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

[A-Jay]

I may be a week or so late posting this thread this time around and truth be told,

I'm not 100 % sure Lake Menderchuck is even totally frozen over yet.

But we've already had two fairly major blizzards in the past few weeks (first one broke an 80 year old single day snowfall record),

so at this point, that's good enough for me. 

 

This is the part where I make my (never even close) obligatory ice out / open water date prediction.

This year I'm tossing convention wisdom (like I have any of that) right out the window.

I placed several random dates in a dog bowl and let Tank Pick it.

He'll probably just nail it knowing Tank.

 

Friday 11 April 2025 is what he's telling me, and I'm going with it.

So that's 117 Days from today

 

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20250411T12&p0=5787&msg=A-Jay's+Annual+Ice+Out+%2F+Open+Water+Countdown+Thread+~&ud=2&font=cursive

 

I've already started working on my gear and there always quite a bit to do with that.

Even more this time around.

So I've got time. 

 

  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

[DaubsNU1]

I will go with my Dad's born day...Thursday 17 April 2025. He will be 84 years old.

[MN Fisher]

Tank will probably do a better job of it than you have.

 

I'm going for April 22 for Lake Minnetonka.

[casts_by_fly]

We are getting a couple days above freezing and then a couple days below.  If it were to do this all winter, we wouldn't have anything more than skim ice for a few days.  Who knows what's actually going to happen, but given that this is NJ, I have to predict that we won't get a proper ice because in the 5 previous winters we've only had proper ice twice and one of them (2 years ago) we iced up in December and were clear in January.  January is going to be bowhunting for me mostly, so I'm going to say that I'll be fishing by the 22nd Feb.

[A-Jay]

Old Man winter is Flexing for us today,

sharing some record cold to our little piece of the planet.

This morning our dogs went out and back also in Record time.

-20's will do that.

110 days to go . . . . 

Remembering Miss Big Fin . . .

A-Jay

[gim]

I was wondering when this thread would appear. I musta missed it earlier this week.

 

My prediction is Tuesday, April 15 for Lake Minnetonka here. Tax day.

[DogBone_384]

It’s cold in Boston, but Cape Cod is still open.

 

I’m planning a trip after Christmas.

 

Fingers crossed!

[WaskaCrank12]

Hmmmm.....last year was a record early date for Lake Minnewaska (March 13th)..........the latest in the 118 years of record keeping is May 13th........so for 2025 I will go with April 23rd.....we have had an up and down swing in temps so far (minus 34 wind chill to plus 33)

[Susky River Rat]

I want it warm enough for open water or cold enough for ice fishing. Mother Nature is being moody and keeping us inbetween 

[A-Jay]

Air temps have been well above freezing for 4 days and nights in a row.  Big snow we had is dwindling quickly.  Add in off and on rain and we've got a bit of a north woods mess.  A little to early for frozen mud season but we're getting close. 

Despite that deal, there's still a pretty good vibe up in here.

103 days ~

A-Jay

[gim]

On 12/23/2024 at 6:19 PM, Susky River Rat said:

I want it warm enough for open water or cold enough for ice fishing. Mother Nature is being moody and keeping us inbetween 

 

Given a choice I'd much rather have it warm enough for open water.  Ice fishing is not really fishing anyways.

[casts_by_fly]

We’ve just had 60 degrees so most ice is gone.  But it’s dropping. Who knows what Jan and Feb bring. 

[T-Billy]

60 here yesterday, 40's today, but it's coming. January looks seasonably normal in the extended forecast. Mostly teens and twenties. The lakes will be locked up in a week or so. Time for equipment maintenance and "honey do" projects here in Ohio.

[gim]

4 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Time for equipment maintenance and "honey do" projects

I sort my sock drawer in January and February.

[casts_by_fly]

It was 65 the other day and I’m on a lake house away from home that is wide open. But when we get home Thursday night it will be below 32 and stay there for a week. That should be enough to lock us up until February or more. Time to sort the tackle bag and start replenishing. 

[A-Jay]

Been pretty much what we'd be expecting right about now weather wise.

Air temps under 10 past few days with on and off snow.

 I sort of let the cat out of the bag a little while ago

that there is another Lake Baccarac trip in the works for this fall; looks like Nov.

Anyway, I've been slowly picking away at that 'list'.

Don't need much,  just getting gear in order and such.

As for the Open Water deal,  I'm looking at 96 days.

So once it's under 100,

I become a double digit midget. 

I like it.

A-Jay

 

[Susky River Rat]

Our winter weather is officially here. Going into the freezer for the foreseeable future 

[Jar11591]

2 week forecast barely cracks 25 degrees. Even the river is locked up. 

[casts_by_fly]

7 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Our winter weather is officially here. Going into the freezer for the foreseeable future 

 

5 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

2 week forecast barely cracks 25 degrees. Even the river is locked up. 

 

same here.  We were above freezing last thursday.  Briefly.  Any now we are basically at or below freezing for the next 10 days with lows in the teens.  We've had ice which melted and then new skim ice, but this should lock us up.  Who knows what happens after that but 10 days of freezing should put us on a couple inches of ice which means a March ice-out I think. 

[Tackleholic]

My lake and river do not freeze but when cold temps stiffen my fingers I stay home.

[MediumMouthBass]

11 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Our winter weather is officially here. Going into the freezer for the foreseeable future 

Is the river in your area frozen? Or just too cold? I had to give up fishing twice in the past 2 weeks for both reasons. Its been hovering at 27-35 degrees for days and nights the past week, had some 15mph wind the one day. Had to call it a quits after 20 minutes.

 

Here the Susquehanna is still very fishable, had some floating ice sheets last week. But this week its a few feet higher, 0 ice. Water looks great. Going to have to try some neds and hope the water flowing from NY didnt pollute every spot of the bank with trees and tires.

 

The ponds and lakes were iced over last week too, but this week they were open and fishable as well. Got a few trips in for the week, but sadly yesterday there was some thin ice on some spots. About 15% of the small lake. Probably will be iced over for the next week or 2 and then open up again.

 

Caught 0 fish in the lakes, because i have a hatred for fishing texas rigs and jigs slow. Now i have to fish even slower😌. Anyone have advice for how to make it through the 1-5 minute pauses when winter fishing?

[Susky River Rat]

@MediumMouthBass it hasn’t been frozen but, I have not been out since the day before thanksgiving. It has been cold and windy for the most part. Not really worth spending the money to drive there and take the boat out. I was also working an insane amount of overtime. March for me is when the river starts to pick up and I like to start getting out.  Right now I just twiddle my thumbs 

[gim]

1 hour ago, Susky River Rat said:

Right now I just twiddle my thumbs 

 

You should sort your sock drawer.  That's what I do in the winter.  Its pretty cool.  I sort them by color and type.  Then I do it again.  And again.

 

You get the point.  😎

[Susky River Rat]

@gim do you count them backwards too?

[bwillis]

Got a good 6" of ice on the smaller bodies of water around my way.  Got a couple through the ice on Monday, 1 trout, a nice smaller, and a perch that couldn't even fit my bait in it's mouth.