Ice Fishing

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K&M

K&M

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I know Lake Powell isn't the place to ice fish, but I have a question I was thinking maybe Wayne, or some of you seasoned fishermen would know the answer to. If folks are successful icefishing, why is it so hard to catch fish when the water is cold, but not frozen?? Why is it so hard to find a good fishing lake in the winter months? I understand the fish go more dormant and go deeper, but what's the deal with icefishing, then?
 
That is a good question! I never ice fished until I moved to Wyoming, but the success rate can be phenomenal, after learning techniques....and particularly, locations. I think the success rate in cold water is due to the precision in locating fish holding areas, and being able to present a bail/lure very slowly or not even moving at all at the exact depth where the fish are. Even when fish are lethargic, they will often respond when a bait is repeatedly, slowly dangled right in their face!
 
K&M We ice fish some but we love Powell in the winter. Catching fish in both ventures is similar, you have to find the fish. We went
Dec 20 thru 23 -yes during very cold front and had to stay off the lake Thurs. but still caught fish and never saw another boat. Finding fish was the hard part finally found stripers around 70 ft and walleye that were willing to bite in one location about 50 ft. Not big numbers this trip but we have had trips in the winter when we did.
 
OK, you guys are getting my hopes up for some winter fishing on Powell. We are going to try the south end (never have fished it) in Jan. If anyone has ideas as to where to go for walleye, crappie--(sadly, as folks on this forum all seem to be biggest striper fishermen, and we are not, but will still fish them if nothing else is biting!) Any suggestions as to where to go, other than the obvious, points and drop offs? As well as does anyone regularly get a motel room? Any suggestions as to a good, inexpensive place to stay that is handy for our boat? Thanks for your help and suggestions!
 
We stayed at the Wahweap Hotel last April for less than $100 per day breakfast included....restaurant available for all meals. Parked the boat on the trailer just outside the room. Safe and convenient....two minutes from the launch ramp. Chuck
 
cfulton said:
We stayed at the Wahweap Hotel last April for less than $100 per day breakfast included....restaurant available for all meals. Parked the boat on the trailer just outside the room. Safe and convenient....two minutes from the launch ramp. Chuck
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Thanks, Chuck! Good to know
 
K&M said:
OK, you guys are getting my hopes up for some winter fishing on Powell. We are going to try the south end (never have fished it) in Jan. If anyone has ideas as to where to go for walleye, crappie--(sadly, as folks on this forum all seem to be biggest striper fishermen, and we are not, but will still fish them if nothing else is biting!) Any suggestions as to where to go, other than the obvious, points and drop offs? As well as does anyone regularly get a motel room? Any suggestions as to a good, inexpensive place to stay that is handy for our boat? Thanks for your help and suggestions!
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We really like to fish for stripers so we did that again today. In Warm Creek and near Lone Rock fish are holding on the bottom at 70-100 feet. If you see a school on the bottom and drop a spoon into the school you will catch fish. It is more common to see scattered fish in the water column from the bottom to mid depth. They are chasing small shad groups that are trying to escape by swimming at mid depth. We caught 15 stripers by speed reeling spoons to mid depth and dropping them back to the bottom and doing it again. It would have been easier to catch them trolling shad lures with down riggers as stated above. The fish about wore us out.

I was thrilled to see how fat and healthy the stripers were in January. It was flat calm, beautiful and we caught fish too. I like it.
 
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