Can Someone Tell me What Fish on a Vex look like?

[scmelik]

only slightly kidding.  This year has been tough today was the third trip in a row where I have gone out and punch a ton of holes and haven't marked a fish, I am starting to forget what fish on the flasher look like.  Today it was almost 100 holes between me and my buddy and not one fish on the flasher and zero bites on any rod or tipup. 

[grumpyoldude]

You sure your not drilling holes in a field

[scmelik]

You sure your not drilling holes in a field

lately I am starting to wonder.

[Oldbear]

Maybe hes drillin at the local ice arena.

[scmelik]

Maybe hes drillin at the local ice arena.

that also is a good possibility

[giller]

Look for weeds.Drop your jig into the weeds and jig it straight up. If you don't see fish following after 3 or 4 times doing this, switch holes. Fish look like marks that are moving up toward your bait.

[Lobes]

The end of February can be tough to stir up a consistent bite. Here in Michigan I think the transition is underway to last ice action. It should start getting better every day now.

                                         
NBG

[.Steve]

Look for weeds.Drop your jig into the weeds and jig it straight up. If you don't see fish following after 3 or 4 times doing this, switch holes. Fish look like marks that are moving up toward your bait.

This is only my 2nd year fishing through the ice, so I have some questions.  Hopefully this thread can keep going...

First off, you say to look for weeds.  I've only fished on smaller lakes and ponds that I've fished over the soft water season, so I know where weed lines are.  But on new lakes or bodies of water, how can I find weed lines? 

Second, can someone point me to where the bigger gills are?  All I've caught last year and so far this year is undersized bluegills.  I try to hit the weedlines and drop-offs, but my biggest gill is only like 5".  I have no problem finding the fish, but apparently I find the small fish.  I've tried all different size ice jigs, all different colors, wigglers, wax worms, maggots, etc etc. But the only thing coming after me is the small gills. 

I've caught decent size gills, perch, crappie, and bass from this industrial pond over the spring, summer, and fall, but through the ice, it just doesn't seem to work.  Any help?  TIA.

.Steve

[bearbgone]

I have had good luck several times this winter working the water table with and pounding a #2 Swedish pimple (tipped with three waxies) on the bottom. Nothing on the screen and after working the pimple for a few minutes fish show up.

[JimP]

Weeds on the vex will look like a green line, possibly several, above the red that denotes the bottom. Not always easy to know if you have fish at the edge of the cone or weeds. If I can't get things to move I assume I have found a weedline. Helps to prefish areas in a boat during summer and gps the locations. You can also tell if the bottom is soft or hard, hard being a crisp red line, soft usually as some green over the red. Again could be fish hanging on the bottom. Try it with a spoon and see if you can get things moving.

[slipperybob]

I can never tell what a fish look like on the flasher...

Sometimes I hallucinate seeing a marked fish...sometimes it's for real and I'm caught dumbfounded for not believeing my own eyes.

[adkwiley]

lots of times ill drill a hole and drop the flasher down in and no fish will show.  I will still drop my jig down to the bottom and usually after I bring it up off the bottom there will be fish following it.  Fish that are on the bottom or in the weeds wont show until they swim out of them.  Ill usually drop down a heavy jig to make the process as quick as possible and if i get fish off the bottom then I'll worry bout what i need to get them to bite.  If i dont mark anything coming off the bottom I'll move.

[.Steve]

lots of times ill drill a hole and drop the flasher down in and no fish will show.  I will still drop my jig down to the bottom and usually after I bring it up off the bottom there will be fish following it.  Fish that are on the bottom or in the weeds wont show until they swim out of them.  Ill usually drop down a heavy jig to make the process as quick as possible and if i get fish off the bottom then I'll worry bout what i need to get them to bite.  If i dont mark anything coming off the bottom I'll move.

That's how it's been for me the past couple times out.  Nothing on the flasher, but I know there's weeds, so I drop down a jig.  10 seconds later, the screen is all green. 

[scmelik]

That's how it's been for me the past couple times out.  Nothing on the flasher, but I know there's weeds, so I drop down a jig.  10 seconds later, the screen is all green. 

on how do I wish that was the case.

[Greg2ha]

only slightly kidding.  This year has been tough today was the third trip in a row where I have gone out and punch a ton of holes and haven't marked a fish, I am starting to forget what fish on the flasher look like.  Today it was almost 100 holes between me and my buddy and not one fish on the flasher and zero bites on any rod or tipup. 

This was my day exactly to a T yesterday! Sorry to hear someone else had to go through it too.

[.Steve]

on how do I wish that was the case.

LOL, you would think so.  If you want to catch undersized gills all day, I got spots.  That's all I catch, seriously.  Last year and this year, only dinks through the ice.  Help?? lol

[Lobes]

LOL, you would think so.  If you want to catch undersized gills all day, I got spots.  That's all I catch, seriously.  Last year and this year, only dinks through the ice.  Help?? lol

Most mid sized to larger sized lakes will have multiple areas of actively feeding fish. On a day when those small fish are biting move to other areas to find the larger fish. They are there feeding somewhere. If you have a flasher that should make the search easier. It usually takes a lot of leg work to get on the bigger fish but is well worth it.

                                         
NBG

[scmelik]

This was my day exactly to a T yesterday! Sorry to hear someone else had to go through it too.

I have been going through this for the past couple of weekends, I just cannot find fish at all.  The places where I have always caught fish in the past there are no fish.  I have been studying the maps for a few days before I go out and have places that I want to target thinking that they are likely areas to hold fish and nothing.  I am thinking about going completely off the grid and fishing in like a foot of water just because it seems like everything else I am trying lately isn't working.  I could handle it if I was finding fish and not getting them to bite but not this dead sea crap.

[Greg2ha]

I was fishing a large lake where our families cottage is at and only saw snow
mobiles and no other fisherman. I like this cause I like to get away by myself with the hound. But..................N o fish!...................... Lots of holes!....................
I should have went where I knew people were fishing but it was to convenient
for me to pull my stuff to the edge of the lake and leave it. Next time I'm going
around the corner in a bay where i saw several people fishing. This was on
Lake James in Angola Indiana  (NE) part of state.
Greg

[1CE]

Only can tell you on a Marcum