Ice Fishing Help

[Bassinohio]

Hey fishermen, with winter coming around, I find myself sad that bass season is over, and waiting for steelhead season. I decided ice fishing could pass the time nicely. The problem is, i am clueless. I want to figure out the best weight and length of ice fishing rod. Lures, techniques, and anything else important would help. Thanks! 

[CTBassin860]

1 hour ago, Bassinohio said:

Hey fishermen, with winter coming around, I find myself sad that bass season is over, and waiting for steelhead season. I decided ice fishing could pass the time nicely. The problem is, i am clueless. I want to figure out the best weight and length of ice fishing rod. Lures, techniques, and anything else important would help. Thanks! 

I'm in the same boat as you.I'm glad you made this post.I decided to put together tip ups instead of getting a rod.If your with a few buddies ice fishing is a blast.

Tip up,ice line and Gamy octopus hooks.Fish with live shiners.Don't forget your bait bucket,sled,auger,hole scoop.

[Bassinohio]

10 hours ago, MassBassin508 said:

I'm in the same boat as you.I'm glad you made this post.I decided to put together tip ups instead of getting a rod.If your with a few buddies ice fishing is a blast.

Tip up,ice line and Gamy octopus hooks.Fish with live shiners.Don't forget your bait bucket,sled,auger,hole scoop.

Ok thanks. How do you know if the ice is thick enough. I build an ice rink in my backyard in winter, so when that is skatable do you think ill be ok to fish?

[IndianaFinesse]

10 minutes ago, Bassinohio said:

Ok thanks. How do you know if the ice is thick enough. I build an ice rink in my backyard in winter, so when that is skatable do you think ill be ok to fish?

Just cause the rink is thick enough to skate on does not neccasarily mean that it's think enough on the lake.  Your rink is much shallower than the lake, so it cools down much faster.  Plus lakes often have a small amount of current moving threw them, which also helps slow the ice down.  Some people will go out with as little as two inches of ice, but I prefer at least four inches.  \

Generally deep water structure on the edge of and in the channel is a good place to start for a few different species, specific locations and techniques depend on what species is the target.   

[CTBassin860]

I think you want like 1.5-2 feet if ice

[IndianaFinesse]

7 hours ago, MassBassin508 said:

I think you want like 1.5-2 feet if ice

I would never get to ice fish if I waited for that, and neither would almost anyone in the united states!  It is possible to stand on only 2 inches of ice, but that's are assuming there aren't any weak spots.  Four inches covers that chance, and I've never heard of anyone wanting more than six inches of ice.  Most people are ok with 3-4 inches.

[Bassinohio]

2 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Just cause the rink is thick enough to skate on does not neccasarily mean that it's think enough on the lake.  Your rink is much shallower than the lake, so it cools down much faster.  Plus lakes often have a small amount of current moving threw them, which also helps slow the ice down.  Some people will go out with as little as two inches of ice, but I prefer at least four inches.  \

Generally deep water structure on the edge of and in the channel is a good place to start for a few different species, specific locations and techniques depend on what species is the target.   

Ok, what are some good ideas for panfish or trout? the same channels or different?

[The Bassman]

2 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

I would never get to ice fish if I waited for that, and neither would almost anyone in the united states!  It is possible to stand on only 2 inches of ice, but that's are assuming there aren't any weak spots.  Four inches covers that chance, and I've never heard of anyone wanting more than six inches of ice.  Most people at ok with 3-4 inches.

The old Boy Scout jingle was  "one inch stay off..two inch one may...three inch small groups...four inch OK!"  That's assuming you was a 90 lb.  Boy Scout.  I quit ice fishing years ago because I don't like the cold.  In the late 70's I remember driving my car on Monroe reservoir  when the ice was 14 inches thick.

 

[IndianaFinesse]

4 hours ago, Bassinohio said:

Ok, what are some good ideas for panfish or trout? the same channels or different?

I don't have any trout in the lakes around here, so I have no idea where they would be.  Probably deeper than the rest of the fish since they are cold water fish, but I don't know for sure.  Bluegill typically congregate near shallow flats, but usually stay in the deeper water.  I look for a 10-15 or a 10-20 foot drop off, and then find a brushpile placed along the drop off.  The channel  in the lake I mostly fish on is only 38 feet at the deepest point, so it is also common to find all kinds of fish on the edge of the channel where it curves, and they often school around a brush pile but don't always.  Good lure choices are 1 inch gulp minnows on a jig head in the 1/32-1/64 ounce range, small jig heads in the 1/32-1/100 ounce range tipped with a wax worm or mousee, tiny spoons, a 1/64 ounce popeye hair jig tipped with a wax worm, tiny jigs tipped with two or three segments of the gulp euro larvae, plus assorted plastics under 1 inch long.

Oh, and you are definitely going to need a flasher or at least a cheap, portable depth finder.  It doesn't have to be fancy, but it's almost impossible to find them without it.  Hope this helps, if there's anything else you were wanting to know just ask.

[Bassinohio]

4 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

I don't have any trout in the lakes around here, so I have no idea where they would be.  Probably deeper than the rest of the fish since they are cold water fish, but I don't know for sure.  Bluegill typically congregate near shallow flats, but usually stay in the deeper water.  I look for a 10-15 or a 10-20 foot drop off, and then find a brushpile placed along the drop off.  The channel  in the lake I mostly fish on is only 38 feet at the deepest point, so it is also common to find all kinds of fish on the edge of the channel where it curves, and they often school around a brush pile but don't always.  Good lure choices are 1 inch gulp minnows on a jig head in the 1/32-1/64 ounce range, small jig heads in the 1/32-1/100 ounce range tipped with a wax worm or mousee, tiny spoons, a 1/64 ounce popeye hair jig tipped with a wax worm, tiny jigs tipped with two or three segments of the gulp euro larvae, plus assorted plastics under 1 inch long.

Oh, and you are definitely going to need a flasher or at least a cheap, portable depth finder.  It doesn't have to be fancy, but it's almost impossible to find them without it.  Hope this helps, if there's anything else you were wanting to know just ask.

What is a flasher, and what does it do, how it works etc. Thanks

[IndianaFinesse]

basspro.com/Marcum-VX1i-3color-Sonar-Flasher-System/product/1504281057 Here's a link to a flasher.  I haven't used this one, I just pulled it up for a visual reference.  They tell you the depth and show cover etc. like a depth finder, the only differences are how it's displayed and that a flasher shows real time, so you can actually watch your bait and how the fish react to it.  It takes a little practice to learn how to read one, but it's well worth the effort.  Another cheaper option is to get a regular depth finder, and  mount the transducer on a metal bar or something to stick down in the water. 

Just now, IndianaFinesse said:

basspro.com/Marcum-VX1i-3color-Sonar-Flasher-System/product/1504281057 Here's a link to a flasher.  I haven't used this one, I just pulled it up for a visual reference.  They tell you the depth and show cover etc. like a depth finder, the only differences are how it's displayed and that a flasher shows real time, so you can actually watch your bait and how the fish react to it.  It takes a little practice to learn how to read one, but it's well worth the effort.  Another cheaper option is to get a regular depth finder, and  mount the transducer on a metal bar or something to stick down in the water. 

 

13 hours ago, Bassinohio said:

What is a flasher, and what does it do, how it works etc. Thanks

 

[gim]

Don't forget lots of beer