Cold Weather Fishing

[boxoshawn]

Hey guys,

I'm sure a lot of you are planning to get out on the ice with the holiday this Friday and was wondering your thoughts on the frigid outlook upcoming for the weekend. I myself prefer to fish shallow vs. deeper, but know the colder it gets fish will tend to move deeper.

What do you change (if anything) when sub zero temperatures are on the horizon? Any tips or adjustments for safety and fish tendencies? Thanks

[eyebjim]

The fish don't seem to be effected by the temp as much as barometric pressure.

In below 0 temps I usualy bring a generator for backup in case the truck wont start in the morning.

[Maverick]

It's been my experience that the fish shut down after a major change in the weather. That is what we will have this weekend with the artic blast and super high pressure coming in. It is still pretty close to first ice, so I wouldn't change where I go as much as how I fish. The fish will likely be neutral to negative, so I will go smaller (lighter) and use more glow than flash. For eyes I would jig with just the head of a minnow on one line and use a plain hook and medium minnow on the dead stick. Stay close to the structure, fish near the bottom and watch for suspended crappies on your depth finder.

Other than that, when it gets cold I switch from beer to schnapps.

[jsnides]

it has been my understaniding is a dramatic change in weather will push the fish out over suspended structures such as islands and deep breaks. The best fishing is when the weather stabilizes again the fish will move into their more normal ranges of 15-25 feet in depth. I was out on monday after we got heavy snow throu the weekend after christmas, didn't catch much until that system moved through and stabilized, but it was still 15 below n fishing was good, suspended fish in 23feet was most sucessful