factors of ice fishing

[beerduck]

here is a big question. anyone who knows me knows that i have about everything i need to stay comfortable on the ice for all day and night thats not the problem. the problem is the fishing sucks one day and is great another day.my biggest thing is i dont know what affects the fish the most, or is it a combination of things.what do you guys think has the most affect on the fishing. is it barometer, fronts, moon phase, day fishing, night fishing? if you guys notice there is always an excuse along these lines why we didnt catch fish that day. who has what on input?

[icefishnfool]

beerduck /.......I would say if there was a 2 seater boat .......we would be in the same boat ........it happens to me also .....I found out when the barometer goes up .......the fishing sucks and when it falls it gets better ......I also noticed  that when I see  alot of deer on the way to the lake I seem to catch more fish than when I don't see any deer so it could have something to doo with the moon phases also ......all I do know is when I go , I fish like hell till I leave , I never give up  ;DMark Sirko

[MikePike]

here is a big question. anyone who knows me knows that i have about everything i need to stay comfortable on the ice for all day and night thats not the problem. the problem is the fishing sucks one day and is great another day.my biggest thing is i dont know what affects the fish the most, or is it a combination of things.what do you guys think has the most affect on the fishing. is it barometer, fronts, moon phase, day fishing, night fishing? if you guys notice there is always an excuse along these lines why we didnt catch fish that day. who has what on input?

east wind

[WVBoy]

Man I with ya there.I am trying to figure it out myself.I mean, there are days where one day you fish and get almost nothing,then go back tomarrow and it is all you can do to keep up with the fish.

[iceman480]

I would have to say that it is a combination of things.  But as far as actually knowing, can I jump in the boat with ya?

[fozsey]

I've found that fish react differently at one lake than another on the same day with identical weather conditions. I guess it can be said that incoming fronts trigger more fish activity. I've found this especially true of cold fronts. I would be willing to bet that each and every one of us has fallen victom to "you should have been here yesterday" at some point in our life and most of us hear it regularly. The guys that are consistently successful deer hunters are that way because they "put in their time" and notice subtle changes that the weekend guys don't. The same thing applies to fishing. If you know someone that catches tons of fish every year they do that because fishing is their life. Take a little notebook with you and start making notes when you catch fish and even when you don't. Make notes of weather conditions, water temp, depth, time of day, etc. and pretty soon you will start to see a pattern with the places you fish that will dictate the mood of the fish where you are. Stay mobile. If you are a stubborn ol' coot and determined to sit out one spot and wait for a fish to drive by, you have just narrowed your catching potential dramatically. Do you have a flasher? This will elliminate dead space that you might spend a lot of time checking without one. It allows you to cover a lot of ice w/o drilling a lot of holes and setting up everywhere thus allowing you more quality fishing time.

[NAD42]

I've found that fish react differently at one lake than another on the same day with identical weather conditions. I guess it can be said that incoming fronts trigger more fish activity. I've found this especially true of cold fronts. I would be willing to bet that each and every one of us has fallen victom to "you should have been here yesterday" at some point in our life and most of us hear it regularly. The guys that are consistently successful deer hunters are that way because they "put in their time" and notice subtle changes that the weekend guys don't. The same thing applies to fishing. If you know someone that catches tons of fish every year they do that because fishing is their life. Take a little notebook with you and start making notes when you catch fish and even when you don't. Make notes of weather conditions, water temp, depth, time of day, etc. and pretty soon you will start to see a pattern with the places you fish that will dictate the mood of the fish where you are. Stay mobile. If you are a stubborn ol' coot and determined to sit out one spot and wait for a fish to drive by, you have just narrowed your catching potential dramatically. Do you have a flasher? This will elliminate dead space that you might spend a lot of time checking without one. It allows you to cover a lot of ice w/o drilling a lot of holes and setting up everywhere thus allowing you more quality fishing time.

WELL SAID!

[IceTroll]

Well said and good advise fozsey. It is a fact that all the above mentioned things, weather, moon phase, cold fronts, warm fronts, storm fronts, barometer pressures, time of day, etc. etc. all have an affect on a fishes world. As a matter of fact, they have an affect for every living creature including man. It only stands to reason that when it affects a fishes environment, it will affect behavior. The key is to identify patterns and commanalities and the best way to do that is to keep a Journal like fozsey suggested. If you decide to go through this trouble, make sure you record every detail, no matter how insignificant because that detail that seemed insignificant at the time could be the key. Personally, the way I combat all this, is to maximize my time in the field and to enjoy every moment I spend there regardless of my level of success. 8)

IceTroll