12poundbass

Yep she’s a tab bit chilly up here.

This thread is kinda like group therapy for us northern guys. My thread may look like it’s us complaining about the winter, but in reality it’s our way to keep you warm weather people away from our fish! ?

I kind of messed up this year. I got caught up in the moment of trading my Helix 7 for a Garmin Echomap. In the midst of that I got short sighted when the guy asked if I had another Helix. I ended up selling my Helix 5 DI. I should have kept it and used the flasher for ice fishing. Oh well.

I’m pathetically optimistic ice out will get here earlier this year since winter came about a month early. I’m predicting March 25 will be open water around me. On the bright side we are closer every day to the new season of Zona, hopefully that will help pass the time.

I saw this on our local news last night. Pretty interesting.

Excellent write up. What an amazing trip!

Heck of a first buck! Congrats to him.

This subject comes up every year and it’s funny because I always thought I was in the minority by not ice fishing. I did it quite a bit as a kid but never really enjoyed it. It’s a ton of work if you don’t have the right equipment. On a boat if the fish aren’t biting you hit the trolling motor and go to another spot. Ice fishing you pack everything up on your sled or trailer go to a different spot drill a few holes through ice that’s probably 12 or more inches thick, drop your transducer (if you’ve spent a few hundred dollars on one) in the water, if there’s fish great, if there isn’t repeat the process until you find the fish. It would be fun if you were on a big school of walleye. My parents have a pond at their house and ice fishing there can be fun because there’s always action. Ice fishing is usually pretty boring. I think it’s just a thing for guys to get together on the ice and drink beer. You never have to worry about it getting cold. Google Tip up town Houghton Lake. If you ever come to Michigan in the winter check it out.

One thing @MN Fisher that sticks out to me comparing your climate to @A-Jay is you receive on average 38 more sunny days than us in Michigan. While he receives about 100 more inches of snow (what a difference a 2 hour drive makes) our sunny days or lack there of are the same. Our local weather guesser was talking about the role Lake Michigan plays on our climate especially during the winter. It can be sunny in Chicago or in your neck of the woods but go across the lake and we haven’t seen the sun in what seems an eternity. Our winters are the second worse in the country because of the lack of sunlight. Lake Michigan can make us have an ok winter or it can make us have an absolutely nasty winter.

It is for us too. I would like to see their faces the first time it hits subzero and their nose hairs stick together. ?

Well let’s hope that they all get to experience single digit temps this winter. I wouldn’t wish negative temps on anyone, that would be mean. ?

Yikes! It’ll probably be 60 degrees for Christmas.

Take care, get well!

I leave my batteries in my boat and charge them at least once a month.

I’m content with the 4 inches we got. Record low temperatures for the high today 21. Looking like same for tomorrow. Thankfully I’m not on the lake shore, some places got 12+ inches.

I thought it was just a fad that ended years ago. Apparently not.

You poor thing ?

I didn’t pay attention to the weather last night, so I had no clue it was going to get that cold. I walked outside to start the vehicles this morning and heard the distinct squeaking snow us northerners associate with very cold temps.

I think his wife might be like mine. Our Christmas tree has been up for a week. ? It’s cold! This is @A-Jay temps. Not mid Michigan weather yet.

Went to bed being told only a dusting for us and the heavy accumulation was south. Woke up to more than a dusting and now they’re saying 4-6” today! ? You're fired weather guesser!

Thank you for your service veterans!

Awesome fish, congrats!