Feb 4, 2007 By Rod Schoener 7 min read

If you’re an ice angler, the weather is beautiful. The deep freeze came just in time to coincide with the Fish and Boat Commission’s winter trout stockings.

Stockings are under way, and within the next two weeks, select area lakes and streams will receive shipments of trout.

Abnormally warm temperatures kept many fishermen active longer, but now it is a game for the hardy, dyed-in-the wool ice angler.

The Fish and Boat Commission’s new and innovative stocking program has a lot to do with it as stockings now take place year-round instead of just in the spring and summer with late a stocking to enhance the fall and ice fishing as in years past.

Winter stockings began last Thursday when the Youghiogheny River tailraces received a shipment of trout out of the winter allotment.

Laurel Hill Lake in Somerset County was also stocked the same day.

This Tuesday the stockings continue at Dunlap Creek Lake and Virgin Run Dam in Fayette County and Canonsburg Lake in Washington County.

Most Westmoreland County lakes will be stocked on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Lakes on the stocking list for that day include Donegal, Keystone, Mammoth Dam, Northmoreland and Lower Twin. Upper Twin Lake will be stocked Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Many lakes are taking on their first ice, which is always a good time to fish for many species.

However, the byword is caution.

Thursday I drove to Dunlap to check out the lake. It was covered with a light skin of ice over 99 percent of the surface, but that was hardly thick enough to hold up the mallards, Canada geese and an assortment of domestic ducks and geese, which were feeding in a pool of open water near the launch ramp.

A year ago, the Fish and Boat Commission published a graphic in the January-February edition of Pennsylvania Boater & Angler magazine.

The graphic indicated that ice is strong enough to hold one fisherman if it is four inches thick. If the ice is not at least four inches thick, keep off.

Five inches is said to be safe enough to support one snowmobile and six inches is OK for ice boating.

For group activities ice should be at least seven inches thick, and I would consider a dozen or so fishermen on the ice as a group activity.

Take these guidelines seriously. Your life may depend on it.

One thing to remember is that snow serves as an insulator and allows ice to melt more rapidly than it normally would, so, for that reason, be extremely cautious when ice fishing on snow- or slush-covered ponds.

They can be extremely dangerous, and the ice can give way very suddenly under the weight of just a single fisherman.

For that reason, it is best to wait for a sustained deep freeze before heading out on the ice.

We hear of many trout and panfish caught through the ice, but I still haven’t heard of a walleye taken through the ice at Dunlap Creek Lake.

With increased walleye catches at the lake, it will just be a matter of time before ice anglers target them, fishing more at night when walleye are most active during the winter months, especially in shallow lakes such as Dunlap.

The Fish and Boat Commission did a study of Dunlap in May of 2006.

Nine walleye were caught during the survey. They ranged from 15 to 23 inches in length with 22 percent of them greater than 15 inches. There was also a positive report on saugeye. Eight were caught and all were legal, measuring 16-29 inches.

In a 1992 study, nine walleye and one saugeye were caught.

All walleyes in 2006 were legal size (15 inches or greater). Three saugeye were 26 inches or greater with the largest one being 28.3 inches long and weighing 13.2 pounds

Locally most walleye are pulled through the ice on deeper impoundments such as High Point Lake and the Youghiogheny Reservoir in Somerset County and Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.

Walleye usually bite on most lakes right after first ice.

As winter wears on, they tend to quit biting in shallower impoundments as their metabolism slows, and they do not resume active feeding until the spring thaw begins.

Walleye feeding habits are different on deeper impoundments, where they feed all winter long.

As a rule, walleye are either on the bottom or within a foot of the bottom, but at times they suspend in very deep impoundments to take advantage of concentrated oxygen.

As with warm weather fishing, the best walleye fishing is as dusk, dawn and on overcast days.

Walleye anglers prefer a minnow on a jig or a jigging spoon, but if you really want to put the odds in your favor, cut a strip of meat from a crappie or bluegill and use it for baits.

Walleye find it hard to resist natural foods.

Fresh strip meat also works well as bait for trout and panfish.

When ice fishing, no matter what species you’re fishing for, except crappies, avoid a spotlight effect by allowing sunlight penetration into the water.

Kick slush in the hole or make or purchase a hole cover. Fishing for most species is best under subdued light.

Ice fishermen on smaller impoundments mostly target trout and panfish, but don’t be surprised if you catch a bass.

Years ago, I read that bass are occasionally caught by ice fishermen.

The article noted that when bass do show up they are usually much larger than average for the impoundment, indicating that even with a slowdown in metabolism, alarms sound when the need for additional nutrition arises.

Perch, like walleye, tend to hold on or near the bottom.

Many large perch are taken through the ice. Shoreline points and shallow water (4 to 8 feet) are ideal perch hangouts early in the winter with mid-morning to mid-afternoon being prime times to fish.

Perch are schooling fish, so when you catch one, you can often catch a limit.

They often bite, leave and return to feed again.

These nomads head for deep water as winter wears on. The best perch fishing usually comes late in the winter, just before the ice leaves the lake.

Crappie bass tend to suspend under the ice. The school vertically, so the best way to locate them is to start fishing shallow and progressively lower your bait until you locate the school.

Unlike most fish, crappies are attracted to light and feed best when they can see the bait.

For that reason, crappie fishermen keep the hole free of ice and slush and allow sunlight to enter.

Where snow covers the ice, shovel an area around the hole to allow more light to penetrate the water and attract the schooling fish.

When fishing at night, place a lantern near the hole.

Sunfish are the easiest fish to catch while ice fishing. Sunfish can be found near the shoreline and weedbeds and favor mealworms, wax worms, grubs and a variety of small lures that imitate terrestrial insects.

Early and late season are the best bets for catching sunfish. Sunfish school and the larger fish can usually be found on the bottom, while the smaller ones will stay closer to the surface.

Light lines, bobbers and small baits are important when fishing for sunfish.

The larger fish are very cautious and often hard to catch.

Many ice fishermen choose to chum. Crushed eggshells are a popular chum, but don’t ask me why.

Other things that make good chum are fish scales, fish guts, canned corn, split peas, oatmeal and cracker crumbs.

I will even say to add dog food to the list. I haven’t found better bait yet to use in a minnow trap.

If you enjoy eating fresh-caught fish, you’ll love fish caught through the ice. The flesh is much firmer and tastier than it is when the same species is taken from warm water.

Good fishing!

Herald-Standard outdoor writer Rod Schoener can be reached on line at rschoener@heraldstandard.com