Author Topic: EARLY ICE BASS (Read 9482 times)

bluecaddisfly · « **on:** Dec 26, 2002, 03:21 PM »

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GO FOR BASS IN THE WINTER EVEN AT FIRST ICE. BIG MISTAKE! WHEN YOUR FISHING FOR PERCH, CRAPPIE, 'GILLS TRY A SLOWED DOWN JIGGING ACTION WITH A FLASH LURE TIPPED WITH AN INSECT OR MINNOW HEAD. WHEN YOU HIT A BAS, YOU WILL CATCH MORE IN THAT HOLE OR ONE REAL CLOSE TO IT AS BASS STACK UP AT FIRST ICE. LATER IT WILL GET HARDER TO FIND THEM, BUT, EVEN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, BASS STILL HAVE TO EAT, MAYBE ONLY ONCE A WEEK, BUT, IF YOUR THERE WHEN THEY GET HUNGRY, YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST.

woodspirit · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 02, 2003, 01:01 PM »

Hi,
I have noticed the same thing about catching bass out of the same hole or hole near to each other. Glad to hear I am not the only one after them in the winter.

bluecaddisfly · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 02, 2003, 05:09 PM »

Woodspirit, I'm going to a pond about a mile as the crow flies from my house tommorrow, lot of smallmouthes. Haven't fished it on the ice, but, in the late fall I found one cove where a lot of two to three pounders were hanging close to shore. Don't think they went to far, pond drops to fourty feet within a hundred yards of where I caught them in the fall.
Will post my results here tommorrow or the next day.
tight lines!!!

waterwolfed · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 07, 2003, 04:29 PM »

bass are fun through the ice

velocty98 · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 21, 2003, 01:48 PM »

Bass are out of season in MI starting jan. 1. I caught one largemouth within the first two minutes of fishing last week and had to throw it back. it was about 14inches. caught it on a med. size swedish pimple tipped with a perch minnow jigging right on bottom.

Bukshot · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 23, 2003, 12:28 PM »

In Central Jersey there are lots of lakes with lots of Largemouths! Early Ice usually finds them. They can be finicky though, As sometimes you will get a lot of tipup action with medium or large shiners for Bass and some days nothing but pickerel from the same areas. A good way to find them is to vary your height from the bottom. Try some shiners 1 foot from bottom, some 1/12 - 2- or even 2 1/2 off bottom.

crappie_attitude · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 23, 2003, 01:23 PM »

I always catch bass when I'm rigged for pike or muskie (6" shiner fished 3' off bottom). GULP!!

zoom · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 29, 2003, 04:00 AM »

i have a little trick i use at a lake that is pounded day after day with guys looking for bass,muskie and pike. ilearned it early ice one day i saw alot of bait someone released some were dead some half dead just under the ice .i kept seeing flashes under the ice so iset my tip up 30" down with a monster shiner and a salmon river split shot and consistantly outfish most out there. rember the longer the fight the bigger that hole is getting GIT HEEEEEEMMMMMMMMM ZOOM

wick · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 05, 2003, 04:17 PM »

:oMan i had a blast this past weekend, i was fishing in about 15 feet of water and was cating Bass after Bass i think it was one of the best times ive had on the ice. I cought 10 largemouth bass and lost a few, it was almost steady action for a while it was so much fun and they really put up a good fight hoping to go this weekend and try and find them again.

IceRacer_63 · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 10, 2003, 12:22 PM »

bass are nice fighters thats why I like to fish for them. two years ago i cought a 7lb 2oz bass it was a nice fighter. I got it mounted too.

GlovelessPro · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 19, 2003, 03:00 PM »

I live in north eastern MA and first ice can vary from early dec. to never having safe ice until jan,feb. I have seen bass caught in shallow water when the ice was clear and the bottom could be seen, but for the most part the bass will be 15-20 ft deep where the warmer water rests under the thermocline, shiners 2-3' off the bottom of a drop-off that is adjacent to a large flat is usually the key. also, when fishing in depths where there is minimal light penetration i use wire leaders ( mostly because of pickerel ) but bass don't seem to mind them.

Darton_fanatic · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 09, 2004, 09:01 AM »

My buddies and I target bass every time out, they're a blast to land. The bonus is the occasional pike,too!We use med.-large shiners,but, creek chubs we trap are the best!

RyGuy · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 16, 2004, 04:44 PM »

Bigger the bait the bigger the Bass!

We kill bass in the early season, they are still on the move and hungry as ever.

I fished on day last year as a snow squall came through, we caught almsot 2 dozen bass in 3 hours just as the storm approached. If was July, there woudl have been lightning and the fishing would have been just as crazy. Always fish the weather. Sunny high pressure days in the winter slow them bass down.

Oldfart · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 18, 2004, 04:15 PM »

Poped 15 bass on large shiners this morning, the 3 largest went 3 to 3 1/2 lb each. I was the only one on the lake in the snowstorm. I'll take that action over a sunny day anytime.

Fish Monger · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 23, 2004, 02:57 PM »

Bass make up the bulk of your catch in most Southern Maine big lakes. They keep the day interesting.

TroutFishingBear · « **Reply #15 on:** Aug 26, 2004, 09:09 PM »

Yeah, I like to fish about 5-12 feet of water straight out from a point. The point has to be adjacent to a large cove for best success IMO. (this is for largemouths)

If your lake is really fertile fish about 6 ft. deep where the bass are cruising between the dead weeds. fish in between weed patches. it helps to scout during openwater.

swantucky · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 21, 2004, 05:24 PM »

I was early ice fishing for bass this afternoon and was getting nothing. I grabbed a half a dozen minnows and put the squeeze on them and dropped the down the hole. Within 10 minutes I was as busy as a one legged man at an a@# kicking contest. Landed 3 , lost one and had a 30" catfish break me off right at the hole. Chumming seemed to work for me.

BASSandICE65 · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 22, 2004, 10:24 PM »

Hey bass slow down in the winter but they still gotta eat. I catch some nice bass through the ice every winter. Just gotta relate to the weedlines and structure

Poolshark · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 06, 2005, 09:27 PM »

I do a lot of bass fishing through the ice. Always had better luck than going for trout. I fish N.H. and Maine. I fish 10 - 15 feet of water,if I know of underwater stucture I will try to suspend my bait above it. 3 ft mono leader 15-17 #,barrel swivel, then squidding line. Good Luck!

fishuhalik · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 14, 2005, 08:29 PM »

In MN, it seems that bass fishing gets real tough in the winter. One thing I have found is this, especially late in the season. If you're catching a lot of smaller sunnies & suddenly they disappear off the sonar, look for a large mark 2-3 ft off bottom. I have caught alot of nice bass like that. One time up in northern MN on an isolated lake, I was catching tons of sunnies & they dissapeared. I started seeing suspended fish, so I brought the waxie up to 'em. They turned out to be some really nice bass. I caught 15 b/t 2 & 5 1/2 pounds, all on an ultra lite w/ 4 lb. test. I had a couple break me off @ the ice, too. Probably the most fun I've ever had ice fishing. Never woulda got those fish w/o a great reel like my Symetry!

freaknsweet17 · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 25, 2008, 05:03 PM »

thanks for the tip

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Author Topic: EARLY ICE BASS (Read 9482 times)

woodspirit

zoom

wick

Darton_fanatic

Poolshark