Ice Fishing

hkpierce

'02 140 Hi BlueBlk Pass
I never went ice fishing. A friend in Madison, WI offered, so I went this weekend. It went as about expected - zero fish.

We fished on Lakes Waubesa and Monona. Below is hiking on Monono, looking north to the isthmus.


Can't see much in the snow storm


This is the view that we would have had from above if it had been clear


Only in Madison - biking in the snow carrying your daughter, sled and toboggan. My van is in the background


After a cold day, how about 6 pounds of peanut butter?
 
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Boxster1971

2023 Sprinter 2500 144wb AWD
I spent over 15 years fishing on ice during my Minnesota youth. Seldom enjoyed it because I was always cold. But my Dad insisted we do it every weekend. I think it was really a ploy by my Mom to get me and my three brothers out of the house.:lol:
 

glasseye

Well-known member
I never went ice fishing. A friend in Madison, WI offered, so I went this weekend. It went as about expected - zero fish.

Ice fishing always has had about as much appeal to me as winter motorcycling. :idunno:
Good excuse to consume intoxicants and engage in extended bull$hit sessions, though.:popcorn:

Too bad you caught nothing. At least a good supper would have mitigated the discomfort.

Did you take your Sprinter over there?
 

Davydd

Well-known member
I’ve lived in Minnesota 49 years, ice is still on the lakes this April, my backyard is adjoins a 3,700 acre park with 10 fishing lakes. Safe to say I’ve never succumbed to ice fishing.
 

HarryN

Well-known member
When you are surrounded by lakes and fishing it all seems like no big deal.

In CA, which is more or less a desert with an occasional river or dammed up reservoir, having a lake in the back yard is a luxury.

When I did a lot of travelling to MN, I actually had an out of state fishing license and stored a pole / tackle there for winding down after work.
 

grorge441

New member
Last time a catfish sting on my index finger. And it's really painful. I don't know who among you has faced this such a terrible experience:cry:
 

tinman

Well-known member
Seems an appropriate spot to post a "story". It originally targetted a denizen of a particular piece of geography, but to keep it PC, let's say a Transit driver (sorry Graphite) was ice fishing, and as he was augering a hole in the ice, a voice came from above, "there are no fish there". He thinks, well fine, and moves a ways down. Same thing, starts the hole, and again the voice. On the third try, he looks up, and says "is that God?". Answer, "No, the arena manager."

Good fishing.
 
G

Gsand31415

Guest
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
No, that's the definition of fishing.
 

Boxster1971

2023 Sprinter 2500 144wb AWD
My brother in Minnesota just got a “Snowdog” for ice fishing. He normally hauled his gear and portable fish house on the lake by hand. But that is getting more difficult as he has passed retirement age. A pretty neat device.

 

hkpierce

'02 140 Hi BlueBlk Pass
Glutton for punishment -
Took off for Land of Lakes for another attempt at ice fishing. On the drive up and starting in lower Michigan, the temperatures starting dropping 1 degree every 10 miles for 20 degrees. By the time we got to St. Ignace on the north side of the Mackinac Strait it was 0F. Thereafter the temperature dropped rapidly to -10F - the coldest either the van or I have been in. The ice was impressive on the Sand Dunes Beach - the clouds in the back is actually fog from the steam rising up from the unfrozen lake.


The Manistique East Breakwater Lighthouse, Manistique:


We got right down to fishing. Ice was 16-18 inches thick.:

But we really don't know what we are doing


The major action in the area was not fishing, but snowmobiling. Groups of snowmobiles travel around 100s of miles of groomed trails, stopping at bars along the way for a few drinks, getting on their snowmobiles to the next bar, repeat.


We also went to a Friday Fish Fry, the local social activity. Then we resorted to our own devices:


One of the crew tested out a hot tent. I stayed inside to take the picture


We barely made plural fish.

On the way home, we drove through 10 hours of snow and winds, often near white out. The van's windshield wipers went out for about 2 hours, then suddenly started working again. The heater fan also would not behave, but after a bump or two would start again.

 
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johnplyler

2020 4x4
I have never ice fished. Not even walked on a frozen lake!
My question, I have an Arctic trip in the plans. Can you use a chain saw to cut your fishing hole?
Thanks
 

tinman

Well-known member
I've never walked on an unfrozen one.
Depends on the thickness of the ice and length of the saw bar. Messy. You can do it with an axe too. Auger is better. Power auger better yet. When and where in the Arctic?
 
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johnplyler

2020 4x4
I've never walked on an unfrozen one.
Depends on the thickness of the ice and length of the saw bar. Messy. You can do it with an axe too. Auger is better. Power auger better yet. When and where in the Arctic?
I want to see the polar bears. I hope to be up near Yellowknife this coming Fall. Probably hire a plane to fly into one of the villages on the coast. Any ideas on finding polar bears?
 

fosterama

Active member
I want to see the polar bears. I hope to be up near Yellowknife this coming Fall. Probably hire a plane to fly into one of the villages on the coast. Any ideas on finding polar bears?


Slather on some of the Skippy peanut butter that Orion talked about above and the polar bears will find you...
 

glasseye

Well-known member
Churchill, Manitoba has so many polar bears (in season) they offer bus tours. Cheaper and more certain than a flight to a remote village and a trip out onto the ice.

An interesting train ride up there, too, according to reports.
 

johnplyler

2020 4x4
Churchill, Manitoba has so many polar bears (in season) they offer bus tours. Cheaper and more certain than a flight to a remote village and a trip out onto the ice.

An interesting train ride up there, too, according to reports.
Yes, cheaper sounds better for me! Thanks so much!!!
Does anyone know if electric fences really Work? I promised my wife I would get a 10,000 volt perimeter fence so we could boondock.
 

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