Trout question

[hydrofish01]

Went to a local pond looking for a rainbow trout for lunch. In the past we always see/ or catch a trout or 2. This year we spent 10 hrs out there and didnt see a fish. Oddly all we saw were thousands of minnows and shrimp close to the ice surface. Never in previous yrs have I seen that. Is it possible that there is a winter kill situation there. Lots of deep water but seems odd

[brobinson]

Sometimes when I've seen that much natural forage in a lake I haven't had much luck either. You really have to finesse them and really make them want to eat when they have a smorgasbord to choose from already.

[Wild&Free]

Did you try keeping your presentation just below the ice surface where all the forage was?

Like Brobinson said, when they have a lot of food they can be tricky to catch. Best bet would be to move around a little, try shallow (2-5 fow) and try very deep, but move up and down the water column when you're in the deep water.

Also, dropping a flashy jigging spoon, or spinner down the hole to attract fish to your bait might also help.

[BPman]

You may well be seeing a winterkill in the making. The coldest water is immediately under the ice and that is where the highest concentration of dissolved oxygen will be found so that is where the surviving critters will concentrate. Try keeping your baits within 3 or 4 feet of the bottom of the ice and if you don't see or catch anything in a reasonable time, you can conclude you are probably too late. Any shallow areas where green plants are still alive might also be a place to fish as the green plants can produce oxygen if a little sunlight gets to them through the snow and ice. Good luck.

[EZM]

You may well be seeing a winterkill in the making. The coldest water is immediately under the ice and that is where the highest concentration of dissolved oxygen will be found so that is where the surviving critters will concentrate. Try keeping your baits within 3 or 4 feet of the bottom of the ice and if you don't see or catch anything in a reasonable time, you can conclude you are probably too late. Any shallow areas where green plants are still alive might also be a place to fish as the green plants can produce oxygen if a little sunlight gets to them through the snow and ice. Good luck.

100% agree - that was my thought exactly. When the little critters are at the surface under the ice, on a small pond - the big critters are usually already dead.