Am I the only one who likes winter fishing?

[J.Vincent]

Oddly enough I absolutely despise Michigan winters; but when there is open water and it's between 32 and 40 degrees outside; I will fish on occasion....it's really survivalist fishing and the very thing which often turns a boy into a man ! : ) 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

14 minutes ago, Scott F said:

So how cold is cold to you?

When my reel and rod guides get ice caught in them.

 

 

@J.Vincent good read!! 

[ratherbfishin1]

6 minutes ago, NittyGrittyBoy said:

When my reel and rod guides get ice caught in them.

Like this? It was -15 and I realized very quickly it was a dumb idea to go fishing without a shelter and heater...

 

btw sorry for the blurry pic, my hands were too cold to hold the camera steady

[EGbassing]

36 minutes ago, Scott F said:

So how cold is cold to you?

I'd say anything under 50 is cold. Anything under 30 is really cold.

[soflabasser]

Yes I enjoy fishing winters in South Florida and would do ice fishing if I lived in the land of hard water.

[A-Jay]

I love winter fishing . . . in Mexico.

A-Jay

 

 

[Log Catcher]

4 hours ago, reb67 said:

We are still real men. We have enough brain cells still working that tell us putting on several layers, using hand warmers and gloves for fishing is not fun. I am already done for the year and have started winterizing my boat. If you want to freeze your petunias off go right ahead.

[Russ E]

Growing up in eastern Iowa, I would  get a kick out of the guys that will not fish when it gets around freezing, but will stand out in 10 below zero weather trying to call in a coyote.

[Bluebasser86]

3 hours ago, EGbassing said:

I'd say anything under 50 is cold. Anything under 30 is really cold.

I fish a lot of days it doesn't make it to 30 for a high lol. I stay home if it gets to 50 during the winter. The fishing is always terrible and there will be 50 or more boats on both power plant lakes.

 

I fish during the week, add in cold temps and I enjoy a lot of solitude on the water in the winter, it's great. Doesn't hurt that I almost always catch my biggest bass of the year during the winter months either.

[RichF]

5 hours ago, reason said:

I'm going to make an effort to spend more time up there in that transition period early and late in the season. I really like it up there, just wish the winters weren't so cold, I'd get a place up there.

My folks are still up there but I think they've had it with the brutal winters.  They've been extra harsh the last few years.  I'd move back up there in second, if I could.  The fishing is THAT good!

[Gundog]

4 hours ago, Scott F said:

So how cold is cold to you?

Cold is when you go outside and your nose hairs freeze. Really cold is when your nose hairs freeze just thinking about going outside. 

[Catt]

On my birthday, 30° overcast, dragging jigs a mile offshore!

 

 

[soflabasser]

I fished in 25-29 degree weather with +30 mph winds last year and would do it again for sure if it means I catch another fish on my bucket list. Would like to catch lake trout while ice fishing and that will be something I plan on doing in a future vacation. Fishing while its cold is nothing compared to long distance running in +90 degree heat and +80% humidity.

[Oregon Native]

As I've mentioned before...love the winter.  It's getting tougher with the hands protesting but the Nitrite gloves are helping along with large handwarmers.  Even back warmers come into play sometimes and they are also amazing.  Something about the empty boat ramps...quiet waters...eagles flying over....deer sneaking through the woods and fields....squirrels chewing you out for disturbing there peace and the list goes on.  Ahhhhhhhh.....it's amazing...truly a gift from above.

Now if I had to hear ice cracking just to walk out on a lake I would be terrified....I'll give you all a moment of silence in respect of what you have to endure.  

Tight lines all....

[TnRiver46]

5 minutes ago, Oregon Native said:

As I've mentioned before...love the winter.  It's getting tougher with the hands protesting but the Nitrite gloves are helping along with large handwarmers.  Even back warmers come into play sometimes and they are also amazing.  Something about the empty boat ramps...quiet waters...eagles flying over....deer sneaking through the woods and fields....squirrels chewing you out for disturbing there peace and the list goes on.  Ahhhhhhhh.....it's amazing...truly a gift from above.

Now if I had to hear ice cracking just to walk out on a lake I would be terrified....I'll give you all a moment of silence in respect of what you have to endure.  

Tight lines all....

Believe it or not I’ve seen Douglas frozen all the way across 4-5 times at the interstate bridge. And people driving 4 wheelers on the ice once 

[Oregon Native]

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Believe it or not I’ve seen Douglas frozen all the way across 4-5 times at the interstate bridge. And people driving 4 wheelers on the ice once 

Ouch.....

Now a couple or so years ago there was a lot of ice on the Hill in the back coves....and I remember pulling A-rigs off the ice and getting slammed by the bass....was crazy.  Also remember that year getting stuck in the snow pulling my boat down to Point 19 in the morning...driving out was ok.

 

[Hook2Jaw]

South Georgian, so I don't have to worry about any ice fishing.  The coldest I've ever been while out was after a drive to Savannah one morning to fish inshore, it was 35 degrees...which ain't nothing, I'm fine.

 

The problem was it was also raining.  I froze my butt off that morning for one very worth it speckled trout.

 

I love fishing, my personal comfort comes second.

[Preytorien]

Yes

Its all ice here usually sometime in December, and thaw out is sometime in March

I’m no ice fisherman so yes, you like winter fishing more than I do 

[the reel ess]

I don't exactly love winter fishing. But I get cabin fever after a couple weeks of cold weather. I'll start looking in the forecast for the next day of full sun and temps in the 50's. You can catch your biggest fish of the year in February around here. That might mean you're fishing for one bite in a whole day, but it usually won't be a dink. And you finally get outside for a few hours. Also, you don't need to rise with the chickens to winter fish.

[Ratherbfishing]

If the wind is calm and, especially if it's sunny, I can fish at about any temp but if it's windy, I'd much rather ice fish than fish open water.  A cold wind coming off an open lake will shiver me timbers.

[WRB]

Living in a state that has a very deverse climate from warm Mediterranean coastal, hot deserts, high alitutde mountain ranges finding places to fish is easy from frozen lakes to 90 degree warm water within a few hours drive along with hundreds of miles of ocean coastal fishing. We bass fish year around.

Tom

[Hawkeye21]

The lakes will be froze over around me but I don't care to ice fish.  I prefer open water and the only open water around me are streams.  The winter time is when I go trout fishing.  I love it during the winter.  Not many people go that time of year so I usually have the entire stream to myself.  In most cases the trout haven't had any pressure for well over a week.

 

Since I'm walking the stream I stay warm so the cold isn't an issue other than ice on the rod tip.  The coldest I fished in was 10 degrees.  If I'm out of the wind and it's sunny it makes for a beautiful day out in the country.

[BassNJake]

What I have noticed about winter fishing is that anytime there is a warm up in temp, it's because a front blew it in and there will be wind on those warmer winter days more often than not.

 

 

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

32 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

What I have noticed about winter fishing is that anytime there is a warm up in temp, it's because a front blew it in and there will be wind on those warmer winter days more often than not.

 

 

 

 

 

But where you live its typically a "warm southwesterly" haha

[Troy85]

22 hours ago, Scott F said:

So how cold is cold to you?

Probably a lot warmer than what you consider cold! ?  For me anything below 50 is cold, 50-65 is chilly.

 

I don't mind fishing in winter.  I can get very tough though, especially when stiff post frontal North winds blow all the water out of the marsh and muddy everything up.