Warm Winter Frustrations

[IceFever74]

This winter has once again been testing for the avid ice angler. I can believe we're amidst our second season in a row, in February, wondering if lakes will lock up!?!. Frankly I'm getting tired of endless equations cluttering my thoughts about whether I will get another opportunity to feed my addiction. Will the lake lock up? Is the shore ice good? Will the snow prevent the ice from getting thicker? Will the next warm spell mean ice-building rain showers or flood the lakes with snow melt leaving them an unsafe muddy mess? And finally if all the stars do magically align and there is a fleeting circumstance offering good ice, will it be at a time when I can go? Of all the cold winters I suffered through all of my life, it is now, at a time when I have rekindled my love for this sport, that suddenly the inconsistent global warming crowd has a little bit more solid ground to stand. We on the other hand have the opposite, soft water and dashed hopes. I guess it is a lot to ask to have consistently cold temperatures in NY in freakin February!! I do feel thankful that despite all this I have managed to get out 6 times so far this year and my fish talley once again has my wife rearranging things in the freezer to find extra space. So I guess I shouldn't complain too much. Like many of us I'll be out again this week scraping more out of another disappointing season. 50's coming this weekend. Great. Guess I'll continue to prep my warm water gear while my hard water gear sits idly by and watches me.

[beershanty]

Ive been less than satisfied these past two winters as well. I had high hopes this would be a much longer season but it does amaze me how much more ice there is in the adirondacks which isn't that far away from western ny. It also amazes me how many tragedies there have been on the ice this winter, definitely goes to show how dangerous playing on the hard water can be. Ive only managed to fish 4 times this season and not even where Ive wanted to go. And I live on conesus. Guess we just have to keep our cool, look ahead to next season and keep our faith that ol' man winter will reward us with a good long freeze next time. I could have fished way more just didnt have the time to travel or ambition to join the huge crowds that congregated to what little ice there was. At least the only money I spent on gear was on a few new jigs and I havent taken a swim(yet). Be safe and good luck for the remainder of what time we have left on the ice!

[perch chacer]

Back in the 60's we used to always have tracking snow for deer season and  sometimes be able to track turkeys in late Oct.  We were always on the smaller lakes ice fishing in mid December and then on Erie the rest of the Winter.   What happened

[big_guy_13021]

I been out 3 times but that was ok not over yet I don't sit around and ponder if I can't get out on the ice my tying bench becomes my best friend while I'm waiting for ice...

[Spider1]

well guys, sometimes this sort of stuff happens. Last year we had that nasty el-nino and this year they were talking about some la-nina but it ended up fizzling and they said we would have a mild winter with more rain than snow. Guess they were right. I got lucky down here in PA, the area that I'm in tends to make ice earlier and hold onto it pretty well and other than one rainy weekend I've been able to get out on good ice somewhere. I just hope next year we have a real winter with no "el's" or "la's" to have to deal with.

[mono_mono]

Geeeez! Fill the tank and drive a few miles! There is LOTS of GOOD SAFE ice. I will be cutting through 12-14" tomorrow in Broome County. Go north and your cutting through LOTS more Get out there and have fun

[adkRoy]

Plenty of ice up in the Adirondacks!!!!

[trapper2000]

Back in the 60's we used to always have tracking snow for deer season and  sometimes be able to track turkeys in late Oct.  We were always on the smaller lakes ice fishing in mid December and then on Erie the rest of the Winter.   What happened

tracking turkeys ? you couldn't  hunt turkeys in the 60's

I can remember the blizzard of 66 ....i can also remember countless green Christmases as a kid .....I can remember the blizzard of 77 but I remember complaining in the early 70's I had no snow to ride the sled .....snow to track deer hmmmm that was rather seldom .... and I don't remember to many years  I was on the ice in mid dec unless we went  north.............. what this is  called is the good ole day syndrome ....30 years from now our grandchildren will be remember the good old days in 2017 when the fish jumped from the holes and filled buckets  the weather was perfect for anything you wanted to do and life was so much better ......

[Spider1]

tracking turkeys ? you couldn't  hunt turkeys in the 60's

I can remember the blizzard of 66 ....i can also remember countless green Christmases as a kid .....I can remember the blizzard of 77 but I remember complaining in the early 70's I had no snow to ride the sled .....snow to track deer hmmmm that was rather seldom .... and I don't remember to many years  I was on the ice in mid dec unless we went  north.............. what this is  called is the good ole day syndrome ....30 years from now our grandchildren will be remember the good old days in 2017 when the fish jumped from the holes and filled buckets  the weather was perfect for anything you wanted to do and life was so much better ......

LMAO!!! yeah, nail on the head brother! I remember my Dad always being happy when we had a muddy Christmas cuz the heating bills wouldn't be so rough! I mean geez he was probably payin .25 a gallon back then! expensive and we had to keep the thermostat at 65! The good ol days were only that good 30 years later.

[bigredonice]

some winters are average, some are warm, some are cold.    No point in complaining about it.   I'll be fishing.

[Yotecatcher]

some winters are average, some are warm, some are cold.    No point in complaining about it.   I'll be fishing.

x2 find safe ice and fish it. Beats sitting on the couch wishin you were fishin

[Huntyeraws]

tracking turkeys ? you couldn't  hunt turkeys in the 60's

trapper2000 - Time to eat some crow?

One could hunt turkeys in a very limited area starting in the fall in of 1959 and then starting in a limited area in the spring of 1968.

New York’s first modern wild turkey hunting season was held in the fall of 1959, one year
after the Legislature granted the Conservation Department the authority to regulate turkey
hunting. The first fall season was a three-day either-sex season limited to two southern tier
counties (Allegany and Cattaraugus); an estimated 250 birds were taken. The first spring turkey
hunting season was held in five Southern Tier counties (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua,
Chemung, and Steuben) in 1968 with an estimated take of 135 male turkeys or “gobblers”.


This can be found on page 4 of the "Wild Turkey Management Plan" on page 4 at the following link  http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/turkeyplan.pdf

[iloveacrappiedinner]

I've been out every weekend since before Christmas and not once was I ever on sketchy ice. I've had to drive an hour a few times to find the good stuff, but it really hasn't been that warm a winter. It's just been a bit of a roller coaster which means bigger deeper lakes aren't locking up as fast. There's plenty action out there if you want it!

[Yotecatcher]

I've been out every weekend since before Christmas and not once was I ever on sketchy ice. I've had to drive an hour a few times to find the good stuff, but it really hasn't been that warm a winter. It's just been a bit of a roller coaster which means bigger deeper lakes aren't locking up as fast. There's plenty action out there if you want it!

same thing here. Just have to be willing to travel.

[trapper2000]

sorry hunt but you  got to read  what I  said  ...i  repeat  WE  were not allowed to hunt turkeys in the  60's   two countys  had a  experimental hunting season ...there wasn't a  state  wide season in fact   at  first   it was  only a few southern countys   slowly the state opened up ......Oswego county  didn't open until the late 80's I believe (might have  been later)  most areas  only had a spring gobbler season  and  no fall season until the  birds  were  established well...........

[Huntyeraws]

sorry hunt but you  got to read  what I  said  ...i  repeat  WE  were not allowed to hunt turkeys in the  60's   two countys  had a  experimental hunting season ...there wasn't a  state  wide season in fact   at  first   it was  only a few southern countys   slowly the state opened up ......Oswego county  didn't open until the late 80's I believe (might have  been later)  most areas  only had a spring gobbler season  and  no fall season until the  birds  were  established well...........

I re-read what you originally wrote.  You originally posted that "you couldn't hunt turkeys in the 60's" and now with your reply to my post you insert a blanket statement of "state wide season." 

How do you know that the original poster didn't live or hunt turkeys in one of those areas that he talked about? Just because you live in another county that didn't have a season doesn't mean that another individual couldn't have taken advantage of an open season somewhere else.  Sheesh! 

Enjoy the rest of your ice fishing season.

[perch chacer]

trapper2000 - Time to eat some crow?

One could hunt turkeys in a very limited area starting in the fall in of 1959 and then starting in a limited area in the spring of 1968.

New York’s first modern wild turkey hunting season was held in the fall of 1959, one year
after the Legislature granted the Conservation Department the authority to regulate turkey
hunting. The first fall season was a three-day either-sex season limited to two southern tier
counties (Allegany and Cattaraugus); an estimated 250 birds were taken. The first spring turkey
hunting season was held in five Southern Tier counties (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua,
Chemung, and Steuben) in 1968 with an estimated take of 135 male turkeys or “gobblers”.


This can be found on page 4 of the "Wild Turkey Management Plan" on page 4 at the following link  http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/turkeyplan.pdf

We bought our hunt camp in 1969 in Belmont Allegheny County NY and hunted turkey's that year, didn't get any, but.  There was snow back then in the 60's a lot of time for deer season and yes was on Silver Lake in Wyoming county in mid to late December a number of time.  Not a good ole day syndrome, but what I recollect. 

[trapper2000]

no no no I'm not saying you didn't have a day or so of snow of course ya did  but you didn't have snow everyday of deer season ....and you sure didn't have snow in oct very often and days gone by always  seem better .....I'm no spring chicken either and I walked 5 miles up hill both ways in a blinding snow storm to get to school too....winters were no harder then then today ...think about the nov storm that hit buffalo or a few years before Oswego county got 12 foot in 4 days ......it's all about where you are when bad stuff happens and it's human nature to long for the good old days .... I remind you  deer populations are much higher today  with many more opportunities....we have   higher fish populations (call the  dec and  ask)  with much better opportunities again..... I don't remember watching bald eagles as I fished when i was a kid or seeing a moose in new York  or bears  in the city of fulton ....  my point we are living in the good ole days right now  enjoy it

hunt I know you could do the experimental hunt ,,,I think you had to apply in59 it was a fall season I know in68 they did the first  spring season to see how it went .....I don't know about in between again that was a 2 county special season would be fun to see all the data on it .... 

[hot tuna]

some winters are average, some are warm, some are cold.    No point in complaining about it.   I'll be fishing.

Yup , going on 30 days walking on good water since December 15th.  Some local stuff froze early then never recovered but it has not stopped the fishing opportunities in new York at all. MIles ,and miles always ensure in all my fishing adventures. It just comes down to a passion and desire. Yes I understand the commitments and responsibilities but thankfully I have an understanding wife of 32 years strong that understands my desire.
I will fish until I puke or die trying.

[lowaccord66]

Same here Tuna...supportive significant other (I'm far to sane to get married)  and lots of leaving CT at 1am to get to NY spots for first light...it's been worth it.

[beershanty]

Traveling to different lakes is one of the things that make ice fishing so much fun. You dont even need a boat, just a good set of legs and a topo map. And beer and the time needed to do it which is what im lackin'. I have a place on chamount bay I can stay at whenever I please, and a place on black lake, but with unforseen family health issues, kids sports obligations and my wife and I both landing new jobs its just not in the cards for me this season and thats fine with me but i do love hearing all the stories on this site from those who can get to the good ice and I'm looking forward to seeing which hand we're dealt next season. Hopefully alot more fish stories and alot less recuse stories. I just got a gas saving honda too so i thought id be all over my chamount bay spot this season but with deadlines and commitments, what to leave in what to leave out...im older now but still running against the wind haha

[bigredonice]

Traveling to different lakes is one of the things that make ice fishing so much fun.

amen!     the journey in discovering the unknown of a new water body is one of the greatest thrills in fishing.

[Big Ice Hole]

I've fished every weekend but 2 since end of December. I live on Honeoye and still travel just to get on the ice! I've fished Honeoye, Conesus, Sandy Pond, Black Lake and headed to Chaumont this weekend! Now where do I go next weekend? Any recommendations?

[deadsmelthead]

Ive fished more this ice season than any other.. I had a stretch of fishing 12 days straight and been out at least twice a week since Dec 15th on 6 different waters Ive heard a few people say this season is horrible.. Im just like  

[lowaccord66]

Ive fished more this ice season than any other.. I had a stretch of fishing 12 days straight and been out at least twice a week since Dec 15th on 6 different waters Ive heard a few people say this season is horrible.. Im just like

For some if it's not in their back yard, then it's not in their world thus the horrible ice season.  Then again when I was younger and broker I couldn't travel nearly as much as I can now.  It's awesome when you can pick any spot in new england and just got hit it.  Even if it's spots bigredonice suggests where people he knows ride on ice chunks  ;

[beachwoods 16]

Your right Iowaaccord, people often can't the time or the money. We have some ice here this year in sullivan co, and we have people traveling 1.5 - 2hrs to get here. I like to go new places, but I know a lot of guys just want to do a little fishing before dinner time.   

[iloveacrappiedinner]

I like to go new places, but I know a lot of guys just want to do a little fishing before dinner time.

There are sooooo many ponds and small lakes in NY with public access. They freeze first and stay frozen for a long time. This winter has been great for them! They're everywhere and are ideal for hitting up an hour or 2 after work. I'm not saying you're gonna catch 12" perch or 20" eyes, but if you just want to drop down a jig and pull up something there has been no lack of opportunity this winter.

[beachwoods 16]

If you get into Orange and Dutchess it's just not the case. or say Rockland county. There are a lot of guys who just don't have ice in their back yard.

[trapper2000]

lot of places where theres no ice or bad ice ...I'm lucky I have the tome to travel a bit and I love  going places ....was it a great season so far naaaaa bit it was fun and good ,I miss fishing my local spots like everyone else  but if you can't I hope you take a little drive and head to ice have some fun and catch dinner

[Bern73]

We are  traveling from Brooklyn NYC far away  to get safe ice.  This season it took me 250-350 miles,  5-6 hours to drive.  We are staying overnight in the shanty or in the truck ...  or in the hotel if we want:) 
 No complains, Just much  more fun to get new places and much more challenge to catch fish and not to get frozen at night. I know some people are lazy to drive around the lake to get better fishing spot or better access.  Sounds funny for me. ))