So are all my bigger fish in a one acre pond out in the deep in the winter??? I always been told fish go deeper in the winter because the water is warmer. Are the 3 and 4 inch BG out there hanging out with the 15 inch bass?? Is that why you should have a few xmas trees out deeper for cover?? How do they all get along out there?? Must be kind of stressfull to say the least?

Thanks,

You have that right RC. That's why I have deep brush piles as well. I see them all there with the aquaview when I look this time of year. They get along just like they do in 3 feet when its warm just a lot slower.

Odd thing this year is the tshad and HSB have been near surface a bunch. Yesterday 73F , a winter bloom going on and tshad on the surface feeding. Every few mints a HSB would bust up through the school on the surface.

I've got YOY bluegill along the shoreline in the weeds in the open water created by my diffuser in my biggest pond. And it doesn't matter what the ambient temp is. I guess there are exceptions to everything.

Bill Cody thinks they are feeding on zooplankton created by the light due to a lack of blocking ice and snow.

I believe younger fish are more temperature tolerant, correct?, thus making giving them more tendency to roam the middle of the water column, as opposed to the larger, older fish which would hang out in the deeper, warmer water. I'm not sure if this is true, just a theory from my observations.

Hey thanks everyone for the info. Eric I remember you talking about putting xmas trees in deeper what and I was wonder why?? I am starting to get! Takes me a little longer than most but I get it eventually!!

Thanks,

You may be right. I've only seen large fish in shallow water in winter when there is an oxygen problem and they come up higher in the water column.

Where are the fish? Just think about the following in the context of fish biology - staying alive and well - in this order - 1 breathing ,2 safety/stress/food (equal weight) and 3 reproduction. After that you are on your own.