CTFishTalk.com: Ice Fishing In Depth - Connecticut Ice Fishing Reports ( CT Ice Fishing Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

phillyphish · Joined: 27 Dec 2010 Posts: 7

When the ice covers our favorite fishing spots and "us" avid fisherman resort to hardwater tactics to entice our favorite species we are faced with many decisions. What type of fish are we targetting, what tactics should we use, what bait should we fish and what depth should we fish.

I understand that fish act uniqely in different body's of water. For example: Bass may prefer a heavy weed-edge that holds smaller baitfish in a large lake, however bass in a shallow farm pond may hold in the deepest hole.

I would like to narrow this topic down a bit. For this post I will be using what I consider the traditional Connecticut lake. Gardner lake and Rodgers Lake for example. Both lakes offer deep water dropoffs and also shallow weedy areas. neither lake has a tremendous amount of sunken structure besides weeds.

I wanted to discuss which depths have been the best for each species. Hopefully by coresponding and bouncing depths for each species, we may be able to zero in our fishing depths and catch more fish.

depths that I have had good luck this year include:

4-8ft weeds: pickeral, perch (tip-ups)

15ft dropoff: perch (jigging)

10ft close to weed beds: trout (on mousie's

lets hear the rest of you!

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Surface - 4ft. weeds: bass (tipup)
My one slimedart hit at 10+ ft (tipup)
Really small, unnecessary panfish - chillin' near the bottom (jigging)
Haven't been trying for pike, trout, catfish or carp.

I'm not fishing at standard places. Mostly small/private ponds.
_________________
Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

icetilt · Joined: 13 Jan 2011 Posts: 34 Location: Pomfret Ct

Trout depends on type, here goes:

Rainbows I will fish from 1 foot to usually no more that 5 feet below the ice with Tip ups and Jigs regardless if I am in 5ft or 50ft of water.

Rainbows as well like to come up on the rocky shoals in the early morning low light hours to feed. I have caught a ton of big trout right around day break in less than 5 feet of water while jigging.

Browns I go for the bottom with jigs and tip ups. Depths vary but if there are browns and you start at the bottom regardless of the depth work your way up in the water column until you start hitting them. They will suspend like the rainbows as well.

nightstalker · Joined: 19 Feb 2010 Posts: 39

usually 1ft-2ft off bottom works for every fish mentioned. jigging you rely more on your flasher to target the depth they are holding at. i try to keep it simple and not try to spill my beer on myself lol always fish weed beds on the edge or on top. no flasher, reel up a half turn till they start hitting and rember how many turns up. i always try to keep it simple.

alibaba · Joined: 06 Jan 2011 Posts: 42 Location: plainville

ben to bantam got two pike 6ft weeds 3ft down on big shiners no hits on 8-10" white suckers fished same way hiland 10ft weeds 2ft off bottom med shiners got 2 pick 1 bass 1perch 1cat 7 sonnys sonnys on small jig near bottom candlewood/mt tom nothing

fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

maybe im in a rut... bait dropped to 1' or less off bottom, or top of weeds, regardless of structure; regardless of depth. catch everything that swims. jigging... about the same, its the jig that changes. every now and then, if fish finder advises, I raise up a bit...
trout... a wee bit different... they are anywhere. just under the ice, and 5-foot intervals til Im out of tips.

call me simple

project0615 · Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 14

Through the ice, I've always found pike in shallow water (less than 6 ft). I've even found some big ones in two feet of water, using big shiners.

Bass seem to be anywhere they feel like. Last year I caught a five pound bass in thirty feet of water over a rocky bottom, and the next week at the same body of water I caught a four pounder in three feet of water next to a large weed bed.

For pick I always just look for the weeds, they always seem to be somewhere nearby.

I'm hoping to try for trout this year, but I have little experience doing it through the ice, so I appreciate the advice on the depths for trout fishing.

pepperdawg · Joined: 16 Jan 2010 Posts: 45 Location: North-Central CT

For trout I always fish shallow - right up against the shore......but it pays off more times than not....fish in 1-2ft off water and keep the noise/vibrations on the ice to a minimum.....
_________________
-Woof

asianfisher · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 920

Agreed. water it cold trout like cold so they hang on bottom in other months... When the water is this cold they are out looking for food at higher depths..

alibaba · Joined: 06 Jan 2011 Posts: 42 Location: plainville

trout are tough i fish nomore than 1-2 ft below the ice over about 10ft of water put 3ft 6lb flouro leader on my tipups so no main line is in the water trout spook real easy good to eat but if u want a fight pike is the way to go

pepperdawg · Joined: 16 Jan 2010 Posts: 45 Location: North-Central CT

alibaba · Joined: 06 Jan 2011 Posts: 42 Location: plainville

ty i got it this year out of the naug river on a meal worm 6lb line #10 hook going for trout and got more than i bargined for lol cant belive i got him in my hart was pounding

pepperdawg · Joined: 16 Jan 2010 Posts: 45 Location: North-Central CT

^^^Nice FIsh!!!!
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-Woof