Bluegrass Ice Fishing

Hey guys ,
Me and my brother went up to Bluegrass to check the ice thickness - tried Otter Pit first and ice was 3" out 20-30 yds from ramp . I have a couple Mora ice augars and they work really well . Berkley Power wigglers for bait { they came with the Berkley Ice combos I got last week } but didnt get any bites . Moved to Ringneck and the ice there was 3.5 to 4" thick . Drilled about 8 ice at different spots and caught a 3" gill . It started getting late so we headed out . Stopped at Bluegrass Pit & checked the info board - there wasnt anything about it being closed for waterfowl so we check the ice - left of the ramp { the ice at the ramp was mushy } out about 10 feet the ice was only 2" thick so we took some quick photos and packed it in . I would say that the smaller pits and lakes are safe but its a good idea to Google ice fishing and read up on how to gauge ice before heading out . After I find the adapter for the camera I will upload some pics .
Stay safe .

Bassmanic1:

Ice should be at Least 4" thick before you go out onto the ice. Remember that water flows though Bluegrass, Loon and Otter Pits and running water will not freeze as fast as water that's standing still.

The fish may be on the bottom feeding on small worms. That's where the warmest water will be found when it's cloudy out side and the ice is covered in snow during the winter months.

Also the water on those three big pits is very deep and there is a large amount of water in those pits. So it will take a lot longer for the water to loose enough energy in order for it to freeze.

The shallower pits may be thick enough to ice fish on but I would be very careful going onto the ice in any of those pits.

Better call Sugar Ridge and see if what they say about ice fishing on Bluegrass Pits. You can call them at (812) 789-2724

Some things to keep with you when venturing out onto the ice. Ropes, warm blankets, extra set of dry cloths, heater, and a ladder to help with ice rescues. A ladder will help spread your weight out over the ice and keep you from falling though the ice and it can extend your reach to help rescue victims that fall though the ice.

Up North the ice is a lot thicker and safer.

Please be very careful out there and stay off the ice until it's 4" at all spots you check.

You worry me when you talk about going onto the ice that's only 2" thick. That water is extremely cold and you won't last very long if you fall into that cold water.

[QUOTE=bassmanic1;395757]Hey guys ,
Me and my brother went up to Bluegrass to check the ice thickness - tried Otter Pit first and ice was 3" out 20-30 yds from ramp . I have a couple Mora ice augars and they work really well . Berkley Power wigglers for bait { they came with the Berkley Ice combos I got last week } but didn't get any bites . Moved to Ringneck and the ice there was 3.5 to 4" thick . Drilled about 8 ice at different spots and caught a 3" gill . It started getting late so we headed out . Stopped at Bluegrass Pit & checked the info board - there wasn't anything about it being closed for waterfowl so we check the ice - left of the ramp { the ice at the ramp was mushy } out about 10 feet the ice was only 2" thick so we took some quick photos and packed it in . I would say that the smaller pits and lakes are safe but its a good idea to Google ice fishing and read up on how to gage ice before heading out . After I find the adapter for the camera I will upload some pics .
Stay safe .[/QUOTE]

Sorry to worry ya - we only tested the ice on the big pit and didnt hang around . Not having a tape measure I used my index finger to measure it { thats 3.5 inches , I just checked } the ice thickness on Ringneck was past my finger so its at least 4" if not more . Here is a link for the DNR web site on ice fishing saftey [url]http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3601.htm[/url] and I agree that people should not be out on ice until its 3.5 to 4 iches thick . Also avoid large cracks , cloudy ice , ice with lots of bubbles in it and listen for tell tale booming and cracking . The ice we fished was clear , if its snow covered use your boot to sweep it aside to check . Never jump up & down or run - slide over the surface . Wear a life jacket and we always take some long rope tied to the truck . I carry all the gear on a plastic kids sled and pull it to each hole . Dress in layers and take breaks in the truck to warm up . Really wish I had some tip-up's !

I almost drove over to bluegrass yesterday but didn't get around to it. Thanks for the tips and safety message. I hope other's read this and stay safe.

If it's close to being 4" thick that should make for some good fishing.

Right out from the ramp at Otter pit it drops down from 10 ft to 25 ft before again dropping down to around 50 ft deep. That 25 ft shelf may hold some crappie in the winter months. And if the sun comes out any t hey may suspend in the 10 ft range or come up onto the top of that 10ft deep shelf. Sometimes they can be found right under the ice near shore.



[QUOTE=bassmanic1;395798]Sorry to worry ya - we only tested the ice on the big pit and didnt hang around . Not having a tape measure I used my index finger to measure it { thats 3.5 inches , I just checked } the ice thickness on Ringneck was past my finger so its at least 4" if not more . Here is a link for the DNR web site on ice fishing saftey [URL]http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3601.htm[/URL] and I agree that people should not be out on ice until its 3.5 to 4 iches thick . Also avoid large cracks , cloudy ice , ice with lots of bubbles in it and listen for tell tale booming and cracking . The ice we fished was clear , if its snow covered use your boot to sweep it aside to check . Never jump up & down or run - slide over the surface . Wear a life jacket and we always take some long rope tied to the truck . I carry all the gear on a plastic kids sled and pull it to each hole . Dress in layers and take breaks in the truck to warm up . Really wish I had some tip-up's ![/QUOTE]

We returned to Ringneck today , fished for about 2 hours & caught 3 small gill and I had a 3" bass hit my meal worm . The Warden stopped and checked our lis. , said he didnt like getting on ice . Measured and ice was 4" thick . Drove over to the back ramp on Bluegrass Pit and ice was 3.5 - 4" thick every where we checked . Didnt get any bites and feet got cold so we headed home . Forecast for later in week is in the 40's by mid-week so this may be the only time we get to ice fish around here .

Me and a few friends fished a stripper pit northeast of bluegrass on saturday and filled a 5 gallon bucket with crappie, a few gills, and 1 rock bass. Caught a few largemouth as well. All crappie were between 8 and 12''. Someone else that was there before us caught a 6lb bass. These were all caught in 6' of water or less. It was a great day of fishing. Ice was 4-5'' thick and clear. You could see the fish through the ice once you cleared the snow off.

A couple of friends and I fished a small watershed lake (4 acres) in southern Indiana on Saturday. Ice was 4 inches. Caught 35 bluegill and redear on 1/16 ounce teardrop jigs tipped with a bee moth. Fish were caught in 10 to 12 feet of water fishing just off the bottom.

Fished Sunday on a private 3 acre lake. Same baits and techniques worked again. Caught about 60 on Sunday mostly gills. All fish caught both days were just decent eating sized with only 3-4 really nice ones.