ice cracks and oxygen

[perca]

Is there any truth to the statement that fishing near large ice cracks can be productive because the oxygen content is higher when we have thick ice and snow cover that leads to lower oxygen concentrations? Seems kind of a stretch to me.

------------------
Foss

[irvingdog]

Sounds like a myth. A better idea is to fish near forage and structure rather than potential sources of Oxygen. Cold water holds T.D.O. (total desolved Oxygen) pretty well, and the availability is usually not an issue, unless the body of water is very shallow.

[doubleUcubed]

As "idog" stated probably more of a myth on most lakes. However on a lake that is suffering from a low DO content (<2ppm) it may make a slight difference, that too will be dependent on the size of ice crack/heave, surface area of open water and any wind/wave action. More than likely the reason a lot of people will fish close to a heave is the fact that it creates a natural barrier as in them not wanting to or being able to cross the heave! Just my $.02.

[Steve Foss]

From one Foss to another:

I'm with doubleUcubed. I think it has hardly any impact on most lakes, and only a small impact when it has any impact at all.

Better to find green, oxygen-producing weeds if you can.

------------------
"I still miss my ex-wives, but my aim is getting better!"
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[icehousebob]

I've fished very late season when the snow is melting and running through cracks that it seems to have an affect on panfish. Sunfish, especially, seemed to be hyperacive right by the runoff holes. BUT, the runoff would undermine the ice, and it was spooky to fish the ice near the holes. I was once using a chisel as a walking stick near a hole and had it go through a couple of feet from the hole. I haven't found a fish yet worth dying for.

[FreeFlySpy]

The last couple of weekends fishing gills in 7 fow we would catch fish right after we augered in the holes. Fishing would slow down so we would auger again and catch fish again.Often wondered if the auger blade was putting oxygen into the water and attracting them?

[Steve Foss]

I'd bet it's one of two things: Curious fish species like bluegills were attracted to the unusual noise, or the fish weren't moving much at all, and when you drilled your holes and caught a couple fish, then nothing, you drilled new holes over new fish and then caught them, repeating the process of drilling over new fish with each new hole.

[Guest]

Well, when you drill holes in the ice and notice to catch fish right after you drill is probly because the fish are attracted to the vibrations that the auger gives out. Its like a ratttle on a lure. It will work for agressive fish but not as good for the non-agressive ones b/c it will spook them.

------------------
Fish, Fish, and Fish some more! ;D

[FreeFlySpy]

Funny you use the word rattle because we nicknamed it " Let's rattle the ice". Bystanders think were nuts but at times it does work.

[Guest]

Its true atleast I believe I go near open spots of water and hammer thm all day and when I go find out how others are doing not near an open spot they catch nothing. I believe strongly about the oxygen content.

Dan

[Guest]

Hey perca flavescens-(or Im assuming that is where you got your name) I have long fished a section of river that had open water near by year round. In the past few years, landscaping of the river bank in that area caused the current to be less and the river to totally freeze over. Maybe it is just coincidence but the fishing was better before the landscaping occured.

[Guest]

we hammered fish near a open hole on lake german this year we were three feet from the water getting eyes and crappies one right after another and if u moved a way from it there was nothing for fish so I would think it would make a difference we were in 30ft and would have fish from 10 to 25 foot

[Guest]

Speaking of rattling the ice. My friends and I used to fish North Star Steel pond off of hiway 61. The deepest spot we ever found was 3 feet deep. And typically 18 inches of that 3 feet would be ice. We would set up tip ups with a sucker just 6 inches below the ice. Then if we didn't get flags within 15 minutes we would go stomp around on the ice getting the fish to move and invairibly we would get flags. We would catch northerns all night long doing this. We never caught one bigger than 5 pounds but it always produced fish. We always released the fish because we did not trust the integrity of the water. I have not fished the pond for years now and I haven't seen anybody else fishing it either, but the rattle the ice comment intrigued me to respond.

[Guest]

I didn't know that the northerns bite all night long.Ithought they quit in the afternoon???They don't usually eat at night do they?