LOCKED JAW

[Cargo]

I was wondering how many of you have this problem. During open water the local reservoir is great fishing, after ice up they get lock jaw! extremely tough fishing.

[smeltshack]

Actually on our opening day pond its just the opposite. The trout dont bite that well during open water but opening day they slam all morning long!!!

[killitandgrillit]

Normally here, the first ice signals the trout to kick in a feeding frenzy....they gulp whatever you put down.

[bigredonice]

Big Ice : i have a handfull of ponds and lakes like that by me, and i just dont ice fish them at all...if the fishing sucks on a regular basis, im not going to waste my time.

[TroutFishingBear]

There are some anomalies like that out there. In one lake in colorado, taylor reservoir, there is a lot of northern pike. There has never been a northern pike iced there according to fisherman I have talked to and the baitshop guy. Now, pike in colorado are almost impossible to catch icefishing anyway, but it can be done at any lake except taylor reservoir. They say the pike go deep and dormat.

[Wyoming_Ice]

Big Ice,
I have fished Keyhole a whole bunch, with a bunch of different guys that"use to" catch eyes through the ice out there. I am still trying to find them.
As you said, open water is awsome... when the ice is on, good luck.
I am off tomorrow and I think I will go and humiliate myself...again...
I love it out there because I am driving 30 miles instead of 60 or 70...
I feel your pain...
Wyoming Ice

[Icemanjim]

I have seen this and quit trying to figure it out.  I have learned that's why they call it fishing not catching.

[Kolby]

Two questions:

what species are you targeting?

How clear is the water?

[kingfshr16]

 I experienced this last year, we had a place that was loaded with BIg i mean BIG crappies (one topping 16.5") so we decided to go ice fish it, couldnt get one to bite for anything in the world, the perch and sunnies still hit but the crappies wouldnt. A friend of mine went there with his aqua vu and noticed they would swim right past the jig not even interested, he tried minnows and everything not one would bite?

[Cargo]

Thanks for the feedback guys. It is a intresting dilemma. Creo the fish I am trying to catch is walleye and for the most part the water is clear. Wyoming Ice Keyhole is what I'm taking about. I have been fishing KH scene 75. I can only remember two years it was hot through the ice. I believe it was because a mass die off of gizzard shad. This year so far I have fished it six times 4 before Christmas 2 to 3 inches of ice I did really good, largest eye was 27 1/2" but what was interesting i caught 8 catfish from 4 to 8lbs. After Christmas I went twice only 1 cat. I will be going tomorrow also, I won't be out there until the afternoon. Give me an idea where you will be and I will stop by and say hello.

[Wyoming_Ice]

Big Ice,
I am heading out around noon to look around and maybe try to find some crappie til late afternoon. Then will probably set up on Pat's Point for the evening (I think).
I will have a sled, an Otter Village (purple), and a black Australian Shepard dog.
Tight Lines,
Wyo Ice