What happened to the night bite?

[CALVINIST]

I have been fishing this lake x all winter long. It is a shallow lake throughout, and I haven't explored it enough to know the key structural elements in it. I only started fishing it this year in December and is totally unpressured. It has a history of an outstanding night bite for gills and crappies. Oddly enough, you can hardly get anything to bite, not even a gill, during the day. Well, now things are a changing. The last few times out I have noticed a gradual decline in the night bite, and now, it's tough to get anything at night. Can anyone venture to guess what is going on here? My guess is that the bite has switched from "night" to "day" due to seasonal change. I haven't tried the day bite on this lake for some time, but this tuesday or thursday I'll get out and test my theory.

[Cyberfish]

I hope they are biting during the day!! I am concerned that the oxygen levels are going down. that is was what happened last time it killed out, they bit really good most of the winter, then late ice the bite just quit, first the sunfish quit, then the crappies, then the next time I went out the crappies were coming up the holes, i could just catch them with my bare hands. Eveything died but the bullheads.

[CALVINIST]

Cyb,

When we went out on saturday night, we didn't even catch ONE crappie, which is weird for that lake. There were several holes that were opened due to the warm weather, but didn't notice any fish in them.

[Cyberfish]

Did you get any sunfish?

[CALVINIST]

I only went out for a couple hours yesterday, and drilled alot of holes with my "new" auger...how sweet it is! Only caught one decent gill. I did detect 'em hugging the bottom on the Vex. No crappies jumping out of the holes...

All in all, yesterday wasn't the best day to be on the ice, thanks to High Pressure, post frontal conditions. Sarah only gave up a handful of fish...

No evidence to support the notion that there is winter kill going on...

I am still debating if I want to go out to lake X tonight. In any event, I'll be fishing Sarah tomorrow. I was sure marking lots of fish there tuesday at a variety of depth ranges, they were just as lethargic as can be though.

I can't make your "event" on saturday morning, as I have family activity planned. However, saturday afternoon looks promising for some late ice action. Rush, maybe?

I'll call you tomorrow (thursday) night, and we'll work it out.

[boneyslayer]

On sarah those holes are cleaned out usually by the locals every nite when theres heavy pressure. They will go down there and check them. As far as your bite, I believe the biggest factor in there attitude now is pressure, noise, and snow cover which can totally chg a gill nite bite back to sunrise and sunset but extending those bites later in the morning when the sun is out,sunny stable days w snow cover are a key to better fishing now w/ the snow, that was not the case earlier without a snow pack, the other issue is there educated as to what is a danger to them and the bigger gills will actually pull a school away when released, this is why pretty much at this time I look for crappies to do catch and release do to the fact they ARE a low lite feeder and will be attracted to lanterns, and a school does not spook on a release. I also believe the schools are not as big as everyone thinks they are and moving 100 to 200 yds to one end or the other might show a different school, but I have seen it where you see them on the vex but once you drill a hole BYE, Bye there gone, try 1st higher in the water column closer to the ice, say 8-15 water depth or then 18-24 ft, if suspending gills are in the 10-12ft range are seen that should clue you in that that moved up on zooplankton closer to the ice, this was the case before the snow, don't get caught up on fishing the same time and same place out there, but keep the noise level down, the ice is just not as thick as it normally should be. Just some thoughts on mu observation over the weeks. GLuck, and yes Sarah is a good lake and I have fished it alot, but the cost of gas to drive there is keeping me off now.