Does anyone do this? With 100 drilled holes you could not see what 5 minutes of what SI could show you. Some are saying ‘no’ others who have a better understanding of SI are saying: ‘more like one minute!’ Once the water turns over to the fish it is winter, they really do not know when ice has formed but they do get the turnover.
I think you could bring this exact topic up that you posted last year. Scouting for painfish before the ice or some crap and we would have the same answers. Try to find that topic and bring it back alive, if I remember right there was OK insight on it. I personally don’t scout. I fish the same handful of lakes and I know what the fish do most seasons.
Seems easier to just drill a hole and stick a livescope down.
Fall is short and I spend it hunting. I fish the other 9 months of the year.
What exactly are you scouting for now Tim? Structure? Vegetation?
Certainly if you locate a school of fish now, it’s not going to be helpful in January when you are drilling holes. Fish aren’t stationary objects. If it’s specific types of structure your looking for, then yes, modern marine electronics are going to be the most efficient and effective route to doing that. Not really sure why you’d want to do it now though, you can do it the entire open water season whenever you want to.
Not really sure why you’d want to do it now though, you can do it the entire open water season whenever you want to.
Open water season includes alot, pre-spawn, spawn, post, new vegetation, developing thermoclines, YOY baitfish, etc all capable of changing fish patterns and locations.
Finding fish late in the year will give you really good Intel for when that first ice is fishable, allowing you to punch two holes and start fishing. Much easier finding out next steps if you know A and B to find C, you know A but skip to C you’re potentially gonna d!ck around more than needed.
What exactly are you scouting for now Tim? Structure? Vegetation?
Certainly if you locate a school of fish now, it’s not going to be helpful in January when you are drilling holes. Fish aren’t stationary objects. If it’s specific types of structure your looking for, then yes, modern marine electronics are going to be the most efficient and effective route to doing that. Not really sure why you’d want to do it now though, you can do it the entire open water season whenever you want to.
Finding the panfish in late October with side scan can give you a great idea where to start come mid November. But how many lakes does a guy really do this for.
I fish the same handful of lakes unless I go some where random. Those same lakes are pretty much easy to guess where they are. I’d rather spend my fall hunting and catching big fish rather then scouting for winter panfish that are already pretty easy to figure out. But that’s me.
Guess I wasn’t sure what he was scouting for when he made his post, whether it was a specific school of fish or a specific type of structure.
And yes, I’d much rather be fishing or hunting this time of year than scanning for winter. But maybe he doesn’t hunt and maybe he doesn’t care about catching big fish right now. Maybe ice fishing is his thing. I find that hard to believe, but its certainly possible.
I’ve done it more to pinpoint structure on lakes I plan to ice fish. Finding the spot on the spot. I do think it can help give a general idea where fish might be during early ice if you’re out scanning in the few weeks prior.
Where I fish in Iowa I feel I am always scouting for ice fishing. The places I fish contain many man made fish structures so when I come across one during summer fishing I always mark that spot for later which includes ice fishing. I just feel that is the way to do in the area I fish.
If it were me id be using a camera and keeping up with where the nicest green weeds are up until ice. But again id rather hunt.
I just fish right up until ice up. That’s my “scouting”
Some of the best fishing all year for jumbo perch is when I’m breaking skim ice and sitting on popular early ice spots in a duck boat with a flasher and the short rods dangling over the side.
All those people racing out onto key backwater spots walking on 2″ of ice who think they are “first” or are hitting the best bite really could’ve been on those fish for weeks in the same location.
I just fish right up until ice up. That’s my “scouting”
Some of the best fishing all year for jumbo perch is when I’m breaking skim ice and sitting on popular early ice spots in a duck boat with a flasher and the short rods dangling over the side.
All those people racing out onto key backwater spots walking on 2″ of ice who think they are “first” or are hitting the best bite really could’ve been on those fish for weeks in the same location.
Yeah, but they probably didn’t want to be. We have the same set up here on the Croix but instead of breaking skim ice for perch or walleye I’d rather be duck hunting or chasing big water walleye. Then after that I walk ice for those same fish
I just fish right up until ice up. That’s my “scouting”
Some of the best fishing all year for jumbo perch is when I’m breaking skim ice and sitting on popular early ice spots in a duck boat with a flasher and the short rods dangling over the side.
All those people racing out onto key backwater spots walking on 2″ of ice who think they are “first” or are hitting the best bite really could’ve been on those fish for weeks in the same location.
x2. Fish know first ice spots until ice up! Not really scouting for new spots at this point.
-J.
If you have nothing positive to add, maybe stay out. You go on a fishing forum and yak about hunting, have not complained ’till now. Thats to Bear BTW.
I think you could bring this exact topic up that you posted last year. Scouting for painfish before the ice or some crap and we would have the same answers. Try to find that topic and bring it back alive, if I remember right there was OK insight on it. I personally don’t scout. I fish the same handful of lakes and I know what the fish do most seasons.
Nah man he has a point and a good topic here. And the plain answer is with today’s tech you would be stupid not to utilize it during open water for use on hard water, if you have it. But if you don’t you can at least go around with an old 2D unit or flasher in a boat and mark waypoints on an old GPS handheld.
With that said, I need to start taking my own advice and do more of this… lol.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
I think you could bring this exact topic up that you posted last year. Scouting for painfish before the ice or some crap and we would have the same answers. Try to find that topic and bring it back alive, if I remember right there was OK insight on it. I personally don’t scout. I fish the same handful of lakes and I know what the fish do most seasons.Nah man he has a point and a good topic here. And the plain answer is with today’s tech you would be stupid not to utilize it during open water for use on hard water, if you have it. But if you don’t you can at least go around with an old 2D unit or flasher in a boat and mark waypoints on an old GPS handheld.
With that said, I need to start taking my own advice and do more of this… lol.
I didn’t disagree with him at all. I was saying I’m pretty positive he had the same post last fall he could bring to life to re read and we could re post our insights. I said I don’t do it due to other hobbies as well as just knowing the fish in my local lakes. Followed by why doing it late october could be helpful.I guess I’m unsure of what your disagreeing with.
If you have nothing positive to add, maybe stay out. You go on a fishing forum and yak about hunting, have not complained ’till now. Thats to Bear BTW.
Sorry for suggesting to dig up your old post on this for helpful insight !!.
I get the feeling you don’t like me. I seem to rub you the wrong way with everything I say. So I’m sorry for that. I just re read what I posted. What the hell was negative? Must have been the part where I said finding fish late October gives you a great place to start looking early ice. Lol sorry if that was to direct.
And sorry for saying duck hunting. Gosh dang I should have known better. I don’t really get what I did to you. I brought you out fishing, showed you my spot, gifted you all our fish when you struggled to catch them, I pm you and give you spots so you can get your panfish for your fish fry, but you have a boner for me for some reason. Again. Sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way.
Will Pm you-generally don’t tell me how to post. I enjoyed fishing with you and thought you were a good guy, communication here is a problem, calling what I posted ‘crap’ does not help.
I couldn’t say or some sh!! So I said crap. Not that your post was crap. Sorry for the misunderstanding
Thanks Lab, yup going to do this a bit this year, SI is great at finding healthy weeds this time of year & I’m going to try to hit more weed fish this ice season, more clear lakes and less basin stuff (not saying one is better than the other just what I will try, also not asking if one is better than the other)
I am starting next week to check some spots for structure and weed types.
Cool! The shallower fish tend to be bigger & you get spots to yourself.
When I go out to do this I bring the handheld unit I use at ice time. People used to toss big spoons to find the salad now SI is way easier, good luck.
If you wanna tell me some good spots and take me fishing and give me some fish when I suck at catching them I promise I wont get a boner for you and bash you for your opinions. I might say thank you though.
Too funny J.If I give you fish will not mention it twice on a public forum 
Would like to meet up for ice fishing-how much do we have out there!
Wow that went sideways quick. Lol
Just kidding.
At my age i don,t think i could drill a 100 holes LOL After Livescoping i believe i will be able to find them ice up . As of a week ago some were saying fish shallow , unproductive for me only smallmouth and perch . I went to 20 to 24 deep and the walleyes and crappies were there . Tight to the bottom both species.Have yet to witness suspended crappies . Was fishing them with Jigging Shad rap and Acme Sling Blade tipped with a piece of crawler .
Don-you find basin crappies in a specific lake that you never see suspended? I’ve seen that with clearwater weedline fish-crappies are variable and unpredictable though.
Don-you find basin <em class=”ido-tag-em”>crappies in a specific lake that you never see suspended? I’ve seen that with clearwater weedline fish-crappies are variable and unpredictable though.
The deepest spot is 32 ft . I have yet to see them suspend . At times they may be a 1 off the bottom , but more common is tight to the bottom and its stained water lake of a 1000 acres . I can get them to chase but 10 to 1 lookers on livescope . Did manage a limit of 10 crappies a couple days ago . I worked for them switching out jig after jig until i found what they wanted .
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