Dog Days of Winter

[IceHawk]

This is what I call this time period in ice fishing. Early ice bites when the fish are hot are no longer. These are the bites that make all of us look like super hero's   We have hit the midwinter lull time period. What I'm hearing a lot and finding myself is lot of lookers and not many biters. This is the time of year we all start questioning our abilitys, frustration sets in and we all second guess our decisions daily.  We have hit that time period when ice thickness is at it's peak or at least I  hope so.  Oxygen levels aren't as good as early ice and the fish have become a lot more sluggish.  What causes lower oxygen levels is a combo of things. Ice thickness and snow pack play keys roles in this. What is happening right now is, less sun (light penetration)is penetrating through the ice to reach the under water world. In the case green weeds ( good signs of good oxygen) are slowly dying off in certain areas. Thus less oxygen is going out into the water column, which in turn creates the fish to be a lot less active.  In turn creating a lot more lookers then biters. 

Well I'm here to tell you fish can be put topside this time of year. By being very persistent and working hard to find activity rewards can be found at the end of the rod.  Here are some  of the things I have found to increase my odds this time of year.  A lot of fish are going to be basin related right now. Especially crappies. I always check basins looking for schools  but what I'm really looking for are green weeds. You find a patch or area with some greenery right now and I guarantee you will find fish and success.  Underwater cameras are huge this time of year for locating these isolated patches. Changing line diameter's now helps up your odds.  I go from 6 to 4 lb for eyes and down to 2 lb  for panfish.  For eye's  I use small spoons number 2-3 Swedish pimples small 3 ripping raps and 1/16 ounce  numerous other spoons. These baits are tipped with spikes or crappie minnow heads.  Dead sticking with small minnows also is best.  For  Panfish number 4 mm or even 3 mm jigs will be the ticket, tipped with either plastics or meat (maggots, waxworms, fresh  water shrimp).  But of all the gear that makes a game changer right now is rod selection. Soft tip, noodle rods and springs are  must. The bites you will see this time of year are usally very subtle. And by not using the right rod a lot of strikes will be missed.  Things are going to get better next few weeks as time progresses bites will be become better and smiles will be back on anglers faces once again .

Feel free to add any techniques strategies or insight you have found that's upping your odds in the period I call dog days of winter. 

[eyeguy 54]

got out from 3 to 5 today to check a spot and color selection was the key. had lookers and after 4 different combos finally got 9 to commit. all growing up to get bigger. tried a combo from 3 days ago and they would not touch it!  that really surprised me. great info  chris. 

[Tom Sawyer]

Another factor to contribute to the dog days of February definitely is fishing pressure. Was out on an area lake last week targeting basin crappies. A community hole that has seen a fair amount of pressure since the first wheel house set down. The fish still want to be in the basin to feed, but showing themselves during the day suspended half way up the water column is not happening anymore. They tend to huge bottom, or just a couple feet off at most. You can throw everything at them, and they laugh and swim away. They've been fished so hard for so long, that they change feeding activity times, and take insects closer to bottom it seems.

 As Chris mentioned, line diameter helps detect light bites and along with converting line wary fish. Live bait presentations can be the only way to go, or plan on going home defeated. Fishing away from the wolf packs with a small tail hooked crappie minnow just off bottom, at prime times and well beyond o' dark 30 will help ice fish from these same areas that produced crappie earlier in the season. Prime time for good fishing, usually coincides with a NHL, or NBA game on the radio, 7pm -10pm, or just before the sun wakes up. FISHON!

[monstermoose78]

This whole winter has been a struggle for me. I fish away from crowds and use light line. I have never struggled like I have this winter. I have tried all kinds of plastics and tiny jigs to huge jigs. Live bait has not helped either. I have lightly pressured lakes and pressured lakes nothing wants to bite. This not just me many others are saying the same thing.Today was I was on lightly pressured lake and marked fish but could not get many to bite.

[Wanderer]

We had to work a lot more today to get on fish than what we expected. And having a biting wind didn’t help.

I still wouldn’t say we crushed them but managed to sort out a dozen keeper crappies.  Once we found em, the first flurry was easy but that didn’t last real long.  We changed, and changed, and changed presentations to keep those lookers biting.  One thing would work for a half dozen or so fish and then it would die.  Make a change or two and get a half dozen more.  Lots of small ones to weed through.  Another thing I would do when they started ignoring my bait and disappear was just pull it out of the hole and wait until I marked fish again before dropping back down.  I don’t think you can ever over estimate the first drop on crappies.  

Later on, the thing that worked for us to draw them in was very aggressive jigging.  I mean 2-3 foot rips with small jigging spoons.  Blade spoons, rattling flyer, and forage minnows tipped with plastic at times but needing to be minnow heads at the tail end.

It turned into being a fairly odd bite but change kept us in the game.

[bassman186]

I too went out all weekend with very tough results... I would see them all schooled up on the camera and couldn't get them to commit 

[IceHawk]

Great tips guys lets keep it going. 

[gimruis]

Wait for the ice to melt then get out there during open water.  That's the best advice I can offer!

[Wanderer]

7 hours ago, bassman186 said:

I too went out all weekend with very tough results... I would see them all schooled up on the camera and couldn't get them to commit 

We saw the same thing in one area we tried.  They were perfectly content doing nothing.

[eyeguy 54]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Wait for the ice to melt then get out there during open water.  That's the best advice I can offer!

haha!    why wait?  fish on!  

[backinblue]

Your point about going to a lighter rod is very timely.  I was working thru my rigs and moving more toward my heavier combos thinking more about solid hook-set rather than feel.  I have found springs and walleyed didn't mix, but lighter tip action will get a try next week.  Based on your comments may start with light action on my jigger and medium on my deadstick.

Thanks

[Borch]

I would add that mobility is your friend.  I can almost always pluck a few of the more aggressive fish out of the hole.  Then it gets tougher.  Sometimes switching colors or profile will get the bite going again.  But often moving just 20 feet will get you on fresh fish.  Do this enough times and it turns into a pretty good day.