Ice fishing small interior rivers?

  • walleye_wisdom
    Big Sky Country Helena, MT (Adel, IA home)
    Posts: 1160
    January 20, 2009 at 5:38 am #1300162

    SO last year i tried ice fishing a small river here in Iowa, the Cedar, where i had good luck in the fall catching Walleye. I gave it about 5-6 tries and didn’t even get a nibble. I tried a plain hook and minnow, a jighead and minnow, jigging a lure, ect. Nothing, not even a pike.

    My question is, in a small river like that, where do these fish hold? I figured it would be the deeper parts, with slow moving water, but that was the exact spot i tried, with no luck.

    What kinds of presentations are you using on these rivers?

    matt_grow
    Albertville MN
    Posts: 2019
    January 20, 2009 at 2:50 pm #739347

    This is something I’ve been studying a bit lately. I have some very small rivers that hold impressive fish which are great in the summer and hidden. If I could find these fish in the winter ……

    fishinallday
    Montrose Mn
    Posts: 2101
    January 20, 2009 at 5:40 pm #739435

    It’s funny you bring this up. I was talking about this with a freind of mine the other day.

    Back in the day we used to do a bit of this. Like any water the key is in finding the bait. For the most part you will find the forage holding in the deep holes. If you had a flasher you probably noticed this. From there we would fish the outer edges of these holes. many times fishing in less than 3 feet of water out on the main river side. Be very careful though. In younger days I had more than one wet boot.

    The deeper holes rearely produced for us. I figure that once the fish were in there they had plenty to choose from.

    Good luck with your quest. I may need to find some time to hit a few old haunts my self.

    luke_haugland
    Iowa City, Iowa
    Posts: 3037
    January 20, 2009 at 7:25 pm #739497

    I will have a report up detailing on this in a little bit!

    r._kayle
    Cedar Falls, IA
    Posts: 205
    January 20, 2009 at 8:41 pm #739523

    Quote:

    It’s funny you bring this up. I was talking about this with a freind of mine the other day.

    Back in the day we used to do a bit of this. Like any water the key is in finding the bait. For the most part you will find the forage holding in the deep holes. If you had a flasher you probably noticed this. From there we would fish the outer edges of these holes. many times fishing in less than 3 feet of water out on the main river side. Be very careful though. In younger days I had more than one wet boot.

    The deeper holes rearely produced for us. I figure that once the fish were in there they had plenty to choose from.

    Good luck with your quest. I may need to find some time to hit a few old haunts my self.

    Chris,

    Funny you mention that. I have hit some holes on the Cedar where I live and we have done the exact same thing. You won’t get the fish in the deep water, but the 3-5 ft. sand flats on the edges of these deep holes produce tremendously. I still haven’t figured out what they are doing out there but they are definately hungry. This is for walleyes only. Never picked up a lot nor seen panfish this way. They have mainly stuck to where you caught them in the open water.

    smackem
    Iowa Marshall Co
    Posts: 956
    January 20, 2009 at 9:07 pm #739529

    What’s the current like in the flats?

    r._kayle
    Cedar Falls, IA
    Posts: 205
    January 20, 2009 at 9:15 pm #739532

    Slow……

    walleye_wisdom
    Big Sky Country Helena, MT (Adel, IA home)
    Posts: 1160
    January 20, 2009 at 10:03 pm #739547

    Thanks for all the info guys. Anxiously awaiting your article Luke!

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