You Ever Notice Fish Hate It When Making New Ice

[Dr. BlueGill]

You ever notice when a lake is forming ice and making those Star Wars type of sounds that it kills the fishing?  I have had that happen to me a couple of times this year and it blows.  As soon as you start hearing those weird pops and spacey gurgling sounds the fish seem to stop hitting.  Time to go home    I've never found anything different in all the years I have ice fished.  Quite frankly ..... It Sucks 

[AugustWest]

Yes and No...on that one Doc
When it comes time for the magical change of daylight...nothing seems to stop the bite!

[wnybassman]

Honeoye sounded like a game of Asteroids last night.  The bite quit for us about the time the noise started to.

[deadsmelthead]

I think this is going to be a mixed bag of answers, I have blamed it for not catching fish before but I have also kicked the crap out of fish when the lake was talkin, one of the best days I had walleye fishing last year was when the was cracking  nonstop for about 2-3hrs. Who the frig knows.

[adkbrookie]

haven't noticed a corelation. have had some very good days when ice was being made.

[Dr. BlueGill]

Maybe it depends the lake you are on or maybe it depends the time of year.  The lake I am on, Honoye, just froze over the entire length.  Maybe they just need some time to get used to it.  I was doing well this afternoon until that noise started.  Same thing Saturday.

[bucketbass]

this is something natural that takes place not something to spook anything but a human

[raate]

Hey doc, We had just the opposite happen to us on Otisco the other night! The crappies were coming out of the holes to hit the lure on the drop, until all the ice noise stopped. Never had another bite after! Structure being defined as a change, I think it works both ways!

[Grady95]

I have seen schools of perch leave when a fellow fisherman approaches my shanty wearing ice grippers on his boots.  I have suspected that fish are put off by the repeated drilling of holes in high traffic areas such as the south end on a weekend.  Certainly, we have all suffered the unfortunate situation of having someone watching us catch fish in the boat and coming over by us, throwing an anchor into the water and killing our bite. (my pet peeve!)  These artificial sounds are without question going to damage a bite.  I have experienced some good luck and bad during noisy ice periods though.  You bring up an interesting point.  I never even thought to associate the bite with these sounds you describe, just assuming that they were just background information to the fish, like the sound of a highway would be to deer.
Good question Doc!  We'll all have to try to make some observations of this and share the information.  If it turns out that the noise helps, count on me to invent some machine that will beat the hell out of the ice!  I'll sell it at Gander right next to the flashers and underwater cameras.  Gonna' need a semi pretty soon to transport all the junk from the truck to the ice!
Hope to see you out there.
Grady

[Dull Hooks]

I've had days were it hasn't mattered at all , but then some days when nothing was biting ( got to blame something for not catching anything ). I've seen above ice noise affect fish especially in shallower water and then some days it doesn't matter.The next few times I get a chance to get out I'll have to make note if ice noise or nothing effects my fishing.

I know some days it can make you feel a little uneasy when a pressure ridge forms or decides to let loose, the ice shakes and shifts , feels like a mini earthquake.One of my friends went busting out the the shanty thinking we were going in.He tried to make a get away only to trip over all his gear.I just laughed and reassured him we weren't going for a swim.

[MACK_USCG]

dont know about the fish but it scared the heck out of me the first time I ever heard it!    My brother took me up to Goodyear a long ways back and I'll never forget sitting in the shanty and hearing the pressure cracks and other nioses.  It still gets me now and then especially when i'm kneeling down for a tip-up! On the other hand, I've had tip-ups go crazy after a wheeler or sled goes by so go figure!?


mack

[scavengerj]

I have often wondered this but, have as of yet not noticed any correlation. Above ice noise seems to have more of an impact as far as I have seen.