03-10-2012, 07:16 PM
Hit Mantua this morning. Saw only one other fisherman on the whole lake other than my son and I. Best catching early (7:30-9:30), wish had gotten there earlier. Bite varied from very light to good. Caught about 25 perch/gills, 1 trout in 3 hours. Edges on the dike side are melting, used a plank to get off. Ice was a good 6" thick yet there are spots, holes in the ice, that are thinner. Spoke briefly with the fisherman by the docks, he only had 2 bites.
As the temp warmed up I was sure glad I had drilled a hole in the bottom of my bucket that I was sitting on. As the noise became profuse and the feeling of crunching and shifting (not just cracking) ice was felt right underneath your feet, the hole in the bucket helped reduce the suction force from the pucker factor from your rear end!
I am beginning to question the saying, "noisy ice is safe ice", I think it depends on what noise it is making! You can't tell me it was making ice in 45° weather! That crunching sound with the noise becomes quite unnerving after a bit. Will likely wait for open water on Mantua now.
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As the temp warmed up I was sure glad I had drilled a hole in the bottom of my bucket that I was sitting on. As the noise became profuse and the feeling of crunching and shifting (not just cracking) ice was felt right underneath your feet, the hole in the bucket helped reduce the suction force from the pucker factor from your rear end!
I am beginning to question the saying, "noisy ice is safe ice", I think it depends on what noise it is making! You can't tell me it was making ice in 45° weather! That crunching sound with the noise becomes quite unnerving after a bit. Will likely wait for open water on Mantua now.
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] And having experienced it at Echo as well with you, I'd rather get to feel open water by choice rather than by accident! [laugh]