Author Topic: Finding Weeds  (Read 6113 times)

Offline icefishingluva

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Finding Weeds
« on: Oct 25, 2015, 11:02 PM »
Hey guys,

Quick question!  What is the best way that you guys find weeds during the winter time?  I know the best answer is to pre-scout it during open water and mark spots, but unfortunately I don't have the luxury.  Any tips are appreciated!

Thanks guys,

Luva
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Offline perch_stalker

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #1 on: Oct 25, 2015, 11:21 PM »
It's pretty simple actually. Start shallow, and worm out deeper to find the edge of the weeds. Most all lakes have weeds in the shallows, especially in the bays or the channels. Now, finding green weeds in the winter, that becomes more of a challenge during mid ice and late ice. What lakes are you wanting to fish?

Offline icefishingluva

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #2 on: Oct 26, 2015, 08:36 AM »
I mainly would be fishing Enemy Swim and Pickerel.

Luva
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Offline ryno

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #3 on: Oct 28, 2015, 02:49 AM »
While ice conditions allow... Get busy searching for air bubbles you can visually see in the ice and of course any vegetation in the ice.  The key is to do that searching early as possible.  Ideally the wind is calm at ice up and gives ya the aquarium effect.
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Offline FishGut

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #4 on: Nov 03, 2015, 04:22 PM »
Google Earth has this neat history function, where you can lock on a site and travel back through time and look at satellite images over the last 20 years or more. Find your lake, click back through images and get an idea what happens spring/summer/fall/winter. You can often see the weeds grow and recede
Nebraska certified Fishing Instructor

Offline chilly-willy

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #5 on: Nov 03, 2015, 05:11 PM »
what kind of fish are you targeting and what type of lake meaning a  natural or reservoir??? natural is were the lake sit there no damn no river running threw it to damn up Canadian shield lake are another type or natural lakes.... were reservoir lakes are damned up rivers  a lot of reservoir lake are flood shallow area like the lake I fish is a reservoir lake...  were 85% of the lake is 3-10 foot max were the other 15 % is 15 -35 fow se the problems with these lake is they grow a ton of weed then in the winter they drop them to prevent shore erosion from ice and snow etc...  so what was 5 fow is really 2 fow on my lake in the winter they drop it a average of three foot most of the time... so to find a good weed line your got to search maps etc like google earth  and do research on the lakes... some spots are red flags sticking out to you some are not... by the way what type of fishing do you plan to do like tournaments  or just for the sport of it?   there is also stages of the lake like old older and oldest but there under names like oligotrophic =young,mesotrophic = middle aged , and eutrophic which is old lake... see if you can locate a picture of these types of lakes if not I can post you one to view... there are so many different type of lakes etc you really should just by the book ice fishing secrets produced by in fishermen or even crappie wisdom by same producer if you fish crappie...  they also make a musky/ pike , catfish, blue gills crappie perch pan fish,and a walleye versions but they all correlate back to the basics of the type of lakes your looking at and how the fish responds in those lakes like stocked trout will follow the contours of the shore in 10-20 fow searching for food... but will live in the deeper section like 30-40 fow to survive the cold...  there all different fish are but a lot of them act the same so keep it in mind  mostly predator fish will hunt the flats  and drive fish up on points and etc..etc.. it the nature of the fish predator fish include walleye and pike and musky... but there spawning is different so is some of there living during the season like they will live deep winter and summer to stay warm winter and cool summer.... but will feed in the shallows go figure that why these book will help you key in on what type of habitat your looking for... with out giving to much away now to every one else that wants it... to find weeds I look for certain contours or inside,outside points,funneling points,etc.. to the lake and try them first to see if they hold fish or weeds  but usually weeds are dead mid ice season...there is a lot of variables that why the books are best...

Offline Seamonkey84

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #6 on: Nov 09, 2015, 12:22 AM »
Well I usually call the guy down the street for a supply lol.
Seriously though, if you have an underwater camera it's a no brainer, but if you have a flasher you can usually play with the settings to see the top of standing weeds. Or as stated, start shallow and try to feel the bottom consistency with a jig/heavy spoon and maybe pull up some vegetation. Another way to find a good line is start shallow, drill many holes going perpendicular out from the shore, until you find a steep drop in depth (easily done with electronics or just with a sounder weight). When you find a big difference in depth from one hole to the next, drill more in between to find the edge of the drop.

Offline panfishman13

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #7 on: Nov 10, 2015, 11:52 AM »
another option is to get a heavy swimming jig like a jigging rapala or similar and drop it on a free line to the bottom, no tension. it should swim way off to the side, and snag any weeds it encounters on the way back. be sure to use heavy line though, don't wanna lose an expensive lure like that to a particularly stubborn clump of weeds (not that i have any personal experience or anything *cough cough*)

Offline icefishingluva

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #8 on: Nov 10, 2015, 10:33 PM »
Awesome fellas!! Thanks for all the help!!
Let's fish it.

Offline icebucketjohn

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #9 on: Nov 14, 2015, 10:47 AM »
My new weapon in searching for weeds, weed edges, structures, flats & drop offs:L

AQUA VU MICRO PLUS



Ice-Fisherman: We're all highly addicted, shivering, psychotic patients in the asylum of the frigid.

Offline icefishingluva

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #10 on: Nov 15, 2015, 12:02 AM »
Ahhhh....I was wondering if I shouldn't invest in one of those...
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Offline Ramp 23

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Re: Finding Weeds
« Reply #11 on: Nov 15, 2015, 05:59 PM »
If the ice is black & not too white or porous , make a small pillow out of a zip lock bag with rv or marine anti freeze in it. Place your transducer on it on the ice & you can shoot right thru the ice & see weeds / weed edges on your electronics. Works very good & no drilling , no noise. Just pouring a puddle of water on the ice works too. If there is some snow you can mark the edges right out.

 



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