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Posts: 4
| if they have the choice between a iced area vs a non iced spot where do you think they will stay? |
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Posts: 3479
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | At that point in time of the year? The warmest water they have available.
Steve |
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Posts: 4
| yeah!
considering most of them prefer to stay deep during that time of the year,i don't think the temperature could be affected at lets say 20 feet,even if there is some huge pieces of ice |
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Posts: 317
| Who says they stay deep? I see them cruising under clear ice on shallow flats all the time. |
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Posts: 32880
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Me too. Lots of muskie related ice video all winter in less than 10'. |
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Posts: 8772
| MuskyStalker - 12/19/2012 10:02 PM
Who says they stay deep? I see them cruising under clear ice on shallow flats all the time.
Makes sense. I'm sure there's some sunlight that penetrates the ice and probably warms up the shallow water underneath. They still have to eat. Maybe not as much or as often, but it's not like the fish hibernate. |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I don't mean this to be a generic answer, but I would think you'll find them where the best structure/food is. I suppose that could be temperature related, but I'd guess more likely related to bottom content or other form of food holding structure.
Tucker |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | Last year I was Ice fishing one of my favorite crappie lakes. I went out the day that the sun melted all of the snow off the top of the ice (pretty much every day last year). it was a bright sunny day out and there was roughly 8"s of ice. While sitting in the house I kept seeing dark shadows under the ice, under me feet. Thought it was strange at first. Caught a crappie, and got her all most all the way to the hole and my ice rod LOADED big time and the line snapped. Not to long after that I dropped my buddies Aqua View down the hole and the shadow under the ice was 2 different Muskies patrolling the area. both swam through the spot I kept seeing shadows at. Maybe they thought they knew where to get a free meal. Even saw one swim right through the center of my hole bout 6 inchs down. All of this time I was in about 14 FOW. The Muskies were maybe 6 - 12 inches under the ice. Close enough to where I was able to see their shadows through the ice.
I don't think they stick to one depth range or another. I think the ice season is much like the warm weather season they do what the want when they want. Whether it is to eat or just hang. They ARE the apex predator in the lakes and rivers where they live. If they want to do something, they will, and if not, they wont. |
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Posts: 284
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I have seen 6 muskies in the past couple of years on my Aqua Vu under the ice. They have all been 10-15' down in 20-25' of water patrolling brush piles and sunken trees that were holding gills and crappies.
All of them have been curious and came up point blank range to check out my camera. |
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Posts: 1060
Location: Palm Coast, FL | The Indiana DNR tracked one during the winter one year. THey followed it into the Backwater Lake area (all 5' or less) for an extended period of time while covered in ice. |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | I lost a low 40" last year moving a tip up. She grabbed a 4" sucker about 3' below the ice over 15 FOW as I was brining it up to move. I saw her eat it through the hole, pretty cool. I got too excited and thought it would be a good idea to get her head in the whole while she shook her head... *sigh* At least I had a buddy with as a witness. |
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Posts: 1290
Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | Studies have shown that in some rivers they are in the spawning areas, in shallow water, under the ice. In small rivers they go to the depest pool near the dam.
Warmest water is at the bottom; 39 degress...heaviest water; where there is enough depth. Coldest water of course is just under the ice. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | First ice they are all over the weed lines and shallow. Shortly after the ice thickens and more and more noise is on top of the ice they tend to stay deeper. Always muskies in all areas but the 12 to 14 ft area is great for the first few weeks of new ice. Mid winter lots of them hang out suspended and target deep water perch. We always have muskies grabbing perch while jigging them off the bottom of the deepest water in the lake. |
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