05-17-2008, 03:16 AM
To me, ice-off does not necessarily mean a lake free of ice. Good ice-off fishing, in my experience, has been when the ice ha chunked up and begun to move and clear-off the lake. This can sometimes be a dangerous time to fish, but it is the hot-action time.
My experience has mostly been at the Gorge. I know the trout, especially the lakers cruise right in the 0-5 foot range, just under the chunks and floats. Then, the firts 2-3 days after it is good, then it is not the "ice-off" hot action as was. I have caught many lakers (but not huge ones) this way with a small bucktail hairy jig, that sinks slowly.
My opinion is that the fish take the chunks and floats for "safe structure" and feel very confident and aggressive feeding around it. I have never put my head in water that cold to look up how it looks from below, but maybe the fish use the chunks as stalking points or something. Look at me here, trying to figure out what goes on in fish brains about the size of a penny and smaller.
With that I will also agree that ice-off is a narrow period of time, but the action can be great. I don't get too many opportunities to fish this period at the Berry. The end of April and May-June provide few fishing days for me.
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My experience has mostly been at the Gorge. I know the trout, especially the lakers cruise right in the 0-5 foot range, just under the chunks and floats. Then, the firts 2-3 days after it is good, then it is not the "ice-off" hot action as was. I have caught many lakers (but not huge ones) this way with a small bucktail hairy jig, that sinks slowly.
My opinion is that the fish take the chunks and floats for "safe structure" and feel very confident and aggressive feeding around it. I have never put my head in water that cold to look up how it looks from below, but maybe the fish use the chunks as stalking points or something. Look at me here, trying to figure out what goes on in fish brains about the size of a penny and smaller.
With that I will also agree that ice-off is a narrow period of time, but the action can be great. I don't get too many opportunities to fish this period at the Berry. The end of April and May-June provide few fishing days for me.
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