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Ice Fishing
morsecode
Member Posts: 1,116 ✭✭✭✭✭
My buddys dad died when he fell thru the ice fishing NY state...
He and I gave it up after that.
Kind of miss it this time of year.
But miss the old dude more.
Any ice fishers out there?
He and I gave it up after that.
Kind of miss it this time of year.
But miss the old dude more.
Any ice fishers out there?
Comments
Thanks---Peabo
I haven't found any difference in early ice fishing or late ice fishing.
For bluegill and crappie, small ice fishing jigs are used tipped with wax worms or similar worms. Then you have styrofoam (sp?) bobbers and slowly jig them 2-4 inches. Those type of bobbers are used so they don't freeze up like a plastic bobber will. The type of bobbers used with toothpicks is what I am talking about.
For perch, small suspended, balanced jigs are used and jigged up and down. They also use small round jig heads tipped with minnows. Some people even tip the jigs. The jigs are mostly made by Rapala, but there are some other companys breaking in. One company if VIBE, but I can use the VIBE jigs for saugeye in the spring to.
For eyes most people use the same method as for perch only with slightly larger jigs. Some people will also use spoons tipped with minnows.
Musky and pike usually use more spoons with larger minnows, but I would imagine that there have been a far share caught on rapala's.
Bass are not caught to often during the winter, and if they are there are lots of them around. I have yet to catch a bass in the winter. Catfish and the like fish are not to easy to catch during the winter either, but I have caught a few while fishing for saugeyes.
...In the late 80's, hired a guy, I later became friends with, form MN. One day we were talking about fishing and ice fishing came up, well, ended up planning a trip back up around his moms home in MN.
...It was 2-3 months till the "conditions" outside of Minneapolis, were "right", and I belive it was last of Jan., or first part of Feb.
...I could not wait, the whole flight up I was READY!
...Oh man, on the ice, fishing, the camaraderie of the "ice shack", sitting around in there warminng up and then going back outside to fish, I was chommping at the bits! I had this mental pic of all this "stuck" in my head from the time I was a little kid reading about it in Field & Stream, etc.
...WE got there, got settled in, all his buddies had everything ready to head out the next day, alright!
...We all get out to this lake, millions up there in MN, wow!
...This lake is not very big, I could not see it all from where we were, but I think they said it was maybe a 1,000 acres.
...3 trucks of guys, all seasoned yankees, but me. We started to DRIVE out on the lake, cool, I thought. These guys know what they are doing, and they did, I think. Jesus, all this loud, graoning and strange noise started when the truck got out about 25 yds. from the bank, I think, hell the snow was on the ice too, hard to tell.
...Of course, I did not want to ASK, WTH is that NOISE!! ??...being "macho" and all [:D], ya'll know. All the cracking and groanning from under the truck got SO loud, I knew I HAD TO KNOW! Now I new it was the ice, but, was it "susposed" to be making ALL this noise?
...So, I calmly ask "Cake", my nickname for him since his last name was Carrico. "Cake, is "it" susposed to be making ALL these noises?"
..."I think so", he replied. I'm glad I was in the second seat of the truck BEHIND Cake and his friend, because I am sure if they could have seen the look that came over my face after his answer, I'd have not lived it down.
..." Uh, what do you mean, you THINK so?", I ask. "Well, I don't think we will fall thru", he replied. Ok, I think to myself, 2 questions, 2 "I thinks", in the answers, enough! Man, I could not dump that "macho" crap quick enough now! "ARE WE GOING TO FALL THRU THE bleenING ICE AND DIE??!!" I ask, or yelled, I don't freakin remember now.
..."No, ice makes this noise, to some extent, most of the time, no matter how thick it is, but, I wish it was thicker". "Wish it was THICKER????", Now just WTH did THIS mean I thought??? "GIVE ME A bleenING STRAIGHT ANSWER, NO MORE BS!!" I did yell this time. He said "no, we'll be fine", and we were. It REALLY is un-nerving when a Southern boy is NOT told about "little" things like ALL this noise, BEFORE his first trip out on a frozen lake for the first time.
...They got out a gas ice auger, set up the "ice shack", and we caught a pretty good mess of some perch/brim, and a few fish I have no idea what they were, really good time. Even better when I whopped him a few times for screwing around with me, HARD, but well meaning "fun" (for me) whops. Go if you can...[;)]
...the ice continued to make noise, ALL day, kinda freaky!
...the ice continued to make noise, ALL day, kinda freaky!
its when it doesn't make nose you have to worry
I have yet to catch a bass in the winter.
We use Swedish Pimples{#3?}jiggin spoons for Largemouths in ponds.You have to jig them up and down violently with very long strokes. They usually hit on the way down. Works for us...
quote:What do you use for bait?olives and gin?[;)]
...Sling,...glass of good scotch works well, IMHO...
...
We use suckers, shinners, smelt, and chub live swimming around for togue, salmon, brook trout, perch, etc bait up here. In Maine you can have 5 different holes in the ice with 5 lines out. When the fish are bitting it can keep ya busy running from trap to trap reeling in and rebaiting. [:p]
Up here in Maine we are allowed 5 lines, so I mainly fish just 5 tipups. I went to my "alone" lake. As far as I know, I am the only person to fish this lake in the winter.
Tried a few new tricks on em and got
4 pickerel from 16" to one that must have been close to 24"
and 1 lonely white perch that was close to 10"
Lost another 2 pickerel getting them up.
That is the best fishing this lake has ever been to me.
Forgot the camera, so no pictures this time.
What did you catch your pickerel on? Any northeners in the lakes up there?
I'd freeze to death. Unless of course it was in one of those portable cabin/sheds that I've seen on tv.
But I am using colored hooks this year with two red beads above it. This was the first day using this new setup and the fish were hitting it hard. I hope it works that well when I go to a lake that usually fishes better than the one I was at yesterday.
I'm pretty sure there are some Northern's up here but not near me. (Downeast Maine)
Ben
Hope you get iced in soon.
Ben
shoff14, caught them on shiners.
But I am using colored hooks this year with two red beads above it. This was the first day using this new setup and the fish were hitting it hard. I hope it works that well when I go to a lake that usually fishes better than the one I was at yesterday.
I'm pretty sure there are some Northern's up here but not near me. (Downeast Maine)
Interesting
That is close to the setup I am looking at for some trout, but for one I have never fished for trout at this one place I am going to try once the ice comes back, let alone ever went ice fishing for them. I am never able to get to them when during the spring and summer, so maybe the ice will help out a bit.
Anyone ever caught trout in a pond through the ice? Any tips?