Author Topic: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.  (Read 21468 times)

Offline RD79

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Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« on: Jan 18, 2016, 11:10 AM »
Hey guys, im not new to ice fishing by any means using the old standby jig and minnow or smelt on a tipup, but im definetly new to targeting certain species and using technology to my advantage in icing more fish.  I live 2 miles from the lake so when the bite has slowed in the past i just didnt go out.  Now i've got a flasher and pretty much all the toys as well i've read ALOT of articles on fishing trying different things but this past weekend had me frustrated.  I know sometimes with certain weather systems the fish just simply wont bite, but i had so many marks on my flasher and i just couldnt convince any of them to commit no matter what i tried bait wise or lure wise.  In this lake there is only Walleye, the odd perch and Northern Pike.

I was on every spectrum from jig and minnow, jigging rap, blade style baits, rattle live target minnows, all sorts of spoons in every color the store has, haha.  down to a bare hook on flourocarbon with mealworm or minnow or minnow head and perch eye ive saved from previous success.  Tiny hair jigs.  EVERYTHING! One rod was constantly changing colors, sizes and bait and my other rod had a frozen shiner on a bare jig on florocarbon.

What is your go-to when trying to suck in that light bite?  We did have a very large cold front where the temp dropped on thursday night from -10C to -32C where it stayed that -30 all weekend.

Thanks for your input!

Offline Doubles Shooter

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #1 on: Jan 18, 2016, 02:07 PM »
Days like that, I'll just go home and hop on the snowmobile and go riding. After a couple hours of nothing happening, i get tired of it and leave. Some days are like that.

Offline adkRoy

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #2 on: Jan 18, 2016, 02:09 PM »
First I would drill more holes and hole hop. 5 minutes per hole. then start switching lures and lure colors. Then try going with bigger lures or bait. Instead of jigging with spikes on the jig, try small minnow.
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Offline slipperybob

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #3 on: Jan 19, 2016, 12:21 AM »
They just won't bite, they just won't.

In the past, I did by chance found and played with 6 inch fingerlings that will bite.  After an hour or two I had enough of that.
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Offline Tbone9

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #4 on: Jan 19, 2016, 12:57 AM »
Just got back from a trip like that where a cold front shut them right down. Lots of lookers on the vex and no takers. Just about emptied my tackle box trying different lures all the way down to a plain hook n minnow. Some days you just can't make it happen.
Always trying to catch those light bitin lethargic sons of fishes.

Offline perchnut

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #5 on: Jan 19, 2016, 07:03 AM »
Move move move.....this past weekend was slow for us.....never caught more than one keeper from any one hole....It was like they were just laying on the bottom and you just had to find one that was a bit active and had to drop the jig right on it......Sometimes even that doesnt work, and you just have to enjoy being out on that floating cake of ice in sub zero weather.... :P :P

Offline Lobes

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #6 on: Jan 19, 2016, 10:57 AM »
Mobility!
I agreee that you have to move. Keep moving until you find active fish. Even if, and especially if that means moving to another lake. If you develop this habit of moving to find the active fish you will soon be enjoying awesome fish fry's.
It's REALLY worth the extra effort!

                                                        :tipup:
Lobes

Mecosta County / Lakeview, Michigan

Offline Super-ice-bird

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #7 on: Jan 19, 2016, 11:52 AM »
Move around, change up lures, drink more beer!
Come on fish!

Offline jjc155

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #8 on: Jan 20, 2016, 07:21 PM »
Start eating, they always seem to know when I am cooking/eating on the ice and turn on, LMAO

J-

Offline Swift

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #9 on: Jan 20, 2016, 07:25 PM »
Start eating, they always seem to know when I am cooking/eating on the ice and turn on, LMAO

J-
Also works well on Deer and Waterfowl

Offline Idahogator

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #10 on: Jan 20, 2016, 07:27 PM »
Start eating, they always seem to know when I am cooking/eating on the ice and turn on, LMAO

J-

Exactly !      Or sit there for over two hours, reach for the thermos and BAM!  Fish on.      :roflmao: :roflmao:
      

Offline slipperybob

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #11 on: Jan 23, 2016, 02:40 AM »
Okay the other day when the bite was slow, I snoozed.  Held the rod and was awakened by a thumping tugging.  Whoops fish was biting.  I missed it.  ;D

Then stared at the blank flasher for the next two hours... Could've gotten two more hours of snooze...
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Offline thorson

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #12 on: Jan 24, 2016, 07:20 PM »
My favorite trick is to tie a 8 inch dropper with a tiny fly on a 1# line below your jig.  This technique worked the past two days for 14 gills and 3 crappie while the rest of my party (6 guys) were shut out.  A least two of the group tied on like me and they to caught a few also.  Also used this with walleyes under a jigging spoon with heavier flouro line with great results.

Tight lines
Thor
Life is short, fish hard!

Offline Jim_MI

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #13 on: Jan 24, 2016, 07:43 PM »
Break out the Marmish palm rod.  The strike indicators are so sensitive that at least you'll be catching bait!  When things are shut down all around, I can usually catch some 2-3" perch on the Marmish.

Offline Kevin23

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #14 on: Jan 25, 2016, 03:14 PM »
Go look for active fish. Usually pretty rare that a whole lake has negative fish. Usually somewhere the conditions are different and the fish will bite.
EYECONICFISHING

Offline lipripr

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #15 on: Jan 26, 2016, 05:07 PM »
Drill and drill and hole hop w vex. Repeat.

gman51

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #16 on: Jan 27, 2016, 07:54 AM »
whats a vex

Offline panfishman13

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #17 on: Jan 27, 2016, 06:29 PM »
it's short for vexilar, which is a brand of ice fishing sonar. marcum and humminbird both have similar units.

honestly, i just move around till i find fish that will bite. often i'll spend the previous night picking apart the lake on google maps (no depth charts in my area), if i get really into it i'll print off a picture of the lake and label the places i want to try and the order i want to try them. usually i'll find a hole full of fish that are at least kind of willing to take a bait. sonar is absolutely necessary though, and an underwater camera can be incredibly helpful. i don't set multiple lines until i'm in a steady patch of fish.

Offline Speeddmn

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #18 on: Jan 28, 2016, 02:17 PM »
When it is slow, I sit down and take a nap, guaranteed to get a bite that way... or walk away from the pole!

Offline Crazinamatese

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #19 on: Jan 30, 2016, 08:23 PM »
Keep drilling until you find fish. If you can't find active fish, go home or hit up better water.

Chute82

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #20 on: Feb 11, 2016, 07:04 AM »
Bring a fishing buddy who has ADHA disorder.  My buddy can't sit still for a minute if the fish arnt biting so after about five minutes of not catching fish he is punching holes in the ice.  If he can't find fish within 100 ft of the shanty off he goes on the snowmobile trying to find fish.  I just sit in the shanty and wait for him to come back.  I make sure I take my stuff off the snowmobile because he has lost several things over the years of mine and others when he goes searching.  On his snowmobile searches he has never found a better spot or has anything to report.  He does comeback  with some beer and food so it works out for me in the end


Offline campingonh2o

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #21 on: Feb 11, 2016, 07:19 AM »
When things are slow,,,, I like to use a heavier jig and bounce it off the bottom. It stirs up the bottom and a perch or two come in. I'll have a lighter jig in next hole close to the bottom light jigging catches them.

Offline feklar

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #22 on: Feb 20, 2016, 08:24 PM »
Hole hop
curse people drilling in the area
praise people drilling in the area
get a drink
pee
eat
pee
pound the bottom
change baits (worm, maggot etc)
chum (where legal)
change jigs
pack up and move
go visit people close by
give up go home

Offline DAPOS

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #23 on: Dec 20, 2016, 07:16 PM »
I often marked "non biters" as well. I then purchased my underwater camera. Found out they really WEREN'T non biters after all.......I just wasn't seeing them sucking in my bait and summarily spitting it back out without so much as a hint of a "hit". Now, when they suck it in.....I strike!!!!

Offline campingonh2o

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #24 on: Dec 21, 2016, 06:58 AM »
 
I often marked "non biters" as well. I then purchased my underwater camera. Found out they really WEREN'T non biters after all.......I just wasn't seeing them sucking in my bait and summarily spitting it back out without so much as a hint of a "hit". Now, when they suck it in.....I strike!!!!

I see this with my camera also catch a lot this way

Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #25 on: Dec 23, 2016, 12:59 PM »
I never give up.i will find active fish by changing a million jig colors,baits,location.theres active fish to be found I will swiss cheese the ice. whatever it takes.i stay all day regardless and sometimes the midday bite kicks in.if its really sucky fishing/weather wise.I just sit in my shanty and wait for single roamers on my vex and try to entice them to bite.I don't get out enough to go home when the fish are not biting and stay from sun up till sun down.i enjoy just being out there.  if I catch something its a bonus and always stay positive.

Offline BlueDuck

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #26 on: Dec 31, 2016, 08:39 AM »
Move.  drill more holes. 

Offline italianice77

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #27 on: Dec 31, 2016, 11:03 AM »
Open a bag of chips, eat a sandwich or open a drink...every time i do something hits!! ;D
it's all fun and games till somebody looses a walleye!!

Offline bldfrt

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #28 on: Dec 31, 2016, 11:20 AM »
My favorite technique when the bite gets slow is to drink beers and plink at the cans with the an old daisy lever

Offline feklar

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Re: Favorite technique when the bite gets slowwwwww.
« Reply #29 on: Feb 12, 2017, 07:59 PM »
drill baby drill, hole hop, watch Marcum. If I'm seeing fish, set up to try to make them bite.  When in doubt, fish smaller.  If I'm not finding fish, move hole hop.  Or go home.

 



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