First Ice

[thedarkarcher]

hmmmm....does someone want to take me ice fishing? it sounds fun but from september to december my bow becomes a part of my body and i'll be in the woods. can you bowfish through a hole in the ice? how bout i trade a spring turkey hunt for a day of icefishing? i hear beer is the key to catching lots of fish through the ice...is this true? j/k

[Hawken]

Been looking at my gear already was getting stuff ready last minute last season plan to be ready by Mid Nov. New line, more jigs, boots,spare blades, and thats it!! Dec 5-6 I'll be on some where up north with 2hrs.

[magnusthebigbrownlab]

Dark, I'd be happy to take you out on the ice. It's good times.

[cabbry]

I was into Scheels Omaha yesterday. The first Clam is out on the floor which is a good thing I guess. Bad part of this is they only had left handed planer boards on the sleves This mid-season transition stuff can be a hassle. Looks like I am going to have to troll up-side-down if I am going to use a planer board this fall on my side of the boat.........

Magnus did I see that you sold your auger and ice house last winter?????

[magnusthebigbrownlab]

Yeah, I sold them. But I'm updating. Looking for a three man and an 8" Jiffy or Strikemaster. I got tired of losing stuff down those damn 10" holes.

[fowlfoolr1979]

Wish we had some fishable ice right now!
Cannot wait for ice fishing to roll around again.


Layne

[Harold]

We had a strong La Nina pattern this last season. There is approximately 10% likelihood for La Nina conditions to re-emerge during the remainder of the year and a 75% probability for ENSO-neutral conditions.

What the HEKK is all of that? You been "sniffin' " them diapers again, clucker?

Harold F.

(Hope Mom and New Baby are doing well... as for you, maybe a bit more fishin' will help! Hey, just got an IDEA for CHUM!)

[esoxjunkie]

Magnus, I sold my 10"er last year too. I bought a 6" Strikemaster and absolutely love it! If I feel I need a bigger hole I just poke two 6" holes connecting. That little thing is so fast, and so much lighter than the 10"er. I was skeptical on that small of a hole, but now I can't imagine ever poking 10" holes anymore.

I'll predict 12/23 safe ice.

I still need the fall muskie/walleye bite to get me through the fishing season though before I'm ready to dig out the 'trap and the vexilar.

Jamie

[clucker]

Originally Posted by Harold

What the HEKK is all of that? You been "sniffin' " them diapers again, clucker?

Harold F.

(Hope Mom and New Baby are doing well... as for you, maybe a bit more fishin' will help! Hey, just got an IDEA for CHUM!)

some of the "chum" she produces would likely create a substantial biohazard condition in the global aquatic ecosystem.
It wouldn't be pretty

...however they are both fine, thanks for asking!

[magnusthebigbrownlab]

Originally Posted by esoxjunkie

Magnus, I sold my 10"er last year too. I bought a 6" Strikemaster and absolutely love it! If I feel I need a bigger hole I just poke two 6" holes connecting. That little thing is so fast, and so much lighter than the 10"er. I was skeptical on that small of a hole, but now I can't imagine ever poking 10" holes anymore.

I'll predict 12/23 safe ice.

I still need the fall muskie/walleye bite to get me through the fishing season though before I'm ready to dig out the 'trap and the vexilar.

Jamie

A six is perfect for around here, unless you get into something really awesome...in which case, I consider a release at the hole a fair catch. But there be some big fishes up Nort'.

[Fish Recycler]

Originally Posted by flatwalter

Can't wait; but December is still a lot of fish away.

Awesome line.

[GenericAngler]

A simple observation:

At this moment I look at ice fishing as the "methadone" to regular fishing being the "heroine". (I.E. --> Better than not being able to fish at all -- but quite a bit "tamer" than open water fishing).


And Question:

To those of you who are looking forward to first ice while there is still 3 1/2 months of "normal" fishing left -- what is the draw? What is it about ice fishing that is superior to open water? I am sure that I am missing something....

Don't get me wrong....I can get stoked for ice fishing when it is the only option.....But to prefer ice fishing over open water....hmmmmmm...

[esoxjunkie]

Generic, can't speak for everyone, but I don't prefer ice over open water or vice versa. Seems like about the time the ice is getting unsafe I'm really anxious to get the boat out.

After 4 or 5 months of putting up with jam-packed boat ramps, rude, lawbreaking, littering, inconsiderate people in general, I'm always very ready for the quiet solitude of sharing an evening on the ice with just a couple of other people. Even on the busiest day I was out last winter I never had to wait to pull my shack off the ice, or have somebody go blasting by me wide open throttle on a no-wake lake(although I did have a guy on an ATV go screaming by my Fishtrap on Standing Bear in Feb)

All fishing is great, just nice to be able to enjoy it nearly 12 months out of the year one way or another!

With that said, when the ducks are flying, you won't find me in the boat, or the 'trap!

Jamie

[Hawken]

So we don't hav't to put up with all people that don't icefish!!!

[Bass-Assassin]

Ice? I never thought of ice like I do now. I always get so mixed up in the fall. Should I be hunting deer? Perhaps unload on some doves then pheasants , go fishing, go ice fishing? It's just crazy. My brain can hardly take the decision making. Although, I came across a majestic invention last year while ice fishing with a buddy. It's called a vexilar. Maybe just the best invention ever! You want fish? All you go to do is line the green line up(your bait) with the yellow orangish red one..... jig a little......wait for a bite..... and Vaaboom! you got a ice cold fillet coming out of a hole. Okay maybe it's not that easy but once I bought one, ice fishing became my second life. I will never hit the ice without one again.Don't let the price tag fool you, it's plenty worth it. So lets hope for some nice thick ice! And some big ol basket head deer! And some phesants, and alot of doves, and some fall open fishing......and some wipers and......and..............and..................... ..........

[Zach T.]

Ice fishing is one of those things you can't really describe to others. They have to go do it for themselves and find out if it's for them. There's just something about walking out onto a completely hard surface, drilling a hole in it and then pulling something out of it. It's -5F weather with 30mph winds. It's just something about being out in the elements and beating the odds. The possibility of death by breaking through just adds to the luster which is ice fishing. You have to have a bit of an adventurous side to you. It's the biggest fish of your life coming through that little hole. The first time you do it, you're either addicted or will never set foot on the ice again. Try it out if you haven't already and see if you understand.

It's the whole, "from the outside looking in you can't understand it. From the inside looking out you can't explain it."

BRING ON THE ICE!!!!!

[Chuck_Tritz]

"Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music." George carlin

this was taken right from my ice fishing forum

Originally Posted by GenericAngler

A simple observation:
To those of you who are looking forward to first ice while there is still 3 1/2 months of "normal" fishing left -- what is the draw? What is it about ice fishing that is superior to open water? I am sure that I am missing something....

[Sandbilly]

Originally Posted by GenericAngler

A simple observation:



And Question:

To those of you who are looking forward to first ice while there is still 3 1/2 months of "normal" fishing left -- what is the draw? What is it about ice fishing that is superior to open water? I am sure that I am missing something....

Growing up in the Sandhills it didn't take long to figure out that I could fish these lakes longer on ice than during open water. The more I did it the more I enjoyed being on the ice and eventually became more successful.

Today the draw has to be the precision of the sport for me. Everything from line & lures to structure & equipment, details make a huge difference.

Great job describing a Vexilar, Bass Assassin. Watching a burn come into the cone angle and react to your bait, all in real time, is awesome. Sometimes you can even tell fish species by reactions to a specific jigging motion.

Sight fishing on ice is by far my favorite.

End of Feb. this year on Duck Lake VWR, 3 fow, sand pockets surrounded by weeds. Catching medium gills, small bass and a few nice perch. Looking down the hole, I can see a few gills tucked in weeds. Working pounders with a plastic tail, vertically from bottom-up, pulls gills out of their house and on the ice. After icing a couple of nicer gills, I see the weeds swirl as the jig reaches the bottom of the hole. Immediately pull up and redrop half way down. Slowly dancing the pounder/kicking plastic back up. Four inches from the bottom of the hole (11 inches from my big toe), a blur inhales this pounder and then stops just as fast. In that split second my brain registers plastic engulfed but jig point still exposed.......big gill, Big Gill, BIG GILL--- WHAAACK!
As a pounder ricochets off the the roof of my Trap and a plastic tail slowly drifts down the water column into sand, BIG GILL (can't give an estimate, OBG may be watching) still 11" away gives me one of these , then slides by directly under the hole. Won't talk about what happened next except to mention I ordered new canvas for a Fish Trap Scout.

I do like ice fishing.

dc

[magnusthebigbrownlab]

First below freezing night of the fall is coming up really quick. Get those blades sharpened, boys! Got the Jiffy and the flasher...now I'm just searching for a shelter. Safe ice by Hanukkah! Mazel Tov!!!

[WalkingNe]

Expect record cold in the first half of December, with other cold periods in early and mid-January and mid-February.

That was from the long range forecast in the "Farmer's Almanac. Sounds good to me.

So I am predicting by Dec 10 we will be on the ice in northern part of state.