Early Ice Best For Bows?

[misterharry]

Last season, I was finally successful dialing in on Rainbows. Managed to locate a 'text book' spot on the Big Lake, followed 'the rules' and bagged out many days catching nothing but my target species. While I didn't get blanked in February, the action definitely seemed hottest very early and very late in the season. Can anyone tell me if this is 'typical' for Bows through ice, or just the results of a given season?

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Very typical, early ice there is still good oxygen in the water, things aren't sluggish yet. As the season progresses such as in February with low light conditions etc. Things slow down oxygen levels drop, fish scatter bait fish will go deeper alit of times. Then late season the baitfish smelt etc. Will head back in the shallows getting ready to spawn and the rainbows will be right behind them at the inlets.

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I can give a much better explanation to this from a home PC. To much to type on a phone. I think you get the idea though and I'm sure others will chime in

[StingingLips]

I have also found that all of the trout species I fish for are awesome in january, slow right down in february, and march is good. I mostly target browns except for the few trips to nh with aquaassasin for rainbows and some allens LOL. But I think you will find that the February slow time is going to happen every year.

[DovaIceFisha]

This is very typical, as aqua stated. My season was very similar with the first weekend on "the big pond" being the most active for me.  Usually by derby time it has slowed considerably, but even though they are more sluggish by then there is still plenty of fish to be had. It usually involves more holes being drilled but we are usually on them. Hopefully this year can be like last, i was on the big lake the first weekend in january, and fished it on march 31 as well!

[Dispy]

I would strongly disagree with any trout fishing being slow in February You just have to adjust from "typical" shallow water inlet fishing to deep water, where baitfish are plentiful and oxygen levels are at a premium. While shallow waters can be red hot in the early/late season, it usually involves bustin' your hump to locate them. There are many preferences and patterns to successfully catch rainbows. Good luck in your quest

[AQUAASSASSIN]

I would strongly disagree with any trout fishing being slow in February You just have to adjust from "typical" shallow water inlet fishing to deep water, where baitfish are plentiful and oxygen levels are at a premium. While shallow waters can be red hot in the early/late season, it usually involves bustin' your hump to locate them. There are many preferences and patterns to successfully catch rainbows. Good luck in your quest

Exactly! That's what I was going to get into lol! Bottom line is your typical text book rainbow spots as you stated are just not your best bet at that point in the season. You can still have just as much success but you must change tactics with time of year, still on my phone lol

[misterharry]

Fascinating. my fishing pal and I were speculating about that; weather the bows had simply moved off the sandy shallows at inlet mouth & into more depth. So, in your experience, what kind of tactic changes are productive this time of year. All the fish I landed early & late were in 3ft of water or less and taken on meal worm/salmon egg presentations. The inlet we fish gradually drops into a sort of bowl that reaches about 30' of depth before rising again to a largish sunken island type of structure that runs about 6' deep at top. We go for lakers around the sunken island where it drops off quickly. What approach would you use to catch bows that may have worked into deeper waters, how deep would you fish, what types of baits/presentations?

[AQUAASSASSIN]

When the rainbows move off deeper even during mid day I will take the Vex and start drilling and jig, then jig, and jig some more. I have caught them in water as deep as 60+ ft. I personally do best for them in the top of the water column though ( top 15 ft. ). Things like small tubes and bucktails, PK lures, Kastmasters, Swedish pimples etc. even small blade baits.

I seem to do best in deeper water when using traps with Smelt/ shiners whatever the forage in said lake. Suspended worms and even eggs have there place even though most don't suspend eggs it does work. This is where it helps to be on a 6 trap lake to experiment get all your lines in different depths with different baits and keep locating with the jig rod. This doesn't mean avoid those shallow spots by any means, they will still have hot action days even mid season. areas with a quick drop off from the flat to a deep hole as opposed to a huge flat will produce better

What makes the shallows not as desirable mid season like that is many times due to the fact that you start to see plant dieoff and decay, no sunlight is a  factor which in turn creates low oxygen levels and less desireable habitat for even the planktons and small organisms which the baitfish and panfish will feed on so they will move off deeper and your big predatory fish will follow, circle of life. Early AM is usually still hot in the shallows since this is when the small organisms are most active in the night the move closer to the surface and shallows drawing in the trout.

Hope I made some sense? Im not good with explaining these things through a keyboard. Much easier for me to blab.

[NH Trout Fisherman]

When the rainbows move off deeper even during mid day I will take the Vex and start drilling and jig, then jig, and jig some more. I have caught them in water as deep as 60+ ft. I personally do best for them in the top of the water column though ( top 15 ft. ). Things like small tubes and bucktails, PK lures, Kastmasters, Swedish pimples etc. even small blade baits.

I seem to do best in deeper water when using traps with Smelt/ shiners whatever the forage in said lake. Suspended worms and even eggs have there place even though most don't suspend eggs it does work. This is where it helps to be on a 6 trap lake to experiment get all your lines in different depths with different baits and keep locating with the jig rod. This doesn't mean avoid those shallow spots by any means, they will still have hot action days even mid season. areas with a quick drop off from the flat to a deep hole as opposed to a huge flat will produce better

What makes the shallows not as desirable mid season like that is many times due to the fact that you start to see plant dieoff and decay, no sunlight is a  factor which in turn creates low oxygen levels and less desireable habitat for even the planktons and small organisms which the baitfish and panfish will feed on so they will move off deeper and your big predatory fish will follow, circle of life. Early AM is usually still hot in the shallows since this is when the small organisms are most active in the night the move closer to the surface and shallows drawing in the trout.

Hope I made some sense? Im not good with explaining these things through a keyboard. Much easier for me to blab.

Well said Franky 

[Dispy]

I'd say you stated your thoughts very clearly Franky But, what some understand Rainbow fishing or early ice Brook Trout fishing to be, is simply not how to catch the larger quality fish. Perhaps, the better question maybe, is, "how to catch" the larger hold overs? We all know that late fall Fish & Game stocking transpire, and the State does a super job in doing so if I may say, however, these fish have not become acclimated to the lake or pond ecology and usually will hang around in close proximity to their placements.

So what would be some of the "secrets" without giving away the Secret, to successfully catch the larger "hold over" Rainbows??

[AQUAASSASSIN]

A few things that surely help with higher catch rates of holdovers ( bigger and smarter fish ) are first off being in a area with close proximity to deep water, using bigger baits of the fish and crustacean type. Bigger fish get lazy and want there hunt to count in a form of more calories digested for the most part. Light flouro carbon leaders and small, sharp, STRONG hooks. No tension and natural movements in bait whether that be jig action or hook placement on a bait. Don't get me wrong your power baits and worms work fine and I have caught massive fish on them but with the exception of eggs a live shiner/ smelt even crayfish in sand so it can't hide in rocks seem to be the ticket. Don't be afraid to use big bait. Keep the noise down to, set up shop away from your traps especially on skinny or clear ice. Learn fish habits, mature fish will want to spawn though it may not work they will try. A lot of times guys will give up on the heavily stocked ponds when it gets slow, this is NOT because it got fished out or even necessarily that it has to much pressure, it's simply the fact that you are now dealing with the holdovers. These are the fish I'm after. Will you still catch little guys? Of course all the time. But this will help your odds.

[Dispy]

Good stuff buddy We also find that shiners are not the only source of trout forage in many lakes.  Baby Sunfish and Bluegills are often a favorite, considering their abundance. Especially for deep water hold overs.  So in reference to larger baits, should one be inclined to jig with 3/4 round spoons?

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Exactly I find them feeding on panfish often but since we cannot use those for bait I didn't include it, this is when jigging can stand out because it is easier to match the forage. The 3/4 round spoon can do wonders because it will match the shape of those circular bluegills/ sunfish. Much better than a slender profile.

[H82LUZ]

Hey Frank, at what depths are you talking for the late season bows? Same as the lake trout 40-60fov or are the bows going to be more suspended due to oxygen levels. Sorry if it sounds ignorant, still learn the technical aspects.
I've always been a just put the trap in the hole with a shiner and hope for the best. Last year was my first year of really doing homework. Great thread, thanks guys
Pat

[Coffin Dodger]

Yes, great thread you guys. 
Thanks for all the info!
Keep up the good help.
Tight lines.

[NH Trout Fisherman]

Some other basic, yet sometimes over looked details to keep in mind  are.. Lakes with an abundance of forage/baitfish generally produce bigger fish than those that lack a healthy population of baitfish. Example... You will usually find larger trout in the lake trout and salmon lakes because of smelt populations verses a pond minimal baitfish. However the 2 trap lakes are also typically a lot larger and sometimes make it harder to locate the fish.

I've also been known to say... "Well... They're Big for a reason" lol And as previously mentioned. The holdovers are more adapted to their environment and move about the lake foraging for what comes natural in that water body. Find the bait and find the fish... I also believe that if you can use the bait native to the lake, you may have a better chance in catching fish. Also as AA previously mentioned you want your presentation to look as natural as possible.

Many of us know that Fishing is Fishing. Some days you hammer them and others are slllloooow. Things like barometic pressure... Weather patterns... Moon phases....oxygen levels... time of year etc , All play their parts. And of coarse.. There's always a little luck involved. 
But like anything else in life the more experience you have, the better your odds are.

I've put in thousands of hours in my years of fishing. As I'm sure AA and Dispy have. Experience definitely helps but we've all had tough days out there. Getting out there and figuring it out can be the Best and most Frustrating part of it all 

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Late season ( March ) it's back in the shallows for me the bows will be back consistently following the smelt at the mouths of inlets. In February is when I target the deep water more frequently. 40-60 ft. Can be a great depth I personally stay in the top 15 ft. Of the water column majority of the time still though have the best luck up there unless my electronics tell me otherwise. Doesn't hurt to pound bottom for a bit though and work it up. I do get them at all depths out there just seem to do best in the top third. Same goes for traps at the deeper depths the whities can start being a nuisance if you really want to call it that. You would be surprised how many lakers hit traps suspended up top too. Mind you I'm fairly new to the deep water aspect of it been having luck with it over the last 3 years. I'm still learning everyday too!

[Coffin Dodger]

                     I'm still learning everyday too!

IMO, when you stop learning, you're just about done, Frank. 

[AQUAASSASSIN]

Some other basic, yet sometimes over looked details to keep in mind  are.. Lakes with an abundance of forage/baitfish usually produce the bigger fish than those that lack a healthy population of baitfish. Example... You will generally find larger trout in the lake trout and salmon lakes because of smelt populations verses a pond minimal baitfish. However the 2 trap lakes are also typically a lot larger and sometimes make it harder to locate the fish.

I've also been known to say... "Well... They're Big for a reason" lol And as previously mentioned... The holdovers are more adapted to their environment and move about the lake foraging for what comes natural in that water body. Find the bait and find the fish... I also believe that if you can use the bait native to the lake, you may have a better chance in catching fish. Also as AA previously mentioned you want your presentation to look as natural as possible.

Many of us know that Fishing is Fishing.... Some days you hammer them and others are slllloooow. Things like barometic pressure... Weather patterns... Moon phases....oxygen levels...time of year... All play their parts... And of coarse There's always a little luck involved... But like anything else in life the more experience you have on a lake the better your odds are at catching the fish 

I've put in thousands of hours in my years of fishing...as I'm sure AA and Dispy have. Experience definitely helps but we've all had tough days out there. Getting out there and figuring it out can be the Best and most Frustrating part of it all 

Yep!

[Dispy]

Great "chime" Keith, you certainly pay your dues and often catch the big ones. You are correct that experience does make a world of difference. The more astute you are to patterns like barometric pressure, moon phases, habitat, seasonal locations and the biology of the species, all certainly play a huge factor in "catching." I know you are big on log book-keeping your trips and that also aids in reminding one of "what made that day so good." Very important in my book

Frank, good points. I'll add, the reason the top 10-15 works so well is that, it is the safest zone for baitfish to silhouette is against the bottom layer of the non light penetrated ice. This affords some baitfish camouflage under clear ice. For pan-fish species, it affords them the ability to disperse and not be trap lined against a steep drop. Much like a school of Herring in the ocean, or butterfish..the school tightens in defense in the open water. However in fresh water where baitfish roam they are often structure related. During February,  there is no vegetation to seek shelter, predators rely upon ambush lairs, so the best defensive action is to reside in open waters.  

[DovaIceFisha]

well said franky! its great to see such in depth knowledge shared amongst anglers, there is definitely a ton of knowledge floating around on this site.

[SALMONEMIA]

Such a great post.
I've read it through
several times. lots
Of info. Thank you all.

[JoeGG]

Hello Boys,

Good stuff. One thing I wanted to mention was that I do well for bows early in the season in shallow areas in certain lakes, but right under the ice over 30-40 ft in this other lake. Both have smelt, but you just can't get them early on in this one lake unless you are right under the ice. After January, forget it. Very tough getting any action in this one lake the rest of the winter.
      Another thing worth mentioning is that the same shallow area that I do well during first ice in tight, I do very very well in March, but its nowhere near an inlet. Smelt will spawn on flats and shoals, as well as up creeks, so don't abandon a sandy or shallow spot that's nowhere near a creek late in the year if you have luck there during first ice.

My buddies and I caught over a dozen bows during the derby a few times in water a foot or two. But it's not like first ice where you can have action all day long in the shallows, especially on a cloudy day. You have to fish in the dark and the action is usually over by 8-9 am. Then we head out for the perch. Got 3 tags a few years ago in a foot of water during the derby but they were all 13 inches. Also got 7 tags that were all between 1.7 and 2.4 lbs. one was over 3 lbs but was on an extremely cold and windy day so I didn't weigh it. This was a week after the derby and was the same year I bought my camp on Ossipee Lake but we had always fished at my buddies place in Meredith so I fished there instead. Great move huh? 

[misterharry]

Thanks men, Awesome Intel! all of it, VERY appreciated. The Riddle, it would seem to me is the mid-season Bow activity, which I think I have gleaned DEEP insight in, through the best of you. In a sense, it isn't unlike chasing smallies, or Stripers, or even Tuna. My biggest problem with moving off the skinny water involves the by-catch marauding Salmon, WHICH we know we can barely LOOK at legally in the fine state of NH. But I get it. My jigs and baits should drop quickly and expediently to a 10 or 15 or 20' mark, in the zone. I guess?

[AQUAASSASSIN]

The salmon issue is just something we all haveto deal with, just get them up to the hole and quickly released. No real trick to keeping them away.

[Dispy]

The salmon issue is just something we all have to deal with, just get them up to the hole and quickly released. No real trick to keeping them away.

One catches more Salmon on a tip up than they do jigging for exactly the reasons you suspected, however it does happen, but....Most often Salmon are caught shallow on structure and on shallow flats, not over 50-90 feet of water

[Dispy]

Hello Boys,

Good stuff. One thing I wanted to mention was that I do well for bows early in the season in shallow areas in certain lakes, but right under the ice over 30-40 ft in this other lake. Both have smelt, but you just can't get them early on in this one lake unless you are right under the ice. After January, forget it. Very tough getting any action in this one lake the rest of the winter.
      Another thing worth mentioning is that the same shallow area that I do well during first ice in tight, I do very very well in March, but its nowhere near an inlet. Smelt will spawn on flats and shoals, as well as up creeks, so don't abandon a sandy or shallow spot that's nowhere near a creek late in the year if you have luck there during first ice.

My buddies and I caught over a dozen bows during the derby a few times in water a foot or two. But it's not like first ice where you can have action all day long in the shallows, especially on a cloudy day. You have to fish in the dark and the action is usually over by 8-9 am. Then we head out for the perch. Got 3 tags a few years ago in a foot of water during the derby but they were all 13 inches. Also got 7 tags that were all between 1.7 and 2.4 lbs. one was over 3 lbs but was on an extremely cold and windy day so I didn't weigh it. This was a week after the derby and was the same year I bought my camp on Ossipee Lake but we had always fished at my buddies place in Meredith so I fished there instead. Great move huh?

Hi JoeG, why do you think you cannot catch them after January? May I ask, could it be that snow fall over a clear water lake/pond creates a different subsurface view towards the skyline??

[JoeGG]

I'm really stumped. Could have something to do with the lack of oxygen once the ice gets thick because it's a smaller body of water. Not sure.

[NH Trout Fisherman]

As was said, Salmon will get caught on occasion while targeting rainbows. You just have to do your best to release them as quickly as possibly while at the same time taking proper measure to avoid any damage. Cutting the line as close to the hook is usually your best bet.


Funny Story... I caught the Biggest salmon Ive ever caught in NH on a cusk trap set in 30-40ft of water while fishing the Winni Derby approx. 8 years ago. I was out between Spindle point and Stonedam and got up at first light (slept out in the shack that year) and pulled up several 16-22" cusk... When I got to my last line I felt something heavy and got excited! It was a Salmon and a Legit. 7-8lbs! Anyone who knows Me, knows I have caught my share of 4-5lb salmon/trout and knows that I am pretty accurate when it comes to size and weight. Im a carpenter by trade and look at a tape measure 100x a day lol. I couldn't believe it hit the dead shiner on the bottom, but stranger things have happened I guess. Obviously I cut the line an back down the hole he went but that was the biggest Salmon I had ever caught in NH with the second being a 6lber which I caught trolling and weighed. and that 6lber was small compared to the one on the cusk line.