How Deep Are They Biting?

Fred Noddin

This is one of the most common questions I hear when fishing, be it summer or winter. And it is true that fish will bite at different depths on any given day. I know better than to give an absolute answer to why they bite at different depths. Water temperature, wind patterns, moon position, the availability of bait fish and predatory fish all influence when and where gamefish will be found. Rather than try to accurately predict fish location, I’ve adapted a strategy of trying many depths until the fish tell me where they are and if they are willing to bite a hook.

A depth sounder can help with locating fish, but it isn’t necessary. Rarely have I found a trout lake where trout are not willing to take bait. When I am ice fishing I try to find a fishy location, like a point, and cut a line of holes from shallow to deep and back again. Once a pattern of holes is drilled, I’ll place a line in shallow and another out deeper to see if or where the action is. I consider shallow water anything less than 6 feet. My first deeper set will generally be around 12 to 15 feet.

On both lines I’ll fish my bait right next to the bottom. However, if after a half hour I don’t get a bite, I’ll bring the shallow line half way up the water column and crank the reel handle on the deeper set up one complete revolution. This will give me two new fishing depths. If after another 20 minutes or so I still don’t get a bite, I’ll bring the deep line up another full revolution and move the other line to another shallow location. This winter, I’ve found that most of my trout action has occurred in 12 to 15 feet with the line 4 to 6 feet off the bottom. For my reels, that’s around two complete revolutions off the bottom. By using this technique of systematically trying various depths and locations I’ve enjoyed some excellent results. Give it a try next time you are out on the ice.

How Deep Are They Biting?

Previous Fishing Tips & Facts

(1) Fishing the Foam Line

(2) Trip Planning Tips

(3) The Seven-Year Twitch

(4) What is that Shiny Silver Fish

(5) The Art of Mending

(6) A well-stocked Fly Box

(7) Weight Forward vs. Double Taper Fly Lines

(8) The Evening Walleye Shift

(9) On the Fly

(10) Memories Aren't Made of This

(11) Selecting the right fly

(12) Road Trips

(13) The Roll cast

(14) Fly-fishing for Pike

(15) Walleye Tip

(16) Mountain Lakers

(17) Hints For Dry Fly Success

(18) Survival Strategies For The Silly Season

(19) Local Advise

(20) It's A Pink Year

(21) Ice Fishin Safety

(22) Third World Travel

(23) Casting Angles

(24) The Rocky Mountain Whitefish Rig

(25) Using Sinking Leaders

(26) The Pike Fisherman's Vest

(27) Walleye Tips

(28) Trophies Are In The Eye Of The Beholder

(29) The Right Tool For The Job

(30) Respect The Weather - Expect The Weather

(31) Approach

(32) Gearing Up For Ice Perch

(33) Do It Yourself Excersions

(34) Shots

(35) Atlantic Salmon Fishing Techniques

(36) Fishing Etiquette In Crowded Conditions

(37) Swinging Caddis Flies

(38) Selecting a Fishing Rod

(39) Pike Angling Retrieves

(40) Detecting The Strike

(41) Unmatch The Hatch

(42) Off The Grid Air Travel

(43) Practise

(44) How Deep Are They Biting?

(45) Netting and Landing Your Fish

(46) Texas Travel Tips

(47) Quick Tips for Triggering Strikes

(48) Be the Last Man Standing

(49) Water Temperature & Trout

(50) Visiting Reindeer Lake

(51) Stillwater Stratagems

(52) Those Crazy Cohos!

(53) Leaders & Tippets

(54) Big Water Strategies

(55) Small Stream Stealth

(56) DO I GET UP EARLY?

(57) ACCESSIBLE PLACES TO FISH

(58) Travelling Angler Tips

(59) Choosing The Right Fly

(60) They come out at Night - Our Friends that is

(61) Fishing at Night

(62) Having Troubles Catching fish?

(63) Having Troubles Finding Fish?

(64) Stay Skinny To Catch Fish

(65) Tips For Fishing With Kids

(66) The Wonderful Woolly Bugger

(67) Wading Safely

(68) Double Your Fun

(69) More About The Red River

(70) Rookie Rod Buying Tips

(71) Hook Sharpening

(72) Going Light

(73) Hopper - Dropper Rigs

(74) Tips For Buying A Pontoon Boat

(75) Fishing Tips and Facts for Sturgeon

(76) Three Flies to Live by

(77) Reading Rise Forms

(78) Tips and Facts for Early Season Success

(99) Polarized Sunglasses
The smart anglers’ advantage.

(145) Consider the Spawn and Water Temperature
for Early Season Fish