Ice Fishing?

[oneshot 1]

What is so exciting about it?

I have fished many times when in was very cold but never had to cut Ice and had a very good time. 

oneshot 

[fishinwrench]

My brother in-law is in Nebraska, and he and his buddies are all-in on the ice fishing game.   If you have the right gear, know what you're doing, and can handle yourself ok with whiskey......I can see where it would be a great time.  

Newcomers that can't hang.....get left overnight on the ice.   😳

[MrGiggles]

You can fish the best spots on the lake sheltered from the elements, without the hassle of boat control. Moving from spot to spot is generally pretty easy. No bugs, no snakes, no heat, although you can get a sunburn, we took a trip to LOTW when I was in 5th grade, early March as I recall. To quote one of my teachers "he came back looking like a little indian." 

I will winter fish here with the best of them, but I feel like riding around in a boat right on the line of freezing is a much harsher experience with the wind and spray. 

[oneshot 1]

Yes we lived in the mountains and before Spring have a nice tan.

I'm no longer allowed in a boat and can't be by myself so I would have to find a person to brave the cold with me. Leave my wife out she already says 30's are too cold. 

oneshot 

[FishnDave]

I ice-fished in Iowa and Illinois for many years, air temps anywhere from -5F to 45F.  Having the right gear and right clothes makes a huge difference.  It can be very fun.  You learn a lot about the fish... how active they can be even in the middle of winter, and how many fish you can catch by fishing straight down in a 6" or 8" diameter hole in the ice.

It's a way to keep fishing year-round in the northern latitudes.  Can't say I MISS it all that much.  

[FishnDave]

Its also crazy how being just 2-3' away from "the spot" can sometimes make a huge difference.

2 examples:

Our fishing club members decided to get together and icefish a lake on a day when the Iowa DNR stocked trout for winter fishing purposes (exactly like the Urban Trout Program in Missouri).  We had turned the ice to swiss cheese with all the holes we drilled.  I found one hole that was producing trout very consistently.  Buddies drilled holes just a few feet away to get in on the action.  They got nothing.  I tried those holes too....nothing!  Back to the good hole, lots of fish.  Pretty soon, 3 of use were all fishing a 6" diameter hole, catching fish like crazy.  We couldn't help but laugh at ourselves and the situation.  Still nothing in any of the surrounding holes.

A buddy and I were fishing from our portable/personal ice shacks.  We weren't fishing very far apart.  My buddy starts catching a lot of fish.  Not me.  He told me to drill closer to his shack.  I did.  Eventually I had completely ringed his shack with new ice holes, but couldn't catch ANY fish in any of them.  He continued to catch a bunch of fish.  He tried the other holes, but also didn't catch any fish from them.  Just the one original hole.  Bizarre!

[Terrierman]

I was reading about ice fishing up on the great lakes and it appears prostitution is a thing in the ice fishing shanty villages that pop up in the wintertime there.  So.  There you go onehsot, sometimes there's more to an activity in Outdoor Life than what you usually would think of.

[fishinwrench]

 

[Terrierman]

11 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

 

See!!!

[fishinwrench]

The "Mayor" is upset about prostitution. 🙄 

Jesus Christ.  People are so full of it.