Early morning fishing

[jbird68]

How early do you go out in the morning? I think I am heading out in the morning but not sure what time I want to head out. So what would be a good time to start?

[rags]

I start just after sunup

[Swift]

I start just after sunup

Once the ice is basically safe I'm often done once the sun is totally up. Usually out at 5AM, sometimes earlier, and do very well on better fish than the dawn patrol does, 'gills, Perch and Crappies. Know my lakes very, very well

[coldhand]

Got up around midnight this morning and I'm planning/getting ready for a early trip.  I've gone pre-dawn  before and got schooled on the harsh conditions this time of year. Think its cold on the ice when the sun first goes down?
Looking at some warmer temperatures right now and since the day's only like 8 hours, its time.  Not rushing though, probably won't leave for another couple hours.   I consider anything after dusk to 2-3am night fishing, then the morning feels like it ends pretty quick after sunrise.

 

[dab65]

I've been doing better mid day. Tried going the other day at 5am. Never marked a thing till after 8am. Just moved shack to new spot last week and haven't had time to fish it much. Going to go try this afternoon see how it goes, may try early bite tomorrow again.

[icefishman]

I like to have my tip ups set out atleast 30 min before first light for walleye

[coldhand]

I like to have my tip ups set out atleast 30 min before first light for walleye

Sounds good.
Nothing magical happened for me trying extra early, for walleye.  Trout fishing seems like it would have been fun this morning.

[kpd145]

I like to be on the ice with my first hole drilled by 6:30

I usual get up around 3:30

45 minutes to get ready, hour drive, unload and walk time.

[ctice84]

I try to drill my holes at least 15-30 mins before sunrise and let the area rest

[1moslab]

I try to drill my holes at least 15-30 mins before sunrise and let the area rest

     x2

[BowHunter1527]

I normally get a good bite around 730 and then it dies off till around 9-930 and its good till around 11. So I get up around 530, 30 mins to get ready and 45 min drive. Then drilling and setting up im normally fishing around before 730.

[conesuscrab]

Up at 5, on ice with holes drilled by 6;30.

[fisher42]

We will get the young lad off to school, then head out. Lines in the water by 930!!

[Svengalli]

I try to drill my holes at least 15-30 mins before sunrise and let the area rest

This for sure.  Often enough being set-up early can mean the difference b/w going home with fish or just going home.

[KenInSask]

Hoping someone can shed some insight into this for me.

I've never got the "let the area rest" idea. Are people assuming they are scaring the fish away by drilling holes or what is the reason for this?

If someone has some insight into the "letting the area rest" idea, or if fish happen to be more skittish in other parts of the world please let me know.

I had the scaring the fish debate with a friend on the lake a couple of years ago. I was fishing in 12 feet of water and catching perch and walleye over some rocks on the bottom. Only had one hole for the marcum camera and the hole I was fishing from so I suggested we drill a few more holes for the rest of us to fish out of above the rock pile. He insisted DONT DO IT!! YOU"LL SCARE ALL THE FISH AWAY!! I drilled the holes anyway and the fish on the camera never flinched when we started the auger, while we were drilling new holes or cleaning them out. So I don't understand why people don't just drill the holes and start fishing.

So many times i have drilled a hole, barely clean it out and dropped the hook to the bottom and got a bite right away.

[BIGCREW]

I have seen the same thing drilled a hole right next to another one and caught fish right off the bat, maybe it will spook fish in shallow water dont know some guys use hole covers to stop the light from getting in and swear by them to me I think the other way and believe the light shining in will draw fish but never tryed doing both and see what works better I was thinking about trying out some of the hole covers that are supposed to keep the hole from freezing up so I will see if therr is a difference with them or without them

[boss j]

personally i am walkin out on the ice as i can just start to see about 10 FEET! i drill when i can see 10 or so yards. doing this with tipups i often have at least 1 flag before i can get 5 drilled and set, going 1 at a time.

i have noticed myself that often fish do not scare from drilling new holes throughout the day. however i do try to drill a bunch of hole over a very large area so that i can move around alot to find and follow the fish as i jig.

[hardwater diehard]

Ditto X2 boss jigs ...in my younger tip up days ..we use to have the "kid" stir up the tip ups by zig zaging  through the tip up lanes ..more often then not it would produce a flag or two. I don't think the drilling of holes affects the fishing for the most part ...but usually drill a lot of holes in an area and that's it for the day if I can get on fish ...if not its drill baby drill .I do prefer to fish the afternoon into the dark ..for me the bite is "on" longer ...drill my holes ...set up tip up /downs ...find the bite ..prepare for dark ..lanterns, headlamps etc ..consolidate your "area" of tip ups/downs...and stay til/after dark .The morning bite for me is always fleeting ...after 9AM ..is a long wait between bites sometimes ..and makes for a long day if you find the bite after 3Pm and stay into dark .But fish when you can is the golden rule of ice fishing.

[Cfilbert]

I leave the house at 5, stop and get bait and snacks, arrive at the lake 545.  Set up flip up and be fishing by six. Sunrise around 7.  But our lake is 30 miles away. If I go to one of the Minnesota lake we try to leave around 4:30.  I've had fish on the vex right after drilling holes to check for depth( suspended crappies at 15 ft below ice.

[JiggerDan]

I like all my tip-ups in by the time it gets light enough to see. First light is usually a hot time for me.

[Gills-only]

The first half hour is when I catch 50% of my keepers most of the time.  Drill holes just before daybreak, the fish mostly are there when I drop in.  Once sun comes over treetops slows noticeably but they will still bite.

[Townie]

Still waiting for a daybreak feeding frenzy; never seen a dramatic difference in catches early morning. I do best late afternoon into dusk.

[Van_Cleaver]

I'm with Townie, though I have seen some good AM bites. A lot of my fishing involves driving 1.5 -2 hrs and the best bait shop en route doesn't open early. I don't sweat it; just make sure I've got plenty of food and drink and stay til dark or later. Love the late afternoon into night. Now if I'm lucky enough to be staying right near the lake I take the be fishing by first light approach.

[Uncle Al]

I'm an early bird I like to get out and setup before light. My wife asks "Why do you go so early" I tell her I like to wake the fish up and give them breakfast.

[eyeflyer]

Hoping someone can shed some insight into this for me.

I've never got the "let the area rest" idea. Are people assuming they are scaring the fish away by drilling holes or what is the reason for this?

If someone has some insight into the "letting the area rest" idea, or if fish happen to be more skittish in other parts of the world please let me know.

I had the scaring the fish debate with a friend on the lake a couple of years ago. I was fishing in 12 feet of water and catching perch and walleye over some rocks on the bottom. Only had one hole for the marcum camera and the hole I was fishing from so I suggested we drill a few more holes for the rest of us to fish out of above the rock pile. He insisted DONT DO IT!! YOU"LL SCARE ALL THE FISH AWAY!! I drilled the holes anyway and the fish on the camera never flinched when we started the auger, while we were drilling new holes or cleaning them out. So I don't understand why people don't just drill the holes and start fishing.

So many times i have drilled a hole, barely clean it out and dropped the hook to the bottom and got a bite right away.

I agree, don't use a camera to much anymore, but used to quite a bit. Never observed walleye on the camera spook, when drilling holes. In shallow water (less than 10 ft), I would see them scatter a bit if someone ran over on the ice toward me, but the two most common things that would really scatter the fish, even in deeper water (12-20 ft) was slamming a truck door, or dropping the tailgate..........they were gone in a flash if you did that.

[1moslab]

yes I have had that happen many times also drop it down and bam but there has been other times when 20 min later the action starts dunno maybe I called them in or maybe they came back I don't usually have my camera down till after I drill a hole

[river_scum]

hour before first light.

[AdverseCity]

I know pike aren't scared of a running auger, saw it first hand a couple times. I drill a hole and walk 20 feet away, without even cleaning out the slush my buddy drops down a bucktail jig and has one on before I'm done the second hole. This is in about 6 feet of water first thing in the morning and has happened 3 times, now we take turns dropping down first.

[panfishman13]

i don't often get out before 8 am. my fishing buddy works the night shift and doesn't get off until 7:30, so we're lucky if we get on the ice by 9. that said, as long as we can mark fish on the sonar we're usually able to catch our fill. the trick of course being our ability to search an area and find fish. with a hand auger, we're much quieter, but we usually tucker out after about 15 holes each and it takes quite a while to drill those 30 holes. i'm buying a gas auger this year, so we'll be able to set up and fish much quicker and easier this season than ever before.

[BlueDuck]

I like to start just as it is getting light.  That being said, I go when I can and I don't see much difference in production.   "Should have been here yesterday".