Thanks! I hope I can keep up the success on that pond sounds like it’s been a struggle for quite a few. I think it will get better in a few weeks though.
Nice report, thanks for posting and welcome to BFT!
It’s been my experience that most guys that go out to Mantua drill holes but fish directly on top of a weedbed, and what’s worse is, if they bring their ice shanty, they are less likely inclined to move around and drill more holes to find a good spot IN-BETWEEN the weedbeds where the active 'gils, perch (and sometimes) bass are hanging out.
During icefishing at Mantua it can be really tough without a gps marking some great spots in-between the weed beds where you’ve nailed the fish in previous winters or summers or where your buddies have. GPS is pretty important on that lake for marked honey holes. If you don’t have one, the next best thing to do is keep drilling until you know for sure that you are in-between the weed beds and in a spot with active fish. I’ve always found on that lake during ice season to have better luck over towards the SouthEast corner in the creek channel at about 10-15 feet of water. However, it does become a tent city by January or so, and at that time, I’ve had luck going on the outskirts of that tent city at least 40 yards away from the crowd (noise/spooked fish) but still in that creek channel area.
Hopes this helps some newbies to Mantua or maybe not newbies but those that have struggled there.
Personally, I’d rather be at Pineview for winter panfish and it will be good to go in a week or two.
Cheers.
O4T
Do you know if you can park on the south side of the lake. There was a report earlier that someone got a ticket for parking there. Also, with this new snow fall what to you guys think it’ll do to the ice condtions?
you can park on the south side of the lake anywhere outside of the no parking signs. There is a section where that other road meets it that you cannot park at but it is clearly marked.
Thank you!
Hey that is a really great post and should help others out a bunch, it took me a few trips to figure out the weed bed problem… I still haven’t found great honey holes, but every once in a while I get a good spot… Need to learn to hit the GPS spot on my graph so I can get close the next trip… I don’t really like Mantua that much either, but it’s good early ice and so I fish it a little early each year, but when some of my more favorite ponds get ice, I’m quick to move on… Between the crowds and the small fish, I like other spots better… But I’m not a full perch convert yet… So that may be part of it… Later J
Hey that is a really great post and should help others out a bunch, it took me a few trips to figure out the weed bed problem… I still haven’t found great honey holes, but every once in a while I get a good spot… Need to learn to hit the GPS spot on my graph so I can get close the next trip… I don’t really like Mantua that much either, but it’s good early ice and so I fish it a little early each year, but when some of my more favorite ponds get ice, I’m quick to move on… Between the crowds and the small fish, I like other spots better… But I’m not a full perch convert yet… So that may be part of it… Later J
I agree lots of other places to fish.[sly]