Calendar? or Ice Conditions?

[bean counter]

Very soon we'll have walk-able ice here in Northern IN.  Where's the search begin? Are the fish going to be in early ice spots? Mid-winter pattern with first ice?  Do the fish react to calendar? or ice conditions? Opinions?

[FG Steve]

Do the fish react to calendar? or ice conditions?

Short answer for me is both.  First, ice conditions, but if the calendar says to get spawning then they will.  Barring that, I would go with the ice.  Start the season in early ice places.

IMO

[hardwater diehard]

If the weeds are green I would fish the shallows...no reason for the predator/pan fish to move from the shallows if O2,forage and shelter is there ...as the weeds die off every thing changes … sometimes we don't get to fish the places we would like due to new/unsafe ice conditions...when that happens … plan B it ..fish your home body of water like "new" water..fish based on existing conditions...running out to the basin area at first ice because of a cold snap may not be the most productive approach .

[RyanW]

It’s about water temperature. Fish know what to do according to that temperature. Water gets cold, move to deeper warmer water. Water warms up, move to the shallows. Which the last 10 years or so the calendar hasn’t cared about. I remember a few seasons ago here in central Michigan, we basically had first ice about every 3 weeks and the fish acted accordingly. Mostly staying on those first/last ice patterns because that was the weather/ice trend.

Dependong on your body of water, if you have current, springs, or if its shallow enough to hold green weeds all season, that could help dictate patterns too. Like hardwater diehard said, I’d start in the shallows and look for healthy vegetation.

[Unclegillhunter]

I asked this on another forum and some folks whose opinion I really listen to. A couple of ice fishing pointy heads indicated that regardless of if we had early ice or mid winter ice it should be considered mid winter ice. They did say that the fish might have moved deeper, but as mentioned above if you can find some green weeds you may want to start there. Sadly we don’t have good ice to test their advice.  Have some good temps moving in. Hope the possible snow don’t muck things up!
Keep it safe! JDL