Reply With QuoteLive in southeast Indiana and have been out the last couple of days. I found 4" plus everywhere but drill your first of a dock if possible. Should be good ice though across the state. Better to be safe than sorry.
| Search Fishin.com |
Senior Member
Hey all ,
Just wondering if anyone in southern IN has been brave enough to venture out on any local lakes to test the ice and see how thick it is . I got a new augar last year and am itching to use it !
Tight lines
Live in southeast Indiana and have been out the last couple of days. I found 4" plus everywhere but drill your first of a dock if possible. Should be good ice though across the state. Better to be safe than sorry.
Member
I was out on some pits in boonville on monday. The ice was about an inch thick. Im sure by this weekend it should be good to walk on with the sub freezing temps we've had all week.Originally Posted by technonorb
Member
Well I just got back from fishing at Bluegrass. I fished Infinity pit, one of the smaller pits. The ice where I was was at least 6'' thick. I only fished for an hour but I caught 5 bluegills and something straightned my hook. I was fishing about a foot off the bottom using meal worms. I may go back tomorrow.
Senior Member
Good to know that Infinity Pit has some fish in it. Dan Carnahan said he could not find any fish in that pit in one of his survery reports.
The smaller and shallow pits may have some thick ice but it's warming up this coming few days. It's suppose to get up into the 50's one day.
Are all the deer hunters out of the woods now? I was leary of going into the woods with all the hunters toting rifles for deer this year. Bow season is one thing but gun season can be more dangerous.
At least there are not mosquitoes or ticks to bother us at this time of the year.
Did the ice have any snow on it? I am wondering if the sunlight can reach the underwater plants?
I would love to be able to survey all the lakes and pits on the Bluegrass F&W property and make topo maps of all of them.
I know some guys that were doing that with some of the older Depth Finders and a laptop computer. But with the new Sidescanning Sonar units that have come out over the last 2 years that job should get a lot easier and faster. One of the Kentucky Wildlife Guys who works for Kentucky DNR (not surew what they really call themselves..sorry) started his own business and he used a expensive sidescanning unit that he towed behind his boat. He's been mapping parts of KY and Barkley Lake for the last 4 or 5 years not.
We need someone to do that at Bluegrass Pit, Loon Pit and Otter pit.
A guy can dream, can't he?
Senior Member
Been the last three days. Ice is good in Pike and Dubois counties. We were either in them good or not at all. Caught several gills in the 9 to 9 1/2 inch range yesterday. Went back to the same place today and could not get a touch. Think I just got on the ice to late but will be back in the morning for another try. My friend fishing with me and using the same setup caught 5 bass all around 14 to 15 inches. I never caught one but it was fun watching him.
Member
I have always had good luck catching blue gill at infinity pit. I caught quite a few nice size ones this summer. There are still a lot of small ones in there as well. I caught a few bass over 14inches there this summer as well. There was no snow on the ice at infinity pit. A lot of it was very clear, Im sure some sunlight is gettign through. I walked across the entire pit and checked the ice in many places and everywhere was at least 6 inches. I was a little cautious because I could tell there had been geese there and I didnt know if they had kept spots from freezing, but I didnt find any.
As far as deer hunters, the last day of the season was january 6th. And bow season was the only thing that was in the last few weeks of the season.
I was hoping to go out one more time but this warm weather this week looks like I wont be able to. Once I found the right spot on saturday, the fish were really biting good.
Senior Member
Nice report and thanks for the feedback. I like to learn as much as I can about fishing. And all the information really helps.
Did you see any ice hockey players out there ? Just kidding. But I bet that ice would make for some good pond hockey games. Just need to build some boards to keep the puck from going too miles beyound the goal if you miss that slap shot. Been there done that. LOL Your turn to go retrieve the puck.
I have driven by Infinity map and figured it was not any different than the other pits on the property. Maybe the DNR sampler guys could not get the boat down that hill and just figured they would report that there were not any fish in that pit! LOL. Just kidding Dan!
Senior Member
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 .
Member
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.
Senior Member
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.
Senior Member
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.
Posting Permissions