So yesterday I attended my local annual ice fishing contest. I am new to ice fishing and for the second time I did not catch anything.

Part of what I had hoped to do was to catch a carp. We have Asian carp in our lake.

I used corn like I do during the summer spring and fall with good results. I used the same hooks and rigs, etc.

I did modify what I use to put it on tip-ups. I got the wood variety that have flags that pop-up when they are hit. I ended up with about 8 feet of braided line down the hole which should have put it neat the bottom. I had about a foot and a half leader with a couple of lead weights and a #8(?) hook (or was it a #4). Anyway it was the same hook I use in the summer. The weights were about 5 or 6 inches from the bait.

But I did not get any hits.

I did notice at the end of the day that one person had caught a 22 inch (average) carp and won the contest as he had the only entry for a carp. That does not mean that it was the only carp caught since anyone with a smaller fish might not have entered it. It does prove that it can be done.

Any thoughts?

Personally I don't do any ice fishing. I hang it up when the ice hits...Carp will feed even in the middle of winter, although as the temp drops and their metabolism slows they definitely don't each as much or as often.

Typically the warmest and sunniest parts of the day are the prime fishing times in winter. Also the shallower waters that will warm faster will congregate carp during these warm/sunny times.

While it's certainly possible to catch carp in winter, it seems a much greater challenge.