WEEDS OR OPEN

[pinche]

THE LAKE I FISH ON MOSTLEY HAS MINIMAL SHALLOW AREAS. IT DROPS OFF FROM 3-5 FT TO 22-30 FT ALMOST INSTANTLY. MY QUESTION = WOULD YOU FISH ON TOP OF WEED BEDS ABOUT 6 FT OR IN THE OPEN JUST OFF THE BOTTON? OR DOES IT DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF FISH ? IM FISHING MOSTLY FOR CRAPPIE GILLS AND PEARCH. ONE MORE QUESTION IS IT LEGAL TO USE SMALL PEARCH OR GILLS FOR TIP UPS? AND WHERE AND HOW DEEP DO MOST SET UP A TIP UP FOR PIKE? THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ADVICE

[walleyechaser]

I would get as close to the edge as possible.  The crappie will ride up high at dark.

Yes it is legal to use perch and gills for bait.  Any fish legally taken can be used for bait.  The perch will most likely be tight to the bottom in the deeper areas. 

I typically set my pike tip ups only a couple feet under the ice.  Pike hunt low and look high.  Note the location of their eyes.

[CMFISH51]

Get on the green stuff. Green means OXYGEN.  Stay off the dead weeds  Sometimes, if you can get just on the edge of the weedbed on some open bottom, you will get fish - Or at least that works best for me.  As for the    I like to start shallow and work deeper.  Those shallow shelfs will hold pike, set your tip up about 1-1.5 feet above the top of the weeds.  I have also caught pike in 23-26 FOW having the tip-up set 3-6 feet above the weeds.  It is the same situation like you have.  I am on a 7 FOW shelf, and it drops quick to 18 FOW and then tapers down to 26 FOW.  Just experiment and the fish will tell you.  If you dont get fish - MOVE - thats the best thing you can do.

[flockshot]

ive been catching all my pike lately in 8 or less....the big girls are starting to think about spawning...i put the chub...maybe about a 2 feet down....and boom..we've been doing realy really well in canal mouths...

[reelbigfish]

Hey Pinche,  Please try not to post with the cap lock on cause old guys like me
find it hard to read.  Bluegills can be found on the outside of the green weedbeds
in 6' to 15' of water.  The trick is to start in the weeds and find fish then work your
way deeper to find bigger gills.  Crappies can usually be found in the same areas but
don't like quite as thick of weed growth.  Perch are found in sand bottom lakes and
are usually bottomhuggers.  They perfer sparse weeds and usually school in deeper water and come up on the sand flats to feed. 


Ted

[Reel Wet Ride]

Ted and I both fish a home lake that sounds pretty similar to the one your on. Large super shallow flats (3' or less) then a very steep drop to 20+. The best thing I can suggest is to try to find some sort of flat in the 12-15 fow range. Even if its only the size of say half a football field...or even smaller. If its sandy, perch will run it during the day to feed, if its weedy, the gills should be there, crappies probably on the outside of the weed bed adjacent or suspended over the deeper water.