When to shut it down for the year?

[J Francho]

Unless it's really cold, there's year round fishing for trout in all the Great Lakes tribs.

[roadwarrior]

18 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Unless it's really cold...

Well, for my brother that means no golf or fishing at 60*. For me, I'll start a little cooler, but I

want a high of 40* or more. I fished with ghoti a few years ago on the White River in Arkansas.

The morning temperature was 8* when the guide asked us what we wanted to do.  Clear skies

and bright sunshine warmed the air to 19* by 10:00 and we set out on the river. That won't ever

happen again!

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, soflabasser said:

Why do many Northerners stop fishing for the Winter when many rivers still have flowing water? I understand some might not like ice fishing in lakes but I would fish a river with open water even if it is snowing. From my experience it is easier to dress for warmth than it is for fishing in +96 degree temperatures with +85% humidity and little to no wind. Now that is that type of weather you will truly have to love fishing to fish in!

Don’t kid yourself. There’s a reason everyone from up north fishes in Florida. I can fish in 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity much easier than I can -30 with the wind blowing. And I’m not alone! 

[Don51]

I would take the yak out until ice made it impossible to launch. Glad those days are over!  ?

[scaleface]

Had the boat out a couple of times and it started snowing . Second time it happened we    came close to getting stuck on the  ramp .

[throttleplate]

Well I spent the last 10 years 2009- 2019 living in the philippines which for you that dont know is down around the equator and its hot, muggy, dry and wet. Now i enjoyed the hot and muggy and the dry season was ok with me but the monsoon season not so nice.

 

I met my wife in the philipines {ph} for short and after 10 years i wanted to get back to the usa to enjoy my hobbies that i couldnt pursue there.The fishing due to both river pollution and devasted coral reefs from illegal blasting, cyanide use and net dragging destroyed the inshore fishing.

 

My dad widdowed still lives in ND so he asked us if we would live with him to help him out around the house and property as he is 88. Rent free, he pays all the bills so hes my dad and i couldnt refuse that.

 

Now i thought my wife whom never been out of the ph would hate the ice cold but she has taken to it and loves it. We got to ND in nov 13 2019 and 7 days later had 15 inches of snow, and she was out in it, shoveling it and playing in it like a kid.

 

I asked her if she wanted to move to florida where its warm mostly year round but she said no way she like the cold and short summer heat.

 

She fished in the ph using a bamboo pole with string for line and when the rice fields were flooded from rivers overflowing from wet season she would walk the rice paddies and grab by hand catfish that were burying themselves in the mud to keep wet as the water receded as this was their food for the day.

 

Now she has the luxury of any spinning rod and reel combo to choose from and she for the last year refuses to use my expensive reels and she uses her bought at wallmart $20.00 zebco rod n reel and she out catches me because she sticks to the texas rig senko, a square bill crank and a spinner while i am out wading experimenting with frogs, top water....... she will stand in the same spot and fan cast and catch 15 bass in 2 hours, she has the midas touch.

[soflabasser]

12 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

1) Distance and time - the closest river to me is the Crow River, and that freezes up and even so, the shore fishing spots are few and far between...I don't canoe on a river. Even most of the Mississippi here freezes over at least around the shorelines and the shore-fishing spots there are an hour or so away from me. Given that I have at most 4 hours, traveling there would leave me 2 hours max to fish...and the shore spots are 'spotty' for catching anything in winter if you can find open water to cast to.

2) Weather - we have periods where the high for the day is single digits...sometimes below 0^of. Trying to work a reel, much less change lures, in that temp is beyond annoying...especially at my age where the fingers don't work up to snuff to begin with.

What about fishing with bait for other species of fish? 2 hours of fishing is more than enough to have a good time. 

12 hours ago, joshuaray83 said:

I'm with you there for sure. You can only take off so much clothing... Layers in the winter make a big difference. I might have to start looking for some local streams to fish around here.

When it gets very hot I fish under the shade of trees and fish during lowlight conditions. I make sure to drink lots of water and so far it has worked very well for me.

11 hours ago, throttleplate said:

best to come to minnesota for a week this winter and experience it in real time, meaning come and fish around the dams where the open water is but pick a week where the weather is hoovering around 0-25 above and that will show what we put up with in winter. 

 

Dry air, wind chill, freezing fingers even with heat packs, toes get cold in the warmest of boots due to standing in ice and snow. Wearing a facemask to stop from getting frosted eyelashes,frosted mustache helps but the wind always finds a way in and then the masks starts to freeze up around mouth nose area from your breath and eyelashes start to stick shut.

 

I was fishing the red river last week in 32 degree F sunny with a wind chill that brought the temp down to 25 and my rod eyelets all froze and the line on reel also frosted over.

Now is not the best time to travel, maybe in the future. Ice fishing is one of the things on my bucket list.

[Bankc]

If I only went fishing when the weather was nice, I'd only go fishing twice a year.  Too hot and too cold don't mean anything to me.  Too windy, on the other hand...

[soflabasser]

11 hours ago, joshuaray83 said:

Dedication.

Those who truly love to fish will find a way to fish. 

[MN Fisher]

8 hours ago, soflabasser said:

What about fishing with bait for other species of fish? 2 hours of fishing is more than enough to have a good time. 

I refer you to the last phrase in statement #1

 

"if you can find open water to cast to"

 

Also - 4 hours of trip time is only if we can get someone in to watch the wife while I'm gone...she's partially disabled and needs someone to help her with some things. If we can't can't get someone to come watch her...then I'm limited to 2 hours.

[TnRiver46]

16 hours ago, scaleface said:

Had the boat out a couple of times and it started snowing . Second time it happened we    came close to getting stuck on the  ramp .

I went boat fishing in the snow once and had to dig two tire ruts in the snow with a boat paddle to get up the ramp. Unfortunately fishing in below freezing temps isn’t the safest idea in the world, I usually bank fish if it’s below 28 or so. I don’t much care for the idea of falling into the water in the dead of winter and sometimes outBoard issues arise when it’s that cold. The guides freezing still makes it a pain but it’s doable from the bank (and in some places you can build a fire) . 

[DogBone_384]

I try to fish year round, depending on how much work I have and family obligations. 

 

Luckily I'm just outside Boston and am lucky that southeastern MA and Cape Cod are warmer throughout the winter and haven't frozen the last few years.  I'm on track to catch fish in open water every month of the year 3 of the last 4 years.  Like other members have said, this year's fall bite was awful for me.  I ate the goose-egg 7 of 16 trips in September/October and had a best SMB of 2.02 pounds.

 

And everything freezes enough, I have ice fishing gear.

[ajschn06]

I went out two Saturdays ago with the mindset that it would be my last go.  Had a good day too.  Then I saw the forecast for this coming Saturday- mid 50's.  Then I looked at the forecast for next week- high of 60.  Not done yet...

[soflabasser]

9 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I refer you to the last phrase in statement #1

 

"if you can find open water to cast to"

 

Also - 4 hours of trip time is only if we can get someone in to watch the wife while I'm gone...she's partially disabled and needs someone to help her with some things. If we can't can't get someone to come watch her...then I'm limited to 2 hours.

Taking care of one's Wife is more important than fishing so I now understand why you do not fish in the Winter. I would do the same.

[ww2farmer]

Afterwork trips are done now. With the clock switch, there's not much daylight between the time I get out of work, get the boat hooked up and get to the ramp. It's pointless to go through that hassle for an hour of fishing.

 

How long I keep going after that depends on the weekend weather. I'm fine with cold, I'm fine with light percipitation, I'm fine with moderate winds. But I won't go out in sub-freezing temps, 20+ MPH winds and sideways snow. 

 

The gear usually come out of the boat now, and I'm ready to pull the plug at any minute depending on the weather, but the final "I'm done" stuff......batteries removed, lower unit oil changed, engine fogged, mothballs distributed through out the boat/compartments, cover cinched and strapped down "winter tight", etc.....happens when the long range weekend forcasts are hopeless.

[jimmyjoe]

   I used to say, "I fish from ice-out to ice-up". but that's not true. I've actually fished (and caught fish)  all 12 months of the year, right here in the frozen Midwest. This is shorecasting on the Mississippi; I do NOT ice fish. Fishing during the January thaw, fishing below power stations and hitting the protected northern pockets can all yield fish, especially yellow perch. The secret is not to avoid the cold temperatures, but to AVOID THE WIND.

   That, and the places where it's icy under the snow, and I slip and fall. That's no good for an old fart like me.

 

   BTW ...... did you know that you can fly fish with mittens on?     ?    ??    jj

[DaubsNU1]

Well hell. 

 

Brother and I were set to duck hunt this weekend...but the farmer called, we can't hunt. Another buddy has paying clients at his blind on Saturday and Sunday, so that is a no-go. I could hunt with a few other friends, but it's going to be 74 on Saturday, and 72 on Sunday....

 

I just may need to pull the cover off the boat and fish : )

 

I've never fished this late in the year...I'll be reading the forums and "winter fishing" articles...

[joshuaray83]

2 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Well hell. 

 

Brother and I were set to duck hunt this weekend...but the farmer called, we can't hunt. Another buddy has paying clients at his blind on Saturday and Sunday, so that is a no-go. I could hunt with a few other friends, but it's going to be 74 on Saturday, and 72 on Sunday....

 

I just may need to pull the cover off the boat and fish : )

 

I've never fished this late in the year...I'll be reading the forums and "winter fishing" articles...

I'm in the same boat as you (no pun intended). Heading to Lake of Three Fires in southwest Iowa for some cabin camping. Will definitely have to get some fishing in.

[keagbassr]

Man, was looking forward to tomorrow and next week with temps in the 60s.and 70s and then driving home from work today  I hit a deer.  Now the trucks going in the shop?

[Junk Fisherman]

Fished Lake Michigan yesterday and plan on taking a 2-day trip to central IL this weekend for what will probably be my last trip of the year.  Granted, if the weather is nice around Thanksgiving or Christmas, I am apt to sneak away for a couple days.  I don't ever really shut it down.  

[DaubsNU1]

Got out Friday and Saturday...windy, atmospheric temps started in the 50's, warmed in to the mid 70's both days. Water temps were in 46-49 degrees. Wind was howling, 15-30 with gusts to 40 on Saturday. I managed to stay out of the wind for the most part.

 

If fished low and slow. No bites. It was GREAT to be out on the water. 

 

Highs this week in the 40's...deer season starts Saturday. 

 

Cover going on the boat today...time to hunt!

[throttleplate]

bank fished a new lake in minn i  discovered only 23 miles from my house. I have been driving past this hidden lake all summer but seen it on google maps the other day and thought what the heck i will give it a shot.

 

My favorite lakes are all within 60 miles from home this one being so close and small never caught my attention.

 

So on friday we stopped there and wow super looking for bass with tons of tree stumps, downed trees, weeds, bull rushes. The air temp was 60 water was 40. Casted out spinners, square bills, jerk bait,chatter and top water.

 

Caught 4 northerns 20 inch long 2 on square bills 2 on jerk bait and wife caught 2, 1 on spinner and 1 on square bill. I threw out chatter baits and top water but no go. I didnt expect to catch any bass i was specifically looking for northern so i was using 80lb fluoro leader.

 

One of the pike literally swam over exposed rocks to ****** the jerk bait 2 feet in front of me. We also went out on tuesday and hit our favorite lake and it had iced over and found some open water and wife caught a pike and me nothing.

 

Will definently be hitting this small lake next year with waders. Winter is on the doorstep this week and i will be shut down untill spring as i dont ice fish. Dont want to spend more money on ice gear as i have a list to buy a few expensive things in the spring allready.

[Ibfestus]

I lived in SE MO for 50 years and there was always a lake available to fish.  One day it was 22 degrees on the Bank's marquis in Anna, IL.  on Dec. 29th.  We went to Lake of Egypt which was a private late owned by a power company and had a warm water discharge.  We caught over a hundred crappie in about 2 hours.  The high temp was 28F. and we were throwing jigs onto the ice and letting them fall into the warmer water.  I couldn't water into the live well because the pumps were frozen.  

 

Another day I fished and won a early spring bass tournament on Lake Wappapello in MO.  The temperature was 27 degrees and it was sleeting.  Most of the tournament contestants were no shows, but with a $50 entry and a first place prize guarantee of $1,200, I wasn't about to stay home.  I managed to catch 6 small keepers on a 1/8 oz crappie jig on a bluff that dropped straight off into 30' of water.

 

Even at 75 years, I fished last winter in freezing weather.  Bass and crappie can be caught in good numbers on lakes with even a very small amount of water flow.  Bass tournaments shut down in my area in December, January, and February, and that is the reason I crappie fish then. 

[Boomstick]

So I got a pickerel and a bass at Lake St Catherine yesterday - and a beautiful sunset. Today I tried Onota lake and I missed what was definitely a large bass. But it was nice to get out in November.

[Bassfishingfred]

I'm still catching a couple every trip on reaction baits in Colorado. I don't care how cold it is as long as there is open water:)