|
Forums36
Topics40,962
Posts557,962
Members18,501
| |
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
|
|
|
1 members (Boondoggle),
823
guests, and
259
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 44
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 44 |
TJ,
That is scary enough that I have broken out my survival plan and put into action, be safe, I hope you all make it out alive!!
Scott,
That was funny last night and funnier today!! I like the screw reference, as if duck tape wouldn't do!!
Dave,
That is funny as well, but it only takes 250 pounds of sand in the back to weight my truck down enough to be able to drive like a pro!! And in 50 LBs bags, they are not going to be taken by anyone!! Of course, I did learn to drive in Ohio in the winter of '78 driving a 1970 Buick Rivera with a big block V-8 and rear-wheel drive!! Man that was fun, and no sissy anti-skid back then coming out of Detroit.
Don, I fly over your area a lot, I am glad I am at 350 in a climate controlled cockpit!! That is a lot of snow!!
Allen,
I'd bring my Go-Pro over, but I doubt I could get you out of your man cave to use it!!
I have been told that my pond is up, but until the big thaw happens, there is no way to get there!!!! I am so close to full pool that I can't stand it anymore!!!!
Brian
The one thing is the one thing
A dry fly catches no fish
Try not to be THAT 10%
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
|
|
Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277 |
Brian, once that sand gets wet, how much does the 50 pound bag weigh?
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300
Moderator
|
|
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300 |
Tony, I'm not sure of a specific temp they shut down, because they really respond to slight temp changes. I've caught them in big time fronts, where the water temp only rose a few degrees. In my forage pond, they'll move shallow later in the day when that water warms up slightly. I bought one of those laser temperature gauges, so I'll try to get a better feel for it. I could care less if it's totally accurate, as long as it's consistently inaccurate.
What's interesting is the perception that Florida strain LMB shut off in cold weather also. They don't. It just takes a different approach. CNBG may be exactly the same. If I owned more than one pair of socks and closed toed shoes, I'd be out there trying to figure it out.
Last edited by FireIsHot; 02/07/14 10:18 AM.
AL
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 44
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 44 |
Brian, once that sand gets wet, how much does the 50 pound bag weigh? I don't know, but I can ask my son!! 
Brian
The one thing is the one thing
A dry fly catches no fish
Try not to be THAT 10%
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,534 Likes: 842
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
|
OP
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,534 Likes: 842 |
Al, just get dressed in your ice fishing gear.  Let us know how the CNBG bite is! Brian, duct tape doesn't stick too well when the roll is frozen solid! I had to bring what was left of the mailbox inside the house, put it in the shower and run hot water on it before I could start repairing it enough to put it on the step ladder. Lassig, it was -8 here this morning too, -13 about 30 miles away. Another storm is supposed to come in tonight and stay through most of the weekend, so I think goose hunting is out. Can't get to the "X", it's a good mile off of any roads and the snow is too deep at the farm. Maybe if we had a couple of snowmobiles...... There's gotta be 1,000+ greater canada geese using it. Talked to a buddy that goes snowmobiling up near where we deer hunt. There's 4' of snow on the ground everywhere. Here, in the CRP fields and the woods, we have about 3' of snow. The bean and corn fields have anywhere from 10" to patchy bare ground due to the snow blowing it away. It would be hard sledding here if you don't stay on the trails and didn't know the area. There are 10' deep x 20' wide ditches that are completely filled with snow. You wouldn't even know they are there.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
|
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
Al, this is all very interesting to me. I have no experience with CNBG, so I'm fascinated by the idea that a subspecies of Macrochirus can exhibit a behavior so different from what I'm used to seeing in these northern fish.
I'm a firm believer in regional adaptation, and know that given enough time, specific traits might emerge that would tailor a species to its particular environment. And, my time spent over at BigBluegill has introduced me to many southern anglers, who for the most part, simply stop fishing for Bluegills in the colder months and instead begin counting down days on the calendar until spring arrives.
But I still struggle with this idea that proclaims CNBG are uncatchable during the winter period. What are they doing down there.... Do they go dormant?
By the way....12 below here this morning. No wind, thankfully.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
|
|
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68 |
Good question T, here's my take: Ice fishing allows us to slow down and size down and perfect our presentation which can tempt even the sulkiest BG to bite as we're keeping that bait exactly in the strike zone, sometimes lifting a fish for 5 minutes before it commits. Obviously you can't come close to doing this in open water, and don't have the benefit of cameras or vexilars to narrow the focus to a specific fish.
I suspect if CNBG could survive under the ice we'd have similar experiences ice fishing for them. If I had open water right now I doubt I'd get many, if any, BG to the dock.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau ![[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]](http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii582/teehjaeh57/I_subscribe_zps69249d43.gif)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300
Moderator
|
|
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300 |
Ok Tony, let me throw another variable at you. We obviously have a longer "growing/feeding season". Do 1.5# BG live longer, and take longer to get there, due to a slower metabolism during the longer winters you have? If my CNBG live an average of 5 years, I'd be curious to know if your BG live an average of 6 or 7 years, or if the colder water is a nonissue.
AL
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300
Moderator
|
|
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300 |
TJ, having now ice fished, I think there's a lot of logic in that. Finding a 1/64 or 1/100 oz jig down here that can be soaked for a while is about as easy as finding a snow blower in a box store.
Right before the first spawn seems to be when CNBG season starts around here. I myself can't wait until the water normalizes and the big boys move shallow and start actively feeding.
AL
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
|
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
TJ, I think you and I are on the very same page. There is a substantial difference between ice fishing for BG, vs. cold water fishing for BG. The ice itself is not a hindrance we have to deal with in order to catch Bluegills, it is the foundation of the methodology.
But while this year is the exception, there are many winters where my area never sees safe ice. This means that either I join the ranks of those who spend their time marking days off on the calendar, waiting for spring, or I try and come up with something else.
For the past several winters I have been working towards refining a system of gear and techniques to try and help me catch cold water, open water, Bluegills. And while I'm a long way from figuring it all out, I believe I have learned a thing or two and usually manage to catch fish all winter long, ice or no ice.
This is the approach that I wonder about, regarding catching CNBG in the winter.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
|
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
Ok Tony, let me throw another variable at you. We obviously have a longer "growing/feeding season". Do 1.5# BG live longer, and take longer to get there, due to a slower metabolism during the longer winters you have? If my CNBG live an average of 5 years, I'd be curious to know if your BG live an average of 6 or 7 years, or if the colder water is a nonissue. I think the time the fish spends with a reduced metabolic rate (during our longer winters), might translate into a longer lifespan. But I also think there may be other variables involved also...might northern BG's suffer undue stress during the colder winters? and if so, how might this affect future growth and eventual lifespan? And what about those fish that are heavily acclimated to pellet feeding? Is it any more stressful for them to go off feed completely, for those months when water temps are too low to feed? Will this weaken them, and cause them to become susceptible to disease/fungus? Good question Al, I wish I knew the answer. I hope one of the smart people weighs in on it. [/quote]
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Lunker
|
|
Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794 |
Al, most guys that have CNBG tell me the same thing.....when the water temps fall below a certain point (?) the coppernose just shut down. I've often wondered, (or at least the prideful side of me has wondered,  ) is this actually the case, or could some cold-water finesse tactics familiar to those living up north, entice those fish to bite? This is not at all intended to suggest that the southern contingent lacks the skills usually employed to catch winter Bluegills, I'm just wondering out loud if some northern Bluegill techniques might work on southern fish? Certainly the Coppernose's intolerance of colder water is well documented, and while I have spent my fair share of time on tough Bluegill bites, I still have a difficult time wrapping my head around the idea that they absolutely will not touch a bait under any circumstances, after the water cools below a certain point. What is the cutoff temp when a CNBG refuses to feed? My native BG will not feed on pellets during open water periods that occur in the winter, but yet they remain catchable...does this count as refusing to feed? So many questions......... I don’t know any of the (?) “most guys that have CNBG tell me the same thing”.. Our CNBG feed all winter long and may shut down feeding on days too cold for me to fish, but rarely shut down on warming days. Feeding temps are relative numbers - they slow down on dropping temps in the high forties and feed on rising temps. I have been raising them for over 12 years and catch them easily on AQMX or Stubby Steve pellets year round. I easily catch CNBG all winter long, but rapid changes in barometric pressure will shut fish down quicker than dropping temps – it is a non-issue for me. A bad day for catching is only one CNBG out of three casts.. Try fishing panty hose pellets on sinking flies – they get hook shy in clear water with floating flies. I don’t know how far “nort” of N.E. Texas that cold water kills CNBG – that’s a subject for the academicians… Al can address this better than I because he is on site. G/
N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 941
Lunker
|
|
Lunker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 941 |
Al, just get dressed in your ice fishing gear. Let us know how the CNBG bite is! Brian, duct tape doesn't stick too well when the roll is frozen solid! I had to bring what was left of the mailbox inside the house, put it in the shower and run hot water on it before I could start repairing it enough to put it on the step ladder. Lassig, it was -8 here this morning too, -13 about 30 miles away. Another storm is supposed to come in tonight and stay through most of the weekend, so I think goose hunting is out. Can't get to the "X", it's a good mile off of any roads and the snow is too deep at the farm. Maybe if we had a couple of snowmobiles...... There's gotta be 1,000+ greater canada geese using it. Talked to a buddy that goes snowmobiling up near where we deer hunt. There's 4' of snow on the ground everywhere. Here, in the CRP fields and the woods, we have about 3' of snow. The bean and corn fields have anywhere from 10" to patchy bare ground due to the snow blowing it away. It would be hard sledding here if you don't stay on the trails and didn't know the area. There are 10' deep x 20' wide ditches that are completely filled with snow. You wouldn't even know they are there. Let me run back to the farm and get the rhino and the goose trailer. We could put a dent in the flock.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
|
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
George, thanks for sharing that...do I understand you correctly in that your CNBG will still feed with water temps in the high forties, albeit they are slowing down as the temps drop? Or are those air temperatures?
I would love to be able to key in on a water temp range where catchability(?)of CNBG stops, IF such an occurrence does indeed take place.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 44
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,185 Likes: 44 |
Tony,
I can catch CNBG all winter long where my feeder is located. I have to wait a little longer and sometimes set the bait a little lower in the water column, but I can catch them. The last time I was out at the farm the water temp was in the mid 40's to low 50's depending on where in the pond I was fishing.
With all that said, my big pond is a bit bigger than most and I do have a lot of water, so that might change things a bit. As for ice, there has been some, but not much more than just around the edges.
Brian
The one thing is the one thing
A dry fly catches no fish
Try not to be THAT 10%
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Lunker
|
|
Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794 |
George, thanks for sharing that...do I understand you correctly in that your CNBG will still feed with water temps in the high forties, albeit they are slowing down as the temps drop? Or are those air temperatures?
I would love to be able to key in on a water temp range where catchability(?)of CNBG stops, IF such an occurrence does indeed take place. Tony, those are near surface water temps - sometimes get lockjaw in the morning and feed in the afternoon - never heard anyone talk about CNBG being hard to catch until I read your post - I was surprised!  CNBG - a love affair!  G/
N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Lunker
|
|
Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794 |
Al, just get dressed in your ice fishing gear. Let us know how the CNBG bite is! Dontcha know “real” ice is measured in feet – not wimpy inches??? My apologies to Sunil, I have to post this picture every year or so...... Hef 
N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds
Original george #173 (22 June 2002)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
|
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
George and Brian, you guys are giving me much food for thought. What you are describing is indeed a far cry different than what others have relayed to me. I have always wondered if the CNBG's supposed unwillingness to bite was due to water temps, as was commonly suggested elsewhere, or was due at least in some part to error attributed to the angler's lack of familiarity with cold water techniques and presentations.
I believe some allowance should be given in regards to geographic location, particularly where water temps are concerned. I suppose I should research the different locations, and cross reference those with water temps to see what the cutoff point for being able to catch CNBG is....if there is such a point.
It's generally regarded that they won't survive below a certain temperature, but I tend to believe that they would become uncatchable before reaching that point, just like a northern BG might when approaching it's minimally tolerable temp. If this is true, then how cold does it need to get?
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300
Moderator
|
|
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,312 Likes: 300 |
Ice is melting off my roof as we speak. The natural order of things has been restored.
AL
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
|
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
We're gaining on it up here also, AL.....12 above now!
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
|
|
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68 |
12"? That has to be a record for you?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
|
|
Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
That's degrees sir, not inches.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
|
|
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,798 Likes: 68 |
Hmmm...guess that was pretty clear if I took a moment to read the post.
Questions remain - what depth do you have by now? What's your record? I require this information posthaste, get on the stick dude.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
|
|
Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277 |
Don, in Canada how do you dress to be able to function?
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,534 Likes: 842
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
|
OP
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,534 Likes: 842 |
Lassig, it was -8 here this morning too, -13 about 30 miles away. Another storm is supposed to come in tonight and stay through most of the weekend, so I think goose hunting is out. Can't get to the "X", it's a good mile off of any roads and the snow is too deep at the farm. Maybe if we had a couple of snowmobiles...... There's gotta be 1,000+ greater canada geese using it.
Talked to a buddy that goes snowmobiling up near where we deer hunt. There's 4' of snow on the ground everywhere. Here, in the CRP fields and the woods, we have about 3' of snow. The bean and corn fields have anywhere from 10" to patchy bare ground due to the snow blowing it away. It would be hard sledding here if you don't stay on the trails and didn't know the area. There are 10' deep x 20' wide ditches that are completely filled with snow. You wouldn't even know they are there.
Let me run back to the farm and get the rhino and the goose trailer. We could put a dent in the flock. Mark, we've got until Feb 15th. Come on over! 5 per day limit. You might want to bring snowshoes or a couple of snowmobiles too. I doubt the rhino will get more than one vehicle length off the road unless it's got tracks on all 4 corners......
|
|
|
Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57 |
|
