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Post by mike3132 on Jan 10, 2009 19:01:05 GMT -5
I went this afternoon and there was 3-4" of ice. I caught a nice mess of bluegills that were about 7" or so, good eaters. I had so much fun I think I will go again tomorrow. Mike
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Post by fowlplay on Jan 11, 2009 2:41:57 GMT -5
Congratulations Mike, that is definitely the right way to beat cabin fever.
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Post by youp50 on Jan 11, 2009 4:33:32 GMT -5
Mike,
I checked your profile, it did not say which lake you were fishing on. I think that needs to be addressed on the new board:) Bluegills are fun. I am waiting for safe ice on the Keeweenaw Bay for some Lake Trout and Whitefish action. With all this global warming it is not going to be long now.
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Post by raf on Jan 14, 2009 9:57:43 GMT -5
3 - 4 inches? . I'll bet you had to walk softly. here we have about 2 1/2 feet . On the down side it'll take me longer to make a hole
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 14, 2009 20:13:39 GMT -5
LOL - I feel weird walking on less than a foot of ice I know it is safe - just isn't the same as having three solid feet of ice underneath you. I haven't hit the hard water yet myself but hopefully next weekend I'll get into some pike.
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Post by youp50 on Jan 15, 2009 7:10:53 GMT -5
My buddy says there is a couple of inches on the bay now. Should be better by the weekend. Sitting on six inches of ice and knowing that it is 300 feet to the nearest land puts an added 'fear factor' to fishing
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Post by mike3132 on Jan 15, 2009 11:58:21 GMT -5
I went again Monday and there was about 4" but didnt catch very many and the ones i did were small. Im waiting until this Artic Blast moves out this weekend and then go again. Right now its -4 degrees with the wind blowing 10-20 mph. A bit cold for me! mike
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Post by mike3132 on Jan 15, 2009 12:04:33 GMT -5
My buddy says there is a couple of inches on the bay now. Should be better by the weekend. Sitting on six inches of ice and knowing that it is 300 feet to the nearest land puts an added 'fear factor' to fishing Years ago when I was young and foolish we use to try and get out on first ice. Sometimes the ice was only 1" or so and you couldn't walk on it. We would take 2 wooden pallet skids and use them to get out, slide one in front of the other. You wouldn't need and auger, just a board to knock a hole in the ice. The ice would sag and water would come up on it. You could only fish about 1 hour and then move because of the sagging ice. I think now how foolish that was and there is no way in the world I'd do it now. Mike
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Post by youp50 on Jan 15, 2009 14:10:01 GMT -5
Old timers over there tell about fishing the 'Rubber Ice'. They would strap on the Lapland style cross country skis and head out to 40 fathoms and fish from first light to sun-up. Had to get off the ice when the sun came up cause it would melt. They called it rubber ice because it rode up and down with the swells coming in from the Big Lake.
Times were tough in those days, I hope it never returns to where you choose to risk your life for a good supper.
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Post by raf on Jan 15, 2009 22:19:27 GMT -5
Years ago I went out fishing with a friend early in the winter. There was 5 - 6 inches of ice. I was a little nervous. One thing that bothered me was there was no snow on the ice and it was slippery. I was worried about falling and breaking it. Anyway while we were out there I notice a full sized cargo van on the ice 1/2 mile away. Couldn't believe it was still there and hadn't gone through. I was surprised a while later when these guys started driving towards us and sure enough they drove right up and stopped to see how we were doing. I wasn't impressed as the weight of that thing pushed down on the ice and water came up through my hole and was making the ice even slicker. Also worried about that thing suddenly going through the ice and splashing me and told them that. They left. Every year trucks go through the ice and sink with more ice that was there. Some people have more luck than brains.
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Post by mike3132 on Jan 16, 2009 16:36:59 GMT -5
I use to go to Haughton Lake Michigan every year in January for Tip Up Town. Quite a bit festival on the ice. We fish out of shanty's with gas heaters inside. Drive the truck right up to them. Its so warm inside you don't need heavy cloths. We use to rent these 4 holers for 15.00 a day and they would move them any where you wanted to fish. The scary part was when you had to drive across ice fishers where the ice would separate they would put a small portable bridge over the open water. There was also a fault line in the ice where it was crack and pushed up making 3-4' high line off ice that went all way across the lake. I haven't been there in a long time. Mike
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Post by Indianahunter on Jan 17, 2009 21:59:20 GMT -5
I'll be out in the AM and will report back... Hopefully after a fine fish fry...
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Post by youp50 on Jan 18, 2009 5:52:38 GMT -5
Driving a truck on the ice... I was 17 years old on Lake Winnebago in east central Wisconsin. It had been a very cold early winter and the ice came fast and flat. My buddy and I were moving to another spot and I hit an open expansion crack. The crack was probably 18 inches across. The pickup jumped the crack due to the 40 mph momentum. I bent a back rim and blew out the tire. We got it changed. I went home and fessed up to Dad. All was well until the next morning. He was on his way to work and on a long sweeping curve that half of the rear axle just sort of worked its way out and went to the ditch. My Father found his three wheeled truck somewhat irritating.
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Post by mike3132 on Jan 19, 2009 18:06:46 GMT -5
I went today and kept 22 bluegills. Had about 8" of ice. The bite was hit and miss but it was a fun day on the ice. Mike
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Post by KerryB on Jan 19, 2009 21:11:31 GMT -5
Man that sounds fun! I have an arsenal of ice fishing equipment including a portable electronic fish finder............it doesn't do me a bit of good without the ice! For some reason i just can't catch bluegill in the winter out of a boat..........
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Post by kevin k on Jan 20, 2009 14:14:43 GMT -5
there's about 6 to 8'' on Saginaw bay was out 4 to 5 miles 17' water got three walleye lost 2 looked like a town out there quads snowmobiles and shanty's in big groups real neat the fishing will be really picking up looks like another good wally year
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Post by KerryB on Jan 20, 2009 17:21:34 GMT -5
You just can't beat the old marble eyes for eating in my opinion. What i wouldn't give to catch a mess of those through the ice!
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Post by kevin k on Jan 22, 2009 7:39:31 GMT -5
well i went out again yesterday 7 miles 21 ft water i got 9 but you can only keep 5 my friend got 7 the walleye fishing looks great this year on Saginaw bay like always but you can sure tell Michigan has a lot of laid off workers tons of shanty's out there but the bay is big always room for more. most fish were 4 to 8 pounds great eaters any one else fish the sag bay ?
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Post by youp50 on Jan 22, 2009 15:19:22 GMT -5
Quote; "what I wouldn't give for a mess of those through the ice"
Kerry, how about you bring that pretty Ruger #1 of yours up to Kevin's place. I'll feed and board you. We will send you home with all the fish. There will be extra room where your rifle was ;D
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Post by kevin k on Jan 22, 2009 17:19:06 GMT -5
there ya go youp50 can always use a another gun around here. lots of room on the bay getting limits of 4 to 7 pounders pretty soon well be getting the hog females that go up to 13 that's what won shiver on the river last year mostly 9to 10 pound nice alot of fun
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Post by KerryB on Jan 22, 2009 20:31:09 GMT -5
Wow, i love to eat Walleye, but i would have to hang a 7-8lb eye on the wall! I'll come fish, but don't be upset if i forget to bring the Ruger. ;D
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Post by mike3132 on Jan 24, 2009 16:01:12 GMT -5
I fished yesterday and caught 24 bluegills. They weren't big but nice eating size. I cleaned them and gave them to a friends mom. She was happy to get them and told me she was having fried taters and fish for supper tonight. Mike
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Post by KerryB on Jan 24, 2009 22:21:50 GMT -5
Now there is a mom who is lucky to have a son with friends like you!
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