Went Ice fishing
Contributors to this thread:Massachusetts
From: peterk1234
19-Jan-19
First time in over twenty years. Basically since we have kids. I cleaned up my twenty year old gear a couple weeks ago, and just got the old (very) auger back from the engine shop in town. Their comment was, "fun to work on an antique". Tested the thing on the ice yesterday afternoon. It worked but the blade was dull. Went back home, hit the blades with a belt sander, back to the pond for another test, and we were good to go.
Me and the dog got out there at 7:30 this morning. My daughter's boyfriend showed up shortly after me. The ladies came a bit later. Man, I forgot how much fun that is. We caught a bunch of pickerel and a couple of nice perch. Next time I think we need to hit one of the trout pounds, or come back here with smaller shiners and try to nail more perch so we can bring some meat home :)
From: Dthfrmabove
19-Jan-19
Very cool Pete. I miss ice fishing. Not much ice down here where I live and I am too lazy to drive back home where I used to live. Makes for a very long drive after consuming multiple beverages and a pound of venison. Lol
From: VtTransplant
19-Jan-19
Pete if you are going after perch the best bait is perch eyes. After you get the first one you will have all the bait you need and be on the fish all day.
From: VtTransplant
19-Jan-19
From: xi
19-Jan-19
Pete, you can get freeze dried, vacuum packed, tube quantities of perch eyes at , oh wait , forget it ! Just get a dozen shiners, its easier.
From: peterk1234
20-Jan-19
Fish eyes! Now that you mentioned it, I remember doing that. Always wondered what attracted them to the eye. Pete
From: VtTransplant
20-Jan-19
Xi you are a real comedian. Are you a dicks employee you seem to really know the inventory of those fine stores? Pete good luck fishing this season. The ice should be good after this deep freeze. Xi can spend his dicks paycheck on shiners I’ll just put a little work in and have both more money and fish in my bucket everyday. Be safe out there guys.
From: Snowshoe
20-Jan-19
Nope coyote hunting I don't have to worry about falling in lol be safe
From: xi
20-Jan-19
VT, I work for my pay check. How I spend it is my decision. Piss me off enough and I'll be a spending Mo Fo. I think your suffering from a Bernie Burn ? I play hard, but work harder ! Now go enjoy another Long Trail !
From: VtTransplant
20-Jan-19
“Piss me off enough and I’ll be a spending Mo Fo.” What the hell does that even mean? And I’m a kingdom kid so it’s Trout River for me. That long trail shit is for flatlanders. Plus Bernie is a sum bag from New Jersey not a real Vermonter so please don’t judge us by that loser.
From: Belchertown Bowman
20-Jan-19
Ok guys lets settle this,.. measure your Dicks.
Post info on the DMFT. . Dick Measurement sub forum Thread
From: VtTransplant
20-Jan-19
BB are we using the official growth formula Hard length minus soft length times pi (3.144444)? And yes I can be a bit of a dick sometimes. Now let’s go fishing.
From: xi
20-Jan-19
Ah, I would leave Pi out of this unless you want the big stick to arrive !
From: Snowshoe
21-Jan-19
Why do you think they call me snowshoe hahahaha
From: Will
21-Jan-19
That's awesome Pete - Do some jigging. You can catch anything while having fun watching for flags.
From: Ungie01201
21-Jan-19
I went out to a derby sat. I don’t bring any tip ups.... but I did bring some TreeHouse. Needless to say I had a few find hours on the ice
From: Will
22-Jan-19
Pete -forgot to ask... how thick was the ice?
From: Paul
22-Jan-19
Please be careful on the ice just found out a friend at work and his buddy went though the ice sat morning in western mass . Details later . They are ok
From: peterk1234
22-Jan-19
Ice ranged from 6 inches at its thickest to 4 inches. Plenty of ice out there. As always though, expect the unexpected.
From: Will
22-Jan-19
Peter - that's still: "wear a life jacket and carry spikes round my neck" thick for me. I feel safe at Large Trucks and SUV's thick :)
My wife pick's on me to no end for ice fishing in a life jacket... That's ok, looking up at the ice would suck :)
From: peterk1234
22-Jan-19
Will, you have to live a little. I used to ice boat prior to having kids. We used to hit a pond in Holden, one of the first to freeze. I remember going through the "channel" and watching the ice bend as I go through the area. Wouldn't you know one time the wind died and I stop dead in this spot? Yup, right through. I flew out of there so fast that I don't even think I got wet. Laid on my stomach, grabbed the tip of the mast and held that boat until my friends came to help pull it out. Now that is living :)
So first order of business when we do the saddle get together. Get Will 30 feet off the ground hanging from a skinny rope.
From: Paul
22-Jan-19
Ok here's the scoop . The ice on most of the lake was about 10 inches but when walking out they both fell though my friend was able to get out of the water in about 5 minutes or so. His buddy was in the water for 15 minute and was just able to tie a strap around him self . My friend started pulling but his spikes came undone and couldn't get any traction. He then yelled at a group of guys standing there taking pics ( Russian) and one finally came over to help pull the guy out of the water .fire dept came took him to the hospital and after a few hours sent him home . They lost a est $3200 in gear but are alive and yes both are very seasoned ice fisherman.
From: VtTransplant
22-Jan-19
I hope they both bought lottery tickets that day. 15 minutes in freezing water is no joke. Hypothermia can set in after about 5 minutes. Very lucky guys I’m glad to hear they are both ok. Be safe out there.
From: BQP
22-Jan-19
Had my first trip out Saturday as well. Iced this 10lb pike and had a run from another too. Great start to the year
From: Will
23-Jan-19
Nice fish BQP!
Pete. Only do such a thing if everyone enjoy's seeing vomit, and likely urine and feces covering a grown man :)
I have issues, I admit it. Heights... Not a fav... Skinny ice... no thanks...
That said,t he past few days, and basically every day going forward outside of the next 24hours suggests the ice should be great the next month and a half. Which is fun!
From: peterk1234
23-Jan-19
BQP, wow!
From: Ungie01201
23-Jan-19
Buddy got a 26 lb pike out of Onota last weekend.
From: BQP
23-Jan-19
now that's a nice fish! that's the size I'm hoping for this winter.
From: xi
23-Jan-19
Paul, was that on Buel ?
From: Tekoa
23-Jan-19
Will, Here is one for you. Many years ago a good friend was ice fishing at Colebrook Reservoir. He thought it was strange that nobody else was out fishing. He walked out maybe 50 yards and drilled his first hole. Nothing but 20 feet of air between the ice and the water. The reservoir level had dropped but the ice had not yet collapsed...YET. I still get a shiver every time that story is told.
From: Moons22
23-Jan-19
My buddy took this pic out on the ice today. Merica
From: lunker
23-Jan-19
wow! nice pic that's frameable
From: lunker
23-Jan-19
wow! nice pic that's frameable
From: Ungie01201
24-Jan-19
That is an awesome pic! where is that moons? woods?
From: bowandspear
27-Jan-19
Wow great Pike guys. Last Tuesday I kept my youngest son Ethan who is 13 home from school so we could get out while we had good ice (had 50 degrees and rain coming the next day) . He caught a couple of nice bass and on a cold Tuesday we had the pond to ourselves. Fun stuff.
From: Moons22
27-Jan-19
Ungie that pic is dug pond in natick. B&s, what a great dad!! He probably learned a lot more out on the ice that day than he would have from his liberal teachers anyways
From: Sosso
28-Jan-19
Anyone out near Quaboag Pond? If so, how is the ice? I was thinking about giving it a go on Friday/Sat.
