winkeye
02-02-2009, 09:33 PM
Fished south of Gladstone off of the break. We started fishing shallow of the bank with suckers for pike in the afternoon, only one flag, but a big pike.. only got to see its massive head before coming unhooked. Moved out off the bank into 34 fow. Landed two whitefish, and missed a few. Also got one 19 in eye, and two of the smallest eyes I have ever seen. I also marked 3 fish, that came off bottom, would follow me up... and not touch it, these fish seriously followed me up and up and up... I'm curious if they could have been baitfish??? They would come up to almost 5 feet under the ice, and I couldn't see them, even though they were on the graph. When I would drop it back to the bottom, they would stay where I was, then i'd reel back up and they would follow me up more?? Real confusing, finally got discouraged because I knew they were nothing of size, but was just wondering if anyone has had that happen before? Going out again tomorrow... going to be heading further south, will post and let you know if we had any luck.
crazyeyes
02-02-2009, 09:48 PM
I've seen smelt do that quite often.
The Bait Shop Guy
02-02-2009, 10:15 PM
Were you using a flasher or an LCD graph? Were you using a jigging Rap or similar type bait? Sometimes when using my Lowrance with the sensitivity turned up too high, and the transducer slightly cocked while using a Jigging Rap, I'll get a strange "double echo" from the bait that looks like a "fish" hanging below the bait. It's always the same distance away from the lure, and will "follow" the lure where ever it goes.
winkeye
02-03-2009, 09:05 AM
Was using a fl-18. And it would come up as if it was going to nail it... wasn't the double eccho... strange. I've never had that happen in all my years out there. I was using a #5 jigging rap w/ a minnow head.
RudyG
02-03-2009, 09:52 AM
I have seen alot of this in the last couple weeks. Not to 5 feet from the ice.. but 5-10 feet off bottom.. then let it drop and gradually the fish swims back down. Once had it slowly drop back to the bottom only to hit the other line on the way down. We have had fish follow the lure up and down off bottom for 5 minutes and never hit.. just gone.
Dont understand it.. but I know what your talking about. Frustrationg as He11!