Safe Ice ?

[bassmanic1]

To late now ! Its been so warm here that the ice isnt safe anymore . A guy at work said his buddy caught 50 gill on the 16th through 4" of ice . Said he had a 20lb cat on and called to his fishing partners to come look since it wouldnt fit through the hole and said the ice started cracking when they got there so he cut the line and they spread out . Maybe in Feb. we will get cold weather long enough to get some ice fishing in S. IN .

[daniel240]

anyone been out the last day or two? I would like to go out this weekend but Im sure the ice is too thin now.

[WMAMOS]

anyone been out the last day or two? I would like to go out this weekend but Im sure the ice is too thin now.

If you want ice fishing information go to www.iceshanty.com. click on "forum" and scroll down to the Indiana board. You will find some of the nicest folks around and the ice conditons are always available. Most of the Indiana members of iceshanty.com seem to live north of I-70 but finding southern indiana information is definitely possible.

I went a few times this year and didn't have the best of luck. I think we managed 25 keeper blue gill in four trips. I got into ice fishing a few years back and absolutely love it. Summitt Lake in New Castle seems to have the safest and earliest ice in Central Indiana and it has nice catches of blue gill, crappie, and even perch.

Unless we get an arctic blast I think it is safe to say that central/southern Indiana ice fishing is over for the season. It sounds like they are still in safe ice in norther Indiana. Some are reporting 6" of good ice. Summitt had 8 inches of good ice this past Sunday but with the warm weather and heavy rains its no longer safe.

[Moose1am]

Thanks for the information WMAMOS.

Did you all catch your fish near the bottom or close to the surface or somewhere in between.

I am trying to figure out how the sunlight and water temperature changes places the fish though out the daylight hours on clear ice or snow covered ice. And did you find any fish in the weeds. I read that live submergent vegetation can draw the fish into shallow water even when there is ice covering the lakes. As long as the sunlight can reach the plants and keep them photosynthesizing.

And you are so right that the area South of I-70 just stays too warm to get much good ice down here in the Southern Parts of the State.

You all get ice and snow and all we get down here is a lot of rain these days.

I know one spot that's probably loaded with big bass and crappie right now with the water's flowing though Bluegrass Pits where I fish. But it's still waterfowl hunting season with the extended snow geese season this winter. We can't fish Bluegrass as long as the waterfowl hunters are using the property. At least that's what I heard. But come March the waters should be open again to fishing. By that time the ice should all be gone. We have some shad killed because of the freezing weather and ice on one of these lakes. I took some pictures of the small (<4") gizzard shad that were trapped in the ice next to the shoreline or the edge of the concrete launch ramp at one of these lakes.


[quote=WMAMOS;315430]If you want ice fishing information go to www.iceshanty.com. click on "forum" and scroll down to the Indiana st folks around and the ice conditions are always available.

[WMAMOS]

[QUOTE=Moose1am;315451]Thanks for the information WMAMOS.

Did you all catch your fish near the bottom or close to the surface or somewhere in between.

I am trying to figure out how the sunlight and water temperature changes places the fish though out the daylight hours on clear ice or snow covered ice. And did you find any fish in the weeds. I read that live submergent vegetation can draw the fish into shallow water even when there is ice covering the lakes. As long as the sunlight can reach the plants and keep them photosynthesizing.

And you are so right that the area South of I-70 just stays too warm to get much good ice down here in the Southern Parts of the State.

You all get ice and snow and all we get down here is a lot of rain these days.

I know one spot that's probably loaded with big bass and crappie right now with the water's flowing though Bluegrass Pits where I fish. But it's still waterfowl hunting season with the extended snow geese season this winter. We can't fish Bluegrass as long as the waterfowl hunters are using the property. At least that's what I heard. But come March the waters should be open again to fishing. By that time the ice should all be gone. We have some shad killed because of the freezing weather and ice on one of these lakes. I took some pictures of the small (<4") gizzard shad that were trapped in the ice next to the shoreline or the edge of the concrete launch ramp at one of these lakes.

If you want ice fishing information go to www.iceshanty.com. click on "forum" and scroll down to the Indiana st folks around and the ice conditions are always available.

I'm not an expert by any stretch but most of my fish have always come a foot or two off the bottom or on top of the weeds. Summitts bays are full of weeds and thats where the bluegills flock.

Many of the veteran ice guys are fishing utilizing either electronics or cameras. Most I have talked to always target the top of the grass.