Went back out to Mantua Saturday morning looking for more bluegill. We found them again, but this time they quit on us a little after 9. We caught 3 trout, one largemouth bass, and 35 bluegill. Threw the bass and trout back. The bass was a little guy and I didn’t want any trout. A few of the bluegill got thrown back because my bucket was too close to one of the holes. [:)] Below is another day’s takehome for me. fried up a bunch of them and they were tasty. Gonna save the rest for when my mom comes out next week. I hope I keep finding these guys out there. I don’t get tired of eating them. I promise this isn’t the same keep of fish as my other Mantua post from Friday. Both days I caught them on a ratfinky and an ice fly, both tipped with half of a meal worm.
I took my daughter up to Mantua Saturday morning as well. We got into the Bluegill…ended up catching about 20. Had 5 rainbows…couple of nice size and a largemouth. Oh and a few perch. I think they would have taken anything with a waxworm attached to it.
All in all just a nice day hangin with one of the monkeys, tho towards the end, I wasn’t allowed to use her “pet worms” for bait anymore. Glad I had some spares.
Another nice bag! Looks like ya musta had some fun. So there are bass coming thru the ice. Not much news of perch there though.
But lotsa gills if you know where to find 'em.
Curious - with that many, do you fillet them before frying up? Or are you scaling, decapitating, and scooping the innards (Southern style).
With today’s glut of rain, I headed to other rivers and ponds. Not much a whole lot of action, but at least I got thoroughly wet. With the snow, then rain - I’d think we need some cold nights to firm things up?
Anyone hit is Sunday? Doesn’t sound like Sat was all the busy. Maybe later?
Thanks for the post.
Crazy. Still wonder what happened! My kidlet and I were there at first light, and ate a skunk whole, no sauce, as did everybody we talked to. If you were the guy I talked to in the shelter with the very young lady over closer to the point, you were the only people I chatted with who found fish. A couple others had one or two, and one older gent had a pretty nice 14-15" trout. Almost nobody had caught anything over by the ramp.
I had assumed the weather change put them down, but I guess I was just over the wrong hole.
How exactly do you guys go about finding fish? I drilled 15 holes, I guess, and I’d like to know what I was doing wrong.
Being able to detect the bites is the main key to finding fish in mantua. If your after gills you shouldn’t have to wait for much more than a minute before you get bites. If you have confidence in what your using, and your ability to detect bites don’t be afraid to be impatient. Keep moving until you find active fish if you find them and the bite stops move if you keep looking you can stay one the fish all day long all winter. There are tons of gills in there. I usually fish towards the east side
I never can seem to get into the gills up there… I can catch bass, trout, and the perch but have a hard time finding the gills. Usually end up only catching two or three
They really bite light, and I prefer to fish for them with waxies. on sat. My buddy and I caught over a hundred fish, trout, perch, bass and mostly gills
Had a busy morning on Sat. and didn’t make it up there until about 1pm. I took my pops out with me, and once we got the early Christmas set up (quickfish3) somewhere almost to the point, we started in on the fish. First through the ice was a perchy, then a couple trout real quick, followed by a large mouth. Finally got the bluegill to start biting, and it was on like donkey kong after that. I was glad we had the tent, because it started raining pretty good with some wind. We stayed inside and ripped slab after slab through the ice, with a trout or perch mixed in every now and then. We stayed for a couple hours, and headed out when the school of dinks moved in. The fish were still biting when we left. Figured we wanted to head out before it got too dark. Still a few sketchy spots on the ice.
Couldn’t find any spikes, so I ripped pieces of wax worm up and stuck them on a small fly.
Anyway, to answer your question Springbuck, I don’t know if it was the time of day, or bad location, or what, because the fish were there. I tried a couple spots before I settled down and set up the tent. There were fish in all the holes. It wasn’t until I settled down to where I could pay real close attention to the bite, that I started nailing them. Are you using sonar? I found the Vexilar to be very handy for me.
Sorry no pics, my pops brought his camera, and left the fresh charged battery at home, and I left mine in the truck. Doh.
Aye that was me in the red tent with the little girl. We moved from that spot about 300 yards to the NW. Things were a bit slow and she was getting a bit bored so i popped a wire strike indicator on the end of her rod so she had something to “watch” The bite was real light but with the indicator it made the difference. I popped one on my rod and just dead sticked it waiting for the little nibbles then set it.
The strike indicator was the only change I made from when you and I talked. I just think we were missing so many bites due to them being so light.
Thanks, guys, but I’m still lost. I don’t have sonar set up yet, but…
I use homemade strike indicators that are more visible and more sensitive than ANYTHING on the market, both deadstick, and in my hand with light jigging.
Hard to have confidence in what I’m using when I rarely catch fish, but I can’t buy everything and everybody looks at my gear and says, “That should work” or “looks pretty good to me, where did ya buy them?..”
I used little jigs in perch patterns, small bright teardrops, moon jigs, little ratso-types, mostly like in the attachments, and small dark wet flies, tipped with worm chunks, waxies, gulp maggots, and mealworms.
I never fished any single hole for more than 1/2 hour, most 10 min or less, and I move at least 20 yards every time I punch a hole…I fished next to the dike in 8’, down to 15’ out from the ramp. Didn’t have time to try out the east side this trip. That’s where I get the most bluegills in May…
Anyway…I forgot to mention we caught 2 little planter trout on whole mealworms with a casting bubble, in open water over by the inlet, but I wanted bluegills.
Next time, if there is one…
I’ve had tons of days like that as well, and know I’ll have plenty more. Don’t give up!
I don’t have a flasher yet…plan on getting one next month, but I do use an old fishfinder set up in an ammo box with a small 12v battery. Mainly just use it for depths…tho it is nice to see if SOMETHING is swimming by my hole at least. Cost me maybe 60 bucks…battery was half of that.
In my experience, or lack of, panfish are either hot or off. One hole can be hot for 20 mins then the school is gone.
I think the only reason I love to fish isn’t really catching the fish, I enjoy being out and having the company. If I catch anything it’s just a little icing. Keep at it and enjoying the time out and the fish will come…not every time.
I think the only reason I love to fish isn’t really catching the fish, I enjoy being out and having the company. If I catch anything it’s just a little icing. Keep at it and enjoying the time out and the fish will come…not every time.
Couldn’t agree more. I just love to get out and enjoy the morning, or evening, whatever it may be. I love to fish. I don’t have a flasher or even a fish finder. I just go blind and wish for the best. And if something bites, even better!
Of course! But one of the reasons I panfish is that I like to take a bunch home, and eat em, and so does my family.
My little girl told me this time that she doesn’t want to go fishing anymore cuz we never catch anything, which may change, but she’s the last one that will, so I’m troubled by that.
This year started out with a decent day at UL, but overall I’ve literally only caught fish 4 times out of 28 tries at various locations, so she’s right, I guess.
I like to fish with size 12 rat finkies one 10" below the other the type of lure probably Dosent matter but the smaller the better. when you jig barely twitch it. When I first started to catch them last year I was using the smallest bobber I could find and when they bit, the bobber would barley twitch. I would just twitch it a couple times wait 10 seconds and twitch it again the bites usually come during the pause. now I don’t even use a spring bobber I just spent a little time getting the feel for them.
All sounds about right. How far off the bottom?
It depends on the day, but so far this year I have found them right off the bottom. I do have a flasher and it is awesome, but not a must have. Like I said before that lake is loaded with gills. It is way fun when they are all over the water column you fish one depth until the bite slows, then reel up or down a couple feet and catch all the willing fish at that depth, but I haven’t had a day like that this year yet.
Oh, I catch heck out of em up there in May and October, so I know about the lake a bit, just baffled on the ice fishing. Seems like I’m guessing blind on locations to drill or something..
Wish I could get up there earlier tomorrow..
I hear ya, it took me a couple of years to figure out the ice. Me and my buddy would go out every Saturday and catch a cold. I’ll probably be out there in the afternoon I may drag out a red quick flip 2 depending on the weather or my mood. Come say hi if you like.