The Ice Fishing MA is board

Author Topic: aquatic insects  (Read 903 times)

Offline basst_

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 386
aquatic insects
« on: Nov 18, 2016, 08:20 PM »
what kind of critters do we got swimming in our waters. i was watching In-fishermen. they were talking about scuds and shrimp. do we have anything like this in our local waters?

Offline rdhammah

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 4,067
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #1 on: Nov 18, 2016, 08:35 PM »
I have seen scuds but no shrimp in ponds that I fish in. Now  I gotta keep my eyes open to see what else I can find

Offline WarBonnett

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 501
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #2 on: Nov 19, 2016, 04:33 PM »
     It's MASS.  , who knows !! :sick: :sick: :woot:

Offline stripernut

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 3,976
  • Tight Lines!
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #3 on: Nov 19, 2016, 05:40 PM »
LOTS of aquatic insects in our lakes and ponds! Mayflies, caddis and many more!

Offline GlovelessPro

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 308
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #4 on: Nov 19, 2016, 08:27 PM »
I've seen hellgramites under rocks and in my shiner traps i have gotten a few stick bugs (which look like sticks! lol and are about 3" long....also I have seen a stickbug on land around here and I don't know if they are separate species or if they hatch under water) I've also seen giant water beetles in my traps, big enough to eat a pin head shiner - about the size of a junebug. Defintely have seen what people call grass shrimp but they might be scuds or something else I'm not sure.
How can you be icefishing if you're sitting at your computer???

Offline Ice Scratcher

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 3,120
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #5 on: Nov 19, 2016, 08:32 PM »
I've seen hellgramites under rocks and in my shiner traps i have gotten a few stick bugs (which look like sticks! lol and are about 3" long....also I have seen a stickbug on land around here and I don't know if they are separate species or if they hatch under water) I've also seen giant water beetles in my traps, big enough to eat a pin head shiner - about the size of a junebug. Defintely have seen what people call grass shrimp but they might be scuds or something else I'm not sure.

Lol, most of the critters you just mentioned can get ya..

Your stick bug is called a water scorpion..

<°)))>{

Offline Ice Scratcher

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 3,120
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #6 on: Nov 19, 2016, 08:33 PM »
My secret weapon is mayfly larva "wigglers"...

<°)))>{

Offline basst_

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 386
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #7 on: Nov 21, 2016, 11:27 AM »
my next question, when you read articles about ice fishing panfish they always seem to talk about scuds and shrimp. but  what about the other insects like y'all previously mentioned. this is kinda like when reading about bass fishing they always talk about shad but we dont have shad up here

Offline fishermantim

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 3,784
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #8 on: Nov 21, 2016, 03:03 PM »
When talking MA, or even New England for that matter, there are plenty of aquatic insects to be found.
Anything you find in the water is usually a larval form of a flying insect.
The exceptions would be scuds, leeches, jellyfish (yes we have freshwater jellyfish) and clams and mussels.
These larval forms are mayflies, damsel flies, stone flies, caddis flies, dragon flies, mosquitos, hellgrammites (Dobson Fly).
What's funny is that they all eat something else in the water. Sometimes plankton, sometime other insects.
Also, they have longer lifespans underwater than above water. Some pupate into adult forms that don't have the ability to eat, so they take flight and begin looking for a mate immediately. Mayflies are the first ones to come to mind.

As for using them as ice fishing bait, it would real difficult to collect them through the ice, and keeping them in a tank at home would be futile as they would all be trying to eat each other. ("Survival of the fittest" thing)

I usually stick with shiners and various worms/grubs that can be found in most bait/pet shops.
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" - the Existential Blues

I am a legend in my own mind!

Offline hardwater diehard

  • Iceshanty Militia
  • Team IceshantyInsanity
  • *
  • Posts: 12,477
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #9 on: Nov 21, 2016, 03:37 PM »
my next question, when you read articles about ice fishing panfish they always seem to talk about scuds and shrimp. but  what about the other insects like y'all previously mentioned. this is kinda like when reading about bass fishing they always talk about shad but we dont have shad up here

Good read

http://www.in-fisherman.com/panfish/fishing-for-panfish/

a lot of times your just super sizing a zooplankton ...picture a cow as big as a house... all species started out eating zooplankton as fry and recognize its profile and movements as food ...

Watch what they spit up for that preferred forage on that body of water or species specific likes....then imitate that as best you can ...by profile/color/size etc ...if using plastics just pinch off what doesn't look right ...or add two plastics to achieve the desired look.
Give a man a fish he eats for a day .Teach a man to ice fish he has an obsession for a lifetime

Offline basst_

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 386
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #10 on: Nov 22, 2016, 09:26 AM »
thanks fellas. i just use wakies or meal worms. but my new favorites are clam maki plastics and gulp 1 inch minnows

Offline rdhammah

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 4,067
Re: aquatic insects
« Reply #11 on: Nov 23, 2016, 07:50 AM »
spike work great. I usually bring spikes and waxies.

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.