What is it about Ice Fishing?

[IceAddict87]

What is it about ice fishing that gets everybody to come here and talk about the upcoming season which at least in my area not going to start until early January? This sport consumes me. I’m sure there has been a similar thread on here before but what is it about ice fishing that everyone finds so enjoyable?

[Raquettedacker]

A great web site and a lot of awesome people keep me coming back here..     
Fishing is just in my blood thats why I do that..

[filetandrelease]

 

[esox_xtm]

Got to agree that a lot of it is because this IS a great place to come for all sorts of stuff. Awesome site with great folks and plenty of information, sometimes too much 

I used to swear ice fishing was for crazy people. My cousin's husband, a great hunting and musky fishing pal got me out one New Years Day. I was already in my mid-20s and never been. -20F, 20 mph winds, blowing snow he showed me how to set up tipups, play cards and sip blackberry till something fun happened. He caught one puny pike but because I loved to fish I recognized this as an opportunity to fish ALL YEAR LONG  I was bound and determined to learn how to do this well. Not half bad I've amassed a pile of ice stuff and now I am prepared for virtually any scenario. Still broadening my horizons learning how to catch walleyes and panfish well. Some days I actually look like a rocket scientist instead of the village idiot.

Still like tippy fishing best. Every time a flag pops it's just like sticking my wet finger in a wall outlet. When the 'eyes and pannies are co-operating it's almost as much fun. Then there's the challenge of the elements. Not for the timid or whiners. It can be brutal. Sometimes the reward is making it through a full day of unimaginable weather. Yep, I'm hooked.

Ice fishing IS for crazy people. Now I'm one of 'em 

[hays47]

My paternal grandfather had me fishing at 3 years old. Ice fishing didn't start for me until I was 12. Damn near froze to death first time out. Swore I would never try again. Father and Grandfather both had aversion to doing anything on ice.

Met an old guy on Mosquito lake while I was ice skating. A grizzled old WWII vet. He had lost an eye and was nicknamed " one eye Ernie ". I have never seen a more productive fisherman on the ice. He was a panfish specialist and he had no equal. He let me fish with a rod of his when I first met him. My first fish on the ice was a 10 inch walleye. I have been hooked ever since. This was back in 1959.

I love fishing most anyway. But add ice to the equation and its like fishing on steroids. All I know is once I could catch fish thru the ice. Seemed like I could catch fish anywhere any time. Just like Ernie taught me so many years ago.

[icefisher-45]

This is a great site with lots of great people. I enjoy ice fishing because of the solitude and peace of being on the ice.

[DR.SPECKLER]

This is a great site with lots of great people. I enjoy ice fishing because of the solitude and peace of being on the ice.

x2

[Damn Yankee]

x2

X3

[SLAYERFISH]

Don't hafta deal with snot-nosed fly-fishermen "fishing thru"!

[Ice Surveyor]

For me, WI has 2 seasons.  Road construction, and Ice Fishing.  I'm off most winters from work unless I'm on a bridge layout.  This coming winter, I have zero bridges.  Suckahatchi BOYZ!

[IceSavage]

Things I enjoy about ice fishing, How unforgiving winter and the ice is. No flys or mosquitoes or allergy's. Frigid cold temps and snow storms= a worthy challenge. No new fad paddle boarders going into my line! No aholes with big boats flying by me in my canoe in wakeless areas. No snowmobiles flying by on reservoirs that don't allow motor vehicles on the ice. Listening to someone try and start their gas auger for a half hour while I drill 10 holes with an electric auger.

When the ice cracks real loud and moves, still spooks me sometimes even after 5 years of ice fishing. When the wind blows I just go in my ice hut. Custom building and modifying things for ice fishing is incomparable to any other type of fishing. Watching smart asses that don't wear cleats fall on their face.

 Learning new things from old timer ice fisherman for example one day fishing somewhat early ice in shallow 10ft I forgot my vex that day and old guy ask how I was doing, told him I was struggling without my vex he showed me that with ice 5 to 8 inches thick you can drill a hole roughly a foot or two in between you and the hole you're fishing and you'll see your jig easily. Worked flawlessly to my amazement blew my mind, I could not only see my jig I could see fish about to hit!

 Helping older guys lift there sleds into their trucks at the end of the day. Fighting big fish and hearing my line twang across the ice hoping it wont break. How the scared stay home and only the strong survive ice fishing

[IceAddict87]

Things I enjoy about ice fishing, How unforgiving winter and the ice is. No flys or mosquitoes or allergy's. Frigid cold temps and snow storms= a worthy challenge. No new fad paddle boarders going into my line! No aholes with big boats flying by me in my canoe in wakeless areas. No snowmobiles flying by on reservoirs that don't allow motor vehicles on the ice. Listening to someone try and start their gas auger for a half hour while I drill 10 holes with an electric auger.

When the ice cracks real loud and moves, still spooks me sometimes even after 5 years of ice fishing. When the wind blows I just go in my ice hut. Custom building and modifying things for ice fishing is incomparable to any other type of fishing. Watching smart asses that don't wear cleats fall on their face.

 Learning new things from old timer ice fisherman for example one day fishing somewhat early ice in shallow 10ft I forgot my vex that day and old guy ask how I was doing, told him I was struggling without my vex he showed me that with ice 5 to 8 inches thick you can drill a hole roughly a foot or two in between the hole you're fishing and you'll see your jig easily. Worked flawlessly to my amazement blew my mind, I could not only see my jig I could see fish about to hit!

 Helping older guys lift there sleds into their trucks at the end of the day. Fighting big fish and hearing my line twang across the ice hoping it wont break. How the scared stay home and only the strong survive ice fishing

X2


I think for me it’s the whole process and planning as well as those rare days where you drill one hole and catch fish non stop for hours until you are sorting through them for the biggest keepers. I joke with people all the time that I catch more fish through an 8” than I do the rest of the year and I think it’s 100% true.

[slipperybob]

pulling up fish through a hole in the ice...it doesn't get any more stupid fun than that.

[ajv5148]

why do I ice fish? ice fishing is for the diehards and it feels  good to be one of them. home made lures or tip downs makes you feel successful, even more than catching on a hand tied fly. the effort it takes just to set up.
why do I spend time on this site? because the wife gets tired of me taking about ice fishing year round!

[db1561]

solitude, getting away from it ll but not having to travel too far.

[hnd]

ice fishing techniques are pretty much reproducable in almost every ice fishing situation.  Where as open water fishing is generally pretty regional.  I think that is why when most fishing forums are going by the wayside for Facebook groups, this place stays strong. 

even with all the innovation in ice fishing it still seems like a primitive activity. 

[gorf37]

This forum keeps me coming back because of the people and their etiquette.  People do their damndest to be polite and it really shows.  Either we have other-worldly moderators, or virtually no trolls.  Whatever the reason, it sure is nice.  The whole world's social life is migrating online, in many instances - to our great detriment.  This is one community I'm proud to be a part of.

Ice fishing itself: being outside at a time of year when getting outside can be harder & infrequent.  The thrill of sight fishing big fish in shallow water.  In summer they'd see me, in winter I 'hide' behind the ice.  Lying flat on my back with stars in my eyes after a long fight.  Beautiful solitude.  Having kilometers of lake to myself.  Maybe seeing one other machine go by at a distance in an entire day.  Accessing big waters safely: - in summer our big lakes blow-up to the point of being unfishable for some amount of time every day, and unless you own a $50,000+ mega boat you're going to be forced to take shelter on shore from time to time - in winter I stand on enough ice to drive a tractor trailer.  Catching a limit of burbot while standing around a campfire with the northern lights streaming over head - then to see the asian aurora tourists look of shock when we pull into the launch at 1AM with a cooler stuffed with burbot...  Hardwater beats softwater hand-down in my life.  Thankfully my season is November to May, not Jan to March...

[jimhaney08]

I'll skip all the stuff about the challenge of the cold, the helpfulness of the site, etc.  That's been said and I agree.

I get cabin fever in the winter and not being able to fish was horrible, so ice fishing started as something to do, then turned into something that I love.  For me, I've been a die hard bass fisherman my whole life.  Trying something new at 31 and learning something COMPLETELY different over the last three years has been a really cool challenge.  It's also refreshing because I don't put the pressure on myself like I do when I'm in a fishing tournament.  I like that I can allow myself to relax and say, "well maybe they're just not active today," and enjoy a beverage while soaking in the natural beauty.

Then you add in that I get to go fishing with two of the guys from my bass club.  They were friends before, but when you share the cold, the wind, the biteless days, the long drags, as well as the days of catching fast and furious...you naturally become tighter with those guys.  It's also cool to go fishing with them when the goal is to work together to figure the fish out and dial in so that everyone catches.  It's not like a bass tournament where you're hoping to do better than they did at the end of the day (well, maybe just a little bit...haha).  I just really like how we'll go punch a series of holes over a structure and each check holes to locate fish, then dial in the spot, then dial in the presentation.  I like that teamwork, but I also enjoy laughing at them when someone dives out of their chair getting their hand wet to grab that crappie that popped off right in the hole.

I think a big part of it is just knowing that we share something together that most of the guys don't have.

-  Jim

[djlangen]

Ice fishing is something by which I define myself. My grandpa was an ice fisherman, my dad is an ice fisherman, and I am as well. It's a way of keeping my grandfather's spirit alive by doing what he loved. I'm a middle school counselor and deal with my fair share of crisis situations. When I'm ice fishing, I never think about work or other stress. It's just me and trying to catch that next fish. I love the challenge of overcoming what mother nature throws my way, or using my mind to adjust and adapt to ever-changing conditions.

[marknpanfish]

 No bugs and best boat control of the year. Also a very high percentage of ice fisherman are great people to be around.

[800stealth]

There's something really humbling about the walk in across a frozen lake, in the cold, in the dark, in deafening silence... Can't wait till December...

[Chris338378]

I got into it after I saw Grumpy Old men and thought it'd be fun because I love the winter and like fishing.  Well it not only turned out to be fun but evolved into an addiction. 

[matzilla]

Id ice fish over any form of open water fishing anyday....and I like to read/talk about it everyday. Building custom ice rods gets me by in the off season along with reading posts here. Being on the ice is like an adventure, every time.

[Seamonkey84]

It does surprise me how many of us keep up with this site during the off season, right now there’s still more activity than over on the soft-water site.
I just love fishing, but prefer the ice

[SHaRPS]

Because its not available 24/7 and there is never a guarantee that we will have "safe" ice. So, we talk about it to keep the positive vibe alive in hopes that the winter will let us all walk on water.

[Seamonkey84]

Because its not available 24/7 and there is never a guarantee that we will have "safe" ice. So, we talk about it to keep the positive vibe alive in hopes that the winter will let us all walk on water.

My sounds like you should move a bit more north!

[SirCranksalot]

No boat req'd---we can walk on water---How cool is that??

[perch chacer]

It is a lot easier to stay on fish when your on solid ice compared to drifting or in a swinging, rocking anchored boat.  Ever try firing up your grille in the bottom of your boat for a brat, burger or dog, in the ice hut it is the norm.  Couple of pops on the ice and then walk to shore, no one can stay much to ya, but drink in your boat and the warden doesn't want to here about it.   Just a few of my reasons.

[Baetis62]

Partly because of my youth/family experiences growing up in WI.
Partly because I’m actually kinda good at it (at least now and then)
Partly for the solitude, quiet and fresh air.
Partly because I’m Norwegian.
Partly because I enjoy the gear.
Partly because it rewards effort and skill.
Partly because of this website and the people who hang out here.
Partly because it doesn’t require a boat but having a Ski Doo Tundra is “cool”.
Partly because I get to use my Beaver Dam Tip Ups.
Partly because I can use bait without anybody giving me stink eye here in Colorado.   I love to fly fish too but I’m not a dick about it.
Partly because I can drive my truck on Lake John and Wolford to fish like I did growing up.  Freaks people out here.
Partly because at 7AM in late January...I defy anybody to be more eager than I to spend a day on Granby, Taylor, Mesa, The Gaps, Hell even Aurora Reservoir rather than a parking lot near Winter Park, Breckinridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Vail and Aspen. 

I used to ski...Maybe Wolf Creek after 36” dump on a Tuesday.

[RuttNutt]

I'm with IceSavage............. ...................... NO flys, mosqitoes, agergies AND................... ................rattle snakes!