Breaking ice to fish in western WA 1/30/2025

Starman77

Starman77

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Was surprised to find all this ice on a western WA lake yesterday; almost all the visible water in this photo is fresh, clear ice, except for some open water on the far left and at the far end of the lake. Some of the ice was one inch thick. Fortunately for me, this boater broke the ice for me so I could get out for a little fishing. Only found fish in the 11 to 16 inch range. Here's a photo of a 16 inch rainbow that was the largest and nicest fish of the day:

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Also landed a couple of cutts, but they were very thin, like they were starving:

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Kind of limited as to where I could fish due to the ice, and due to feeling like I was getting hypothermia I quit early. Seems like the Seeger Effect has even meandered over to western WA! :)

Rex
 
I’m not that surprised. We’ve actually encountered small patches of salty ice out there the last couple weeks. Thought I was going to have to be like you and dangle the dogs from the tube in a frigid lake this weekend but alas, the SRC gods blessed us with decent fishing last weekend and solid tides tomorrow. The feet will stay dry but the eyeballs may freeze solid running spot to spot.
 
Well, after two weeks of not fishing, I decided to get out yesterday (2/20/2025) to that same lake where I had to break ice to fish (no ice at all this time), and was rewarded for the effort by hooking this fat 21 incher on my 6th cast of the day:

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Also landed 16 other smaller fish in the 11 to 15 inch range (both rainbows and cutts). All the cutts were very thin, like they are starving, but if they are starving, why aren't the rainbows also similarly thin?

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Starman77 said:
Well, after two weeks of not fishing, I decided to get out yesterday (2/20/2025) to that same lake where I had to break ice to fish (no ice at all this time), and was rewarded for the effort by hooking this fat 21 incher on my 6th cast of the day:

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Also landed 16 other smaller fish in the 11 to 15 inch range (both rainbows and cutts). All the cutts were very thin, like they are starving, but if they are starving, why aren't the rainbows also similarly thin?

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Gorgeous 'Bow, nice Cuttie too!
 
NRC said:
The cutts I’ve caught at that lake have also been pretty skinny.
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I wonder if there's been a fish food shortage at the hatchery for the cutts? Doesn't seem like all the cutts would be so thin otherwise. In a natural environment, some of the fish are thin and others not so thin, just due to the availability of food and the competition for that food.
 
Bambooflyguy said:
In some of the wet side lakes the cutts they winter stock are big head skinny brooders…..
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I know those broodstock cutts at the lake you often fish, but these ones are fresh 11 to 12 inchers that were planted in November. Yeah, there probably isn't much natural food for the fish in the winter, but I think these cutts were planted in an emaciated state.
 
Starman77 said:
I know those broodstock cutts at the lake you often fish, but these ones are fresh 11 to 12 inchers that were planted in November. Yeah, there probably isn't much natural food for the fish in the winter, but I think these cutts were planted in an emaciated state.
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Do stocked fish take time to get accustomed to natural food? I wonder if because they have been eating pellets all their life, there’s a learning curve to the food supply in lakes. I’m no fish biologist, anyone know of any studies like this?
 
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