11-23-2007, 02:43 PM
Michael & the rest,
I too am excited for ice fishing. For some reason the ice fishing is best when the ice first appears. It is dangerous, but as others have already pointed out, there are methods that make the level of risk acceptable.
I too have no respect for the lazy ones that check ice with rocks.
I use a folding camp chair for my chair. It is comfortable and has a good back rest. It is fairly heavy but traveling in a sled makes it nearly weightless.
My sled is big enough to double as a boat by the way. I have also jumped in it and slid down a hill, skimmed across a few feet of open water to get on the ice. Coming back, I ran pushing it ahead then jumped in. I stayed dry that way while others ended up wet to the crotch.
When fishing areas that potentially have big fish, I use full length poles with good drags. I usually cut my holes in a line and create an ice burm at 90 degree angles to the hole. The line will be either downwind or downsun such that I sit in my chair and watch the rod tips and relax as if mezmerized. This keeps the wind off of me or the sun off of my face depending on the day. Sometimes when the wind is out of the south, it works well for both. If a bite happens too quickly or when I am fighting another fish, the rod gets sucked in until the reel catches on the burm and the drag pays out the line. I have not lost a rod using this method.
When prospecting, my holes are further apart but still in a line. I have a power auger so I may drill several lines of holes at various points in the lake until satisfied with my catch rate.
Obviously, I don't mess with an ice hut. I have pretty warm clothing and don't go out when it is below zero. It is pretty miserable in those conditions anyway and the holes gel up too fast.
FR
[signature]
I too am excited for ice fishing. For some reason the ice fishing is best when the ice first appears. It is dangerous, but as others have already pointed out, there are methods that make the level of risk acceptable.
I too have no respect for the lazy ones that check ice with rocks.
I use a folding camp chair for my chair. It is comfortable and has a good back rest. It is fairly heavy but traveling in a sled makes it nearly weightless.
My sled is big enough to double as a boat by the way. I have also jumped in it and slid down a hill, skimmed across a few feet of open water to get on the ice. Coming back, I ran pushing it ahead then jumped in. I stayed dry that way while others ended up wet to the crotch.
When fishing areas that potentially have big fish, I use full length poles with good drags. I usually cut my holes in a line and create an ice burm at 90 degree angles to the hole. The line will be either downwind or downsun such that I sit in my chair and watch the rod tips and relax as if mezmerized. This keeps the wind off of me or the sun off of my face depending on the day. Sometimes when the wind is out of the south, it works well for both. If a bite happens too quickly or when I am fighting another fish, the rod gets sucked in until the reel catches on the burm and the drag pays out the line. I have not lost a rod using this method.
When prospecting, my holes are further apart but still in a line. I have a power auger so I may drill several lines of holes at various points in the lake until satisfied with my catch rate.
Obviously, I don't mess with an ice hut. I have pretty warm clothing and don't go out when it is below zero. It is pretty miserable in those conditions anyway and the holes gel up too fast.
FR
[signature]