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| I have a question regarding how a harsh winter effects spring weed growth.
Question #1: Does a harsh winter effect spring week growth? More specifically, what factors will cause spring weed growth to be delayed?
Does ice thickness effect spring weed growth; If ice is very thick, will shallow weeds take longer to develop and maybe slightly deeper weeds then develop quicker (maybe related to oxegen)? Does the amount of snow on the ice late in the year effect shallow weed growth (maybe related to sunlight)? Or is weed growth more specifically related to water temps after the ice goes out?
Question #2: I have always thought early in the year, you will find fish were early weed growth exists. However, I am beginning to beleive that wood including cribs tend to be an equally, if not more consitant, holder of fish early in the year. Any thoughts? | |
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Posts: 2024
| I am by no means an expert on plant physiology, but would imagine the photoperiod (amount of light) would be the limiting factor. Plants need light to complete photosynthesis. When you have a thick layer of ice and lots of snow on top blocking light from penetrating into the water, this is how winterkills occur. It shouldn't matter how thick the ice is as long as light can reach the plants beneath. Long time period + ice + lots of snow = poor weed growth. As with most other processes, temperature serves to increase or decrease development. Rapid warming is typically associated with a boom in weed growth, particularly in spring. | |
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Location: Twin Cities | Harsh winter, probably not. Late winter like 08? Definitely. | |
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Posts: 74
Location: thunder bay | your telling me we had ice till june in canada in 08 | |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Look for this years snow and early ice to knock down the weeds and unless we have a early Spring we are going to have a very slow sparce weed growth again this Spring.
Here in Southeastern Wisconsin it will be no good weeds again this Opener. All of the good weed beds have almost all layed down. More than usual at this time of the season. Ice fishing will again be easy because the tallest and thickest weeds will hold the most action(bait and preditors).
Lots of snow and thick ice cuts down the light and the weeds drop to the bottom more than if the ice was thin with no snow. I personally like it when its like this. Milfoil is way down in Spring and the cabbage and other native plants will be the strong ones with a head start on the milfoil.
Get out on your lake after a few calm days before the season openes and check out all of the structure, rocks, cabbage, logs, cribs, and other hidden stuff that the milfoil covers up after the opener. Milfoil grows so fast in Spring it covers up stuff most people never know is there. | |
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Question: How does a hard winter effect spring habitat?