No Waiting

[fishinwrench]

I'll fish a trout stream in way colder weather than I'm willing to get out on a lake and fish.   But yeah, were even beyond that threshold currently.

[Dutch]

I have fished at -5° for trout on Taneycomo but that was a long time ago.  Now I like 50° to be the high.

[MrGiggles]

I generally don't get out if it's below freezing. That might change if I had a windshield. 

The back roads are skating rinks. Where the state has salted is not too bad. But that isn't going to work later this week when the highs are in the teens. 

[FishnDave]

Just wondering... if the ambient temperature is, say, 5 degrees F, but if I am on a boat surrounded by heat coming up from 40+ degree water, or wading in a spring-fed stream where the water is warmer than freezing... how cold is the actual temperature that close to the water?  I suspect it would be much warmer than the ambient temperature away from the water.  I've heard of boaters having ice build up inside the boat on cold days, but it could be a relatively balmy 31 degrees in the boat and still have ice forming.

On the same token, it probably doesn't get much colder than sitting/standing on ice while fishing.  I've icefished for many years.  With the right clothing, you really don't notice the cold.  Didn't expect to have the opportunity to do that here, so I gave all my icefishing gear away before we moved...rods & reels, lures, electric auger, shack, flasher, etc.  I don't regret giving it away... much less stuff cluttering up my garage now.  So...for now I'm just waiting for open water and preferably above-freezing temperatures so the line guides on my fly rod don't freeze up.  Looks like 2 more weeks of this cold weather, then give it maybe another week-ish for the ice on the local waters to melt off.

[fshndoug]

I am pretty sure I would not be running around in my Gambler today at 70 plus mph.

[rps]

Ken Rainbolt, may he rest in peace, and I once had a fantastic crappie day on Lake Eufala with light snow falling, around 10 or 15 degrees, dipping our rods in the water to clear the guides, the whole 9 yards. Caught our limit of 10"+ fish.

I was out of my mind.

The way my hands work now, 40 degrees is my minimum, and even then, only if it promises to warm to 50 or more.

[Skeeter ZX190]

I remember going to Pomme several years ago and the temperature was in the mid 20's when we launched.  We were the first ones to launch.  A truck & boat came in right behind us and when he backed down, the water from when I had pulled out had frozen.  I'm sure a certain part of his anatomy was puckering big-time.  Luckily, he was able to get the boat in the water without any damage.  

All that said to say I want 32 degrees or above and hopefully sun on the ramp to make sure I don't go sliding down the ramp.

[Skeeter ZX190]

Has anybody been around the lake?  Is it completely frozen over or is there still open water in places?

[MrGiggles]

59 minutes ago, Skeeter ZX190 said:

Has anybody been around the lake?  Is it completely frozen over or is there still open water in places?

The big pond by my place hasn't froze over yet. Been too windy. 

Some of the calmer coves are likely frozen over, but I bet you could put in at Crabtree and find soft water.

 

[luckycraft]

On 2/9/2021 at 4:02 PM, BilletHead said:

                 Buddy in Herman has checked ice on his pond, two inches.  He ordered wax and meal worms today. He will be ice fishing by the weekend up there he says.

I’ve ice fished where the auger barely breaks through.   2 inches of ice would make me rethink having a bad day!