Now that the water here is getting colder here panfish have really started to slow down. What are your favorite cold water tactics?
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Now that the water here is getting colder here panfish have really started to slow down. What are your favorite cold water tactics?
Deep and slow, very slow.
And I have caught them on top within days of Christmas when the sun was shining.
"Deep and slow" is great advice.
1/80 oz microjig under an indicator usually does the ticket here in cold weather...although this technique works year-round, it is one of the best techniques to use right up until the ice forms on our lakes/ponds, and also immediately after it melts off. You can adjust depth until you find the fish.
Often here when TVA has dropped the lake levels, you can find many shallow points to fish from. When the sun is on the water, Bluegill and Crappie will often corral up the minnows and small threadfin shad in the shallow coves as the water warms quicker. No ice over to keep them hanging in the thermocline makes fishing the shallows possible.
<Ding><Ding><Ding>Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluegill Budd
We have a winner. This forms an excellent starting point in formulating a strategy. Large terrestrials, even fished as dries, have worked for at all times of the year. If you tie your own, try tying parachutes in brown or mottled brown to represent large spiders on the water. Fish them over water which is relatively deep and moving very slowly. Try hanging a dropper off it. Chartreuse and red seems to be a good winter color combination for me. You fish might prefer different colors.
For whatever it is worth, I saw bugs flying around just a few minutes ago.
Regards,
Ed
Water in the low 30s anchor in 20 - 30 feet of water off of the weedy breaks. Cast small weighted nymphs and attractors with 15' to 18' of level 2# test Maxima to the deep side of the weeds and let the fly slowly sink down the face of the break. Don't expect the fish to hammer the fly because they wont.
My fishing partner and I have cought a lot of nice bluegills this way only to go back the next day and not be able to get on the lale because of the ice. Then we wait a couple weeks and just walk out th the fishing spot.
Jerry
Well up here the first thing you do is drill a hole in the ice and then put your deer hair jig slowly down the hole.:)
We hurt for you, until about July...
;)
Ed