Ice fishing carp and feb 9 ice fish pigeon

[jay27fish]

during the summer me and the boys like to sit back drink beer and fish carp we dont keep them just like the fight just wondering if it is possible to ice fish for this thing is so i might have to try it they put up a good fight lol

and i went ice fishing on pigeon lake off of kenedon drive today looking for panfish and did not get any but i found a massive swarm of perch that just would not bite had to be at least 50 at the bottom of the hole hopefully once this storm hits that will boost there hunger

let me no how kawartha ice fishing is going for everyone else becasue im yet to catch any numbers.

[Jer]

At least you found some, Jay. How was the ice in that area?

 

From what I've seen on Buckhorn & Chemong, the perch can be very finicky. Sometimes the slightest twitch of your jig will scatter them. If you see fish around your bait, try slowly lifting and get the fish to chase.

 

Our best luck has come on a lively minnow on a small hook. Even then you can watch numerous fish mouth at the bait, but very few that will commit.

 

Late afternoon into evening seems to bring on a more aggressive bite.

[Michael_Brown]

Funny you should mention the carp through the ice topic. There was a thread about this a while ago on this board. I have been doing my research on the topic and have an area picked out to fish.

The concept of a 20lb carp on a 24inch ice rod sounds like a lot of fun to me.

When the festival is over and life slows down a bit for me this winter I will be spending a good week fishing for carp. I have never caught one in the winter and don't know anyone who has targeted them through the ice, so kind of unknown territory.

Your allowed two lines some one will have a boilie an the other will be catching panfish to pass the time.

 

Feel free to join me.

[pooch]

Carp through the ice, now that would be nice! My buddy and I have been discussing icing a carp too. I might get out next week to give it a try.

 

Where are you thinking Mike? I might give little lake a try wed or thurs. I might have to invest in a 10" auger...

 

What kind of set up?

[Michael_Brown]

I have a spot picked out on Lower Chemong. It meets the profile I researched in some europeon carp articles. I have 30lbs of corn that I plan on using for chum. I am going to start chumming the area next week every couple of days using three holes 10 feet apart in a triangle. I think this should bring the fish in to feed. The plan is to set up inside the triangle. I don't think my 6 inch auger will work but hey I'll try anything once. I am going to use my portable hut so I may be able to see fish moving around.

My set rod will be balanced with the bail open to allow smooth line flow when the fish takes the bait and then...well I guess I will hold on and probably do a lot of yelling.

 

I love a challenge.

 

I found this picture posted by Beans a while back. It is one of the coolest photos I have seen in a while. Insert me in the photo hopefully next week.

Edited February 11, 2010 by Michael Brown

[Paully]

I have a spot picked out on Lower Chemong. It meets the profile I researched in some europeon carp articles. I have 30lbs of corn that I plan on using for chum. I am going to start chumming the area next week every couple of day using thre holes 10 feet apart in a triangle. I think this should bring the fish in to feed. The plan is to set up inside the triangle. I don't think my 6 inch auger will work but hey I'll try anything once. I am going to use my portable hut so I may be able to see fish moving around.

My set rod will be ballanced with the bail open to allow smooth line flow when the fish takes the bait and then...well I guess I will hold on and probably do a lot of yelling.

 

I love a challenge.

 

I found this picture posted by Beans a while back. It is one of my coolest photos I have seen in a while. Insert me in the photo hopefully next week.

 

Let us know how you do..

Sounds like you got a good plan.

[MJL]

I have a spot picked out on Lower Chemong. It meets the profile I researched in some europeon carp articles. I have 30lbs of corn that I plan on using for chum. I am going to start chumming the area next week every couple of days using three holes 10 feet apart in a triangle. I think this should bring the fish in to feed. The plan is to set up inside the triangle. I don't think my 6 inch auger will work but hey I'll try anything once. I am going to use my portable hut so I may be able to see fish moving around.

My set rod will be balanced with the bail open to allow smooth line flow when the fish takes the bait and then...well I guess I will hold on and probably do a lot of yelling.

 

I love a challenge.

 

I found this picture posted by Beans a while back. It is one of the coolest photos I have seen in a while. Insert me in the photo hopefully next week.

 

I can tell you you’re not the only one who’s dying to try getting a carp through the ice.

 

I have a couple friends in the US (New York) who have successfully targeted and landed a fair number of carp through the ice (biggest for them is 28lbs). From what they tell me, carp generally tend to school up in large numbers (possibly by the thousands) and over winter together. The challenge is to find these large schools of fish rather than trying to attract them to your hole with chum – They generally don’t swim very far for food (if at all). My friends have tried chumming with some success but believe that finding the right location was the key factor.

 

Been a seasoned carp angler myself for the last 20 or so years. I normally cut way back on the amount of food I chum in the late fall and just concentrate on deep holes or deep river channels which I believe is where they will over winter. Most places I fish for carp from spring through fall usually range in depths from 15-30ft at their deepest spots. I usually look for these depths late in the season. Conversely during the pre-spawn in spring, I might fish the same river/lake/pond and look for 1-4ft depths.

 

You have to remember that while carp thrive just about anywhere, they are cold blooded and when the water’s cold, they don’t really need to feed – Like koi in a backyard pond in winter which can go months without eating. Save the 30lbs of corn for pre-spawn period when they really have the feedbag going for carbs with some protein mixed in. If you want to chum your holes, try to do it with something more digestible to the carp than maize (aka field corn, cattle/cow corn) in smaller quantities.

 

In terms of baits to try, my friends have actually done well using standard baits you’d use for perch, crappies and walleyes (like twister tail grubs and tubes ranging in size from micros to 3”). If you want to try your hand at using conventional carp baits, sweet corn, bread and various dough pastes have worked for me during January thaws when the water was still quite cold. My friends in the UK have good results using maggots, tiger nuts, oat groats mixed with condensed milk (for chum), boilies with a low oil content, low oil trout pellets lassoed to the hook with small dental rubber bands used for braces – mind you, most waters in the UK don’t freeze over like they do here and temps are a lot colder here in Canada. If you plan to flavour your baits with oil, don’t unless it’s a winterized one (you can get a winterized salmon oil in the UK developed just for carp fishing – doubt you can get it here in Canada). Oils tend to congeal at cold temps and whatever flavours you are trying to get out of the oil, don’t disperse as well in cold water. Carp also have trouble digesting it in cold temps.

 

There is one theory floating around which states that carp don’t feed when the water is below 50 degrees F. They can’t digest food at temps below 50F and whatever carp you do hook have taken the bait out of curiosity rather than hunger. No clue if this is true but I’m really interested in knowing how you do. Keep us posted

Edited February 11, 2010 by MJL