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

[A-Jay]

With Local Lake Menderchuck already locked up . . . Here we go again ~

 

I'm picking 03 April 2024 for open water this time around.

History would indicate that I am being wildly optimistic right here,

but what the heck.

Never up, never in. 

 

So as of today, that's 119 Days.

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20240403T00&p0=5787&msg=A-Jay's+Annual+Ice+Out+%2F+Open+Water+Countdown+Thread+~&ud=2&font=sanserif

 

Which offers plenty of time to clean & organize my gear as well as dodge the Bait Monkey best I can. 

 

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.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Given the late start to ice-in here, and the warm weather predicted (50 tomorrow?), I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict March 20th for Minnetonka ice-out.

 

That'd give me almost 2 months of panfishing before I can legally target bass again.

[gim]

28 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict March 20th for Minnetonka ice-out.

Whoa, that's an aggressive prediction!

 

I'll go April 5, 2024.

 

They're talking close to 60 degrees here tomorrow.  And basically no snow through the end of the month.  A brown Christmas?

[A-Jay]

12 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Whoa, that's an aggressive prediction!

 

I'll go April 5, 2024.

 

They're talking close to 60 degrees here tomorrow.  And basically no snow through the end of the month.  A brown Christmas?

In my current state, brown is not my favorite color ~

A-Jay

[gim]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

In my current state, brown is not my favorite color ~

Did all that snow melt already?!

[A-Jay]

55 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Did all that snow melt already?!

Stomach Flu.

🙃

A-Jay

[gim]

2 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Stomach Flu.

Totally missed the catch line on this one.  

[casts_by_fly]

I’m going to go out on an optimistic limb here too and say we don’t get more than skim ice here this year. Normally the end of the first week or march is ice out on lots of our lakes. We are going to have 61 degrees and rain Sunday which is actually going to raise the water temps. My wife is going into the city all day tomorrow so I’m going to try to catch my first December bass. 

[12poundbass]

I’ve only seen one lake iced over so far down here. It’s been pretty mild so far which I’m hoping will continue.

 

I’m going to go with March 21 for an ice out date down here. 

[Jar11591]

My prediction for ice out is April 10th. Last years prediction turned out to be too optimistic despite the warmer winter. The lakes here are already locked up, whereas they didn’t lock up last year until mid January. Think it’s gonna be a long cold one in upstate NY. 

[DogBone_384]

I hope not to have a dog in this park again this year.  Cape Cod is an hour from me and hasn't frozen over the last few years.  

 

Best of luck to the membership that gets locked out by ice.

[Reel]

Most everything is frozen here to.  I'm about a 600 hundred miles east of A-Jay and maybe a little more north.  Season for smallmouth will open only on June the 14th, 2024, so a long wait.

[casts_by_fly]

18 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

I’m going to go out on an optimistic limb here too and say we don’t get more than skim ice here this year. Normally the end of the first week or march is ice out on lots of our lakes. We are going to have 61 degrees and rain Sunday which is actually going to raise the water temps. My wife is going into the city all day tomorrow so I’m going to try to catch my first December bass. 

didn’t catch a December bass but didn’t get skunked. After a full loop around the lake to see what it looks like 4’ low, I picked a few isolated grass patches in the lower lake to use live imaging on and throw a jerkbait. I found some schools of perch and also picked a pickerel.  I’ll take it for December. 

[A-Jay]

115 days ~

Calling this "Tight Line Sunday"

and I'm starting right here.

Best part is, there's virtually no where to go but up !

Stay Warm

A-Jay

 

[TnRiver46]

December swimbait fishing, somebody’s gotta do it 

[A-Jay]

111 Days ~ Unusually warm air temps now might be helping my cause later,

Unfortunately my dogs love to lather up in the half frozen mud !

Not actually a fan of that part. 

A-Jay

 

[Susky River Rat]

I wouldn’t mind some ice fishing 

[TnRiver46]

Perhaps this will warm your northern bones 

 

[Jar11591]

@TnRiver46 your hammer is frozen to the roof but you got smallmouth going airborne 

[TnRiver46]

9 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

@TnRiver46 your hammer is frozen to the roof but you got smallmouth going airborne 

Roofs are frosty again this morning , hopefully more to come

[gim]

17 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

I wouldn’t mind some ice fishing 

 

Just crack open a beer in your basement and watch some satellite TV.  That'll fix the craving since its essentially the same as ice fishing.

[Susky River Rat]

@gimruis I do it the old fashion way outside on a bucket. 

[MIbassyaker]

10 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

Just crack open a beer in your basement and watch some satellite TV.  That'll fix the craving since its essentially the same as ice fishing.

 

10 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

@gimruis I do it the old fashion way outside on a bucket. 

I predict @gimruis will recommend trying this on Upper Red Lake in January...

[king fisher]

Even in Mexico, I have difficulties with ice and fishing. My ice maker on the boat broke, so I had to fill the coolers with ice I bought at the store.  I will have the ice maker fixed long before Menderchuck has open water, so I can't honestly claim, I have to suffer as much as northern anglers do in the winter.

[casts_by_fly]

On 12/15/2023 at 10:06 AM, gimruis said:

 

Just crack open a beer in your basement and watch some satellite TV.  That'll fix the craving since its essentially the same as ice fishing.

funny enough, I laid on the couch yesterday watching ice fishing on tv because I was feeling like I was getting sick and needed to lay down and rest. Put me right to sleep.