Ice Fishing 23-24

[Amarok]

Trip 47 was slow. Two pike was all I managed for the afternoon. Had a mark shoot in on the first drop and I thought I was in for action, but it circled around and buggered off. I probably marked fewer than 10 the whole time I was there. I hopped around a bit but the wind was nasty so I pinned down a couple corners and set up the tent.

Saw what was likely suckers but could have been whitefish, on the camera. Didn't get a look at the heads either time and the water was dirty.

Seven days left in the season and 3 trips to make a half century 2 years in a row. I don't feel especially motivated, but will probably go for it anyway.

 

[Amarok]

I have never hit the wall with winter like I did this year. I think the weather has been the biggest factor, as an ideal March has a lot of warm, sunny days. This year it's been mostly cold and windy.
There's been a few warm days but I spent those in my yard, ice fishing was not a priority.

Hole hopping in the sun and a tee-shirt is so much fun. Setting up a tent in the wind, not so much, at least not now. Looks like I'll end up with 47 trips. Not going to force something I'm not feeling.

The happy news: forecast for Apr 1 is 12C and 4/2 it's 16.

Time to do some hiking while waiting for the river to thaw. I may even carry the bear spray for a change. Not sure how this strange winter affected the bears. If the warm weather had them up and wandering during hibernation time(not unknown), they may be extra hungry. I'll be a little cautious until I've been out a few times.

 

[Jewels]

Ice treads ?
Wood stove ?
Small Block Chevy ?

As much as I love my Pelican,,,

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bombardiers-still-the-ultimate-manitoba-ice-fishing-machine-decades-after-they-were-last-made-1.7157559

 

[Amarok]

Pronounced here as Bom-bah-Deers

Yup. I was reading along and got to that and was like "well duh". Cuz even though French doesn't accent syllables, you ain't gonna stop the Anglos.

 

[Ramjet159]

Ice treads ?
Wood stove ?
Small Block Chevy ?

As much as I love my Pelican,,,

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bombardiers-still-the-ultimate-manitoba-ice-fishing-machine-decades-after-they-were-last-made-1.7157559

What a beast . Could the nations guard bolt a 50 Cal on that thing ?

 

[rkymtnman]

so i've chatted with amarok on a different thread and figured i'd put this question on the real ice fishing thread.

i'd kinda like to get more into ice fishing but stay on the cheap side. have a gas auger. just picked up a Eskimo hut.

if I had a underwater topo map like this:

and I have an older GPS unit.

would that be enough for a basic setup? or am I really gonna need vexlar/sonar/underwater camera too?

 

[rkymtnman]

and worse case scenario will that I'll have a crawfish boil for the Super Bowl!

look at the size of this one!! (not my arm)

 

[Amarok]

am I really gonna need vexlar/sonar/underwater camera too?

(sorry, you're stuck with me here, too )

All you need is a hole in the ice, and a hook on a piece of line.

Having some kind of electronic help makes things so much better though. For finding depths, structure, and for watching fish behaviour.

If I had to pick one thing, it would be the Striker 4. I have an expensive Vexilar that I almost never use because the Striker is more convenient, has more features, and most importantly, a much wider beam that is much more useful in shallow water.
Here's the base unit and here's the one with mapping. I made my own shuttle for carrying it.

An u/w camera is a great learning tool. It also is the best for when you know something is down there, but can't tell if it's pike or walleye or whitefish.
That said, a camera has numerous drawbacks:

-only has a small sight window and doesn't show anything anywhere else in the water column (this also influences YOU to fish in front of the cam and ignore the rest of the column.
-only is useful with sufficient light; deep water, or early or late in the day the cam is useless
-the camera does spook fish. Not all fish, not all the time, but it absolutely does
-needs to be dropped down a hole. As opposed to just putting a transducer just under the ice, the camera usually gets dropped down to bottom. Setting up and tearing down take time
-A rowdy fish can wrap around a camera cable. It's usually bigger fish and they often get off. this is infuriating

A camera is an extra, imo. Sonar is a must, for me.

 

[rkymtnman]

sorry, you're stuck with me here, too

lmao! not at all, just figured the appropriate thread would stay more on topic. lol.

 

[rkymtnman]

A camera is an extra, imo. Sonar is a must, for me

i'll start looking at electronics next. I think you are on point about camera being last.

the marina at one lake does rent vexlar so that might be a good option once or twice before investing in one

 

[Mizzo81]

I hope to get out this year.

 

[Amarok]

I hope to get out this year

Last winter I was out 48 times and 50 the winter before. Growing weed is a hobby, fishing is my passion.

 

[Mizzo81]

Last winter I was out 48 times and 50 the winter before. Growing weed is a hobby, fishing is my passion.

We’ve had shitty Ice conditions the past few years. Hoping for some good ice this year. Past two years the big local ice fishing competition has been canceled

 

[Shugrows]

Im hoping to get out this year too. Didnt go last year shitty ice and had to recover from a broken knee cap. But hoping for some good ice after hunting season is over.

 

[Amarok]

We’ve had shitty Ice conditions the past few years. Hoping for some good ice this year. Past two years the big local ice fishing competition has been canceled

No worries up here. I wait for 6" of ice( maybe not 6, but close to that. it was 2" when I was younger) and I'm walking on water in the 2nd or 3rd week in November. When the season closes at the end of March, most lakes still have 30+ inches.

That's one of the reasons I gear up so much. Ice fishing is a big chunk of the year, so might as well do it as right as I can for comfort and efficiency.

 

[belleswell]

Growing weed is a hobby, fishing is my passion.

Fishing is not just a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that.

At least that's what it says on one of my t-shirts.