When to start fishing?

[JWall14]

Do I start as soon as the ice thaws? Do I target lakes or ponds first? The temp is 43 this weekend so do I start this weekend or wait till a few weeks and it’s in the upper 40s and 50s for good(it’s in the 20s right now)

 

thanks!

[Derek1]

I’m gonna start soon as the ice melts, but it probably won’t start to get productive till the sun hits the ponds for a few days. 

[Bluebasser86]

I'll start before it's done thawing if I can get to good water.

[JWall14]

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'll start before it's done thawing if I can get to good water.

What do you mean by good water? Can I access the bass this early if I’m a bank fisherman?

[Bluebasser86]

Just now, JWall14 said:

What do you mean by good water? Can I access the bass this early if I’m a bank fisherman?

Potential productive water. Open water does mo good if it's over a shallow mud flat or the back of coves. If it's over or near deep water with a good drop and some cover/structure then I'll give it a shot. It absolutely can be productive from the shoreline. 

[Glaucus]

Ponds will thaw out and warm faster. 

 

I'd pick a river for Smallies over lakes and ponds right now (but this depends on location for a lot of people). Rivers stay open for the most part and Smallies operate in cooler temps than LM do. 

[Crestliner2008]

I'm smiling here as I woke this morning to -2 degrees outside around 4 am. One popular Oxbow lake here still has 14" of ice on it. Be that as it may, as soon as I see any kind of break in the ice, I'll be tossing some sort of plastic for sure!

[nascar2428]

5 hours ago, JWall14 said:

What do you mean by good water? Can I access the bass this early if I’m a bank fisherman?

Absolutely, your best time will be late afternoon when the temperature is its warmest. They will be a lot closer to shore than people think.

[CrankFate]

1 hour ago, nascar2428 said:

Absolutely, your best time will be late afternoon when the temperature is its warmest. They will be a lot closer to shore than people think.

They almost always are....

[Yumeya]

Since the ice is becoming unsafe here right now I will start pond hoping and wading in the rivers for trout, once the ice is gone I'm on boat waiting for the walleye to spawn.

 

I like all species of fish...

[The Bassman]

9 hours ago, nascar2428 said:

Absolutely, your best time will be late afternoon when the temperature is its warmest. They will be a lot closer to shore than people think.

I've spooked bass off the bank all winter in some of the ponds I fish and I'm in central IN. We've been frozen over several times including now. Kinda odd waiting for ice out in March after fishing all winter.

[JWall14]

Yeah I’m in northern Illinois and we just got snow for some reason! ? Just got to wait a bit.

[Jigfishn10]

I'm a working father of 2 kids and a wife. My daughter does competition dance and my son AAU baseball. When the hard water becomes soft and I have an iota of time to myself I don't over think it and just go fishing. Do I know that the water temps wouldn't be conducive to high catch rates? Yes, but the time to enjoy a sport I'm passionate with is well worth it. My stress levels starts at 7:30 AM and ends @ 5:00 pm, I don't need to stress about leisure time.