Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Ice Ridge as Structure?


whateverisbiting

Recommended Posts

I saw a video with someone fishing on upper red lake and they referred to ice ridges as structure they set up around.  I suppose ice ridges could identify something different about the bottom or be a light transition from the top, but I have never heard of anyone keying on this before.  Perhaps it is more important on stucturless URL?  Anyone have experience with this?

Edited by whateverisbiting
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I watched a video in which a couple of guys were catching finicky daytime crappie under a pressure ridge because it offered shade for them. I think it is mainly a factor in first ice when there is no snowpack. However be careful, because pressure ridges can have significantly less safe ice than the rest of the lake.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would think that like you said it would be more of a factor on a giant basin like red. I have fished on Red where a 1-2 foot contour made all the difference in catching fish. I have also heard that these pressure ridges provide ambush points for walleye to feed on bait fish where they will hide in the shade and dart out of the shade to feed on passing bait fish.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ran into Kelly Petrowske at Beacon Harbor several years ago. I asked him if he had any tips on where to fish. He told me of an area of broken up ice just off Beacon Harbor's ice road. Said he hadn't seen anybody fish it and everyone was driving by it. We set up there and fished around it for 2 1/2 days and did well. Cars going by frequently didn't matter. Kelly explained that the broken up ice allows more light penetration which attracts the phytoplankton, then zooplankton, then minnows, then predator fish. If the phytoplankton are in the area, you will see them when you drill a hole. They get frozen in the ice and look like dirt in the ice shavings.

  • Thumbs Up 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many years ago while fishing Lake of the woods we discovered pressure ridge fishing success by accident.  Over the decades I have fished quite a few of them. They don't always produce, but when it does it can be pretty good action.

I have found ridge fishing to be best when fishing bowl shaped bays or basins that don't offer much for natural structure. In these places, the ridge is the structure, something about the draws invertebrates and that inturn draws bait fish and so on... 

 

  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I'm not sure if pressures ridges are some magical spot.  Or their just a barrier most guys stop at and fish because they can't get past them?  😄

Edited by leech~~
  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have targeted perch fishing pressure cracks/ridges on Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. It's a real thing. The lake bottom is relatively flat and featureless sand off of Beaverton. The same conditions as most noted. The ridges provide shade/structure and cracks provide light and oxygen I believe. It's a larger lake so cracks and ridges are common.

  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve fished pressure ridges on Red and Winnipeg and done well.  It’s another edge or transition for the fish to relate to. Like mentioned, on lakes that don’t have abundant edges, any edge can matter.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Similar Content

  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.