shadows under ice.

Was fishing before the rain got rid of all the snow and decided to get the camera out. My buddy was using to see what kind of weeds we were on and when I walked over he said he saw a shadow. I walked the same way a couple times and he saw it every time. I grabbed the camera and he walked the same path and clear as day you could see a shadow on the camera.

Does anybody think this would make a difference to a fish? Should a guy approach a hole by walking into the sun?

I’ve messed around with a camera for years and never noticed this before. Now take into account this is on a aqua view camera that is 13-14 years old. Not a nice new marcum(I want one).

I guess that would depend on how deep of water you are fishing. As far as a shadow is concerned firmly believe that it makes a difference. If you are fishing shallow on open water, a fish can see you and your shadow. I have been fishing from shore a couple of times with the sun at my back casting a shadow into the water. I was just standing there for a while and fish would swim into my almost into my shadow and as soon as I moved an inch they were gone. Now, they could have seen me as well but I feel like any movement like that could play a big roll in spooking fish. Boat shadows have spooked fish, why not a humans through the ice?

Most certainly shadows make a difference! IMO…

Shallow, clear water it is huge….

It works both ways, a nice chunk of snow or dirty ice casts a shadow and they use it to a point of cover. Which is why I will always try to fish on patches of snow than ice. I can relate this to the bass musky guys in the summer…how many bass or fish do you see on the shadow side of a tree but the tree is not in the water?

Shadows/movement certainly hurt your chances…ask any fly guy on a stream why he approaches haunts to not cast his shadow into it before the fly does…

To me its the little things that make the difference…or it could just all be in your head and overthinking things too…thats the fun part of fishing, always learning, always tinkering!

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What Chris says…

I fish a lot of shallow lake in southern Mn and it seems to me that it a shadow makes a big difference. I have noticed that when the sun is out and bright that when fishing a hole I have caught more fish looking at the sun than I have with my back to it. I try to leave the shadow behind me because I do believe this make a difference. I also know guys that will set up on a snow drift and fish the bare ice for the same reasons.

I can see casting a shadow down the hole but this was from away from the hole through 12″ of snow and slush plus the ice. It just struck me when watching it on the camera that I had never given it any thought before.

With that being said I never scoop my holes out and just clear a hole big enough for my bait to go down. I alway figured that a 8″ column of light going down wasn’t very natural and probably would turn off the fish.

Crappies are good ones at using shadowed water but in this case we’re needing to look for a larg shadow cast by say a hill or a point. In the case of snow cover and fairly clear water, crappies will use more of the water column during strong light periods if that snow does a good job of diffusing the light.

I like to clean holes so that only a small amount of slush stays so that direct light doesn’ cause a light shaft to shoot down in the water in shallow water situations. Deep water this is less of an issue, in my opinion. Snow free ice on shallow water will be the most vulnerable to shadow casting, but water clarity, sun’s angle hitting the ice, ice color all are other factors. I fish regardless, but when on open ice I try to keep the sun to my back and I try to use topside shadows to my advantage. I don’t get all knotted up over shadows.

i think it might initially spook them but if just sittin on a bucket not moving much it wont. trees make shadows dont they? ive caught fish right next to the boat in summer, that has to make a shadow. i think they are alot harder to spook than some people think. last year i drilled a hole and a FRESH blugill came up on the end of my auger. in 3 to 4 FOW. thing must have been sittin right under the ice under my auger. sliced it right in front of the dorsal fin and about halfway thru the fish. not spooked by that i dont think a shadow will do much. constantly reminded when i test them out. will have school of fish on the cam and will purposely make alot of noise. stomping etc and they 99% of the time dont give a crap.