posts. Its only December and Im already sick of <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing pictures and questions. Yes there is a hole in the ice and you pulled a fish out of it.

Agreed

Had a different person in the boat Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

They caught a combined 2.
I was somewhere between 25-30.

Amazing how subtleties can make that big of a difference.

Been toying with flouro leaders for two weeks since water cleared up and I haven’t found a need to run them.

The guy in my boat Saturday, I consider better at pitching plastics, he taught me years ago. He ran flouro and only caught 1. I made sure everyone left with a limit caught with hi vis.

The last 40 eyes I’ve caught come on a moxie green w/green core.
Absolutely motionless hovering off bottom.

^
^
^

Would be interesting to know why stuff like that happens, like if it was only a line issue, what was it and why. Especially in clearer water with a direct tie doing better than with a floro leader. If it was visa versa that’d seem to make sense.

I know years ago James Holst ran nothing but 6lb Berkley XT Solar tied direct, he was upset when they quit making it for a few years. The reason many times you could not feel the bite but could see the line change just that subtle amount.

Tom P. wrote:

I know years ago James Holst ran nothing but 6lb Berkley XT Solar tied direct, he was upset when they quit making it for a few years. The reason many times you could not feel the bite but could see the line change just that subtle amount.

Good chance that was before some of the braids available nowadays. Even before having extras spools spooled with mono to switch to when it dipped below freezing.

Last time I fished with James about 5 or more years ago he still preferred mono when fishing current braid does not drift a lure like mono can, winter or summer. I should say pitching not dragging or drifting in the boat.