By Tim Moore:
“Caution” is the most important word in this entire forecast. There is no such thing as safe ice, and early ice is the most unpredictable of the season. Ice forms in different stages based on temperature fluctuations, current, and several other variables and you should always check the thickness as you go. That said, early ice is some of the most productive ice fishing of the season. The colder water temperatures and newly formed layers of ice causes fish to feed aggressively and often, especially on cloudy days.
Panfish anglers will find many good opportunities for crappie and bluegill. Early in the morning, look for crappie to be suspended over deep basins as they feed on baitfish and plankton. Our favorite jigs are spoons, such as a 1/8 ounce Blade Spoon from Clam Pro Tackle (www.ClamOutdoors.com). Tip it with a few spikes and Tim Moore makes a great catch while ice fishing.you should be good to go. Just remember that you can’t use treble hooks with bait through the ice so you will need to swap out the treble for a single hook. Weed beds will still be green and bluegill will be using these oxygen-rich areas for feeding and resting. If you did some fall fishing and noticed thick weed beds, you might want to head back to those areas and drop a size 12 Drop jig tipped with your favorite Makiplastic or a few spikes.
Lake trout lakes, such as Lake Winnipesaukee, opened on January 1st. Now is a great time to take advantage of some early season lake trout and white perch fishing. Lake trout will be lurking around humps in 30’ to 40’ of water. Drop the new Elite Ice jig or our signature series Whisperer from Daddy Mac Lures (www.DaddyMacLures.com) on a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce jig head to the bottom and slowly work the lure toward the surface.
White perch ice fishing is some of the most exciting ice fishing we offer as a guide service. A size 12 Epoxy drop tipped with spikes or a small piece of crawler is the ticket. Make sure you have your lake trout rod ready because the lakers will often follow schools of white perch and pick up any scraps left behind after a feeding frenzy. These fish are our specialty and when we aren’t busy guiding for them, we will be busy at our New England Ice Fishing Academy (www.NEIceFishingAcademy.com) teaching anglers about these species and how to catch them through the ice.
If you are looking for something to do off the ice, check out the Rockingham Fishing and Hunting Expo (www.RockinghamExpo.com) on January10-11, 2015, for our exhibit and also one from Clam Outdoors. There is no shortage of activities this month.
FORECAST BY: Tim Moore is a nationally recognized professional angler and owner of Tim Moore Outdoors LLC, offering NH kayak fishing charters and Lake Winnipesaukee ice fishing charters. He is a pro staff member for several local and national companies, and the producer of Tim Moore Outdoors TV. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.