Unicorn lake ice?

[mi327]

Does anyone know if Unicorn lake is clear of ice or at least fishable? Thinking of heading up there tomorrow but don't want to make the long drive if isn't clear.

[Mark]

It was still iced on Tuesday based on an eye witness report I had received.

It's likely clear now but your problem tomorrow may be the wind.

Here's the forecast for the area from windfinder.com:

Capture.PNG

An easterly wind of 16 to 21 mph with gusts over 30 mph is a little dicey.

I was looking to go out also but not with that forecast.

Better days will be here soon enough.

[mchottie]

I wish those 62* days we had earlier this week, fell on a weekend day I could get up there to Unicorn!

[mi327]

It was still iced on Tuesday based on an eye witness report I had received.

It's likely clear now but your problem tomorrow may be the wind.

Here's the forecast for the area from windfinder.com:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24612[/ATTACH]

An easterly wind of 16 to 21 mph with gusts over 30 mph is a little dicey.

I was looking to go out also but not with that forecast.

Better days will be here soon enough.

Thanks for heads up on the wind, I wouldn't want to drive 2 hours up there just to get blown off the water.

[YakMan1731]

Thanks for heads up on the wind, I wouldn't want to drive 2 hours up there just to get blown off the water.

In my experience with Unicorn, the ground truth for wind is often much less than forecasted. Of course it does occasionally get uncomfortably windy, but Unicorn is one of the places I go when the wind is forecast to be bad, because I often find that it's very managable there. Just my two cents!

[Mark]

Unicorn runs north to south and since our winds are typically from the west or northwest you can often fish it in moderate wind. That same wind from the north or south is a different matter since it will be blowing right up the center of the lake making it difficult to find protected water. I wouldn't let a 10 or 15 mph wind from either east or west stop me. I'd still go knowing I would only be able to fish a quarter or half of the lake in the style I like -- moving and casting artificials. (I rarely anchor.) In fact with a sustained but moderate easterly wind you will find protection on most of the ramp side of the lake. But winds of 20 and gusts over 30 mph from any direction are another matter.

It also depends on how you fish. If you want to anchor up and dunk minnows for pickerel you may find some success. But pickerel, the most active fish in that lake at the moment, don't like a severely rippled surface either and often retreat to deeper water or quieter surface water. Today the entire eastern half of that lake is going to be exposed to strong gusts.

Thanks to Google Earth you can find the geographic orientation of any body of water you intend to fish. I always check the wind forecast prior to any trip to make sure the area I intend to visit is first of all safe given projected winds and second, fishable in the style I like.

[mike o]

I was planning to hit a Delaware pond Friday but after hearing the wind forecast decided it wasn't a good idea. I got up and was surprised to find no wind outside. I decided to scout for some new spots to fish. I went to a nearby park and tried it form shore but had no luck. At 11:00 there was still almost no wind so I went back and loaded up my pro angler and hit a nearby pond. The water in the pond was surprisingly clear and warmer than I expected. The fishing was slow at first but picked up as the water got warmer. The wind did pick up but wasn't too bad and I fished protected areas. I fished for 3 1/2 hours and caught 6 pickerel. It was good to get out and get a couple fish. The air temp was 51 and the highest water temp I saw was 53.

[J. Rentch]

Glad you found some. Agree with you, they missed the wind forecast for Friday.

[Mark]

Thank goodness for Eastern Shore ponds and pickerel to give a spark to our local fishing in the winter. Add low winds and ice-free water and I got out today after a 4-week layoff. Plus I caught my fist fish on the new flyrod I bought at the Edison NJ fly fishing show last month:

P1040522.jpg

A pickerel, of course...

[DanMarino]

Outstanding, Mark. Beautiful markings on that pickerel.

[mike o]

Nice getting it on the fly rod Mark

[Mark]

Outstanding, Mark. Beautiful markings on that pickerel.

Thanks Tom. It must have avoided the hazards of pickerel life thus far. Theirs is a tough world. So often I catch them with beak marks on their sides where a heron lost its meal or other evidence of the wars that take place under the surface. Look at the lower tailfin on this one from yesterday:

P1040524.jpg

[Mark]

Nice getting it on the fly rod Mark

Thanks Mike. I seriously believe fly rodders have an advantage with pickerel at this time of year. Cold water pickerel typically don't want a fast moving bait at a constant speed. They want something that starts, stops and suspends. Often, they hit when you pause in the stripping motion. Unweighted streamer flies are perfect for that technique.

[DanMarino]

Was that one of your bend back flies, or whatever they are properly called?

[Mark]

Was that one of your bend back flies, or whatever they are properly called?

Yes. I caught most on the bendback but I also got some on Joe Bruce's articulated bullethead darter. I think they were partial to white yesterday. My bendbacks were mostly white. My bullethead was yellow. But I think the key for both flies is that they are unweighted and sink very slowly. During the retrieve they suspend momentarily when you pause and I believe in that brief stationary position after pickerel saw it moving enticed them to strike.