smallies through ice

[Rock Bottom]

Are you all talkin about smallies or large mouth through the ice? up here we just cant seem to get them to bite, we have a reservoir that holds the manitoba record smallie at 23 inches. we catch them all day between 14-18 inch average in the summer months. Any help would be appreciated...Thanks.. Rod

[Pasquatch]

Guys catch both...I don't fish for them through the ice...

[walleye1]

The lake I fish is loaded with them too but I've only caught a handful when ice fishing. Maybe they go kind of dormant in the winter?

[Pasquatch]

Bass aren't as agressive in winter, in Lake George we find them as deep as 100 feet on occasion.

[fishboy899]

Yeh I agree with these guys smallies go deep.  But I had one occasion first ice 2 years ago fishing tip ups with 3 inch fatheads for perch and caught 3 nice smallies in 10 fow over a sandy bottom.  Besides them I haven't seen a smallie come out of water less than 30 feet deep in the winter.

[Rock Bottom]

Well I know this reservoir is at least 60 ft deep, are you able to release them after bringing them up from that deep. Or do they spit there gizzards from the pressure? I know there are big trout in here and Im gonna have to go give it a try. thanks for the help everyone...Rod

[Pasquatch]

Catching bass from deeper than 30 feet is not good for the bass, the bends hit them harder than perch...

[Rock Bottom]

Thanks for all the help people I just found out the reservoir maxes out at 35 ft so im gonna give it a go Ill be the first to fish this in over 6 years to my knowledge, Ill be sure to let you all know how I made out....

[Sax_]

i got a nice smallie in 4 fow last week 

[iceintheveins]

I regularly pick up a few when jigging for walleyes in about 25 feet of water on rocky reefs, using jigging raps tipped with a small minnow head. Don't usually catch them every trip, but at this lake I caught 5 bass, three largies and two smallies, all over 2 pounds in one day, along with 4 walleyes. Bass are fairly dormant in the winter but if you can find a few you can catch a few with subtle presentations.

[Mongo]

We have had some good luck catching smallies thru the ice, found a little hump in 18-20 feet of water that rises 3-5 feet and surrounded that hump. Drop the shiner down to within 18" of the bottom and wait for the flags.

[Icephishnphreek]

My buddies lake out in PA is a smallie honey hole. We land them every trip we go on. We use tip ups and medium shiners. We got one on the ice last season that was close to 3lbs

[Smeltecca]

I'm gonna try fishing deeper after reading this thread!

[Gaffmaster]

I don't target smallies in the winter, because they are out of season here, but I have caught plenty while fishing for pike and walleye.   Most have come out of 6-15 fow off of rocky points caught on shiners.  My only advice would be, once you find a good hole, really concentrate on that area.  I have had days where bass after bass would come out of a single hole, while tackle 10 yards away had nothing.

[freaknsweet17]

for smallies use light line and smaller shiners than largemouth