FishOn!GetTheNet Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 Just wondering if anyone can help me I’m looking to try fishing for smallies thru the ice at okaboji ia no clue as to where to look how deep rocks or basins ? Or bait to use Quote
ec1 Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 Only ever lucked into some before because bass are closed season up here in Ontario. They seem to be sitting on deep big boulder rock piles around 40fow (max lake depths over 100’ on the lakes I do come across them) but their bite window times seem pretty small. When they do decide to bite though, almost everything goes. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted January 15, 2020 Super User Posted January 15, 2020 Smallmouth are catch and release for me. Not too keen on ice fishing for them. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 15, 2020 Super User Posted January 15, 2020 2 minutes ago, roadwarrior said: Smallmouth are catch and release for me. Not too keen on ice fishing for them. We catch and release LMB, SMB, and northern pike quite a bit through the ice. They release just fine. Walleye and stud bluegills go ni the bucket, though. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted January 15, 2020 Super User Posted January 15, 2020 Okay, gotcha... Ice fishing in Tennessee is using a tooth pick to retrieve an olive from a martini. 1 Quote
PourMyOwn Posted January 15, 2020 Posted January 15, 2020 I catch them jigging later in the season. They start to get more active in later February and hit my jigging baits while I'm trying for a mess of perch to eat. I don't catch nearly as many in December/mid-January. Quote
FishOn!GetTheNet Posted January 16, 2020 Author Posted January 16, 2020 All fish are catch and release for me I just enjoy fishing and I’m tired of catching pan fish winter sucks Quote
Super User OkobojiEagle Posted January 18, 2020 Super User Posted January 18, 2020 On 1/14/2020 at 8:02 PM, FishOn!GetTheNet said: Just wondering if anyone can help me I’m looking to try fishing for smallies thru the ice at okaboji ia no clue as to where to look how deep rocks or basins ? Or bait to use Big Spirit would be an easier lake to find them... oe Quote
Super User gim Posted January 18, 2020 Super User Posted January 18, 2020 On 1/16/2020 at 12:40 AM, FishOn!GetTheNet said: All fish are catch and release for me I just enjoy fishing and I’m tired of catching pan fish winter sucks Ice fishing in general sucks lol 1 Quote
Mr. Aquarium Posted January 21, 2020 Posted January 21, 2020 Haven’t done much ice fishing for them. Have a spot we SMOKED them. It was a few years ago when we last had a good solid freeze. This pond only had perch and smallies. It was just a mater of finding them. once we found them was balls to the wall. North area, nothing, southern area smoked em. Did good on shiners also jiggin grubs on bottom. I’m sure hair jigs, small plastics and blades will get them. They are open water winter baits for me during the winter they stack up. I fish for them open water near off shore structure. I would find a good depth map. Look for breaks. Ledges. Deep flats, humps, deep rocks. Also a change in bottom composting like sand to gravel will hold fish. Some lakes that’s all it takes is the change in bottom. These are usually spots that lack offshore structure. Keep fishing checking different spots. Once you get them. Stay don’t move. Fish the whole area. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.