A-Jay's Inaugural Ice Out / Open Water Countdown Thread ~

[soflabasser]

I would be ice fishing if I was living in the frozen north. I like fishing every weekend if possible and it is rare for me to spend even 2 weeks without going fishing. Hard to imagine living in a place where there is hard water for 3-5 months of the year and more than half the year of cold weather. Blizzards, freezing rain, grey skies, and leafless plants are other things I would not like about life up north. Still like fishing up north during the Fall and Spring but fishing in South Florida or other tropical area is much more enjoyable for me.

[A-Jay]

25 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

I would be ice fishing if I was living in the frozen north. I like fishing every weekend if possible and it is rare for me to spend even 2 weeks without going fishing. Hard to imagine living in a place where there is hard water for 3-5 months of the year and more than half the year of cold weather. Blizzards, freezing rain, grey skies, and leafless plants are other things I would not like about life up north. Still like fishing up north during the Fall and Spring but fishing in South Florida or other tropical area is much more enjoyable for me.

While I can totally understand not being able to fish when one wanted to and will admit it's a little brutal at times.

But so are these . . .

 

My wife & I no longer wanted to board up our home, pack up & run from them; so we took that completely out of play.  

When the snow & ice all finally does melt each winter, my house is still there. 

And the fishing's pretty good.  

A-Jay

[MIbassyaker]

50 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

I would be ice fishing if I was living in the frozen north. I like fishing every weekend if possible and it is rare for me to spend even 2 weeks without going fishing. Hard to imagine living in a place where there is hard water for 3-5 months of the year and more than half the year of cold weather. Blizzards, freezing rain, grey skies, and leafless plants are other things I would not like about life up north. Still like fishing up north during the Fall and Spring but fishing in South Florida or other tropical area is much more enjoyable for me.

 

Heh, better you than me. I'm afraid for me the misery of ice fishing does not outweigh the enjoyment of ...sometimes catching....something.

 

EDIT: err...I should say, other way around.... the enjoyment doesn't outweigh the misery. 

 

I'm 2 hours south of A-Jay, and my snow from one lake effect blitz in November is almost gone. Lakes have some thin ice, but not uniform, and the rivers are wide open with launches still in use.

 

[soflabasser]

14 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

While I can totally understand not being able to fish when one wanted to and will admit it's a little brutal at times.

But so are these . . .

 

My wife & I no longer wanted to board up our home, pack up & run from them; so we took that completely out of play.  

When the snow & ice all finally does melt each winter, my house is still there. 

And the fishing's pretty good.  

A-Jay

Hurricanes cannot be too bad since I am seeing more and more northerners living in South Florida more than ever. Have spoken to many of them and they all seem to agree that living up in the frozen north is far harder than living in South Florida with the occasional hurricane. You don't see many South Floridians moving up north that is for sure. I lived through Hurricane Andrew, Wilma, and countless other hurricanes they are not that bad if you prepare and live in a well built house. I still like fishing up north during the Spring and Fall on vacation but it does not compare to the South Florida paradise I live in since I like seeing green trees year round and enjoy fishing 365 days a year for trophy bass without leaving my home state.

9 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

 

Heh, better you than me. I'm afraid for me the misery of ice fishing does not outweigh the enjoyment of ...sometimes catching....something.

 

I'm 2 hours south of A-Jay, and my snow from one lake effect blitz in November is almost gone. Lakes have some thin ice, but not uniform, and the rivers are wide open with launches still in use.

Almost everyone I have spoken with says that ice fishing is overrated but I would still like to try it out, especially ice fishing for muskies, pike, and lake trout. Have fished up north on several vacations now and liked it but came to the conclusion that the species of fish in South Florida are much more powerful and more interesting to catch. 

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

Hurricanes cannot be too bad since I am seeing more and more northerners living in South Florida more than ever. Have spoken to many of them and they all seem to agree that living up in the frozen north is far harder than living in South Florida with the occasional hurricane. You don't see many South Floridians moving up north that is for sure. I lived through Hurricane Andrew, Wilma, and countless other hurricanes they are not that bad if you prepare and live in a well built house. I still like fishing up north during the Spring and Fall on vacation but it does not compare to the South Florida paradise I live in since I like seeing green trees year round and enjoy fishing 365 days a year for trophy bass without leaving my home state.

Almost everyone I have spoken with says that ice fishing is overrated but I would still like to try it out, especially ice fishing for muskies, pike, and lake trout. Have fished up north on several vacations now and liked it but came to the conclusion that the species of fish in South Florida are much more powerful and more interesting to catch. 

Super glad to hear that you've faired well. 

Any debate as to where we choose to live & why will end here for me.

Have a safe & happy Holiday season.

A-Jay

 

[Arcs&sparks]

You will never convince me that Florida is paradise?

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, Arcs&sparks said:

You will never convince me that Florida is paradise?

After I got married, I told the mother-in-law that I would never visit between May and October. The one time I was there in late June I almost died from the heat and humidity. She lived in Boca Raton at the time.

[slonezp]

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

I would be ice fishing if I was living in the frozen north. I like fishing every weekend if possible and it is rare for me to spend even 2 weeks without going fishing. Hard to imagine living in a place where there is hard water for 3-5 months of the year and more than half the year of cold weather. Blizzards, freezing rain, grey skies, and leafless plants are other things I would not like about life up north. Still like fishing up north during the Fall and Spring but fishing in South Florida or other tropical area is much more enjoyable for me.

Just because it's cold doesn't mean there is safe ice. In the last 5 weeks since I put the boat away, whatever safe ice there may or may not have been is now gone from a warming trend. Mind you it's in the 20's at night and 40's during the day. There may not be safe ice for another month or so. As it is, the geese have kept some of the water open this entire winter so far. There is water open today that was locked up a week ago.

3 hours ago, Russ E said:

You need one of these. May not be a pristine northern lake, but the water usually stays open all year

Cooling lakes in northern IL have seasons. Open April until waterfowl season. Closed all winter

[Russ E]

8 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Just because it's cold doesn't mean there is safe ice. In the last 5 weeks since I put the boat away, whatever safe ice there may or may not have been is now gone from a warming trend. Mind you it's in the 20's at night and 40's during the day. There may not be safe ice for another month or so. As it is, the geese have kept some of the water open this entire winter so far. There is water open today that was locked up a week ago.

Cooling lakes in northern IL have seasons. Open April until waterfowl season. Closed all winter

the cooling lake here does not close. the only thing that stops people from fishing is the ramp may freeze over if it gets really cold. 

 

since you mentioned the geese. Have you seen any snow or blue geese up there? We usually start seeing flocks on the local lakes in December.  I have not seen any yet.

[slonezp]

Just now, Russ E said:

the cooling lake here does not close. the only thing that stops people from fishing is the ramp may freeze over if it gets really cold. 

 

since you mentioned the geese. Have you seen any snow or blue geese up there? We usually start seeing flocks on the local lakes in December.  I have not seen any yet.

On my way to work, I saw 2 snow geese this morning flying northeast. The flocks keeping the water open are Canadian.

[soflabasser]

18 hours ago, slonezp said:

Just because it's cold doesn't mean there is safe ice. In the last 5 weeks since I put the boat away, whatever safe ice there may or may not have been is now gone from a warming trend. Mind you it's in the 20's at night and 40's during the day. There may not be safe ice for another month or so. As it is, the geese have kept some of the water open this entire winter so far. There is water open today that was locked up a week ago.

You are correct that cold weather does not guarantee safe ice. There are reports every year of people who fall through the ice because they did not have enough patience to wait for the ice to be thick enough for ice fishing. I will only go ice fishing if the ice is thick enough to be safe and I will take ice fishing very serious just like I treat freedive spearfishing and other sports that I do.

[WVU-SCPA]

Ice out here in south central pa was December 15th with 50 degree rain moving through the area!  Really only small ponds/lakes had a thin covering.  It was 24 this morning and calling for it to hit 60 of Friday.  Thursday night prep will include the rendition of the all time classic,  "I'm dreaming of a open water Christmas." 

 

The lakes a mainly fish are a coin flip each year if they will lock up for any period of time.  Wind direction and what has frozen/thawed since the last trip out add another element to spot selection.

[rtwvumtneer6]

In my immediate area of PA, a lot of people associate the opening day of trout (mid-April) with the "start" of the fishing season.  I'm hoping there's some truth to the "slightly above average" and a March thaw.  Let's say March 21.  Happy birthday to me!

[slonezp]

There is no safe ice left in Northern IL and 2 small local lakes i drove by are 90% open as of this morning.

[12poundbass]

37 minutes ago, slonezp said:

There is no safe ice left in Northern IL and 2 small local lakes i drove by are 90% open as of this morning.

No safe ice here either. A lady died just over a week ago falling through the ice. 

[MN Fisher]

The main bays of Minnetonka are still unsafe, but the smaller sub-lakes had quite a number of portable houses up.

 

I still wouldn't go out yet even if I ice-fished. Just not sure.

[FryDog62]

With El Niño we might have ice out in early/mid April here in Minnesota... but then have to wait another month until the season opens which stinks in the occasional years we have decent Spring weather here...

 

So, I added a few new things to my Lund PVB this Fall (including Panoptix Livescope) and I’m hoping to head South somewhere in March/April for some open water fishing.  Have thought about Kansas, or if I get a wild hair, maybe Table Rock or Pickwick.  But I’m a big talker so we’ll see  

[MN Fisher]

31 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

With El Niño we might have ice out in early/mid April here in Minnesota... but then have to wait another month until the season opens which stinks in the occasional years we have decent Spring weather here...

It's called Crappie season.

[A-Jay]

ONLY 3 months & 29 more days, or 16 weeks and 2 days or 114 more days . . . .

 

And for The BR Members who are currently employed ~ 

76 working days (608 hours, assuming 8-hour workday),

38 non-working days including:

17 Saturdays,

17 Sundays,

4 federal holidays (US) falling on weekdays

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

ONLY 3 months & 29 more days, or 16 weeks and 2 days or 114 more days . . . .

 

And for The BR Members who are currently employed ~ 

76 working days (608 hours, assuming 8-hour workday),

38 non-working days including:

17 Saturdays,

17 Sundays,

4 federal holidays (US) falling on weekdays

 

A-Jay

Well when you put it that way, It's only around the corner. ?

[Bluebasser86]

No ice anywhere here and with the current forecast, might now be any on New Year's Day either. 

[Glaucus]

Unseasonably warm here in central Illinois. I'm gonna hit up the river after Christmas and see what's up. 

[CroakHunter]

I would be surprised if we get much ice at all this year. Maybe a thin sheet on the smaller, shaded ponds and pockets. 

[Way north bass guy]

Ice where I was today. 

[Big Rick]

A-Jay, I got to go for a few hours yesterday. This was my big fish. 7# even. Next one was a 5#. Had a great time with my oldest son. We caught 20 or so. Kept enough smaller ones for a fry Friday to celebrate my baby boys birthday. Ended up with 5 pounds of filet. Hang tight, my brother, ice out is coming!  Incidentally, we are under severe weather watches right now. Lots of rain, wind, possible tornadoes, and flooding for the next 24-48 hours. We all have our crosses to bear.....