Reason for the bad fishing???

[icedperch]

Maybe its just me, but the fishing seems REALLY (!!!!!) slow this year. And its not just on one lake.

From reading the posts on this site all year it seems that fishing has been off all across the state. Do you guys agree?

What is everyone's favorite theory to explain it?

Sun spots, cold weather, Al Qaida...:D

[smith kzoo]

Yes i agree this year has been extremely slow. Almost so bad i dont even want to bare the cold for two or three small fish that i have been catching. My only theory i have on this is the ice foze later, and we have a lot of snow on the ice compaired to last year even though i would think that would not have much to do with fish this bad. But maybe the snow is keeping sunlight out possibly making oxygen levels lower and fish not fieeding i dont know just a theory i brewed up in my mind well on the ice not catching a thing.

[gamalot]

I am having one of the best years ever! Sure there are days I can't buy a fish but then there have been plenty that were great.
I can't say the fishing has been off but, I have been off fishing and this is a good thing:D

[SPORTSMAN]

Been real slow up this way too.

[icedperch]

Gamalot makes me think I should be in New York!

I wonder if thats too far to drive.....

[gamalot]

Probably too far to drive and deffinately not a good enough reason to come.
I did talk to some ice buddies and they too are having a terrible year. I think it is species related! I fish strictly for trout and this year has been the best so far. Most of my pals fish for pickerel, pearch and Crappies and they just are not finding the schools or the big pickerel or when they do find them they are either small fish or have lockjaw.
Down here there is very little preasure from fishing compared to what you have. In the northern part of the state on the big lakes I guess they do get alot of fishing preasure but this area is slow.
If I get to fish during the week, I almost always have the entire lake to myself or two or three others and thats it.
The trout have been very cooperative this year and only a few skunkings. Last year was pretty bad and only a few good fish were caught. I don't know the reason but like I said, No complaints here!

[jigworm]

The season started out good, but it has really slowed downed on my favorite gill lake. The fish are there, but they come up, check the bait out and leave. Have tried about every thing, but can't get them to bite. Hope they get hungry soon!

[patcheroo]

Me too Pete !! :D ......Patch

[bigsid]

No answers here either. I've fished 6 lakes in the area. (not many I know) But 3 of which have been heavy producers in the past. I've tried same times, methods, and baits, and at best I've had mediocre action this year. I don't get it at all. I've also tried different times, baits, etc! Just a tough year I guess.

Sid

[Can't Touch This]

Actually, lake st.clair guys are having a great yewar, have only fished it once, and did good. Also had a desent day on kent, and did pretty good at houghton,. other than that, not so good year for me.Yeah, pete, you could've warned US before we got skunked there a couple weeks ago!!!!

[Ice ice baby]

Been real slow for me, worst year ever!!!:(

[walleyeman]

We were just talking about this on shore tonight, and what we have always found is that if the fish are not here than we have to go looking. We have found walleye in some strange spots just going and tring someplace different.
But back to your post, yes it seems like one of those years. Catch fish in the morning and not get a bite in the evening. Oh well if it were easy than it would be boring.:o

[ih772]

I've been having a great year. I did a lot of scouting and it paid off. Having a vex really helps to see how the fish react to your bait. Ended up catching fish tonight by using a minnow head on a tiny teardrop when they wouldn't take a full perch minnow.

[slayer]

And here i thought i was the only one having no luck this year now i know why. Its going on all over!!:confused:

[slayer]

Oh ya one more thing thats why its called fishing and not catching :D

[PrtyMolusk]

Howdy-

"What is everyone's favorite theory to explain it?"

Well......

"When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars......" :D

I'd say hippie residue. :eek:

[Hunt4Ever]

Get an Aqua-View. It's not as slow as you think. I've seen lots of fish sometimes they just don't want what your offering. Then you know to try something new.

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Your right Brian. Last nite my 2 buddies got no hits and suggested there were no fish there. While I was watching some walleye and a few perch swim by along with a musky. At least I was entertained while catching nothing.

[skulldugary]

Could it be due to the weather?There for awhile it seemed like it snowed every other day or so.Maybe with all of these fronts coming through it kind of give the fish a little lock jaw.Baromiter up and down,nothing steady.Could be a lot of things.....

[William H Bonney]

Last year and this year, have been my 2 best years, EVER. The thing I learned the most is,,, where NOT to fish!! I just gave up on my "old haunts" that would produce fish,, "most" of the time. It wasn't worth it to spend a day, "hoping" the fish would turn on. And to be quite honest with ya, I wouldn't be doing half as good as I have been,, without this site. Thanks again, EVERYONE!

[ICEPAPPY]

Yep, its been that way all season. What we have is to many fronts, highs and lows coming in to often. If a high or low would come in and stay for a couple of days that would give the fish a chance to adjust. As it is these pressure fronts have been coming in not just daily but every few hours. It don't seem to bother the perch or pike but the other species it does. I've hit 11 lakes so far this season (2 of us) and yet get a limit of gills or specs between the two of us. We have a warm period coming in and this might be what we've waited for. Hopefully it will last a while. But then again lasting a while may end it as there's not that much ice in lower central Michigan.

[scottyhoover]

Can't say I've noticed it being slow at all. Having a good year on deep water crappie and gills so far, there will always be times when it is tough due to conditions but the fish are there. It helps to have more than 6 lakes to fish too....i've probably been on 20 different lakes at least. Banner days on the gills in some places. Hunt4ever makes a good point on the aquaView and I say the same about the vex. If they are down there you must keep changing presentation until you get them or move to find active fish. Any year with good ice is a good ice fishin year!

[ih772]

Right on scotty....

[gamalot]

IH772, check your PMs. Gary

[ih772]

ok....

[smith kzoo]

All in all for me it has been a bad year for many reasons but that is fishing and i am ready for the spring hopefully early winter.

[sfw1960]

Is "KrapTacUlaR in the dictionary??
:eek:
:eek:
:o
... Jus' wonderin' ......
:D SFW :D

[Can't Touch This]

The weather has been great this year, 100x better than the last couple. It stopped snowing now, which is not good. Now, iam concerned with the temps, like 2 or 3 days i nthe 40s, and 2 days i nthe upper 30s, wow, that is a bigtime warmup. It has been a decent year, we have only been out like 5 or 6 times so far, i wish i was you guys who already went out like 50 times:eek:

[twicki]

Man, I couldn't agree more. I have been fishing northern Michigan for nearly 20 years (not much I know) and I have never seen a year as bad as this.

Now live in Traverse City area and bite has been way down. Tried different lakes and tactics and same results. Did hit West Bay last weekend and had some luck on a few lawyers but that's it...

Anyone having any luck up this way?

Thanks

[adjusted3]

Ok

we have all seen this before.. we start out the year at first ice with a bang and as the season wears on we tend to go bust.

My thoughts--

1. We tend to fish memories. they were here yesterday, last week, last year etc... water conditions change daily, by that I mean clarity and temp. fish are like us, looking for a comfort zone. as long as that comfort zone stays constant, they will be there tomorrow, if the comfort zone changes, so does the fish.

2. fish are temp dependent. That is why first ice is so great. the temp of the water is constant from the top down. Shallow or deep. Run your temp gauges down now and you will find that the water temp is about 36 degrees all the way to the bottom with the exception of the last 6-8 inches and that water will be about 38-39 degres due to the warming effect of the bottom. As the winter wears on, that warm water effect will get shoved deeper and deeper. We are now fishing bluegills in over 30 foot of water, we can mark fish in shallower water but due to the cold water, can't get no biters. One of our best days was cranking on the gills on the bottom in 45' of water.........

3. I believe that the oxygen content has an effect. One of the first places to loose oxygen is in the shallows where the foilage consumes it. The last place to lose oxygen is in the deeper water. When you have a lack of balance of oxygen and PH again, fish will seek a better comfort zone. snow cover has a accelerated effect of this.

So, trusting my theroys, for mid-winter snow covered lakes, go deep, fish new water, and above all else, have fun.

like in a previous post, is about fishing, not about catching.

Mark

[icedperch]

I love this site!

This weekend could be interesting with the warm up...

[Chuck1]

I think you just need to experiment when they get lockjaw. This has been one of my best years, but that is for perch. I haven't even went after gills yet. Walleye has been a little slow, but I haven't put nearly enough effort in either. Try new spots, use the electronics , thats what they are for. If the bite was easy all the time we wouldn't have bought a Vexilar , or a camera in the first place...

[tommy-n]

I'm not complaining, caught an 11" gill and 8 others over10" and a 13 1/4 and 14" crappie. some days are better than others, but theres always something happening somewhere, just have to find it. Don't give up, try a little harder. Good luck:)

[Walleye123]

When there is low water or slow current you have to search the holes...This my case...Your favorite hotspots turn to your worst spots...Time to find new hot spots!

[lawnboy]

It’s all the additives in all the salt they put down on the roads.