I usually wait until March before showing up around here. We will be making ice around these parts through February and the middle of March. Lots of looking at the Show-Down depth finder, and staring down holes yet to do.
I enjoy ice fishing as much as open water. For me, except for the fish, it doesn't feel like the same thing. Open water seems more like a hunt, ice fishing feels more like a puzzle. With ice fishing you can set up right on top of a large school, throw everything you have at them, in every method you know, and nothing. I have seen them rush my bait, only to stare at it, and swim away (under ice camera). It can be tough in open water, but winter can drive you nuts.
Mid-February is when I take inventory of my open water stuff. This is usually keyed more by the smell of vixen fox urine, (February is breeding time, and yeah if your aware of what it is, you know the smell)I place my orders (mail order)in March. The end of March, and April, I stand in the snow practicing my flippin' and pitchin'. Usually by the first of April the White Water rivers open up, preceded by the creeks and brooks. By the third week in April the small lakes open up, followed by the larger lakes and flowages (Up-north talk for reservoirs). We can have as much as a couple of feet of snow on the ground when Trout season opens the first week-end in May, or it could be 80 above (and snow a week later). It's a crap shoot!
Catch and keep bass season doesn't open until the third week in June. By the second week-end in September, I'm in the woods deer hunting (I got three this year :-) ). Then comes the gun hunt, muzzle loader hunt, late bow hunt, and ice fishing.
It's a long way before I can stand ankle deep in snow practice casting, longing for open water.....,SOOOoooo, why am I teasing myself now??????...,I think I'm getting old.
