# Findlay #2...



## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

..the far side ( river side )..I drilled 2 holes last night. The first was about 10 - 15 feet out and the ice was about half white crusty layers with some better stuff underneath but all together it was over 2 feet.. thicker than my auger blade and screw are long. The second was about 10 -15 feet further out and the ice was about half of what it is at the first hole. Felt good and solid to me but I am not gonna tell anybody its safe. Ya have to use your own discression on that and check it out for yourself but heres a possible opportunity for someone to get some fishing in. I think Im gonna head on out there myself today.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Thanks for the report yonder! I think that crusty stuff is snow that got wet and slushy then froze. I've been trying to get out there to try it, but now with 35 mph wind comeing will have to wait it out. I've got the gear ready and the auger fueled up. Looks like thursday on should be ok.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I wasnt even taking into consideration the weather. I went out there and climbed the hill to almost blizzard conditions and theres no way to fish in that. I drove around to the boat ramp side and the ice looks kinda scary there, I didnt drill any holes but there may actually be around 3-4 inches, but not good looking ice. There may be fishable ice on the boat ramp side in some spots but it looks like the thickness varies and might be dangerous, one would have to drill a series of holes to be sure. I am thinking that the ice on the far side didnt completely melt away when the rest did and that may explain why its thicker.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

I agree. The super thick ice would be hard to drill thro. Must have piled up during that thaw then refroze. I used bienoks to look at those dark spots yesterday and they looked just coverd in ice. Watched a floc of geese land in open water on #1. I beleive all should be coverd in the next day or two. The wind finley stopped blowing and 0 temps will lock it all in, now will search for bait.


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## bdubb (Sep 26, 2007)

any new info yet and how is the perch fishing through the ice its been awhile since i have been there but never on ice thought that i might try it this weekend any suggestions


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Just give it a shot. Have'nt seen or herd of anything caught. Just a few new holes in the ice.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

My son was out on a pond along the highway (spring lake) and found 7 inches of ice but it had slush on top of the ice. Last night


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

6-7 inches on the boat ramp side at #2 , fished there yesterday a couple hours and the perch were biting great...problem is they were very small, out of around 20 fish there were no keepers. Im wondering where all the bigger ones were. I was hoping for the occasional jumbo or attleast middle sized one but I must have just been in a school of very young ones.


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## Spongebrain (Feb 12, 2007)

Findlay #1 & #2 are such tough places. Theres times when they just give it up gracefully then other times you'd swear there aren't any fish in there. I've never ice fished it but I love the summer 'eye troll and perch jerk. Good luck.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

My son and I decided late yesterday to haul down to Indian lake for the evening bite. Well we did the right thing as we brought 4 eyes home up to 21 inches, my son lost one even bigger it had tangled with his other line and we just could not get it up the hole before it came loose he jabbed his arm down the hole trying to grab it but it was gone., but plenty of action for an hour and a half. Long Island area on firetiger or green Vibee. Good luck ice about 4 inches but snowmobles are on the lake.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Spongebrain said:


> Findlay #1 & #2 are such tough places. Theres times when they just give it up gracefully then other times you'd swear there aren't any fish in there. I've never ice fished it but I love the summer 'eye troll and perch jerk. Good luck.


Speaking of catching perch in there in the summer,... what is the best way to catch them from a boat ? The only way Ive caught them ( from shore ) is to fish on the bottom with a tight line so you can see when they bite but if you did that from a boat thats bobbing around you wouldnt be able to keep the line tight. You would have to fish with a float right ?


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Ive been fishing on the ice at #2 3 times so far. Did really good on friday and only 2 fish saturday and 1 yesterday. There are a LOT of perch in there but all the ones being caught by me and others are way too small and from the few I used for cut bait they seem to be males. Anybody who knows perch, .. does that mean the larger ones are probably somewhere else or just picky and harder to catch ?


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

yonderfishin said:


> Speaking of catching perch in there in the summer,... what is the best way to catch them from a boat ?QUOTE]
> 
> Not sure how deep the water is there, but on Erie most everyone will use a weighted spreader, drop it to the bottom and reel up just enough to get the bait off the bottom. It is a tight line straight down and you can feel and see the bite well. The up and down from the boat doesn't seem to matter much. A technique I heard of this year on erie was to use slip floats with bait near bottom, even in 30' of water. Haven't tried it yet, but plan to give it a shot this summer.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Thats why their bigger,, harder to catch! lol I think the small ones school together as do the larger ones. On erie that holds true. You hardly see small ones caught with jumbos.


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## Redhunter1012 (Feb 6, 2006)

We do good on spreaders and also the perch hooks with the little spinners on them.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

By spreaders do you mean the wire things with a spot for a hook at both ends or the crappie/perch rigs with a weight at bottom and 2 hooks up the line ?


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## Redhunter1012 (Feb 6, 2006)

Yes, with the wire and the loops at each end of the "U" for hooks to go on.


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

I do also use crappie rigs, the weight on bottom and 2 hooks above. With those, you can keep contact with the bottom and know your bait is still up off bottom. I use the crappie rigs or homade setups more with my lighter weight poles and use a lighter weight.

My homade ones are similar to crappie rigs but with just simple loop knots tied in to attach a hook, 2 beads and a small spinner above each loop. You can make 3 loops for hooks (no more than 3 or ODNR won't like ya ) and have bait from near bottom up to 2 or 3 feet up, it's up to you where to place the loops. I use these to crappie fish under a slip float as well, spreads your bait out over more depth to locate em'.


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## Perchy101 (Apr 14, 2004)

Will be up again this weekend to give it a go.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Saw 4 shanty's on #2 today, any reports they may help? P&A bait on Jefferson St., aka;the blind lady, has wax worms. I'll be out tomarrow and give a report then.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I was out there today for a short while around 1 or 2:00 . Caught one perch, kinda small but threw him on the ice hoping to get a few more to go with him but when I turned my back my 3 yr old picked it up and threw it back down the hole. He was needing a nap and driving me crazy so I had to pack up and leave before I blew a gasket. Im gonna have to get out there earlier tomorrow before he gets so cranky.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Tried #2 for 3hrs on thursday from 1 -4pm. No takers just little pecks, must have been those small perch. Did see a guy with 3 jumbo perch 12in +. Said he saw them with his camara. Lasted 15min and then others would come in and look but not bite. Going to try #1 later today.


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## ao203 (Mar 29, 2006)

anybody got a report on the ice in findlay! was thinking about running up there today to try some perch. just didnt want to waste a trip from bowling green if the ice isnt any good.


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## ao203 (Mar 29, 2006)

also is there anywhere to get shiners between bg and findlay?? i dont want to have to drive to that place between tiffin and attica


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Ice is 8 inch +. I don't know of any place around here that has minnies.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I believe I seen minnows at Laffertys bait in Van Buren. I was there a week or 2 ago to get some jigs and wax worms. The only other thing I can suggest nearby is go to the pet store or wal mart and get some of their feeder minnows, tho I dont know how good they work. I guess people around here just dont fishing serious enough to have a decent bait shop that keeps us supplied year round. I need to win the lottery, retire and buy into a bait shop...work for myself here where there isnt any serious competition


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

I was told by the owner of Mountain Man Trading Post on SR 53 in Tiffin (near Shellshuckers) that he was going to keep minnows instore over the winter. Don't know if he has them for sure. He does not have shiners, they are what I consider creek chubs, brownish minnows. I'd call before ya make the trip. 448-4255


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## ao203 (Mar 29, 2006)

yonder, lets be partners and open one up. I went to petco and got some wax worms and mealworms, it was my first time goin to the findlay res so i couldnt see myself spendin 18 cents a minnow. i got to the res about 3:00, i went out about 100 yards or so over the "old road bed" by the launch ramp on number 2. i put a couple tipups in, one with meal worms, one with wax, and one with a gulp alive leach, just to see if there was any action. i had a pole with a jig and leech on it. my cousin had wax worms on his, it was just to windy and cold so i only stayed a couple hours. didnt get any bites, dont know if i was in a decent spot or not. ice was between 10 and 12 inches, looked really clear. made me wish i had a power auger. might try this weekend or tommorrow with some minnows. snow drift hangin over the edge were about A$$ deep, it was fun getting back up top. if anybody has a camera or flasher and wouldnt mind letting me tag along give me a shout.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Sure, ...gotta have money first tho, hard to start a business with pocket lint 

Ive put together another theory about findlay #2 from what others have said , I just havent had a chance to prove it yet. Though the fish have been running pretty small, especially perch, they were biting great for the first week or two of ice and have tapered off quite a bit. I read on here somewhere that oxygen levels drop under the ice over time and fish seek deeper water where there is more stored oxygen. The conservation pool on the far side is the deepest, the lake map shows around 30 feet. Id bet that if you can find structure on the bottom over there and are very patient you can catch some fish. But if they have been affected by oxygen levels and have moved deeper they should be lethargic and take some coaxing to bite. They will definately be close to structure and not move from it much. Ive been thinking the bigger ones would be over there somewhere anyway since they would be less afraid of the big catfish, etc. that will naturally be there. I could be wrong but to me it makes sense.


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## dangerdave50 (Feb 13, 2007)

oxygen levels do effect em but from what i read they should be at the top of the ice more than the bottom. unless theres a spring where fresh oxygenated water is comin in from then ide expect em to be only a few feet under the ice at this time of the year.


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## dangerdave50 (Feb 13, 2007)

and the deepest parts are just east of the middle and a longer deep pool that runs parallel with the east shoreline, probably about 100 yards out off the middle of the east shoreline and youll be right in the middle of it.


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## dangerdave50 (Feb 13, 2007)

and i just realized where the water inlets are. the south east corner of #2 and the north east corner of #1. and i guess #2 has been stocked with about 300,000 perch and about 40,000 walleye every year since 95 lol im suprised you guys aint slammin the fish out there.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

danger,, it's not for the lack of trying! I think I'll walk over to the other side of #2 this weekend if the snow is not too deep. The areas that get fished alot are those areas near the lunch ramp, in the fall they where hot. Going up the east side from the parking lot would be quite a chore with all this snow.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

dangerdave50 said:


> oxygen levels do effect em but from what i read they should be at the top of the ice more than the bottom. unless theres a spring where fresh oxygenated water is comin in from then ide expect em to be only a few feet under the ice at this time of the year.


Normally when there is no ice and sunlight cuts through the shallower water easily, the micro critters and any possible plant life turn it into oxygen that is why there is more of it in shallow water. As time goes on the ice has cut light down quite a bit especially if there is snow cover also, and the available oxygen eventually drops. If the theory is true then the winter cycle turns everything upside down and everything is reverse of what you might think it would be. Something to do with the algae and micro critters I think. I saw a television program on it years ago and dont remember all the details. Bigger fish and bottom huggers like perch dont ever get too close to the ice anyway and prefer deeper water unless its spawning time. This is what I gather from what Ive read and seen anyway, there is a lot I dont know.


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## dangerdave50 (Feb 13, 2007)

but from what ive understood it doesnt matter on depth so much. just that the oxygenated water is at the top towards the ice, and it keeps shrinking through the winter untill either there is none left and the fish suffocate or the ice thaws and the plants make oxygen again. i might be wrong but thats what ive read from my book on ice fishing


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

dangerdave50 said:


> and i just realized where the water inlets are. the south east corner of #2 and the north east corner of #1. and i guess #2 has been stocked with about 300,000 perch and about 40,000 walleye every year since 95 lol im suprised you guys aint slammin the fish out there.


Those with underwater cameras have seen LOTS of perch and crappie but they have lockjaw


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## dangerdave50 (Feb 13, 2007)

speakin of underwater cameras i went on ebay and they got some aquaviews for 50 bucks, whole package, it is just the basics but still thats a hell of a deal. and have you tried dropper rigs? if all else fails they say you should try those.


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## big_mike (Aug 2, 2006)

Finally caught my first Ice Fish through the ice at Findlay on Sunday. Caught some Crappie and Blue Gills, it was nice. Just wanted to let you guys know.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Good to know Mike that some people are catching those DARN things. Any size or numbers to them? Were you useing wax worms? Has anyone fished shank Lake at Oakwoods? With the warmer temps this weekend and next week, we might might be on our last go round!


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## big_mike (Aug 2, 2006)

ress said:


> Good to know Mike that some people are catching those DARN things. Any size or numbers to them? Were you useing wax worms? Has anyone fished shank Lake at Oakwoods? With the warmer temps this weekend and next week, we might might be on our last go round!



Yes they were on Wax Worms. If I could have got some Minnows I would have better luck with the Crappies. They were around 8" long, the blue gills were about 7" long.


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## fishon207 (Jan 30, 2009)

went fishing with big mike last evening(fri) only caught a few crappie close to dark .once the light faded so did the bite! ice was about 12 inches .not sure what this coming week will do to the ice.what a bad time for the warmth,it could have waited another couple weeks as far as im concerned!


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## JimmyZ (May 18, 2004)

I hear ya. it was cold and froze already, might as well have stayed at least in the 30s till march. Then let the warm days come and bring on the spring fishing. I'm excited, time change this year is 3/8/09.


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## BOO (Jan 23, 2009)

anybody catching any walleye on findlay #2, thinking about heading out there today. Hoping for a report by mid morning

thanks 
jeremy


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Have not heard of any walleye caught, a few crappie and blue-gill and few perch. going out there after lunch today with a few minnows.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

It should be a wet melting sloppy mess out there with the warm weather and wind. Be careful.


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