Facebook is bestway to keep up with us..however here is our weekly blog:
December 31st, 2016
Hey guys!
I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season with family and friends. I also hope 2017 is a great year for all. Ice conditions continue to improve throughout the state (5-9”). Some places even have bobhouses and ATVs/Snowmobiles out and about. As always though make sure to check as you go especially if you are bringing heavy equipment/houses on the ice!
On a separate note, just a friendly reminder for everyone to renew their NH fishing license online at
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/licensing/prices.html. This license goes a long way to support the freshwater fisheries in NH for ourselves and future generations of anglers in the granite state. Speaking of NH fisheries, January 1st marks the opening for ice fishing on the managed Lake Trout/Landlocked Salmon lakes in NH. Let’s see some big ones shared on the BIP Outdoors Facebook page! (But remember – no Salmon can be caught through the ice!)
Today, I was planning on giving a brief overview of why we are normally told to fish 2-3ft off the bottom when setting tip ups or while jigging. To fully understand this, one must realize that water has different densities (i.e. ‘heaviness’) at different temperatures. Warm water is less dense than cold water, and 100% pure water is densest at approximately 39˚F. The important caveat here is that water is less dense from 32˚F (freezing point of water) compared to 39˚F. What this tells us is that the water is actually WARMER at the bottom of ponds/lakes (39˚F) during the winter compared to the surface (32˚F), which is the opposite of what we see during the summer.
Now you may ask – “why is this important”? Well to answer that one must understand that fish are cold-blood (ectotherm) organisms. This means that their metabolism is dictated by the temperature of their external environment. This, of course, differs for us humans who are warm blooded and internally heat our bodies due to high metabolisms. For fish, this means that warmer temperatures allows them to stay active (at a reduced level) to continue feeding and avoid predators.
As fishermen/women, we are all interested in improving our efficiency in catching fish. Although this pattern does not always hold true (note: some fish can be seen suspended during the winter) it is generally seen that fish are found at/near the bottom of the water column during the ice fishing season.
I hope you learned something new today! Stay tuned for next week! And best of luck to those venturing out on the big bodies of water!
Benjamin Gallo
BIP Outdoors Prostaff Biologist
