Ice Fishing Tip of the Day

[davetclown]

[#ff0000]<*@}))))))X< Ice Fishing Tip number #89[/#ff0000]


How to prevent your tipups from getting run over by orv's

as you know most tipups sit below the snow level, and no matter how well you kick the snow away people will still run over your tipups. and who is to say weather it was intentional or not. since it lays so low Deniability is always plausable.

We have to get rid of the plausability of some one saying they could not see it, day or night.

make your self a boey, you can use any number if items to make a simple boey, a five gallon bucket works well, any color will do provided you add reflective tap to it.

I seldome have enough room to cary numerous pails with me, so I built me a nice litle boey out of pvc, I bought a pre cut peice 24 inches in lenth, I bought a drain cap to fit it. and then I placed on three sides a peice of reflective tape.

I also keep inside of this boey a gaft and a yard stick. The yard stick is optional, in michigan pike must be 24 inches in lenth to harvest, so the boey it self will tell me if my fish is the right lenth for that species, but there are other species I target that have other minimum sizes thus I keep an aluminum yard stick in side of the boey.

to deminstrate how well this boey works, here is a photo, notice how hard it is to see the tipup even when it is light up, and at speeds of 25 or better, by the time you realize your are on comming on top of a tipup, you cant vir off in time to avoid it.

[center][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14942/cat/574"][/url]
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[center]Enlarge the photo to see the tipup.
[center]Even with floresent orange tape, a vehical would not be able to see it in time to avoid it.
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[center]A caution boey tells every one there is something there to avoid, Boeys could mean any number of things from thin ice to diving holes you name it.
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[CptHook]

[center][#ff0000]<*@}))))))X< Ice Fishing Tip number #90[/#ff0000]


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[left]Know your daily possesion limit and total possesion limit for the species you are targeting.
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[left]One thing that should be noted on the freezing of fish is to comply with the possession limit laws, I understand for most states this will be two times the limit. This means that you can only have the possession limit in your freezer, and should you freeze your possession limit, you technically cant even fish for that species, even if you plan on releasing them. So unless you rarely fish, rarely eat fish or you like to get your possession limit of one species and do your sport fishing for others, freezing long term doesn't seem necessary to me. I don't think there are any cases of SWAT breaking down doors and counting fish. If someone really does rely on the fish to sustain them through periods of time when they can't fish, then I don't see it being morally wrong to break this law. There are probably a number of ways to stay lawful, "donate" your fish to a friend, and keep them in their freezer.
One of the most special things about fishing in my opinion is the fact its the only way to eat truly fresh fish. Anyone can buy some vacuum packed fish, from another country. (note, if you see swai in stores, its just foreign catfish, support our countries farms and buy American!
An interesting fact is if travel between states you should be able to have two possessions of the same species, if you have the proper licenses, so you could argue you got some of the fish on vacation on a day pass.

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[Paulpro]

You had me at "being that I am lazy"....Dang I'd hate to fish against you if you call this lazy Those were some great tips, even lifesaving..the early bird gets the worm,That way he does'nt have to stop for bait..
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[davetclown]

thanks.

some days I get busy, and on others I get to sit back and relax, and we are always up for a little frindly ribbing. [:p] Its all in good fun

[CptHook]

Wet hands equal frozen hands, bring a towel.
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[Imilly]

Dear Davetclown, thanks for your efforts.
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[davetclown]

your most welcome,

here's a free one,


That is the one my boss shares with me almost every day. [:p]

Dont tred on thin ice...
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[Imilly]

[]Thanks, davetclown, it seems i can`t do ice fishing because i am the south east of China. The ice here is thin. Although i don`t know much about the tipup, i can learn it looks good.[sly]
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[spinningangler]

smtg else, sorry if i missed it in posts

try to carry in your chestpockets two big nails (right and left pocets). if you breake the ice it will help u to scramble back out of water.
always keep second set of clothes in your car.
for same purpose.
don;t take chance on thiny ice, come another day.
good luck!
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[davetclown]

[center][size 3][#ff0000]<*@}))))))X< Ice Fishing Tip number #91[/#ff0000][/size][/center]

[center][#ff0000][/#ff0000] [/center]
[left][font "Arial Black"][#000000]Use a spud to chip away at the bottom of your hole all the way around, making it wider and less sharp.[/#000000][/font][/left]
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[left][font "Arial Black"]This will eliminate a lot of break offs of lures and fish at the bottom of the ice and will help to guide your catch up in to the hole.[/font][/left]
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[cruisedubai]

In Dubai Dhow Cruise many peoples enjoyed lot of things like dinner like desert safari in Dubai enjoy with full of fun.
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[davetclown]

the winter of 2015 was interesting to say the least.

finding time to get out between the snow falls and the just to plain to cold to fish made it hard for me to get out or on line.

I got though it but not with out scars. the worst is breaking my ice auger the last 2 weeks of ice season for south east michigan.

just prior to the last 2 weeks michigan was blessed with some cold nights, a dozen below zero and half of those were below -20 and 3 of those below -35

here is how I broke my auger, the last -20 degree night still -20 at sun rise I waited till the temp got above +15 degrees before heading out.

it wasnt till noon - one oclock before I was able to get out. as I got ready to go I thought to my self I should take the auger in the house to thaw it out before going out on the lake. and I said naaa, it 15 degrees it will be ok.

I get out on the ice the auger fires up first pull and purs like a kitten. I let it run for a couple minutes to make sure it is wormed up. I set the blade in to the ice, and cabluie, cla clink clunk clunk.... and nothing, the engine still running fine but the auger it self quit spinning.

I knew it dagnabits I knew it, I should have taken the auger in the house for an hour to thaw out. I got back home split open the gear box and there in the middle of the box not the side of box but in the middle of the box mixed in a smere of berring grease is my main drive gear busted in to a million peices.

so the moral of the story boys and girls is, do as I say and not as I do, when it gets -5 degrees and colder, take your auger in the house and thaw it out before taking it out on the ice. Many times have I seen steel and metal snap like glass at temps below -5

well on the up side I have at least 9 months before next season [pirate] now its of to the parts store.

[gdn443]

Sad to hear that Dave. We do know how you like the ice. And you had the temps for sure this year.
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[sopwellfishing]

Awesome. Thanks for nice and valuable tips.

[willami]

My best tip is ice demands respect and perfection. Cheating isn't easy and failure should be expected ;common sense is more important than anything else.
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