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Is it too early to start thinking about ice fishing? I don't think so. Especially after a few great days last year.
I've been thinking about expanding where I ice fish and what to target. I would really like to catch some lake trout through the ice this year. Does anyone have suggestions on places and what to use. I have heard you need to use completely different gear.
Thanks in advance
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I never showed any of my fish from last season. Here are a few.
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Flaming Gorge or Bear Lake . Sometimes Bear Lake don't Freeze . Flathead in Montana has so many. Last time my brother was there . There was no limit .
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Silly question! It's never too early to think about ice fishing!
I think about it year round -- even when the tar is melting in the hot sun in the parking lot!
I added much more to my ice fishing supplies. This season, I'm going to ice fish in harder to reach locations now that it's no longer difficult for my ice fishing vehicle with snow tires.
One thing I plan to do different is to fish in deep water and locate fish in a greater length of water column like Flaming Gorge. I found a place along an underwater rock cliff. I like that my fish finder has high power and good resolution even way deep.
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It is not too early for ice. I've already started watching the thermometer and have pulled out the auger to inspect the blades. As soon as I punch my deer ticket we need a freeze.
Regarding Lakers I think you have to look to Payette or plan an out of state.
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[quote coltergeist99]Is it too early to start thinking about ice fishing? I don't think so. ...[/quote]
From my preparedness perspective, these remaining nice days before ice fishing season are the days we have to finalize getting ready for ice fishing.
In the past, I've been so behind on my chores that I would have too much to do at the last minute. I hope to have everything ready long before ice is thick enough.
Today, I renewed the clarity of my ice fishing vehicle's glass in preparation for a surface treatment that will fill microscopic flaws for smoothness and clarity and bead up water and make the wipers more effective at sweeping off the water.
Before, the wipers wiped and it left a film of water that distorted vision. On the inside of the windows, it always looked perfect on sunny days, but something was there. Perhaps it was some film of volatiles from the interior or perhaps glass ages. Whatever it was didn't even come off with the finest steel wool dipped in adhesive remover which is more aggressive than paint thinner. It would surprise me that I could do that last fall and in high humidity conditions the suction cup marks of suction cups that must have been there years ago show up in the condensation pattern along with the smudges. RainX anti-fog seemed to make fogging much worse after the application is no longer new. Perhaps it works on polished glass, but I'm trying something else this time.
I put so much hard work using lots of force to get this film off and nothing worked, so I ordered a glass restoration kit and polished the glass. That's a first step. I'm on my way to the car wash to get the glass polish off of my car. Next, I'll seal the glass and see how well that works.
Last ice fishing season, I solved traction of my ice fishing vehicle with a dedicated set of wheels for winter with the largest, widest Bridgestone Blizzak tires that would barely fit and load rated for 3000 pounds each for hard driving on off-road trails in the winter. They worked very well. I felt excellent traction in all conditions and it was never even close to being marginal. This means I can choose difficult ice fishing destinations with confidence and it means I can sign up for ice fishing tournaments and make commitments to be part of a team and not have a concern of getting there should there be a winter storm.
I also am glad I got lots of very good ice anchors at the time that the tournment was blown off of Fish Lake (Utah). I talked to one person who actually fished through the wind and he used a lot of ice anchors.
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That reminds me. Need a new rope on my sled, broke twice one day in the deep snow. Let's see what else is there to do!
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Has anyone fished much on Payette Lake? I don’t recall seeing much on here ever about that fishery. I’m more than willing to give it a try but I hate to drive up there with zero info on it.
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You will like those Blizzak tires! Sounds like that film you are trying to remove is from your heater core. If that is the case it will never come completely off.
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