Five things I learned today from this "truck fell through the ice" article...

I’ve been ice fishing once in Wisconsin. It was fuckin cold as balls and I wasn’t prepared for it as I was just visiting a friend and was invited. I learned that subtleties in how you jig and how to read the fish finder made all the difference.

I think if we had more close, safe options for ice fishing in WA I’d be down to do it on a somewhat regular basis. No driving on ice though.
 
Driftless Dan said:
My main fishing buddy likes to ice fish; I go with him once a year or so. he fits all he needs into a sort of sled/bucket thing that one person can easily haul.

But sitting on a bucket dunking a tiny ice fishing rod into a 7" hole in the ice while simultaneously watching two or three tip-ups in the remote chance one of them might have a bass or northern on the end, so you can hand line them in. I just can't get excited. I have a very short attention span so I need to walk up or down a stream while I'm fishing.
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I hear you .
 
As much as I love fishing, and a wide variety of fishing, I've never had a single iota of interest in ice fishing.

No doubt it would be fun to sit in a shack on a frozen lake and get drunk with buds, but the fishing aspect of it all doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.
 
I've seen ice sheds with big screens, full on kitchens, sofas, stereos the whole deal.
Just like your basic man cave in the basement, only colder and with fishing. Watch the game, listen to some music, burn some beef, have a few pops with your friends and fish.

It just sounds awful...
 
Over the years I've had several good friends that are passionate about ice fishing. More than once, I've gone ice fishing with them. They have all the stuff, tents, augers, fish finders, heaters, etc.. Spending time with my friends doing something they are passionate about is priceless. Beats the shit out of sitting at home posting a bunch BS about how "stupid ice fishing is". Snowmobiles on the ice, yes, pickup trucks, no.
 
I actually watched a new meat eater episode where they were ice fishing for massive yellow perch in Idaho. One of the dudes talked about how a perch they caught puked up a lot of chironomids. Made me think how it would be fun to tie flies for ice fishing and learn to match the hatch. I think a lot of lake techniques that we use in fly fishing could and can be applied to ice fishing, including tying your own flies for it. I know if I participated I would go that route vs hanging live bait off a tip up.
 
I watched Ice Road Truckers for a couple of years. Convinced me to not go out for Ice fishing.

I can remember when Burien lake, not Lake Burien, existed in cold winter time near Pay N Pak. A number of vehicles broke through the ice. Good times... or not....
 
www.joespondvermont.com

Ice Out

The Joe's Pond Ice Out Contest is a result of cabin fever. In the 1980s, Jules Chatot often visited his camp in the winter or early spring to ride snowmobiles, play cards and socialize with friends...
www.joespondvermont.com
 
Josh said:
I have lived in the western part of Cascadia all my life. So I've never spent a winter anywhere that it gets REALLY cold. Around here, as most of you know, lakes only freeze once in a long while. So ice fishing isn't really a "thing" in these parts. Which is fine by me as it sounds deathly boring.

But I do know that it's a popular pastime and that people do drive on the ice. But this article taught me some interesting facts...

www.thedrive.com

Sunken Ford Super Duty Dives 22 Feet Into Frozen Lake With Trailer Attached

The driver of this Ford Super Duty on a frozen Minnesota lake rolled over a big crack and sent his truck straight through the ice.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com

  1. Not only do people drive on ice, but they are willing to do it multiple MILES away from shore?
  2. Someone thought a full size 3/4 ton pickup pulling a giant trailer was the right vehicle for such an adventure?
  3. Cars going through the ice is such a common occurrence that there are towing and recovery companies that specialize in pulling cars back out?
  4. Of all the things that insurance won't cover, somehow this guy is going to get his truck fixed/replaced because companies cover frozen lake driving?
  5. People are still ice driving despite this being an incredibly warm winter across the US and MN breaking high temperature records in January?
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We worry about finding intelligent life out in the universe. This kind of thing is sooooooo common, it makes we wonder if there is intelligent life here.. No, strike that, it solidifies my thinking that there is not.
 
Tim L said:
Not the fishing, the mishaps.
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Ya, I was referencing the post above mine that said something about people sitting around at home posting about "how stupid ice fishing is".

It doesn't interest me at all from a pure fishing perspective, but I can definitely see the appeal of the social side.

Just seemed odd since I literally can't find a post here where anyone is saying ice fishing is stupid.
 
Also, I will fully admit that being on ice scares the hell out of me lol. Every time my wife and I are watching one of those life in Alaska shows and they are out running nets and things through holes in the ice my anxiety spikes.

No doubt a product of growing up in the PNW where such cold winters just aren't a thing.
 
SteelHeadDave said:
I actually watched a new meat eater episode where they were ice fishing for massive yellow perch in Idaho. One of the dudes talked about how a perch they caught puked up a lot of chironomids. Made me think how it would be fun to tie flies for ice fishing and learn to match the hatch. I think a lot of lake techniques that we use in fly fishing could and can be applied to ice fishing, including tying your own flies for it. I know if I participated I would go that route vs hanging live bait off a tip up.
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Years ago Lenore used to be open all year. A few of my coworkers were talking about jigging some of those big Lahontans up so I thought I'd give it a try. I tied up a couple of marabou jigs, found a fairly fresh hole in the ice it was a foot thick) and managed to open it up and started slowly jigging with a standard spin cast trout rod. I caught a couple trout, released one and took one home. While I was standing there I heard a rifle shot only it wasn't a rifle report, it was the ice doing a "seismic shift" or some such thing, cracking somewhere. I couldn't get off the ice fast enough.
 
Billy said:
I always wonder about the first person to go out on the ice each year...and the last😬
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The first and last wildebeest to cross the river are the ones picked off by lions and crocodiles.

The key is don't be either.

I sporadically ice fished in my 20's, shortly after I got out of the Marine Corps. It was only fun to the extent of getting shitfaced and bullshitting around with the other drunken idiots (who were mostly young cops). We were young and invincible.

Eventually (hopefully) one learns being shitfaced and old just doesn't work well anymore...especially when when egaging in activities that are inherently hazardous and uncomfortable.
 
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This is not a good year for ice fishing.

For those years that are, it's a blast. Around here, not often, but when it is reasonably safe (Ice >4" thick) it can be a lot of fun.

In my old New England days, we'd go out on the first nice days of spring, sit on the breakwater and drink whisky, watching guys drive out to get their shacks, and betting on who might not make it back.

In cold years around here, it's been fun, I used to take my son when he was little. He loved it. I practically cut my fingers off filleting 4" sunfish, but that's another story.

The auger is still in the garage somewhere...
 
Nick Clayton said:
Also, I will fully admit that being on ice scares the hell out of me lol. Every time my wife and I are watching one of those life in Alaska shows and they are out running nets and things through holes in the ice my anxiety spikes.

No doubt a product of growing up in the PNW where such cold winters just aren't a thing.
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Indeed...it's not possible to accurately develop practical knowledge and confidence about anything if one has little opportunity to learn where the 'envelope of safety' is located.

I have a couple hundred thousand miles now on motorcycles, but my extremely limited experience controlling (especially backing) an outboard boat in a busy marina makes it absolutely nerve-wracking. Where is the brake on this thing? I can distinctly remember my early motorcycle days in similar fashion.
 
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