Finding Weed beds?

[Fractured]

Hi all.

Does anyone have any tips or input on how to find weed beds and weed bed edges while Ice fishing? 

I’m relatively new to ice fishing and I am fishing bodies of water I don’t have a ton of experience on during open water season.  Mostly targeting panfish, pike with both tip-ups and jigging but after just about any species I can get on.  I have a hummingbird ice-35, hand held gps and navionics on my phone.  I do not have an underwater camera yet.  I’m fishing lakes in northern NY.

I plan on marking some weed beds during open water this year but just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

Thanks!

[Rugburn]

Most weed beds can be seen from Goggle Earth. 

[river_scum]

save drilling by shooting threw ice with the flasher.  spill some water and most times it will work good enough to see whats there.  mite not work if there is a lot of snow/milk ice on top.  pre season scouting is best.

[adkRoy]

look at the shoreline.  Look for swampy areas along the lake or areas that the land has more of a flat approach to the lake. These areas tend to be more shallow and have softer/muckier bottoms that are good for weed growth.

[chilly-willy]

Weeds die off in winter best to use a canoe in summer to find them.. what are you fishing for that you need to find weed beds?? Pike bass walleye perch blue gill crappie?  I got a few tricks is why I ask to locate them..

[chilly-willy]

See if you can find a map said lake best to plan this before you go for pike any water structure adjacent to as in right by the deepest parts of the lake.. the structure you look for is shallow coves and humps think of a u coming off the shore line.   as in the hump and cove as the inside of the  u its self..   with two humps before entering the cove .. ok??   Pike , musky , walleye will chase bait fish on to these humps trying to trap them they can be as shallow as 2 to 3 foot or as deep as 20 to 30 fow it's also knowin how to set tip ups..  on these points of intrest..  i use rubber band trick in shallow and will fish 1 foot down in 2 fow to 5 fow..  now in 20 to 30 fow I fish 15 foot down just depends what your chasing??  I will set in like on a hump in 4 fow were the weeds would be in summer ok??  and work out towards the first drop ware the weeds stop at..  like water was to deep for them to grow..I stagger in a vee shape from that drop to the shallow back to deep making so they have to swim threw the area. Like a trap or net if you will of tip ups... I fish with friends were aloud 3 tip ups per person and and 2 to 3 people that 6 to 9 tip ups some times it works out for better..  the regs are different in every state.. any how stager them along points of intrest.. like said..

As for the coves crappie will at night move in to cove so best to position your self in the middle  of the u so your in the deppest part of the trench in line with the two points of the u .. cause bait in crappie out effect as crappie move bait move out..  I usally go deep for gills but every ones different and fish them suspened..  and knowing the deep drops ware they hang is best..   


Best of luck this year till you can mark points in soft water season.
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