Ice - off

[xmikexally]

The girlfriend and I hit Stake Lake last Sunday, and there was no action what-so-ever other than my dog wanting to go over-board. Not one hit. It's supposed to be the same elevation as Knouff, and guys were catching 2-pounders out there. If the lake isn't turning over, and the ice is just off for a week, isn't the fishing typically supposed to be pretty good? I was dragging a leach and she had a flat-fish (leach) on. Would the fish have been right on the bottom or what? We tried all depths and a couple different lures. Now, I'm sure if we hit Knouff, it would probably be our luck to not get a hit again after hearing other guys with luck out there. Any takers on what would be going on when I figure the bite should be on after ice-off?

Thanks.

[howsitgoin]

maybe the lake was turning over...what was the water clarity like?....also fishing shallow close to shore with shrimp patterns might have proved sucessful...

[Alexievich]

I've always understood that when you fish "true" ice-off, meaning the week the ice melts; that the fish are in the top few feet in an effort to get fresh oxygen.

If you were dragging the bottom before the lake had a chance to turn, you were fishing in the stale - "oxygen poor" water.

Did you try to fish along shoal or just zig-zag across the lake?
(Now I haven't fished that lake, these are just nuggets I always hear. Not every lake has a good fishable shoal)

Cheers,
Alex



... "high water" is when you can fish from your car.