Drop off structure?

[LOWinEYEin]

Couple ?'s...In the steep drop offs, are you talking about 45 degree'ish or even more gradual. Rock or sand or weedsline for daytime?sunset?

Daytime Tip up? Any recomendations? FOW? or don't bother..I want to fish for panfish and Eyes.

[Tonka Boy]

When I think drop offs, I think steep. Like 45 degrees or better. What I'm usually looking for is a rocky point or something that extends out and drops straight off. Having a secondary drop into even deeper water is better yet. As an example the top may be at 3'; then drop to 25' and level off; soon thereafter there would be another step dropping to 30, 40, or more.

Most often you'll find a transition line somewhere at the bottom of the first break. It'll change from rock/gravel to mud/sand. I like to set up at the bottom where it levels out (20-25'), occasionally moving up or down as needed.

With the exception of early and late in the season, fish will only move through these areas during peak hours. I try to get set up prior to nightfall and have my tip-ups ready. They move through quickly so timing is key.

Of course these are very general guidelines. Each lake will differ somewhat so experimentation is a must. On the flip side these spots are easy to locate with a simple map and you can work them over in no time. Eventually you'll figure out with pieces are better than the rest. Good luck!

[LOWinEYEin]

Tonka boy, weren't you at Med early ice last year with Ebass, me and others?

How do you tell what kind of bottom it is? Not all maps tell you that. So 45 or better...so 90 would be the best..

What about daytime eyes?

[Willy]

A good way to tell what the bottom is like is to use and underwater camera to find out. If you don't have one, I used to just use a long tape measure and pound the bottom with it. Keep drilling holes until you notice a change from hard to soft bottom, or boulders to gravel, gravel to sand. You get the point. Set up on these transition lines and you will have an advantage that most people don't utilize. Also, with a tape, it will tell you the exact depth, a vexilar is always off by a little bit, especially in deep water.

[Tonka Boy]

WhaTT!,

Nope, never did make it to Med last winter. I will however be at the contest tomorrow. How about you?

To answer your question...

Yes and underwater camera is great, but you don't need one. If you have a flasher you can tell by the reading at the bottom. Turn your gain up some and you can judge thicker bands as hard bottom; thinner as soft.

If you think about it, a 90 degree break could not consist of soft bottom. It would eventually wash away and become less steep. If you find something that steep is is almost a guarantee that it'll be rocky. The question becomes does it transition at the bottom? This is where you need your flasher, camera, or whatever else. Another easy method is to clip on one of those depth finders. If it sticks, soft bottom. If it "pings", hard bottom.

I can't say a 45 is going to outproduce a 90 degree. A lot is going to depend on the surroundings and general population of both eyes and baitfish. BUT, I'll always check out the steepest ones first. Also key in on indentations or inside turns along the drop. Those spots are for ambushing prey so they tend to sit there longer.

[LOWinEYEin]

Not sure if I will make it..Vehicle issues!!

I do have a camera as of 2 weeks ago. When your looking for a good potential spot you don't want to put 30 ft of cable down each hole..Vex-it! Too bad the LX-i don't have some type of bottom structure sensor, that'd be awesome! on the Vex, whats considered thin or thick? Couldn't you mistake Soft bottom on rock?

[Willy]

You'll be able to tell the difference. A hard bottom will show a really thick red bottom line. A soft bottom will show up as a thinner line and maybe some green, orange in it. Sometimes a hard bottom will give a double echo and you will see another red line below the bottom line.

[Tonka Boy]

Willy said it perfectly. It takes a little getting used to, but you'll be able to after some experimentation. I wish you all the best luck!

I might add, if you are unsure at first, use your camera to verify.

[LOWinEYEin]

Thanks guys..makes sense. That is basically what I thought from previous posts. So I can say now that I probably have never found rocks or solid bottom!

Anything to add?

[Mike Walerak]

I would condsider a 45 degree to be a steep drop off. More importantly, I look for some type of unique structure on the drop itself. It may be a patch of different size rocks, logs, or a little finger that extends off the base of it. This is what makes some spots better than others. It is most important to key on these when ice fishing because a few feet can make a difference, maybe it might be a number of fish caught difference, or it could be a size of fish difference.

Hope this helps a little.

mw