12-14-2005, 04:14 PM
Hey TD, I was out on Strawberry Resevoir back in '99's winter. That lake does not have fish, it has whales.
I went ice fishing for the first time with a buddy of mine who stayed in Heber City. We took our little jig poles, an assortment of jigs and some Jack Daniels. We were all Eskimoed up, but no chairs, cofee, food or much else. We figured Jack was big enough company to replace all that.
Anyhow, Paul (my friend) was yanking them out the hole faster than a group of Ethiopians fishing beans from a can. I figured, "Well, i'm using what he's using, doing what he's doing and we're only fifteen feet apart. My chances are as good as his. I just have to be patient."
Sure enough ... pow! I called to Paul i had a big one on and he mocked me (the friends I have). When the fish crossed through the beam of sunlight created by the hole, I got my first glimpse and realized just HOW big it was. When it reached the hole I yelled to Paul to come give me a hand and that if he laughed I would like to see him try to catch fish with his pole jammed up his ***.
He came over and tried to gill it, but the fish would not fit through the hole. I told him to use the crush bar and make the hole bigger. He told me he couldn't as the law was eight inch holes only and should there be a gamie watching us, we would both be fined.
Well, the fish got loose and I watched the exhausted trout lazily swim down into the deep and out of sight. I was happy the old codger was alive and someday maybe someone else would have the experience of hooking him (her?).
I would have thrown it back anyhow, since my wifey and I never keep what we catch (we figure someone better or there'll soon be nothing left), we like the sport of the fight and never fish heavier line than 6lbs.
Anyhow, that was my first experience with ice fishing. I have done some here in NY, but they use tip-ups only here. I like using poles and whenever the wife and I stand over our poles jigging, we innevitably draw curious gazes from the others camping on chairs with their tip-ups primed and their jaws wagging constantly, LOL.
-ABT-
[signature]
I went ice fishing for the first time with a buddy of mine who stayed in Heber City. We took our little jig poles, an assortment of jigs and some Jack Daniels. We were all Eskimoed up, but no chairs, cofee, food or much else. We figured Jack was big enough company to replace all that.
Anyhow, Paul (my friend) was yanking them out the hole faster than a group of Ethiopians fishing beans from a can. I figured, "Well, i'm using what he's using, doing what he's doing and we're only fifteen feet apart. My chances are as good as his. I just have to be patient."
Sure enough ... pow! I called to Paul i had a big one on and he mocked me (the friends I have). When the fish crossed through the beam of sunlight created by the hole, I got my first glimpse and realized just HOW big it was. When it reached the hole I yelled to Paul to come give me a hand and that if he laughed I would like to see him try to catch fish with his pole jammed up his ***.
He came over and tried to gill it, but the fish would not fit through the hole. I told him to use the crush bar and make the hole bigger. He told me he couldn't as the law was eight inch holes only and should there be a gamie watching us, we would both be fined.
Well, the fish got loose and I watched the exhausted trout lazily swim down into the deep and out of sight. I was happy the old codger was alive and someday maybe someone else would have the experience of hooking him (her?).
I would have thrown it back anyhow, since my wifey and I never keep what we catch (we figure someone better or there'll soon be nothing left), we like the sport of the fight and never fish heavier line than 6lbs.
Anyhow, that was my first experience with ice fishing. I have done some here in NY, but they use tip-ups only here. I like using poles and whenever the wife and I stand over our poles jigging, we innevitably draw curious gazes from the others camping on chairs with their tip-ups primed and their jaws wagging constantly, LOL.
-ABT-
[signature]