Author Topic: Loughborough Ice Watch 2014-15 (Read 12341 times)

JZ · « **on:** Dec 13, 2014, 01:59 PM »

Little early but saw some ice so figure I would start it off. The warm weather next week will take out the ice but still a good sign for mid Dec. I have visions of New Year's Day lake trout! Probably a pipe dream but we will see.

KtownIce · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 17, 2014, 02:35 PM »

I was out last weekend in a canoe on the Lough. Its looking pretty dismal. On the plus side we took along a finder and marked out some spots for the upcoming hardwater. Cant wait!

JZ · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 17, 2014, 04:50 PM »

Quote from: KtownIce on Dec 17, 2014, 02:35 PM

I was out last weekend in a canoe on the Lough. Its looking pretty dismal. On the plus side we took along a finder and marked out some spots for the upcoming hardwater. Cant wait!

That would be one time you would not want to tip your canoe, did you drop a jig down and fish? The west end traditionally sets up by the second week in January last year was much earlier I think I was on the ice boxing day and someone was on a couple days before that.
I think this year will be early but not as early as last year. Two years ago it was a week early, Jan 6th, I think that would be a good guess for this year as well.

KtownIce · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 18, 2014, 07:01 AM »

I agree, it would be pretty cold if we took a dip. Between the two of us in the canoe there was quite a bit of experience and we were prepared for a flip in case.

As for the jigging, we did a bit in the 80 to 110 FOW range. Found a few marks but no takers. Its hard to know what your jig is really doing down there since the canoe drifts and makes it hard to keep your jig in the cone of your finder!

pierced lip · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 18, 2014, 05:15 PM »

come on laker season.... I mean ice fishing season!

JZ · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 20, 2014, 09:10 AM »

This will probably be more of a tease than anything else because it's getting up to 7 next week and all of it will be gone but there is ice cover now up to ~90fow. Just a skim but it's a start hopefully after the warm weather we get a week or two of cold and lock it up for good.

JZ · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 20, 2014, 02:57 PM »

Just went down to the launch and stepped out and the ice was cracking as soon as I put one foot on the ice. Nowhere near safe yet,, another night of cold will help but I wont be going out there On Sunday that's for sure.

pierced lip · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 21, 2014, 02:43 PM »

Yup mother nature is teasing us, but that's o.k just set up the minnow tank in the garage today and going on Tuesday to get minnows for the 1st part of the season. I am getting really antsy for the good ice though.

Bigbassmon · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 25, 2014, 10:48 AM »

Just a quick update. The thin skim of ice stood up through the wind last night. Hopefully now the temps drop and with the water on the ice now, will tighten up by next weekend.

fishO · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 26, 2014, 07:48 PM »

forcast for the next while is all below zero. hopefully we can get out there soon!

Bigbassmon · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 28, 2014, 08:13 AM »

Well it's back to the drawing board. Ice has completely receded on the far west end now. I'm thinking another two weeks at least before we can get on!!!

JZ · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 28, 2014, 04:17 PM »

I bet people will be fishing the west end by Jan 2nd. You heard it here first!

pierced lip · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 28, 2014, 06:19 PM »

JZ, you getting the boat back out? or did you not put it away yet?

JZ · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 28, 2014, 09:09 PM »

Quote from: pierced lip on Dec 28, 2014, 06:19 PM

JZ, you getting the boat back out? or did you not put it away yet?

Ha no, over 100hrs of below zero between now and then with a couple -10s in there. The wind is the only wildcard as long as it's not crazy like last week, I think someone will be out there by the 2nd. Wouldn't recommend it unless you have lots of first ice experience because will probably only be a few inches. I will update with some pics during the week.

JZ · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 30, 2014, 08:53 AM »

West end is capped again, super thin layer just formed last night, you can see the difference btw the new stuff and the old ice that was along the shoreline. it will be a few more days before it's worth checking thickness.

JZ · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 31, 2014, 03:08 PM »

Getting better but unless you are looking to do the New Years day polar bear thing I would stay off for another day or two. Can't see it here but a few hours after I took the pic a bunch of pressure cracks have opened up as new ice is being made, it has turned it into a giant jigsaw puzzle. Should freeze up nice tonight and tmo if the wind and snow are kept to a minimum. I might go do some test holes on Friday.

KtownIce · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 01, 2015, 10:44 AM »

Thanks for posting the updates. they are much appreciated!

fishO · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 02, 2015, 09:50 AM »

Well its the 2nd.. any brave/crazy guys out there yet?

JZ · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 02, 2015, 11:29 AM »

Just going out in the next hour to test it out I will post an update when I get back.

fishO · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 02, 2015, 11:37 AM »

Awesome! but be careful!!

JZ · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 02, 2015, 12:22 PM »

Hold off to next weekend boys. I was encouraged when I got there, off along the shore someone had made a hockey rink but out from the launch I only made it about 50 ft from shore and the spud was going through in one shot. About two inches of black ice over 5 fow couldn't get out any further. Sunday should get rid of all the snow then really cold weather the rest of the week should have us on lake trout soon.

pierced lip · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 02, 2015, 05:17 PM »

SWEEEET!!!! Thanks for keeping us informed JZ.

JZ · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 03, 2015, 11:57 AM »

Another cold night must have given someone the confidence to go because there is a line of hole out a few hundred feet from where I left off, hopefully it's a Shanty member so we can get an ice report.

JZ · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 05, 2015, 03:00 PM »

It's looking better now, all the pressure cracks have iced over. I will go pop some holes tues or wed and report back.

eastcoastboy · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 05, 2015, 04:19 PM »

Im going to put some holes in it tomorrow morning. I will post what i find. Im sure i will see some others out checking tomorrow as well. I will be in an orange mustang floater suit...so stop by and say hi if you are out.

JZ · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 05, 2015, 04:31 PM »

Quote from: eastcoastboy on Jan 05, 2015, 04:19 PM

Im going to put some holes in it tomorrow morning. I will post what i find. Im sure i will see some others out checking tomorrow as well. I will be in an orange mustang floater suit...so stop by and say hi if you are out.

Awesome stay safe and let us know. I won't be out until after work or might not get out to wed.

Bigbassmon · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 05, 2015, 05:20 PM »

I'll be keeping an eye out for Ya. If it looks good from the house ECB I'll be following your tracks!!

eastcoastboy · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 01:52 PM »

What a Nice morning for fishing! I got to Lobo at around 0645-0700 and checked ice with spud. I found that there was on average about 3-4" of good black ice with an inch of white ice on top. There is thin spots at around 2" where the water was coming through during the rain storm we had. If you go out just try to keep clear of those dark spots on the ice as they are the thinnest. So i set up in 50 fow to begin with and had a good amount of action on the flasher but no takers. Bigbassmon showed up and set up fairly close and we never really had a lot of action. A couple of hits but that's it. So we moved out to the deeper stuff in 75-85 fow. The lakers were a lot more aggressive out there and were more interested in what we were doing. Well...to make a long story short, Bigbassmon and myself both had our limit by 1200. Great day on the ice.

JZ · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 02:05 PM »

Good fishing guys and thanks for the ice report will be a zoo out there this weekend and I will be one of them!
oh and I just noticed quit trying to duplicate my avatar pic!!! lol

Bigbassmon · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 05:47 PM »

Good day indeed!!! I had my two fish in the first 5 minutes after we went deeper. I didn't see the numbers that ECB did but still managed a couple and lost another!! Think I'll leave my fishing till the weekdays. Also what was interesting was although we were using the same bait we had different techniques. They were definitely on, just had to find them.

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Author Topic: Loughborough Ice Watch 2014-15 (Read 12341 times)