Thru the ice

[A.W.Wolfram]

Nice fish.

[hovermn]

I just wrapped up reading more about cats than I've ever read about any other species. I tell ya, I'll have to add these guys to my targeted list

One question that I have and didn't read about is what time is most active during ice fishing? Is it the same as open water? Also, for channels, does it matter if its morning, mid day or evening? Or is it all the same?

I look forward to icing my first winter channel! I've only caught 1 cat, and it was inches long, so I have a LONG way to go

[Shawnny B]

Hou dogg 13lbs

that would be AWESOME to pull threw...through ..whatever the ICe ...

Im with Dave on this, as said with the other post that got split, I wanna ice one this year!!

[so haaad]

I think that one falls into the "one over 24 inches" category.

[KMR85]

After work I plan on getting out to Crooked Lake near coon rapids and target some cats. Anyone have any pointers (even if they aren't for this lake in particular) ? I have never fished this lake or for cats in the winter, so hopefully I can ice one. Feel free to email me if you prefer that, Thanks!

[aanderud]

Not exactly metro cats here, but we did get some up on the horseshoe chain near Rockford last night.

Biggest was about 5-6 lbs. Nothing like the 13 lb sumo above, but my nephew had a blast! Here's a short vid with a couple pics at the end:

[DTro]

Nice vid Uncle Brian!

[wastewaterguru]

Sweet. Nice to see the little guys out there.

[so haaad]

Nice video. Glad you had fun Brian.

[Borch]

Brian,

Nice video.

You definitely earned those fish through sweat and sore muscles in that snow.

[aanderud]

Thanks guys.

Did you see my tracks out there. LOL. A 1/2 mile doesn't seem like too far, but when you have a 3-man shack, full propane tank, minnow bucket, vex, rods, etc...and that much snow...it's tougher than one would think. The way out isn't so bad, there's fishing to look forward to at least

I'm going to get a snowmobile.

[DTro]

Here's a recent Hunt Fish TV video about Cats through the Ice:

Winter Kittys

[KQ#1]

Very nice video Dtro.

[Larry FlatCaster]

cool one mate!

[Shack]

Figuring all this cat talk going on and nothing to do last night, I figured I would put together some older footage I had of icing cats. It was so foggy and the heater was loud, so sorry. The footage was so poor, I gave it a Fear and Loathing feel to it ! Just using/playing with some software I have and put this together. Figure I would throw it up.

Below is a report of what I was doing that night. Cool Cats is coming up, so hard water catfishing is by no means over yet

Was out yesterday afternoon and well into the evening. Drilled holes, until I marked fish. Started out very slow and about the start of the fourth quarter of the Vikes game, the LX-5 lit up from top to bottom. Cats on the bottom and crappies 5-8 under the ice. The bite was very steady until about 9:30-10:00 when I packed up and went home. The fish pretty much went away or would not bite anymore.

1/8 Lindy Rattlin Flyer spoon and crappie minnow body (no head or tail) was what they wanted last night. Threw cut (fresh) sucker small chunks, cut frozen bull head, cut shiner, cut shad and all they wanted was cut crappie minnow . I tried all kinds of spoons and jigs, from big to small, but the LRF was all they wanted.

I was jigging about 2-4 feet off the bottom, when bottom chatter would start on the LX-5. After a couple seconds of slight to moderate jigging, I would stop and hold still, then you could see the red bar come pretty quickly off the bottom and boom, the rod tip would bend. Set the hook and make sure your drag is set or in my case last night on a new reel (SC), make sure the drag evens works . Back reel'in was my only friend last night.

For the crappies I would just drop down a glow jig (Ratzo) about 5-8' under the ice and dead stick with spring bobber, tipped with a crappie minow for some action. @25' of water, with over a 30' hole to my back and 4' not to far away to my front. Like Borch said

Good luck and have fun!

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Hey they were showing McColl pond in scott county. I don't feel bad for sharing this with us cat guys. This pond is great for channel cats. Seriously guys this pond does very well. Just make sure you watch your step if you decide to go out on the ice. The pond is very inconsistent on ice levels. You can do pretty well thru the ice but it is a better open water pond.

Here's my email if you wanna know what else is in that pond. I live not but a a few miles away and fish it year around. You would be very surprised in what swims in this pond.

[email protected]