Early ice off fish

[Billy]

An oldie but goodie with @troutpocket: This year @Irafly and I (mostly I) dragged and wheeled a little boat into the far end of Quincy due to ice. Kinda wish I still had that little boat.

I'll have to dig up a few more as we painfully wait for open water. Let's see those early ice off fish both from the past and present

 

[Freestone]

I found some open water yesterday and was pretty excited! Probably only 10-20% was ice-free but it was easily accessed. I excitedly changed out of my street clothes and bundled up before exiting the rig. I opened the back and opened my hidden compartment where I keep a rod and flies stashed. The flies, tippet, forceps, etc. were there but no rod! Crap.

 

[mcswny]

An oldie but goodie with @troutpocket: View attachment 4173This year @Irafly and I (mostly I) dragged and wheeled a little boat into the far end of Quincy due to ice. Kinda wish I still had that little boat. View attachment 4175

I'll have to dig up a few more as we painfully wait for open water. Let's see those early ice off fish both from the past and present

Pigs!

 

[Stonedfish]

Less then stellar pic quality.
A couple March 1st opener fish from lakes no longer open March 1st.
Just remember, you need triploids to grow bigger fish.
SF

 

[Tallguy]

What I find interesting with all the healthy fish pictures is how well they are apparently feeding and growing under that ice when "they are sluggish and their metabolism is slow". Seems unlikely thats really true, right? Why aren't they skinny?? Plus, I used to ice fish growing up in NH, and you could sometimes have non stop action on some trout lakes once in awhile..

 

[dep]

great photos. I'm ready to go fishing!

 

[Bob Rankin]

Here is a big ugly from last March

 

[Buzzy]

January 22, 2021 - two weeks later the lake froze over again

 

[Pez Vela]

Here’s one from today…good start for the 1st fish of the year!

 

[troutpocket]

Not a trophy but a cool early season catch from last year.

 

[Irafly]

An oldie but goodie with @troutpocket: View attachment 4173This year @Irafly and I (mostly I) dragged and wheeled a little boat into the far end of Quincy due to ice. Kinda wish I still had that little boat. View attachment 4175

I'll have to dig up a few more as we painfully wait for open water. Let's see those early ice off fish both from the past and present

I barely had my waders on and you were gone with that boat! What a beast you were, I was impressed. It was nice to pretty much have all those fish to ourselves that year.

 

[Bob Rankin]

Found a few more March pics from yesteryears.

 

[Billy]

Couple January's ago

 

[Scudley Do Right]

An oldie but goodie with @troutpocket: View attachment 4173This year @Irafly and I (mostly I) dragged and wheeled a little boat into the far end of Quincy due to ice. Kinda wish I still had that little boat. View attachment 4175

I'll have to dig up a few more as we painfully wait for open water. Let's see those early ice off fish both from the past and present

I recognize that boat

 

[Billy]

I recognize that boat

Ha that's right!

 

[Shawn Seeger]

You boys are killing me... I am not quite ready to haul my ass over the pass... But sure wished I was because on days like this I would be hauling ass over the pass!!!

 

[Old Man]

What happened to all your snow. The temp right now here in Butte in 50. That's half of 100. The snow is melting and there a puddles all over the place. What is weird is that when the sun goes down it all freezes up again. It would be nice if the temp stayed at about 40 0ver night then all this white slippery shit would leave. But it's only Feb. Likely to have more snow before we get to spring.

 

[krusty]

What I find interesting with all the healthy fish pictures is how well they are apparently feeding and growing under that ice when "they are sluggish and their metabolism is slow". Seems unlikely thats really true, right? Why aren't they skinny?? Plus, I used to ice fish growing up in NH, and you could sometimes have non stop action on some trout lakes once in awhile..

Just speculation, but the other part of the body mass equation is metabolic rate and survival behavior/necessity.

Some animals, such as deer, actually tend to gain weight during the winter as their metabolism slows...if they have adequate access to food, water, and no reason to expend a lot of calories.

I suspect salmonid subsurface prey (like dragonfly nymphs who spend most of their life in that stage) metabolism also slows during winter, and may be correspondingly easier to capture.

Lacustrine trout also are able to conserve calories due to the absence of airborne predator threat during periods of ice-over.

Like a Superbowl watching coach potato with a plentiful supply of high calorie snacks/beverages within easy reach, a hog of a trout probably only moves his fat ass when a juicy crawdad blunders into easy range.