"alwaysfishking" alwaysfishking@ nospam.epix.net wrote in message
...
Ok i am totally bored with this whole winter thing and if it means catching
crappies and perch then so be it. I wouldn't mind an occasional bass
either. Here's my question, I have a small lake by my house. It has a
maximum depth of 12 feet(thats being generous) and its limited to ones side
of the lake. Most of the lake is 3-5 feet deep. The ice right now is about
5-7 inches thick. Would a majority of the fish in the lake be located in the
deeper part of the lake?

***My guess is that the fish would be holding in the deeper water. But that depends on the lake
itself. If the weeds are still green and healthy, you will probably find pike/pickerel in and
around the weeds.

or with the thickness of the ice at this time is it
possible that the fish will be scattered around? If they locate to the
deeper side then it should be easy pickins considering the size of the lake.
Any suggestions outside of live minnows to use for bait? Lures?

***In Wisconsin, we're allowed to fish with three lines each, so I will usually set out two tipups
rigged with minnows. One will have the depth set roughly one foot off the bottom, the other about
2-3 feet under the ice. The last line will be a short jigging rod, usually rigged for panfish.
Typically I'll have a teardrop jig tipped with a waxworm or other type of grub. Perch and bluegills
go nuts on jig/grub combos, but the larger perch, crappies and bass will take minnows. I vary
depths, jigging styles and locations until I locate fish. The key, until you can establish a
pattern, is mobility and experimentation with lures and baits until you find what the fish want that
day, just as it is in open water. The only problem is that this time of year, that means punching a
lot of holes.
--
Steve
OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com