Author Topic: The party is over....  (Read 2310 times)

Offline ctom

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The party is over....
« on: 12/03/20 12:27 UTC »
I was up at 4 this morning and put new line on the reel and rigged while I waited for my buddy to show for our trip to the honey hole. All the way to the river I had this nagging suspicion that we were going to be froze out and as soon as we drove off the bridge crossing the Mississippi my suspicions were confirmed. I guess if there is a good thing about it having ice now is that the ice is crystal clear and no fogging or cloudy ice involved. A kick sort of showed maybe an inch or slightly more. Had we brought a spud bar we'd have known for certain. Maybe a week now and we'll be able to slip out there and poke some holes where we had been casting to and do some jigging....I'm having a hard time imagining the crappies moving away from the area given the quite deep water there.

I always go thru a period of near melancholy after finding ice has closed of a good water. Man it was sad to see ice there this morning but as I mentioned I half expected it. So for now its back to the meat processing so I can get the equipment cleaned good and stacked away until next fall.
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline WALLEYE WACKER

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #1 on: 12/03/20 19:53 UTC »
The lake has ice here to river by me has ice on the edges about 8’ out along the shore. The open water time is done for now. What open water there is are covered with geese. Can’t wait to see what goodies you make next TOM.
« Last Edit: 12/03/20 19:57 UTC by WALLEYE WACKER »
May your days be filled with sun shine and you always have a tight line. AMEN

Offline basscatlildave

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #2 on: 12/04/20 08:33 UTC »
Well darn. Ice fishing coming soon maybe ?

Offline ctom

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #3 on: 12/04/20 10:08 UTC »
I don't ice fish much at all any more. Old ya know and falling on ice an breaking a hip can spell the end when one gets up in age.

However!!!! This spot is so easily accessed and crossing maybe 50 feet of ice to cut holes would be a simple task. Early ice is hand auger time and the way these late fall fish were staying at very specific depths over maybe 15 feet of water early ice will, be key. With ice on the water now and night time lows in the 202 ice is being added nightly. Even with the 40's predicted again for his next week  the night time lows will keep the ice intact and I think we'll likely hit it once to give a check and maybe cut holes and fish. I'll be screwing some 1/4" sheetmetal screws into the lugs of my vibram boots to help keep my old butt upright.
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline WALLEYE WACKER

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #4 on: 12/04/20 17:38 UTC »
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/yak-trax-diamond-grip-ice-cleats

I’ve used these for five year and never an issue.
May your days be filled with sun shine and you always have a tight line. AMEN

Offline basscatlildave

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #5 on: 12/05/20 06:02 UTC »
I know I have poked fun about you can't use ice and fishing in the sentence but if I had the chance I would do it.  ;)

Offline bassinfool

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #6 on: 12/11/20 08:15 UTC »
I know I have poked fun about you can't use ice and fishing in the sentence but if I had the chance I would do it.  ;)

I went for the first time when I was in my early 20s with my uncle and cousin in Illinois.  I'm from Alabama and had never been out on the ice before so needless to say when someone started a bon fire out on the ice it scared the ever living crap out of me!  We were perfectly safe as it was February and there were several feet of ice but it had this southern boy freaking out at the time  :P  It was a lot of fun though and having a little portable heater in the little fish blind things were an absolute god send.

Offline ctom

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #7 on: 12/11/20 11:14 UTC »
We drove down this morning and found open water where we had sworn ice would be. We made several casts but nothing doing fish-wise. SE wind was cold and damp today and there's a storm line forecast to run thru Iowa today so maybe that had the fish pensive, just don't know. And there's a chance that they actually will move from the deep water there.

Funny weather up here. The last two days have been in the 50's. I sat on the steps yesterday and read. Much of the backwaters in the same general area are ice covered and in places people have been cutting holes and fishing, but nobody was out today. We did however see other pockets of open water in places that had ice the last time we were down 8 days ago. Like I said, just weird weather here this early winter.
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline WALLEYE WACKER

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #8 on: 12/12/20 08:47 UTC »
30 now and teens over night and snowing right now.
May your days be filled with sun shine and you always have a tight line. AMEN

Offline ctom

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Re: The party is over....
« Reply #9 on: 12/12/20 11:46 UTC »
We dodged the snow bullet. I think Do-It Headquarters might have to shovel on Monday and you as well will likely need a shovel. Our forecast for a white Christmas is darned near bleak....for those who want white on Christmas. Brown is fine with me. Except for a slight chance of flurries tonight into tomorrow we are forecast to be dry all next week and only a tiny chance of light snow by Christmas. I'd really like to see those 50 come back we had during the last week.
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast