IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Maryland => Ice Fishing Maryland and West Virginia => Topic started by: bobby11vd on Oct 19, 2011, 08:39 PM
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It's only mid-October...however it's never too early to talk hard water. Just wanted to start a thread dedicated to the Md, Pa, & Wv areas for ice fishing this year. Maybe we can post this past year's spring and summer trends along with winter predictions for the upcoming season. Also feel free to include a summary of last year's successes and failures during the winter season.
Also feel free to include best places for tackle, bait, and any other relevant info....
Look forward to the conversations...tight lines!
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Don't want to start this thread on a downer but Matt at Nicklow's Bait Shop in Addison, PA, passed away earlier this month. He was a great guy always gave me a good discount. I will miss not talking to him on my Thanksgiving pilgramidge to Nicklows. RIP Matt, you were a good dude!!
Hoping for a similar season as last year, started fishing a Michigan rig, one fly above a heavier jig was the ticket early. Green with dots, diamond jig, seemed to be the jig of the year in my fishing circle. Had a bud kill em all year. School bus yellow not as productive as the hellish snow fall year of 09. Getting real itchy, might put the trap on skis this year.
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School bus hasn't been hot for me either in the passed couple of years. Mud bug in tiger beetle was the go to last year. Spoons also, proscandinavia.com pro pimple with one of their droppers was always productive. Even caught a gill on a chubby darter but that was the only taker for it. I like the chubby but it just doesn't seem to produce for me.
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I use the chubby darter with a dead stick. 80% of the time my dead stick gets hit. I usually fish about 4 yards away and rip real.aggressive...then use it finesse style to just make it rattle....draws big aggressive fish in. If no bites I keep it moving. Not a good bait for middle of the season. My finesse baits that were real tiny and key lime pie colored killed panfish....supposed to get down around 32 tonight in the region...this weather brings out the itch....has anyone fished sleepy creek lake in wv?
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I caught a huge bass on a dead stick last year, 4lber, shiner. My jiggin Rapalas weren't too productive last year. I gave up fishing them. Funny how some lures will kill em one year and nothing the next.
bobby, now we're talkin' com on still nights in the 20s. You tip those Darters, maggot, wax, fishhead, perch eye?
CBOYCE, what do you think of those jazzed up treble hooks on Proscan. I been thinkin about tryin one of those Trantulas as well. Dang, there kinda scary. Couldn't imagine gettin one of those monster outta a glove or a hat, just cut the whole thing out gettin it free. ;D
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The dropper and the trebble are they key. The spoon itself is very nice and has great action but I put their droppers and hooks on all my spoons.
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GET- perch eyes are bigtime...but the best are white perch eyes....they work wonders on a swedish pimple.
What bodies of water do you guys fish...
Anyone fish sleepy creek lake just west of martinsburg, wv?
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bobby,
I fish Deep Creek most of the time. I want to get to Piney this year and maybe Little Meadows during ice season. Blairs Valley can be fun and I went to Greenbriar one time but got skunked.
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I hear deep creek is a good fishery... I have actually never ice fished in Maryland...I moved down from new York not too long ago...ice fished alot in CT and NY but never in md pa or wv. So this year I gotta get with some guys that know the ropes in the area...I have fly-fished, surf fished, and been out on rivers and lakes in md, pa...so this year I am hoping to get ALOT of time on the hard water.
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Anyone know of decent bait located...say...60 mile radius of hagerstown...pa,md,or wv...
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Been pretty tough since Wolf's in Wmsport closed. What kinda bait? Check last year's posts in MD...reports, there was a guy that was getting a license to sell in Boonsboro. There was a bait shop in Brunswick probably closes in winter. I heard tell of bait in Ft. Loudoun, PA. Pet Smart or some other pet shops, tropical fish stores would have wax worms. Internet could get you spikes, but minnows that is tough.
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I am lucky to have 2 bait shops within a mile of my house so I always have about a pound of shiners/fatheads in my bait tank. I was thinking about trying to catch some chubs this year for the tip ups. However that seems like more work. Good advice about pet shops for wax worms Getthenet just make sure they are healthy looking before buying.
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Anyone know how smoketown bait and tackle is in Brunswick MD ...do they carry live bait through winter...any hard water products?
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bobby11,
Been there a few times. Seems to mostly cater to the Potomac river fisher. Plenty of bait including helgramites, and tackle. Owner is real nice and helpful with tips on what is good to use at that time. I come through Brunswick every day to and from work so I will make a stop and see what the winter hours are if any. I am pretty sure no hard water stuff most because there aint too much hard water or nuts to fish it round there. I'll let you know.
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Getthenet thanks for the effort...look forward to you findings!
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I spoke with a DNR guy today...we got on the topic of piney run reservoir in Carroll county...next to eldersburg...he was telling me that they stock it with tiger muskie and it is commonly ice fished...does anyone have any experience to add with this posting? Or heard of the same?
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I used to ice fish it years ago( early 80's)...prior to any muskie intro. Mainly bass from the deep channels then. It was a relatively new lake and had not developed a strong pan fish base. I seem to remember they put stripers or hybrids in there at the time.
Nice to hear they still allow ice fishing....may check it out again!
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Frenchman,
Very good to here...I'll probably try it out myself this year. A local gentleman was also there with the DNR officer and he swore by the lake up at Cunningham falls park...I have fished there in the summer months catching some large panfish and respectable bass...but not much else....anyone ice fish that lake?
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bobby11,
Stopped by Smoketown today. Nothing shakin'. Not even an phone number on the window. I suspect the owner has another job and opens on the weekends during the Potomac season.
However, the Bassin Box in LaVale has minnows all winter, maggots and waxies. Nice guy there also. He is busy with deer hunters this time of year but once he gets to know you he will even let you dip your own minnows. Got hard water tackle during the season as well.
We need to hook up and fish Cunningham when I get the flu one day this January.
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Ditto on the Bassin box. Old school shop that I like doing business with. He told me last year he gets his minnows and bugs from Nicklows... it saves me some travel time when heading west.
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Getthenet....I take you up on that cunningham falls trip...let me know when u aren't feeling well in Jan. We can set something up.
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Hey everyone, is there anyone out there that would be interested in sharing some helpful info about fishing deep creek lake or rocky gap. We mostly fish pa and places like big pool and little pool but we are close to rocky gap and deep creek also. I've fished rocky gap a lot but never on the ice. Any info would be extremely helpful.. Thanks guys.
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Lake habeeb (rocky gap state park) has a ton species in it...bows and browns, cats, smallies and bucket mouths, and a large assortment of panfish. There are artificial 'reefs' in the lake...various structures that hold good fish. Can't give away the spots...gotta put the work in to find em...but if u got a vex it shouldn't take you long...large number of guys on this forum seem to fish it in the winter months.
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Strike queen,
Have u fished raystown lake in the winter? Can u get stripers through the ice? Also, have u ever fished or know anything about Cowans gap state park lake...hard water conditions, species, etc., or meadow grounds lake over in state game land 53 by Mcconnellsburg?
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Bobby,
I have fished both cowans gap and meadow grounds, I'm not sure how the gap will be this season there was an ecoli breakout there this summer so I'm not sure what's going on with that. I do enjoy fishing there though, we do well with panfish and also the stocked trout.. We also fish meadow grounds from time to time. It's one of those places that is hit or miss, but it is like that all year round. We usually do well there with panfish, there is some good underwater structure that I found in the summer. I've heard of people catching muskie there, I do a lot of Muskie fishing other places but I have never seen any at meadow grounds..
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Strikequeen,
Good.to.here about muskie...might have to hook up for.some.pike.of muskie trips if u have it planned this season...thanks for the info...
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Took a Sunday drive this evening...couple of different water bodies showed skim ice....the sub 30 temps are making for cold water...the itch is becoming worse...anyone else see any signs of hard water....?
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The countdown begins Bobby.. ;)
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I've been counting down since April. Another 2-3 weeks, HOPEFULLY!!!!
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Where do you do most of your fishing Shane?
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Deep Creek, the land of jumbo perch!!
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Do guys get muskie/pike T deep creek with any regularity?
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Bobby, lots of nice pike&pick. haven't heard of anyone catching muskie. Don't know if they are even in there.
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Shane,
You are correct, no Muskies in Deep Creek. MD DNR will stock Tiger Muskies in the Potomac and some other water bodies but not Deep Creek. Probably, have enough predators with the big pike.
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Y'all need to keep me posted on deep creek..i want to plan a weekend trip up there. Is there any maps available for there? I've never actually fished there so I'd like to find a starting point. Thanks guys!
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Yeah, I saw that the md state pike record came out of deep creek...is it more common for guys to use steel leaders... Or will that spook em, or do guys go with thicker mono/fluoro...
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Bobby most people are after perch, walleye and gills. Most of the pike are caught while fishing for other species. I am sure some people target them with steel leaders and large bait. Even with mono walleye rigs you will still get some of them in depending on where they are hooked.
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Shanedoe,
You are correct, SIR! Before my bud (Big Scoop) got his Marcum and Shanty, always set tips and used steel leaders. Caught a bunch of Pickerl and Pike. I use 12 lb flouro or 8 lb braid and have caught a few pike. Big Scoop uses a double rig as well, double hooks and double minnies.
Ice will get here but it sure sucks when past years I was fishin already. Thought about goin North but NY not much better. The max I'd drive is 5 hrs. for a long weekend ice trip. That would be Chataqua or Allegheny Reservoir Nat Forest. You ever fish those lakes?
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GTN I was hoping we would be drilling holes,cracking beers and icing fish by now. Maybe mid-late Jan. I never fished Chataqua or ARNF. Although they are further North I don't think they freeze any sooner than DCL with its higher elevation. Furthest North I've been is Pymatuning.
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Anybody ever icefish sleepy creek lake in wv...just over the md line...?
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I target jumbo ling eel in the weeds.
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I spoke with a DNR guy today...we got on the topic of piney run reservoir in Carroll county...next to eldersburg...he was telling me that they stock it with tiger muskie and it is commonly ice fished...does anyone have any experience to add with this posting? Or heard of the same?
Hi, bobby11vd. I have a grandson who lives in Sykesville. We have fished Piney Run many times(soft water only) and it is indeed a fine fishery. It does have Tiger Muskie and also stripers but I have never heard of or seen anyone ice fishing there. It only freezes safe ice once every 4-5 years and the Piney Run reservoir web site states that ice fishing is not allowed. Although my grandson and I have punched some holes from the piers, we have never caught anything. Piney run also has yellow perch that rival DCL in size -------It would certainly be a great place to ice fish and I plan to check further. Hope you have a great 2012.---spurcollector
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Spur,
Thanks for the review...after you look into the ice fishing regulations I would love to hear about you findings.
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Icematt,
Your eel fishing was in reference to Sleepy creek lake?
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Happy New Year Everyone!
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I've heard of guys perch fishing up on the Susky Flats near North East town park. Does anyone have any tips for success there?
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That N.E. Town Park perch action is during the spawn around late Feb into early March, if it materializes this year.