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Are you implying that you stand? Ice fishing is mostly sitting based on my 10yrs doing it.
I'm usually alone but not alone..the voices are always there..ha haburp
Based my extensive 5 years doing it, you don't need to sit too much, at least not in one spot.
I would never go alone, safety aside that's a boring day sitting in a lawn chair alone for 8 hours. When I do go with friends we usually see a few guys out there solo. We just make the joke that they must hate their wives, so sitting in the cold wind alone beats spending another minute with the woman haha.
Fishing alone is always risky from a safety point of view.
I guess I do it differently. It's usually pretty cold so after setting all my traps, I like to find a nice spot out of the wind, set up some chairs, build a raised fire for heat / cooking, and then chat with friends all day checking the traps every so often. I guess I go for both the fishing and the bonding. A lot of guys in here are way more into just the fishing I guess. To each their own.One thing I do laugh at is when some crew puts in the effort to lug out and then prop up a flag, but has either no shelter or anything to build a fire. They may be cold, but they'll freeze out there supporting whatever flag they brought out. Most times once we get our fire going I'll see them start collect kindling and attempt building a fire on the shore.
Its not much effort to bring a flag out on the ice. Perhaps they own striker gear and don't need a shelter or fire to keep warm. To me, lugging out a fire pit and wood is much more effort than a flag. Some shelters are heavy too, luckily mine is only 11 lbs. But I don't usually set it up unless its snowing/raining or high winds on frigid days. Basically whatever makes your day more enjoyable, is all that matters 👍👍
To each their own I guess. If I am lugging stuff out in my sled, the stuff I put in to weigh it down is stuff I plan on using. I certainly wouldn't lug out decorations.
Sat out there all weekend and watched guys building a huge fire burning pallets on a 50* day? I was taking off sweat shirt...LOL. What is annoying is when they leave the wood on the ice and the left over pallet also. I own a nice pop-up but it's been so warm I haven't had to use it yet this year. I watch guys set up their pop-up on days with no wind or rain and just don't understand that. I dress warm, it is after all ICE FISHING, and save the shanty for extreme cold, wind, or rain and enjoy the outdoors! I simply am out there to FISH!!!!!!
Everyone is different, like you said. Too each their own. Personally I think its just nuts dragging fire pits & fire making materials etc out on the ice. For me and many others, the cold doesn't bother us, in fact its not really ever cold to some. I rarely ever wear gloves while others have them on when its 35 -40 degrees out . Did you ever stop to think that while your laughing at a group flying a flag "sitting in the cold ", they are laughing at you saying, "what's with the fire, its not cold out". I know I'll proudly fly my flag "decorations" every time out. Plus it fits in with my chair and weighs about 4 ounces and the shanty I use most of the time is a striker shanty suit :-)
Almost every other time I go out, after we get our fire roasting, I'll see another group go out and try to start one with wood collected along the shore. We have been laughed at a couple times but once we get the fire going we now the ones laughing back. I usually go with 3-5 other guys so there are more than enough of us to pull sleds out with wood and whatever is needed. I wouldn't do it on a weekend like last either. I'm talking the 10-20 degree days with wind. The days your beer freezes before you can finish the can haha. On those days a fire is nice for warmth and a hot lunch.With decorations I didn't mean your little flag. That looks manageable. I am talking ones you have to drive a steak into the ice practically to support and can see from the other side of the pond.I guess the fire makes us happy while the flag makes them happy so to each.
Collecting firewood on shore is legal, bringing in firewood from your house is not. You will find that out of if your on DCR property and a Ranger comes by. You have a problem with people proudly displaying the American flag??? No matter what size it is.
I don't mind the bringing wood, its the leaving it on the ice when they leave. That and the pile of black coals melting through the ice.
I wouldn't go either if I was sitting in a lawn chair all day. When I go out I fish though.
That pile of soot and ash causes big hazardous areas on warm sunny days. What's "essential" to you might not be to others, like fire pits & shelters (unless snowing or raining)
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Topic: Fishing alone? (Read 5504 times)
