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We have had a lot of good ice fishing traffic, and as many of you know I am almost an exclusive ice fisherman, so I was wondering what are either some of your most extreme ice fishing experiences, or locations to fish.
To me an extreme location involves one or more of the following criteria:
1. You have a real chance of being stuck for 30 minutes or more, because your access road is not maintained.
2. You need to haul snowmobiles, as it is a five plus mile journay to the location.
3. You need to bring a change of clothes, due to the amount of sweat coming off your body while dragging your 75+ pounds of gear to a far off point. You do not have to reveal your point[  ] For some of us this even happens at Rigby Lake[  ]
As far as my coolest remote spot for me it would have to be Bloomington Lake; as it fits categories 1 and 3. One day I would like to get to Paul Res., but the late Henry's Lake season has altered this goal.
As far as physical hardship Pali  es would be my personal demon. I usually bring the lanterns and camping gear and I go quite aways out. Considering the first step, and sometimes deep snow while carrying quite a bit of gear this is to me a great physical challenge. Plus you need to know how to fish Pali es.
Feel free to share!
OvidCreek
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I think Island Park without a snowmachine gives me my best work out. Deep powdery snow. Having to shovel out a platform so that you can get through only using one 18" extension on your auger and then shoveling more snow to build a bank to stand on out of the water moving across the ice. 50 to 100 fish mornings are worth the pain and sweat I suppose.
The two riskiest places are fishing the ice on the Salmon River and the Snake. You just never know how stable your platform really is . . . [crazy]
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i agree the river ice scares the hell out of me. 3 years ago in march we were fishing about a half mile below corn creek in the primative area at a hole i like to go to and we were standing out on that bank ice when we heard some horrible cracking up river well a peace roughly 50 feet long had broke off from a ice jam and was ccoming down in a hurry we had to rush to throw our gear off the ice and scamper up onto dry ground before that huge chunk hit the peace we were standing on. and when it hit. well there wasnt a whole lot left. it scared us so bad we picked up and left there was no way we were getting back out on that shore ice.
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I drive from Challis to Salmon all the time and I watch that ice build up 4 feet thick overnight, then disappear in a day. There's no way I would go out on it. Plus, on a late season elk hunt near Shoup once, I watched two whitetail doe cross the ice. In the middle was a ridge. They both slipped in to a hole there and one came out soaking wet. The other never appeared again. [shocked]
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i have not so much of an extreme moment but an idiotic moment from last year at deepcreek.
so we hit the ice first thing in the morning and around noon the fishing slowed down so i started drinking. across on the hill there was a group of kids that had been sleight riding from the high water mark down onto the ice. so around 4 i decided i was going to take our sleigh and give it a try. but the hell with the high water mark i was going up there i told the guys i was with. so off i went. the snow was about knee deep and had a thick crust on it but not being much of a little guy i kept going threw the crust which made it a pain to go threw anyway. but after about half hour of climing i figured i was high enough. as i sat on the sleigh i looked down and though to my self.... this is not going to end well. i bet i was half way up the hill there. not sure how far that is but those of you that have seen it know its a ways. i only had one line to go were there was no brush so i sat there trying to get the nerve to go. all i could think is dont let go of the rope if you fall off i dont wanna have to walk down this hill. so off i went. the first 20 feet i was thinking this is going to be a disapointment but about that time i started to pick up speed. i had to lean, weave and duck sagebrush as i barrelled down the hill what felt like 100 mph by this time. then i noticed the jump (you know the lip of the high water mark and the steep bank of the lake) and thought oh shit. well i flew probly 15-20 feet no lie and i stuck the landing, or so i thought i bounced again and flew end over end i rolled forever. layed there half dead trying to figure out if i had broke anything, i hurt but everything worked and i hadnt let go of the sled so i climed back in and finished my ride and walked back over to the gear. my hands hurt like hell so after i got back i inspected them to find that the crust of the snow had ripped them to peaces and blood was pouring off them, but other than that a few sore muscles and a couple bruises. but i definelty learned dont drink and drive rather it be a vehicle or a sleigh.
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That's a classic Jigs! I'm rolling on the floor! Sorry for laughing but I can imagine that happening!
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my buddies that were with me tease me to this day and i imagine they will for the rest of my life.
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Very-Very Funny[ ] I know that exact hill and I wish I saw you do it!
OvidCreek
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My most extreme ice fishing trips have been to Wade Lake in Mont. It is a kick to take a snowmobile back in there and fish as close to the springs as you dare.[crazy]
Two years ago I was being stupid and kept working closer and closer until finally one leg broke through the ice. Here I was eight miles in and soaked to the waist. I stuck it out and fished the rest of the day, but I was frozen.
I don't have a snowmobile so if anyone does and wants a guide...[ ]
At Henrys when you can see the fish you are fighting through the ice that is pretty extreme as well.
Windriver
Windriver
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When I was in high school, my Dad and I decided to head south to Sheep Creek Res., on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. We called first, and were told the ice should be fine, just make sure we bring a plank to get out on it. We fished until late afternoon, and decided it was time to head back to Boise. The ice had retreated considerably from the dam where our plank was, and we only had about a foot or two of ice to hold the plank end. My dad was struggling across the plank with a very heavy cooler filled with some monster trout,and I was following with the equipment. When he put his full weight on the plank, a very large sheet of ice broke off of the main sheet, and the one end lifted up just where I was standing. I fell into the water, and the uplifted sheet came back down on top of me, trapping me under the ice. Talk about panicked. I somehow busted some of ice from below, and crawled up onto the ice. One of the scariest (and coldest!!) moments of my life. When we got back to Boise, I was still shivering even with the heater at full blast. I was extremely lucky to have avoided an obituary column that day!!! Mike
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when i was about 14 my family was at our cabin in island park about 1 mile down stream from mccrea bridge. I had fished out there the day before and was walking along back towards the area i had fished the day before. it had snowed about a foot over night and i did not know that the ice had broken up or melted and there was a 5 foot crack in the ice and i went in. tryed to pull my self out and broke the ice tryed again broke more off tryed a third time and finaly was able to pull myself onto the ice and belly crwed about 5 ft then got up and started to run to the cabin. my dad had watched the whole thing and was running out to me with a rope needless to say that was a scary day
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Looking back we took a trip to grassy lake in Wy, it 40 miles east of ashton or so on the reclamation road. That morning it was 14 below at my house, I got to the parking lot and it read 24 below. Man what was i thinking, it was so cold. I finally got the sled started and the trailer hooked on off i went,I got to the dam and it was a blizzard. I had to set up a old canvass tent with the bottom cut out.Hour later i had set up.It blew a way once about twenty feet, I was so cold I didn't care. I had sled running to keep my hands warm putting gloves on the block. Make a long story short we all got skunked not even one bite.I even lost a cylinder on my sled, on the way out...Other extreme ice fishing adventures i have had fishing hebgen,wade and cliff lake in blizzards.One time on the way out of wade and cliff it was white out i could not see where i was going. Came over a snow drift and no joke elk 10 feet away running it scared the %$$$$## out of me. I guess if i had to do it all over again i would not change a thing. I remember my dad paying me ten bucks to drill ice holes at hebgen. It was so cold we fished with snowmachine helmets on.Now that i have ice shanties and good heaters i feel like were cheating mother nature and her elements she throws at us. Looking back I would not change a thing, it was blast can't wait for the next extreme ice fishing trip.
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Not extreme, or death defying, but a bit humerous. We were out on Clark Canyon Reservoir with a steady 40 knot wind blowing. I had a glove off to mess with the bait or something, when I dropped the lightweight thinsulate glove. The wind immediately sent the glove scooting across the ice toward some other fishermen who had their pick-up out on the ice. I was running toward them hollering for them to catch the glove as it went by. By the time they realized what I was saying, it was already by them. I turned around and started back, when my partner waved and motioned for me to turn around. The guys in the pick-up had gotten their Black Lab out of the camper shell, and sent him after the glove, which he thought was a real neat game. Saved my glove, and myself an afternoon of walking around with my hand in my pocket.
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Kodiak and the Bug,
Man your stories scar the crap out of me! Last year I fell through rotten spring ice and I will never forget the sensation. I was actually with my field class I teach conducting water studies, and I still remember asking my team teaching partner to save my auger first; as I managed to still have it on my shoulder. I think everyone should practice a stomach crawl every once in a while. I still can not imagine being stuck under the ice; I will never wish that upon anyone and your stories just inspired me to me even more safe.
OvidCreek
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Kennyshmoo,
Those trips are really hardcore! To even attempt Grassy Lake in good temps would be tough, but -24 below is insane! I know its weird, but I love fishing in a blizzard and I have almost been traped, due to closed roads after my fishing trips at Pali es.
OvidCreek
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About 5 years ago I took my Dad and older brother ice fishing to Magic. It was their first time ice fishing. After taking a wrong turn and almost getting stuck we finally made it to Magic. The ice was smooth as glass, it was blowing about 30 mph and it started to rain on us. While fishing the water was running down the hole like a drain. I didn't have ice cleats at the time. There were times the wind was so strong that it started to push us across the ice. The only way to stop from being pushed to the otherside was to lay down. On top of that the fishing was slow. It took me a couple years to convince my dad to come with me again.
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That reminds me of a time at Chesterfield when the wind was blowing and the ice was like glass. My friend was in my ice house. This ice house had a flat plastic bottom. Suddenly a huge wind hit the ice house and the ice house took off like a sail boat across the ice. My friend was screaming like a girl. It was pretty funny, but a little dangerous as fast as he was shooting across the lake.
Windriver
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