I braved the 'Bomb Cyclone' (aka the uber damn cold weather) and did a little ice fishing on New Year's day. I only got this one picture because my phone's battery died faster than a fat head minnow with a bad fin... When I went out at about 2 p.m. it was -2°F, wind chill of about -10°F. Ice thickness was highly variable, which kind of surprised me. But the pond does have 2-6 inches of snow cover this year. My first/test hole had 7 inches of ice. Several others were 5-7 inches. Along the main dam, near shore (and some new branch piles I placed) and in 3-4 feet of water, the ice was only 3 inches thick. I ended up catching ~15 BG, 5-8 inches. Almost all were taken near those branch piles. I used a titanium tear drop, baited with a 'preserved' wax worm (to start) and some crappie nibbles after that. I switched over to my favorite bait after catching a couple...an eyeball. No other species caught. I froze off after about 2 hrs, when the sun started setting. Was -10°F when I got back in the house. Anyone else give it whirl yet?
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Brave (aka "foolish"?) man. I have never ice fished and am a wee bit timid of being on the ice, especially alone. And the temps.... brrrr. Maybe I need one of those heated huts like my relative across the Northern border use?
Did the gills go in the fry pan? And who's eyeball did you use?
The gills went back in the pond...mostly. Handling them in the subzero temps was a 'sticky' proposition, so my enthusiasm for cleaning them was even less so.
I pop out a fish eye and use that. Fishy flavor and tough shell make it great to attract picky fish, but hard for them to 'peck' it off the hook. You'd have to check the regs on your state regarding use of fish parts for bait (called offal), it's legal most places on public waters, but I'm not sure ALL places.. On your own pond, give it a try sometime, even in the summer.
Nice!!!! I was out too...but not on my pond, yet. Too cold to bucket sit down there and hauling my flip over up the hill is a major chore lol
I am spoiled because my pond is about 85 feet from my house. So I can zip back inside quick if I get too cold. But I put on my goose down bibs and parka and a full face ski mask, and it was doable. My labradoodle had 'booger-cicles' hanging off the front of his mustache, but didn't seem to mind the cold otherwise....
DrL - Do you have any RES in the pond? A resident population of them will help reduce the black specks on the BG. Black specks are black spot disease. Many of the references indicate there is not treatment for the problem. But in ponds significantly reducing snail population will reduce the amount of affection on the fish.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10364_52259_10950-27376--,00.html
http://www.outdoorcanada.ca/Black_Spot_Diseasehttps://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/species/disease/pdfs/fishdiseases/black_spot_disease.pdf
Good eye Bill! I didn't notice the spots on that BG until you mentioned it. Seems I learn something every time you post.
Mr Cody, I noticed those spots too. And yes, I just stocked some RES in October with my corrective stocking plan, hopefully to disrupt the lifecycle by RES consuming some snails. Time will tell...
In NE Ohio, on New Years Day the ice on our ponds was 5" thick. My buddy is killing the fish and has bagged and introduced to the freezer >230 BG/BCP/YP/LMB.
I've only gotten out a couple hours and kept 6/10 - big BG and BCP.
More fun this weekend for sure.
Interesting Bill C, the first link says copper sulfate will reduce snail populations but also other mollusks.
So when we treat for FA, I assume this kills the snails that live on and around the FA too. If a person is trying to specifically raise a RES population and relying on snails or other mollusks for part of their forage, it would be something to keep in consideration before using the chemical.
I to gave the ice fishing a try this weekend and caught BG, YP and LMB. We also have seen the black specks on many of the BG. We added RES a year and a half ago hoping to help that. I was very surprised how aggressive the fish bit for the weather. We have 7 in. of ice and 5 to 6 inches of snow on that. The water looked very black I think due to the snow cover. It was -14 when I got off the ice and I'm ready to go back. I am either tough or not too smart take your pick.
To kill snails with copper sulfate, it takes a higher concentration than is recommended to be used to control algae.
So, I'm going to ask the question that I trust at least one other person out there wants to know ....how exactly does the presence of snails lead to a spot on a BG? I've never been told the link between the two.
"Black-spot disease
These parasitic flatworms appear as tiny black spots on the skin, fins and flesh of fish. No method of control is available for the elimination of this problem. This organism does little harm to the fish. The main problem associated with black-spot is the unsightly appearance it may cause. Skinning infected fish will remove most black spots.
The life cycle of the parasite is quite complex. A fish-eating bird (typically a great blue heron or kingfisher) eats an infected fish. The black spot or worms are released and grow to sexual maturity in the bird's intestine. The adult worms pass eggs with the bird's droppings. When the eggs reach water, they hatch into free-swimming organisms which then penetrate snails for further development. Finally, after leaving the snails they burrow into the skin of fish and form a cyst. The fish surrounds the cyst with black pigment that gives the disease its name. If an infected fish is consumed by a bird, the cycle repeats itself."
https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3395.htm
I will try to simplify this for those interested in black spots of fish.
The spots are a part a several stage life cycle of this particular or unique parasite. Black spots on fish are a dormant stage 'cysts' of a tiny worm (aka trematode). A bird, often a wading bird, eats the fish. Cysts then hatch into eggs in the gut of the bird. Bird poops the eggs into the water. Eggs hatch into a tiny microscopic “bug” (miracidia) and penetrate a snail. In the snail the bug changes into a very tiny swimming critter (cercariae) that leaves the snail and then looks for or seeks a fish to penetrate / infect. In the fish the swimming critter becomes a tiny worm. The fish forms a black hard cyst around the tiny worm. When a bird eats the fish the cycle is repeated. Worm hatches in the bird and produces eggs and “around we go again”.
Wow! How the hell did the first human being figure out THAT life cycle?????
Wow! How the hell did the first human being figure out THAT life cycle?????
Or this one?
eye parasite
Maybe that explains all the crazy behavior now-a-days?
RAH, what gets me is how they can determine it's a conscience decision by the parasite.
Instinct/genetically-determined, not a conscience decision. The individual parasites that caused this had a survival advantage over those that did not. No thought involved anymore than a plant growing toward light.
Thanks RAH, that makes more sense to me.
Biology is sure a lot of fun!