SARATOGA LAKE BS THREAD

[Jazzangler442]

Kids, don't u have friends?

That's nice to say...It sounds like you might be jealous.

[iceangler442]

I was fishing about 25 FOW and 18in of ice..Would definitely shoot for before sun up...After about 10:30AM everything really slows down..I never do good during the day.

[NatefishNY]

I was fishing about 25 FOW and 18in of ice..Would definitely shoot for before sun up...After about 10:30AM everything really slows down..I never do good during the day.

I wouldn't target walleye out of season if I were you, not saying you are but fishing by the creek before sun up will definitely catch the attention of the boys in green...

[iceangler442]

Not by the creek....and also targeting perch..DEC can't say I'm targeting walleye with a minnow on a hook...Had no intentions of catching a walleye it was a surprise I've fished there all year didn't get one till yesterday.

[combsey]

One of the best spots right now for perch is loaded with eyes.    You can fish and target perch but eyes are there

[slabcommander]

If you are where I think you are you should be catching lots of eyes right now 

[Fidlerontheice]

Hitting toga after I get out of work tonight. Hows the shoreline at fitch rd hilding up and are people still driving/ parking on the ice. Thanks.


Tights lines and be safe

[buz23]

Ice is still good, and they are still parking on the ice at Fitch Rd (as of Sunday evening).

[IceFishing07666]

Does anyone on this board have experience fishing at night?  between working during the week and needing to spend time with the family on weekends I was hoping to extend the season by fishing after work. 
I've fished from Fitch Road during the day with limited success.  I would appreciate any advice for nighttime fishing.  I'd be happy with perch or crappie.  Are these species active at night?  I assume the walleye are biting at night, but I'd like to stay close to shore since I'll be arriving after dark.  Is there a better access point than Fitch for this? Thanks in advance.

[iceangler442]

Ive fished 2 times at night hoping for crappie or maybe even perch...Both times NOTHING even showed up on the Marcum...Not only this lake but a few other lakes nothing seems to bite at night....even with glow jigs...(I've never targeted walleye though)

[IceFishing07666]

Thanks for the reply.  Your experience of slow night fishing is disappointing.  I was hoping to head out Thursday night.  Now, I'm not so sure.

[slabcommander]

I'm probably the only guy I've ever seen out at night around here. And it can be awesome, that being said, you really need to time is right and know where the fish are feeding. Wait until really late ice when the weeds start to come up. You need submersible green lights and 12v batteries or forget it. Find the fish in the evening and they will stay by the zoo plankton and the minnows that the light attracts. It's still a little too early in my opinion once the early pre-spawn starts to kick in it's on. And it works great it the summer too, except for the carp shooters, no one else is out there. It's great.

[Jbicefish]

i was also thinking about getting in some last minute night fishing as the season is starting to come to an end.
time to get on the ice harder and  thought night would be a good solution to the prob.
I know walleye fisherman fish at night, but nobody else does it?   i would think that it is more popular.
i know my pop up tent has lots of reflective tape on it.  thought people really fished more at night?

anybody out there have more positive things to say about night fishing? 
thanks

[iceangler442]

Everytime I go out at night im the only one on the lake...Im not sure many people do it...

[buz23]

I gave it a try today, after reading a weather report that the wind would be fairly calm until late morning.

Drilled the first hole in 9 FOW, lowered the puck, saw a fish, lowered the jig, 5 seconds later got a bite - 20" walleye of all things.  Didn't look real healthy, had some sort of whitish mucus on gill covers.  Caught 3 nice pickerel, a whole bunch of bass, and only one sunnie.  No bluegills, no perch.  Tried out in 25', there were dink perch which eagerly surrounded my jig when I got to the bottom, but they were just pecking  at it.  The bass really liked a little chartreuse jig with a matching whip type thing (plus one spike). 

Ice is still plenty thick and the top has hardened up since Sunday evening. 

[ThisGuy]

Buz, that mucus is an infection called IC or ICk I'm pretty sure. It eventually kills the fish. I've seen fish in toga before with this. Bass, pike, perch, and eyes. In late stages they will float on the surface an be nearly lifeless. I researched it years ago. I think that it spreads to other fish. I wouldn't throw any fish back with this, personally.
     As to the main post,  listen to the guys using lights near weeds. Crappie and rock bass are hot this time of year. Funny how no one sees each other out at night, because I know u guys aren't alone.

[combsey]

You can't miss me when I'm out there I'm the bright green light.   

[buz23]

Buz, that mucus is an infection called IC or ICk I'm pretty sure. It eventually kills the fish. I've seen fish in toga before with this. Bass, pike, perch, and eyes. In late stages they will float on the surface an be nearly lifeless. I researched it years ago. I think that it spreads to other fish. I wouldn't throw any fish back with this, personally.
     As to the main post,  listen to the guys using lights near weeds. Crappie and rock bass are hot this time of year. Funny how no one sees each other out at night, because I know u guys aren't alone.

I'm familiar with ick in aquarium fish, where it first manifests as lots of tiny dots.  Its caused by a little protozoan, some of those things that are around all the time and which normally healthy fish can fight off.  I haven't really noticed it on any other fish this year. 

[Dr. Honk]

Caught a rock bass that had a blue-ish slime on it. Fished just south of the bridge out front of the park. It looked nasty. I put it back down the hole.

[NatefishNY]

Buz, that mucus is an infection called IC or ICk I'm pretty sure. It eventually kills the fish. I've seen fish in toga before with this. Bass, pike, perch, and eyes. In late stages they will float on the surface an be nearly lifeless. I researched it years ago. I think that it spreads to other fish. I wouldn't throw any fish back with this, personally.
     As to the main post,  listen to the guys using lights near weeds. Crappie and rock bass are hot this time of year. Funny how no one sees each other out at night, because I know u guys aren't alone.

oh I remember that pike a couple years back by the mouth of the creek that we netted as it was just barely alive floating... it looked like it had the plague

[slabcommander]

Not many fish at night because it's a lot of work and requires more planning and equipment than just a regular day out on the ice. But it can be a blast.

[iceangler442]

Headed out to fitch ill let you guys know how I do..

[bigredonice]

can confirm, not many people fish it at night...even fewer in the 12am-5am bracket.   Ice or open water.   A few years ago we were getting ready to launch in late october.   Air temp was about 30 degrees and wind was howling.  It was in the evening, about to get dark. A fisherman was pulling his boat out as we were dropping the Lund in, asked us if we were really going out in that.  He told us we were crazy.   A couple hours and 11 walleyes later, who were the crazy ones?

[iceangler442]

Went out for a couple hours....few trucks out there...19" of ice...Had a lot of lookers. You really had to work them today..I drilled 21 holes and got 2 bass a jumbo perch a small perch and one bluegill. Ive never had this happen before...While I was jigging today and I hooked into something real big the pole I was using is a stronger pole and it was totally bent in half...when I got half way up the line snapped the drag was set for a big fish and it snapped I have a feeling it was a walleye..I really wish I knew what it was.

[fishyfishes]

I hooked into a northern a few years back off of fitch. I fought the thing for what felt like 20 minutes on 3lb test until I got it to the 6 inch hole. I didn't have a gaff so I tried to use the handle of the scoop and once I touched him he popped my line. I was in about 9 ft of water and his head was as big as the hole. Had to be around 12-15 lbs .

[buz23]

Here's a good story about perch and pike.  About 30 years ago I got into the jumbo perch big time off Fitch in November(sorry, not ice).  They were in about 10' of water, where the weeds just began to thin out (yes there were weeds off Fitch back then).  I was catching on a 1/8 oz maribou crappie jig, brown head, orange maribou, nearly one every cast.  The perch were on bluegill fry - on a calm day you could see the fry dimpling the surface in the weeds.

At least 3 times during this period I had a LARGE pike either chase one to the boat or actually grab one under the boat.  A couple of times they were opening their mouths about the time I was ready to lift the perch into the boat - a Jaws type moment.  Didn't manage to catch any of them, although I pulled up the anchor and followed the one that was under the boat for a couple of minutes, before he let go of the perch.  Did get a 6 1/2 # walleye (hit the jig).   I hooked a fair northern (~40") on the maribou jig but with only 4-6# test he cut the line after coming to the surface and letting me get a good look at him.

[fishyfishes]

Good story. We catch some nice perch some time mid spring. We also see some giant northerns too.This one I had on wasn't cutting the line unless it rolled and wrapped it around his head. I could see the head of the genz bug hooked right in the front of his top lip, right in the snout. Couldn't ask for a better place to be hooked on lite line.

[Fidlerontheice]

Was anyone out off of fitch today hoping to go tomorrow afternoon. Just wondering if the rain hurt the shore line at all?

[Rhoads64]

Was anyone out off of fitch today hoping to go tomorrow afternoon. Just wondering if the rain hurt the shore line at all?

Just drove by.... its starting to look sloppy and a big pressure ridge has formed running just about around the entire eastern side of the lake about 10-15 yards from shore. Trucks are done for sure. And its still raining hard! 

[buz23]

That pressure ridge has been there for about a week.