Back!

[hali-man]

I'm back after a self-induced month long stay in the hospital. No fun.
Is everyone still getting physched about the encroaching ice?

[Trophy Hunter]

WB Hali-Man I have been out on the ice four times already went tonite for a few hours and got a small pike and lost a nice walleye at the top My instant reaction was to shove my gloved hand into the bloody hole without success

[billditrite]

WELCOME BACK HALI MAN...HOPE ALL IS WELL   

WB Hali-Man I have been out on the ice four times already went tonite for a few hours and got a small pike and lost a nice walleye at the top My instant reaction was to shove my gloved hand into the bloody hole without success

WHY DO WE DO THIS??  HAS ANYONE ACTUALLY CAUGHT A FISH, THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN LOST, BY REACHING INTO THE HOLE TO GRAB IT?? I ALWAYS END UP WET TO THE ELBOW FOR NOTHING

[big walleye]

Yup it worked for me once. Froze my hand but it sure dulled the pain as the hook got stuck in it.

[JerryofWNY]

Hali-Man, Hope you're back to 100% in no time.
I went up to my elbow last season to save my 10 yr old grandson's first ever whitefish. Doubt if I could repeat the performance but would sure get wet and cold again trying.

[PerchBusterSD]

i bet you are relieved to be home, i hate hospitals. im having stents put in my legs Dec. 10th and laided up one week. sucks but keep thinkin about that first fish comin out that hole

[Trophy Hunter]

WELCOME BACK HALI MAN...HOPE ALL IS WELL   

WB Hali-Man I have been out on the ice four times already went tonite for a few hours and got a small pike and lost a nice walleye at the top My instant reaction was to shove my gloved hand into the bloody hole without success

WHY DO WE DO THIS??  HAS ANYONE ACTUALLY CAUGHT A FISH, THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN LOST, BY REACHING INTO THE HOLE TO GRAB IT?? I ALWAYS END UP WET TO THE ELBOW FOR NOTHING

Scott i was asking myself the same question as my gloved hand froze solid. ;DIt has worked for me before but not this time

[kerosenecounty17]

Hali-man, we talking the "Betty Ford" kind of self-induced, or the "don't worry, I know that was the right breaker and this line doesn't have power anymore" kind of self-induced?  Either way, welcome back - just in time for the hard stuff.

Regarding sticking your hand in the hole, been there done that.  But then, last year during our local fishing tourney something posessed me to dive in after a 14" northern pike that fell off at the hole.  Turned out that was the only flag we had all day and the only pike caught all day.  I was wet up to the elbow, but the $120 for all three places on pike made me forget pretty quick.  Then again, maybe it was all the beer that $120 bought after the tourney.  Yeah, that probably had something to do with it.

kc17

[PAcatchreleaseman]

i lost a 27" bowfin at the hole late last season.  i never saw one or even heard much about them so when the hook popped out with 3" to go i instantly stuck my arm down "the tube" and kinda got under him/her and yanked it on outta there.....

as my 2 buddies came over to see just **censored** i had flopped out onto the ice they both commented on how they would have NEVER done that   and if given the opportunity to do it again, i think ill just let him slide on back down there.....

Haliman, welcome back.  Just in time brotha!

[Chris Raymond]

i lost a 27" bowfin at the hole late last season.  i never saw one or even heard much about them sok when the hook popped out with 3" to go i instantly stuck my arm down "the tube" and kinda got under him/her and yanked it on outta there.....

as my 2 buddies came over to see just **censored** i had flopped out onto the ice they both commented on how they would have NEVER done that   and if given the opportunity to do it again, i think ill just let him slide on back down there.....

Haliman, welcome back.  Just in time brotha!

Can't say I would have done that for a nasty dogfish...especially if it had it's mouth open. 

[oakorchardfishking]

haliman... i have been freaking out over the fact that its been to warm to even consider having ice on any of our local lakes! but now i see that you had the "ICE GODS" waiting for you to recover! ok, what ever it was that laid you up... its over now right? bring on the damn ice now! 
dont know what happened to ya, but glad to see ya back!

[hali-man]

Hali-man, we talking the "Betty Ford" kind of self-induced, or the "don't worry, I know that was the right breaker and this line doesn't have power anymore" kind of self-induced?  

Kind of somewhere inbetween, KC. Let's just say it won't happen again.
Thanks everyone- I should be up and running just in time for some flag chasing.
Can't wait. As for you guys sticking your arms down the hole, I don't know...
The only thing I ever caught that way is frostbite.   8)

[smeltshack]

last year i had a brown trout almost out, then he popped off so i shot my hand down the hole and all it acomplished was:
1. a wet arm up to the elbow
2. pushed the fish farther down the hole
3. vowed never to do it again  (yah right) 

[Trophy Hunter]

last year i had a brown trout almost out, then he popped off so i shot my hand down the hole and all it acomplished was:
1. a wet arm up to the elbow
2. pushed the fish farther down the hole
3. vowed never to do it again  (yah right)