Jig season

[indyfisher]

Anyone think the ice will melt by the second week in April Im starting to get a little nervous.

[bocajemma]

I am starting to doubt it myself looking at the 10 day forecast. nothing to get nervouse about though. the fish don't have a calendar so until the water temperatures get to 40 degrees the fish wont be spawning.

[Lakeerieguy]

Dont bet that water temp is the deciding factor for the spawn . The past 2 trips we have caught males that have been milting and females that spewed eggs when brought through the hole . The water temp down on the bottom in 28ft of water was 38 degrees on Sunday.

like you said no calender , but no thermometer either . As you can tell where the fish have been caught in the past 10 days, they are in the spawning areas just waiting for the mood to be right .

Not saying at all, that all of them were ready but some for sure were .

Dale

[jiginitis69]

Something to consider? River run off & ice shifting east. Doesn't need to melt. Just move & river water is warmer than lake. Just gotta hope launches open but current should do that for us. No need to run out far anymore. Buddy limited in 14 fow today.

[hot-n-tot501]

Yeah, its definitely a debate to be had whether its water temp, what the calendar says, or a combination of both that determines when the fish spawn. Me personally, i compare it to deer and the rut. Peak breeding is always around the 15th of November based on moonphases and the amount of sunlight. Yes, a cold snap going into the first couple weeks of November always helps matters, but nonetheless, the deer will be breeding at that time. The same goes with fishing. I beleive with it being soo cold and the lake being ice covered, the fish will be moving into the maumee maybe a hair later than normal, but wont be that much of a difference. Just go out and fish and you'll have to find out for yourself. just my oppinion thanks

[bocajemma]

the vast majority of the spawn will happen when the water temps are between 40-45 in the spawning areas not 28ft of water. 28ft of water would be considered staging areas for the spawn. of course this is not an exact thing as some will spawn sooner and some will spawn later but the vast majority will be with those water temps. of course you are going to see females full of eggs and will drop eggs if you pull then thru the ice. they are ready to spawn at any moment now. males are males. they know the time is soon and they are more than ready to do what they do. not surprised you would see them milting now.

[Madd Matt]

The spawn has to do with three main factors; calendar (season), water temp, and amount of daylight...

Being that we are on daylight savings in Ohio still, they are now getting more daylight on the water because we just turned our clocks ahead 1 hour last week... If we ever go off of daylight savings in Ohio I don't know what that would do to the spawn!

-Matt

[Lakeerieguy]

Another 3 man limit out of Magee. Ice has not shifted or busted up but is getting very soft. About a foot thick today in 22 ft with about 7 of it being white ice.

Slow and easy is the only way out there right now. Stopped and drilled holes about every 100 yards. Lots of guys still running without a care .Not a wise thing to do this late in the season . More and more guys on foot as well travling lite.

2 of the females today were releasing eggs as well.

Dale

[Lakeerieguy]

Another 3 man limit out of Magee. Ice has not shifted or busted up but is getting very soft. About a foot thick today in 22 ft with about 7 of it being white ice.

Slow and easy is the only way out there right now. Stopped and drilled holes about every 100 yards. Lots of guys still running without a care .Not a wise thing to do this late in the season . More and more guys on foot as well travling lite.

2 of the females today were releasing eggs as well.

Dale

[Firetiger]

Another 3 man limit out of Magee. Ice has not shifted or busted up but is getting very soft. About a foot thick today in 22 ft with about 7 of it being white ice.

Slow and easy is the only way out there right now. Stopped and drilled holes about every 100 yards. Lots of guys still running without a care .Not a wise thing to do this late in the season . More and more guys on foot as well travling lite.

2 of the females today were releasing eggs as well.

Dale

wow only a foot thick, loosing ice quicker than I would have guessed. Suppose to be close to 50* degrees tomorrow and forecasted 30SW gusts isn't gonna help any....
I have a feeling the jig bite from the boat will be a short window dodging ice bergs.....