Hard to find Gills?

[Caroga Kid]

I got a lake up here that is absolutely packed full of gills in the summer.. When Ice fishing rolls around nobody can find them.. If the fish are there in the summer they should be there in the winter.. Where could they be?

[fishuhalik]

That totally depends on the lake.  On the lake I grew up on, I had the same prob.  We always got huge gills in the summer fishing for walleyes on the weededge, but nothing in the winter.  So I tried everywhere.  The lake was only 125 acres, so during late ice, in my opinion the best time for bull gills, I took out the power auger and a couple gallons of gas and started drilling.  I drilled almost all the way around the lake, at 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 ft.  Obviously this took me several days, and since I was in high school at the time, I was able to take a few days off.     Anyways, I ended up finding 'em, but it took alot of hard work and patience. 

[fishuhalik]

Anyways, I would start around any points or inside curves of points.  Also, shallow, weedy bays w/ a gradual slope to the edge and then a sharp drop at the weed edge would be good bets.

[Caroga Kid]

Yeah. I'm deffinately gonna do alot of drilling looking for the gills this year.. I've found the crappie, and you would think the gills would be hanging with them, like they do in other lakes....I have a feeling that when I find them, there's gonna be a ton of them... 8)

[bigredonice]

agreed...it takes elbow grease and auger gas to find big pannies when they aren't in the weeds...just cover water.

[Lobes]

A buddy of mine asked me about hard to find gills.
I told him to try looking right behind the head!
HE HIT ME !!!

              

(sorry, I won't let it happen again ... at least for a little while!)

.

[Preacher_man]

 I've had my best luck, on steep drop offs and on a inside turn!  In about 15 to 18 ft of water!

[kerosenecounty17]

CK,

Are you sure they're not there?  We've got a lake in my neighborhood that sounds very similar.  During the summer I can catch a limit with a rusty #6 hook and a gob of half dead worms on 12# test.  During winter you need 1# test, a #16 marmooska in solid black (nothing else), a spring bobber, and infinite patience to catch a half dozen.  They're big, so I do what I have to.  It's taken me years to figure out their pattern.  Maybe you've just got one of those frustrating lakes.

kc17

[Caroga Kid]

CK,

Are you sure they're not there?  We've got a lake in my neighborhood that sounds very similar.  During the summer I can catch a limit with a rusty #6 hook and a gob of half dead worms on 12# test.  During winter you need 1# test, a #16 marmooska in solid black (nothing else), a spring bobber, and infinite patience to catch a half dozen.  They're big, so I do what I have to.  It's taken me years to figure out their pattern.  Maybe you've just got one of those frustrating lakes.

kc17

Frustrating it is.. But I have a feeling the new Vex is going to reveal all the lakes dirty little secrets this year...

[P.I.K.E.]

Find weeds and you'll find the gills. Try to find a pocket or get on the edge of them. Sometimes you gotta keep moving. I find it gets better in Febuary when the weeds start to die off some.

[Reel Wet Ride]

I lived on a lake exactly like the one your talking about. I fished it about 15 winters in a row (since I was 8) and you know what. I never found them. But my theory is this: It was a moderatly shallow lake, 30' at the deepest. 50% of the lake was 15' or less. Weed growth in about 45%. THE FISH HAVE TO MUCH FOOD. You could drill a hole almost anywhere on that lake and expect to catch 4-6 fish. No more, no less. Downfall #2 to the lake, the fish feed for about 25 min really hard, then, bye bye bite. It gets dead until about 12:30 at night, then you might catch a fish every 30 min. Without any one key area out weighing another, the fish simply don't have to school up and you get what you get, 5 or 6 fish a night. Tough luck, I've been there.

[fishuhalik]

Catching gills at night?  never had any success after sundown

[Reel Wet Ride]

Well I never had real success after dark, I certiantly don't call 1 fish every 30 min. real success.  But I have had decent nights on the ice where I've caught more than I did during the day. But again, this is on a lake where you should only expect to catch 4 or 5 fish.