At sundown on Christmas Day, I scouted a lake that I want to fish in this spring. The purpose of the scouting trip was to see how much ice was on the lake, as I plan to go fishing earlier than ever in 2006.

I was amazed to see concentric rings appear pretty much everyplace there was open water. It was clear that fish were making these rings; what kind of fish, I have no idea.

The thing I'm curious about is whether this activity was evidence of a midge hatch; and if so, whether any of you have gone fishing in similar circumstances and actually caught some fish up around the top?

This lake had lots of edge ice extending out a considerable distance. The ice was rotting overall, its border melting away from a 3-day warming trend. The whole lake is probably ice-free now, which means I have a window of opportunity this weekend to hit my favorite spots.

Question for anyone who's experienced at winter fishing in lakes/ponds: Would a midge imitator be the way to go here, or should I try something meatier, like maybe a minnow imitator?

Joe

"Better small than not at all."