So “early ice is the best”. Usually early ice is right now so to get on the usual good bite during early ice should we be out in the boat and should we expect the same bite or does the ice actually make a difference?
Just before freeze up is always some of the best fishing. If you can get out now is the time.
I’d like to go do some experimenting right now, but once the roads have been salted and have had mag-chloride sprayed on them you will not see me trailering a boat.
Good point!! Thanx
Just before freeze up is always some of the best fishing. If you can get out now is the time.
This is exactly my point. Do the fish know its first ice? What if we have first ice in November or what if first ice is in January? I would assume its seasonal so we are missing the best fishing of the season because we are not out there now.
Interesting question:
I wonder if it’s a temperature thing. Are you getting one last hurrah before winter as the temp cools for the long haul? I might be inclined to believe once the temp has dropped to low to mid 30s for an extended period of time the fish eventually go into the mid-winter slow down whether there’s ice on the lake or not. It should, however, be better at keeping aquatic plants green longer so maybe it’s not as pronounced?
When you get the chance. Go fishing.
Can be a killer bite anyday anytime… Or, just fishing.
Day by day
They won’t bite for you if you ain’t fishin
The fish live in a liquid environment so whether its open or ice capped I don’t think matters to them. Water temperature and available light drive fish now along with fluctuations in food availability. The barometer begins to mean more with regard to fish activity since their metabolisms slow down as the water temps drop and what the barometer is doing can affect the fish a bunch.
The weather early this morning wasn’t bad save for the wind and drizzle, but I was out. I’ve been dock hopping and doing not bad. Today was the poorest day so far, but I’ll bet it got good when the sun did push the clouds aside.
from my experience fishing the river, when the water gets down in the mid 30’s and lower the bluegills get very picky and spooky from boats. The baits have to be small like ice jigs and vertical is the key so fishing with pole and bobber is tough unless you are set up with lite line and pole like ice gear. Also standing on ice presentation is jigged vertical unlike open water. I have used ice gear over the side of the boat in deeper water because you cant detect bites without a spring bobber thst is how lite they bite. crappies wil bite better without ice, long casts.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>icenutz wrote:</div>
Just before freeze up is always some of the best fishing. If you can get out now is the time.This is exactly my point. Do the fish know its first ice? What if we have first ice in November or what if first ice is in January? I would assume its seasonal so we are missing the best fishing of the season because we are not out there now.
I don’t think it would follow a calendar. The fish don’t know what day of the week/month it is. I would think they act based on water temp. I don’t know of any scientific evidence to back it up, but in my head, fish will know first ice because the water temp will always be consistent to that seasonal change. So I’m hoping the first ice bite hasn’t been missed.
I suppose hours of daylight and such can come in to play too and make it somewhat seasonal, but my dart against the wall theory is water temp plays the greatest role. It’s an interesting question and I would love to read any actual evidence to support one thing over another.
I have no idea if fish care or know when there is ice over their head. Like others said it may be a temperature thing.
I think fishing pressure could play a big role in first ice being so good. They may get a month or two of very light or no pressure, and then are easier to catch come first ice.
Also, green weeds. Whether first ice is in November or January, the fish should still be around the shallow green weeds if there are any available. Even after the ice gets thick, if there is no snow covering, the weeds may get enough light and stay green, therefore the fish will stay shallow.
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