Cold weather fishing (they still bite)

[CrappieKeith]

Now that summer has wound down and the water temps are getting colder you'll have to change your ways of fishing if you want to remain successful.

Downsizing is what I'm talking about.
Getting smaller with your baits and slowing down will entice the bite you are looking for.
As the water gets cooler the fish slows down.Cold fronts and high pressure
can really add in a negative attitude in the bite.
Understand the fish feed everyday.
It' may be that they do not want the whole smorgasboard though.Maybe just a snack.

So identify where your fish are and go after them with small baits.
I'm sure you'll have a great time catching fish when the other guys are
getting skunked.

[CrappieKeith]

This post came to me as I was reading MT's post about G.E.M.

Here you have very young beginners ripping crappies.Without any knowledge. Of coarse it took Mike & Jack to have them rigged correctly to start with ,but some fishing without locators even getting crappies on a cold high pressure day.

Let's take a good look at the fishes behavior.
A fish's set of senses are very acute.
The lateral line is it's ears.
It can smell & it can see very well even in stained water.A fish can see 10 feet away.It can pick up vibration .It uses these senses to target it's prey when eating.

There are different moods that it will be in throughout any given day.
The barometric pressure,moon phase & the amount of sunlight or lack of all play a part in what the feeding mood is.
You can identify the moods with a locator.
Some days you will see the fish run up to meet your bait & swallow it before you can set your bail on your reel.This would be an aggressive day.
I've noticed that when a crappie , gill , perch or walleye comes into my sonar cone,I'll lift my presentation away from the fish & it will run it down very quickly & inhale it. I can lift the fish 4-6 feet up quickly.The hook is most likely halfway down it's throat.
I've noticed that the barometer is at or below 29.8 & the moon is close to being full.
There are other indicators of the pressure being low.
The birds are all over the bird feeder. I'll have to dodge deer on the way out as they are really moving.

On the other side of the spectrum is the finicky day.
The pressure is high,over 30 & steady.Nothing is moving! No birds,deer or any other animal for that matter.
On these days I'll watch the fish moving through my sonar & if they do lift it may be 1-2 foot only.These types of days are the toughest when fishing.
When I do get a fish the hook is most likely right up front lodged in behind it's front lip.

So how do you get fish every day?
1st you need to recognise the mood then size up or down.Up for the aggressive days & down size for the finicky days.
I think about how I eat.
When I'm in my comfort range ie.. not to hot & tons of energy I eat a big meal.
When I'm too hot or tired I want a small meal say a BLT instead of a 7 coarse dinner with desert.

The pressure & oxygen level will make the fish respond the same way,water temp too.Early spring is when I notice the water temp a lot.
Waiting for sun to hit the water all day then during the late afternoon I'll go get the slabs as they move in for their feed.Earlier in the day they will be deeper & out from shore below the thermocline where the warmer water is. As the sun hits the water warming it up over the coarse of a week or so the fish will move in and stay there until the spawn occurs. Then the females will be gone ,leaving the males to guard the hatch . When the fry have grown enough, the males will lead the fry out to deep water with the rest of the school.

Anyway getting back to ice fishing.
Very few fishing trips will be on aggressive days once you get past x-mas as the ice is thicker & covered with snow cutting out the light that plants need to grow, emitting oxygen as a by product of photosynthesis.

So the fish tend to slow down in the bite as we would say.
Using larger baits will result in getting skunked more often then not.
You've heard the guy's" I had to get the smallest minnow for them to bite"
or" I just used the head of the minnow".

Well now forget the bait shop.
T.H.E. Jig works every day. When you can choose between a 32nd oz.,64th oz.,80th oz. or a 100th oz. you can have the right size minnow every time.
Try other baits that are tiny & you will have some measure of success on those tight lipped days.
Remember the fish eats every day as humans do.They all need to eat ,but their moods as our do change.
Recognise the mood & size the bait or presentation accordingly & you will see more fish landed .
_________________
Keith"CrappieKeith"Nelson

[Illinoisgiller]

Keith, Thank You!! That was a very informative post to say the least. :icon_cool::icon_cool: I knew bits of that info. but not entirely WHY.:confused0024: Thanks for the edcation.:party0011: Mike

[CrappieKeith]

Look at what we are catching 3-6 days after the ice goes out.
Minnow guys are not catching anything at these times and going home skunked.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/DSCN0484.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/walleye014.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/walleye004.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/walleye023.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/walleye021.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/IMG_0159.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/MallardMarcfishinpics-5.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/crappies071.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/crappies056.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/crappies006.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/crappies004.jpg

Early spring is such a great time after we have ice fished for 5 months.
Getting back in the boat and drilling open water pannies ,oh ya what fun.
We are heading into ice fishing now and again getting small is the ticket.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/th_HPIM1802.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/palisade1kid/?action=view&current=HPIM1802.flv)

[gofish]

dont rule out bigger, i use bigger than normal round here fer everything thru the ice (before an after too) an do real well......only go ta finessin ifn i have too......favorites are the 1/8 oz. cicada an biggest ratso on 32 oz or 48th oz. jighead.....no meat...course im also drillin tons a holes too lol........aint arguin lil works real good though lol....i jus start bigger an let the fish tell me ifn i need ta go smaller

[CrappieKeith]

Oh there are times when the bite is on good and a 32ndoz works but most often a 64th to a 80th is what I'll use then if I have too I'll drop to a 100th.
You have to remember we get ice alot sooner and the oxygen gets depleted sooner making those fish slugish.
I'm all for what works,to much fishing whoooooore in me I guess.

[gofish]

yep remember them days in north. wis.....kicked back in my shack,striped down ta my t shirt.....cookin the fish fast as i caught em on my mini woodburner.....git bored or warmed up git dressed an go in search of some eyes or perch lol