Daily routine: Avoiding the Ice

We got back out to the ponds this pond had been completely frozen but with temps in the high 40s for a couple days there was some open water especially in the shallows. We fished the larger open water shallows but couldnt find any fish. I thought some would move up on the sunny side of the pond since the water was warm enough on that side to melt the ice. We fished the shallow patch thoroughly but nothing was there. I dont exactly know the bottom contour but that side had any adjacent deeper water to hold fish through the winter on that side of the pond. After coming up empty we moved to a small open patch near the dam. This was the last open spot left it was a little on the edge of the deeper area where we caught them the last time. I got my Black and Blue, 3/8 oz jig as far as possible by throwing onto the ice and dragging so it fell off the edge and into the water.



By counting down the lure I could tell the depth was similar to the previous areas where we had no luck. Our hopes were low but we weren't ready to give up yet. I was dead sticking a jig for two minutes the dragging it as slow as possible and letting it sit. On my third cast My line went slack and I knew it was a fish that picked it up. Heres a quick video of me landing it.

 

I think that proved that the fish move shallow in the ponds on sunny days during the winter. The sun was quickly dropping and so was the temperature but Collin was determined to land one from beneath the ice. He has been fishing a dropshot exclusively targeting crappie this winter and after about an hour of dead sticking he was rewarded with a Largemouth.