Cecil says: "fish are in better condition in the fall after a summer of growth vs. coming out of winter". Cody thinks this is definately true for those fish that have minimal amounts of food available during winter.
IMO fish will readily feed especially on natural foods in winter if items are abundant and avaiable. Ample natural foods in winter result in well fed fish, likely fat fish and in some cases slightly larger fish (growth). I emphasize natural or moist foods for winter feeding because several fish farm people have had fish mortality of some species of fish eating dry pellets in water colder than 50F. Cold water fish such as trout would the the exception here.
Cecil mentions that he has seen fish ingore his bait when ice fishing and concluded that fish was not hungry. I have seen the same behavior of fish in summer. IMO hunger is not always the main factor that a fish ignores a bait.
Water temperature, species of fish, and as mentioned by Hoxmeir et al (Eric above), "latitudinal clines in growth resulting from changes in temperature have previously been demonstrated for a number of freshwater fishes". I think populations of fish for example BG and their ability to grow at one specific temperature can be somewhat different at diffferent latitudes depending on the particular acclimatization and adaptability of those fish. Numerous factors determine fish growth during winter and the other seasons. One of the main ones is temperature as discussed here.
More later.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/03/19 09:36 PM.
