In Search Of ... "Early Ice 2K4"

[Iceshanty]

Took a ride around this morning after temps dipped in the teens. Found some just starting to form on smaller 20-30 acre lakes. Nothing I could set foot on but ice none the less! Shouldn't be long now.


Ice just starting to creep in from the edges.


Nearly capped lake


Lake almost froze over with a very thin layer of ice, some open holes yet




Think Cold!
-Scott

[richstick]

I saw the same yesterday - found one small pond, probably 10-15 acres totally skimmed over, and the river backwaters have been skimming for several days now.  The water in the lakes looks "thick" - hard to explain, but you can tell it's cold and wants to freeze.  SOON!

[Jim_C.]

Hey, Scott. Where were your picts taken?  The skim in Central Maine has been bank to bank on the smaller ponds the past few days.  More telling is that it survived the entire day on the 10th and 11th!  I doubt this ice will continue to build, but we're close.  I'm still doing well on open water (3 good browns yesterday).  I fish every season to the last drop or ice shard before moving to the next!
 

Jim C.

[TroutFishingBear]

scott, your pictures are help proving my theory that the ice gods torture us good and long before they finally let us have walkable ice!!!!!!!!

I hope that I, you, and other icelovers don't go INSANE because the icegods are particularly cruel this year.

[grumpymoe]

Scott....awesome shots as usual...just out of curiosity...what brand/model camera are you using??....and keep em coming...Grump

[Iceshanty]

Thanks Moe, it's a rather old camera now... think I got it in december 99. It's a Hewlet Packard 315, 2.1 mega pixel. Nothing fancy on it but it does take a pretty good pic.

-Scott

Scott....awesome shots as usual...just out of curiosity...what brand/model camera are you using??....and keep em coming...Grump

[grumpymoe]

updates on ice.....Otter Lake saturday at 3 1/2 -4 inches of ice...daytime high around 55F     sunday....daytime high 55F.....last night/this morning overnight low 45F.....whats amazing?....the ice is not melting... ...Grump...last year on the 22 November i DROVE my truck onto the lake with the shanty dis-assembled in the pickup box...then.....8-10" of clear hard ice.....today.... ...Grump

[Hookset]

Similar conditions in NewYork.  The smaller bodies of water are starting to skim over.  Still a handful of weeks before you can safely hit the ice here. 

[fastribs85]

where are you guys from because where im at our temp right now is 56f and our lows for the next week are mid 30s to low 40s so no ice soon

[billditrite]

grumpymoe lives at the north pole

[Iceshanty]

Made the rounds again this morn. The ice had started on some larger lakes but still not enough to walk on  Best I could find was little over an inch near the shorelines. Hope it don't get to warm this weekend 

Single digit temps making some ice


Barely enough ice to hold the chipper


Very thin layer of ice starting to form


Poking and hoping!


My sidekick awaiting my return


Sunrice on the ice


Lake from last pic in 1st post, iced over with a coat of snow now

[grumpymoe]

WOW!!!....nice update...that first pic is definetely wallpaper material....awesome color....Grump

[vancouvercanuck]

The pictures will soon change from checking for ice to pulling up some toothie critters from below the ice. Just keep those fingers crossed and it will come!

[vancouvercanuck]

We have cold weather wich makes us happy then all of a sudden boom, out of nowhere nice weather. I don't get it. Back and forth, back and forth. This weather here in Alberta is driving me nuts. Last night we didn't even get below freezing. And at 8:00 a.m. this morning this is what I see out my office window.



Will this warm weather ever end?

[grumpymoe]

i hear ya!!!...yesterday was the coldest day so far....-24C which is about -13F.....as i type....its Raining!!!!....and about 40F....Grump

[big walleye]

Just pulled in from Portage la Prairie and man did they get some rain. Water all over the place. God I hate global warming

[fozsey]

Nice Pics Scott. Did you have to KATNAP your fuzzy little buddy or did he come willingly?    Supposed to be 55F here today...Not making ice...not even icecream...

[Iceshanty]

Found some, walked it, fished it. The season has begun 












-Scott

[Iceshanty]

Yep, thats Pete and I am sure he was hoping that. We were out on Sunday nite farther north and got the skunked monkey. Lots of flag action with 40+mph wind buts no fish. Nice just being out. 

Where you getting ready to ice a walleye on that tipup in that one pic?  

-Scott