A-Jay's 4th Annual Ice Out / Open Water Countdown Thread ~

[A-Jay]

  Even though the lakes up this way aren’t exactly frozen over yet, we do have 6 inches of fresh snow on the ground, it’s snowing right now and there’s another several inches on the way.  Accordingly, there’s very little chance that there will be any boating happening.  

So dropping this one now still feels like good timing to me.

 

 In 2020, total open water happened on local Lake Menderchuck on 28 March.

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/233472-a-jays-3rd-annual-ice-out-open-water-countdown-thread-~/?do=findComment&comment=2693780

 A record early date, in A-Jay history anyway.  

Love to see that happen again.

However being perhaps a little more realistic and yet still somewhat optimistic,

this time around I’m shooting for

 07 April 2022 as The Open Water Date.

 

That leaves 18 weeks, 4 days, 16 hours which I hope to use productively while I wait.

 

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20220407T12&p0=5787&msg=A-Jay's+4th+Annual+Ice+Out+%2F+Open+Water+Countdown+~&ud=1&font=slab&csz=1

 

So there it is.

Right out there for the whole world to see.

(Not sure why I wrote that)

Either way I’m pulling for a ‘reasonable’ hard water season

that includes plenty of sunshine, butterflies & rainbows for all of us in the great white north.

 

 As always, please feel free to add your comments, support, and yes, even the jabs;

as I know they're inevitable & always quite entertaining.

And for those folks that can & will get out on the water while I shovel my roof,

don't forget to add a few pics of recent catches. 

All of which may help to pass the time while I day dream of doing this again as soon as possible.

Stay Safe

A-Jay

 

[slonezp]

Too early for this. No ice in IL as of yet. Below freezing at night and above freezing during the day. 

[MN Fisher]

Smaller lakes in the Minnetonka chain are socked in...errand today I saw that Emerald, Seton and Black are all 100% covered...not that I'd walk on it as it's probably still under 1" thick.

 

Cooks Bay - there's ice from shore to about 30 yds out on the east side...west side of Spring Park Bay was clear.

 

It's forming - so ya, start the countdown.

 

I'm saying April 27th for here - it's a La Nina year, which means colder than average temps for us up north.

[12poundbass]

I saw a few smaller lakes yesterday that were starting to close in and one that was completely froze over. I don’t see it lasting too long though. 
 

Looking through my photos from last year March 14 our lake was open. They’re predicting a long cold winter, I take that with a grain of salt. I’ll throw out a guess of March 20th. 

[gim]

11 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I'm saying April 27th for here

April 27?! That would be a really late ice out.

 

I’ll go with April 5. I will say that we need an epic amount of moisture this winter to dig out of a historic drought.

[A-Jay]

 A nasty cold front is whipping across northern Michigan today. 

Directly behind the front, head turning NW winds are expected with gusts of 45+ mph.

This will lead to blowing snow, areas of greatly reduced visibility & isolated power outages.

Winds subside tonight, but lake effect snow continues.

17 weeks, 1 Day & a wake up until open water . . .

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

Two weeks to go and I’ll be off until 2022! 

[Bird]

Not a meteorologist but wind must of dominated much of the eastern half.

 

I continue to pay the price for once being a small engine, mainly chainsaw repair man so last evening got awoken by a local to remove a large cherry tree blocking the road, plus we lost power from the high winds......going from deep sleep to 50 cc's is not pleasant. 

 

Stay safe.

[slonezp]

50mph winds on this side of the pond. Single digits over night. Supposed to be 50 on Friday

[Hollada]

Ice was off st Clair March 15 this year.  Caught 27 smallies, 8 over 4 lbs in four hours on March 25 (nothing on March 17 lol).  Hoping for a similar March this year.

 

let the countdown roll on.

[gim]

17 hours ago, A-Jay said:

17 weeks, 1 Day & a wake up until open water

If my math is correct you are predicting that April 5 will be the first trip in 2022.

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

If my math is correct you are predicting that April 5 will be the first trip in 2022.

Is that the new math ?

Once we add 'the wake up', it get's a little tricky

A-Jay

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20220407T12&p0=5787&msg=A-Jay's+4th+Annual+Ice+Out+%2F+Open+Water+Countdown+~&ud=1&font=slab&csz=1

[gim]

Guess I was a couple days off. Maybe it’ll be a March wake up again in 2022.

[A-Jay]

25 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Guess I was a couple days off. Maybe it’ll be a March wake up again in 2022.

I sure hope so my friend.

And this time around, I'll actually be wearing the right gear to fish on those 20 -30 degree mornings.

Got a few toads early but I earned them.

#ironballs

A-Jay

 

[A-Jay]

Stiff wind & single digit cold here today,

going back and watching a few fish catches helps warm me up.

This was a good day that ended with what might be my favorite 'quote' I got on video.

A-Jay

[A-Jay]

A little reel maintenance always helps pass the time.

#cleanme

A-Jay

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Don't forget to pace yourself, otherwise it'll be mid February and you'll have nothing to do till open water.

[A-Jay]

But with 4 dogs, a home gym and living in the snow belt,

I always have something do.

A-Jay

[J Francho]

I say it doesn't ice over this winter for more than a week. 

[A-Jay]

I think that's called denial.

A-Jay

[HaydenS]

Cough, Gonna be 73 next week for us and 68 tomorrow, Cough

 

If I lived in Michigan, I wouldn’t be at school in the winter, cause I would be making bank shoveling snow.

[TnRiver46]

You could probably chop wood too, one of my favorite past times 

[A-Jay]

Most all of that happens for me in the 'comfortable weather'.

And I almost always have at least one 'helper'.

 

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

That’s a sweet rack!! I never had good dry storage at my old cabin so the best way to get dry wood was go out and bust open a big round piece. Now I have a carport and back porch to store plenty of dry wood, and no fireplace haha 

[FishinBuck07]

Don't miss the firewood cutting at all!?  Hated those weekends when dad would say let's go get some firewood!!