Ice fishing a farm pond

[BUDDY LEE]

My brother has a farm pond that is a couple acres in size that is stocked with hybrid bluegill, bass and catfish here in northern Indiana.  We fish the pond, but don't overfish it, keeping a few fish mainly in the spring and throw back most of what we catch during the summer.  My question is is there a reason that we can catch these fish during the spring, summer and fall but in the winter when the ice is on the fish seem to have lockjaw and don't bite.  We have tried numerous times with different bait and lures but have yet to really get them to bite, you catch the occassional fish but nothing like the other warmer months.  The bluegill and catfish are mostly keeper size, bluegill 8"+ and nice size channels along with some big bass and we would like to take some of the bluegill out through the ice. Wanted to see if anyone has had a similar experience on a farm pond this size.   

Thanks

[scavengerj]

The fish have definitely changed their pattern(s) and possibly locations. It is going to take some time to figure out. Bodies of water like this, I like to fish from before first light until after dark, noting movement, if there is any, locations, and peak feeding periods. Do you even find the fish using a depthfinder? Are you noting how they are reacting to your presentations?
 
Stick with it. Keep searching and putting in some hours and eventually you'll unlock the secrets.

[BUDDY LEE]

Scavengerj

Yes we can mark the fish with a depth finder, just can't seem to get them to bite.  Have caught a catfish and a few small bass and bluegill through the ice in the last couple years but nothing consistent.  Thats the thing we know the fish are there they just seem like they just don't want to feed.  Been using wax worms and have tried small bits of night crawlers on techni-glo jigs and other smaller type jigs.  Good fishing during the spring and summer months just not when the ice gets on.

[rob-s]

can you catch minnows easyly from the pond?

[dkfry]

You could try downsizing for the bluegills with a size 14-18 jig with a single spike coupled with 1lb-2lb line.

[scavengerj]

What times have you typically fished? I fish a pond and the bite happens about every 12hrs during the day. They bite very well right before first light till aboput 7:00-7:30am and then pretty much shut down until just about dark. Then they will start to feed again until about 7:00-7:30 in the evening. Then the next bite picks up at about 11:00-12:00pm.
Sounds like you have no problem finding them. Now it is just a matter of determining when they are most active and feeding. It can be any hour of the day/night. I've also noted too that when these fish start to feed, the display comes alive from top to bottom, but the bigger fish tend to be definitely roaming at this time. They move through the area in waves. Luckily, having fished the pond enough, I know pretty much how the fish are moving through, so I have holes already drilled in the directions I have previously noted which way the fish go. Then I just start to walk along and follow them. Of course it is not like they have a whole lot of area to cover LoL
I can watch the display light up like a Christmas tree for about that first hour, then things start to settle down. This is when I have noted that the larger fish are moving around alot more. They don't stay in one location. But I can come back to the area before the next bite begins, and watch it happen all over again.
So from this I have learned that on this particualr pond,
1.)It is best to figure out when the peak activity period(s) happen
2.)Be on the spot(s) before the bite begins
3.)Fish during the peak activity time
4.) During the non-peak times, the fish need to be teased - no fast jigging motions (slow to dead stick presentations) Sometimes having the jig/lure/bait sitting dead still for several moments is what is needed. Maybe on the bottom, just off of it or even higher in the column. I have gone down to #1 test line and 1/250oz jigs or smaller.
5.) Scout various locations during the non-peak times several times throughout the day. Just because fish in one area are not active doesn't mean fish in other areas aren't. It is just a matter of figuring out which fish are active and when. Sometimes a new area shows fish but they aren't active, but go back to that spot in an hour or two and they are.
6.) light penetration/snow cover can be a factor as to when and where the fish are feeding.
I'm sure you pretty much do most of this, so it seems that the best thing to do is to fish the pond several days in a row for at least what may be a complete feeding cycle - 12hrs. Provided there are no low O2 levels which may shut the fish down for a good while, I think it may just be a matter of timing not presentations or baits.

It is all a dance happening beneath our feet, its just a matter of figuring out the steps.

[JuvyK]

If the pond has a freeze out the fish wont bite. A freeze out happens when the oxygen in the water gets too low because of dieing weeds. When they arent getting sun light because of the ice/snow on top of the water.  You could lose a few or all of the fish because of this. Try a Aqua-view to see the behavior of the fish.

[Swift]

If there is a feeder creek, spring or some other type of oxygen maker on it, fish as close to it as possible, safely. Often in low oxygen environments 'gills will basically go nearly dormant. Whats the prime food source? Often farm ponds are much different than local lakes. Seen wigglers and really small minnows tear 'gills up when more conventional approaches fail completely. Had a pond full of stocked Shellcrackers years ago where 1" plastic crawfish on a 1/100 oz jig tore them apart. They'll hit once you figure it out.   

[BaitWrangler]

How deep is the pond? The deeper it is the warmer the refuge the fish can hold in, so if it is very shallow all around then they may dormant. As other suggested it could suffer from lack of oxygen which would have the same effect.

Possibly some cold weather foliage would help the ponds potential oxygen situation.  Although in RI we tried to have a big vegetation program in the 60's and now a days every pond is just a huge mess of every species of plant you can image.

[BUDDY LEE]

Thanks for the tips, appreciate them all.  There is no feeder creek for this pond but it does hold some low lining drainage from the pasture around it.  The pond is between 17 - 15' deep in most areas but does gradually get shallower on one end.  Wouldn't have figured O2 levels to be a problem as we try and ice fish it as soon as there is good ice or at least enough to hold us and it does have some weed cover.  Might have to get a aqua-view and see what's going on down there, I've been looking for a good excuse to get one anyways.

THANKS!

[BaitWrangler]

Hey buddy,

Wow, 17 feet deep is pretty nice.  The lake I fish most often is 250+ acres and is only that deep in a couple spots.

If the lake is that deep and doesn't have any feeder stream, I'd say theres a good chance oxygen is your problem.

The reason is that without some way for the water to move around, a pond cannot accomplish thermal stratification which is unhealthy. (This is a big factor in the decision of what ponds states will stock trout in to) What happens is that in 17 feet of water, light doesn't penetrate and therefore vegetation can't grow.  Because of this, the bottom areas of the pond are extremely oxygen depleated in the summer.  In the winter, when thermal stratification takes place, the warm, oxygen rich water on the surface, falls and mixes with the colder, less oxygen rich water on the bottom.  Then when the ice forms, the balance of the ponds reverses. (The warmer water is on the bottom and the cold water is on the top.)

I have a feeling your friends pond suffers from this problem.  So the fish may die off a bit or become very dormant in the winter due to lack of oxygen. But they are definently hiding wherever the most oxygen is.

Two things I'd reccomend, a dissovled oxygen meter. (Use it to check the O2 at each depth) and also a digital thermometer so you can check temperatures around the pond (if a spot is 68 and 20 yards over is 63, it may indicate a natural spring).

This are my suggestions, but I am no scientist.

Good luck.

Ed 

[ValleyStocker]

TEE-HEE....ice fishing..... farm ponds.... colder weather.... it's almost time to catch that week long flu again

[jayswimmer09]

If the pond has a freeze out the fish wont bite. A freeze out happens when the oxygen in the water gets too low because of dieing weeds. When they arent getting sun light because of the ice/snow on top of the water.  You could lose a few or all of the fish because of this. Try a Aqua-view to see the behavior of the fish.

i bet this is your problem

[IceholeFisherman]

I mainly fish farm ponds much smaller then that. 3/4 acre or less. Start off by drilling lots of holes. All over it, from one end to the other. Then go back and fish the first holes you drilled, and use each and every one. Hole hopping works as good or better on small farm ponds as on a large lake.

Down sizing works also. I have caught several LMB on a micro tough guy. If you get a bass to come in and normal jigging wont get a strike, try going very aggressive with it. Give the jig a hard jerk upward, 4 feet or so, and let it free fall. Watching your dept finder, if it falls below the fish, jerk it up again. When the jig free falls and stops where the fish is, SET THE HOOK.

For blue gills, they can be more finicky. A camera is the way to go for these non-takers. You can learn a lot by actual observation. Not saying you wont get frustrated by watching them nose up to your bait and not take it, but you can see the different reactions to different presentations. Most of the time you will catch the more aggressive ones, and the rest will just look at it. Time to move to a different hole. Spend only about 5 to 10 minutes at each hole and move to the next. Come back to that one later and you will take a couple more out of it. Work your holes in a pattern to give each one a rest for a bit.

 If fishing gets slow at all of them, I will go ahead and drill a few more. Sometimes the disturbance of drilling a few more holes will get them fired up and moving, and seems to get them biting again.

[holehopper]

I'd say that with a pond that size you definitely have oxygen issues with the pond.  Same reason that most fish bite better at first ice than they do on late ice.  Aerating the pond would help if that is a possibility. 

[edfalc]

i have a buddy that has a stocked trout pond in the UP...its less than 2 acres but 15 feet deep in the middle...the only way it doesnt freeze out is that he has a windmill driven areator....this year is the first time we will ice fish it

[Illinoizboy]

For the most part, farm ponds are muck bottoms or bowl shaped dig outs.


Sounds like if you have ready access to the pond, you might want to add some "Private Structure".
Sunken Christmas trees, rock, brick or broken concrete reefs, even those new tubular pvc  atractors.
Things that will attract small minnows & crayfish etc, that will then attract the fish.