what made you love ice fishing?

[fishingfan13]

Hi all, really excited to find out about this forum as I dabbled with ice-fishing with my dad as a kid and am getting back into it. very excited for the upcoming winter. hoping to visit a friend of mine in Montana, too, as I'm used to the east coast. Wanted to ask you all what brought you to the sport? when i tell people about it most of them don't understand the appeal in the cold!

[WALL E GATOR]

gets me out into the outdoors in the winter. Mountains of Idaho are beautiful in Winter and it does my soul good to go out in them. The Peaceful escape from the "real world".  Good times with my fishing buddies. Oh hey we caught fish too so thats a bonus. The Escape factor is probably my biggest attraction.

[GSP_Pike]

Staring down at the hole. After fishing all day, Waking in the middle of the night and still seeing the hole/float in my dreams and after thoughts, mental madness for sure.

[Kilsdonk]

Same story almost... My dad took me a few times as a kid in Oregon but it wasn't until college in Montana I started going out a lot. Now I prefer fishing hardwater in the depths of winter!
I prefer it because I love site fishing and watching a monster slowly nose up to your bait. Also, I love smoked fish and being able to flash freeze them once they have been caught is incredible for taste.
What part of Montana you visiting?

[luthersmk1]

For the taste of the fish.  Nothing beats fresh cold water perch.

[800stealth]

Just something about walking out in the dark alone on to a frozen lake in the cold in the snow in the deafening silence, seeing the glowing eyes watching your every move from the shoreline. Makes you feel really insignificant compared to mother nature and her possible dangers... Tough to beat that feeling...
 

[SLAYERFISH]

I don't exactly "LOVE" ice fishing---

[Raquettedacker]

I don't exactly "LOVE" ice fishing---

  Me either. I just like fishing..

[greenbulldog]

We didn't have a lot of money growing up.  We were comfortable, but things were usually tight so we didn't go on many vacations.  But we always went fishing.  Camped/fished in the summer, and winter we would go ice fishing on day trips to Lake of the Woods a handful of times a year.  These were some of the best times that I reflect on when I got older and "hope" I am passing it on right to my kids.

[George_B]

Walking out on a frozen lake before dawn and locating a hot area with basically the same group of diehards the whole ice season. Sharing laughable story’s of past years along with food and drink. Flag!

[luvthecold]

Started out as quality time with my dad and turned into quality time with my kids, my wife and my dad.

[filetandrelease]

 My gramps and dad use to take me trout fishing , it just took off from there
 It’s in the blood , doesn’t matter
 Hard or soft water
 
 

[eyeflyer]

Our farm was about 10 minutes from a local lake and we used to camp their every summer for years so I sort of grew up at the lake in the summers. Ice fishing is just another fishing season for me as I fish every month except November but last year was mild and I still got out fly fishing in November. I have been fishing the local lakes for over 50 years now and being retired I fish 2-3 times per week..........weather permitting. Now that I am retired I can fish pretty well whenever I want and the lake my ice shack is on is only 15 minutes from home. Put the shack out a couple of days ago just waiting for the weather to break -35 C this morning. I have worked in fishing retail for 15 years, fished the walleye trail for 25 years, was on the fisheries round table for the province, the sturgeon tagging program. Fishing has been a huge part of life and I hope to fish with my 4 sons and friends for many years to come.

[aacosta]

Dad started me as well, now I take my boy. Like watching the mystery fish pop out of the hole. Don't need a boat to catch em. Just feel the love in my soul.  Can't explain it

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I think the first thing that 'hooked' me was staring down the hole in very clear water in an old gravel mining pit and having a nice crappie blast my jigging rap about a foot below the ice.  Also, not knowing what you're going to catch adds to the fun.  You tend to be able to target specific species in spring/summer/fall, but you never know what fish, big or small is going to gulp down your tiny jig.

Ice fishing also separates the dedicated from the casuals, and that makes it funner to be out there.  It's tough to just casually ice fish, as it almost always involves a good amount of effort and energy.

[rivereddy]

Two things.... First of all, ice fishing season follows duck season which is the most "stuff" intensive of my outdoor activities.  Boats, dogs, decoys, blind material and firearms each split into multiple subsets of effort.  For ice fishing, I take a bucket, a hand auger, a boat cusion to kneel on, 4 poles and a box that fits in my pocket.
That's all I need. 

Second, I enjoy the social dynamics of ice angling.  Staring down a hole to the tune of a hissing coleman lantern is about as solitary as one can get.  Other times
it's great fun to be on the ice with a bunch of guys razzing each other when fish are, or are not, being caught.

fish on,

rivereddy

[meandcuznalfy]

My family used to go a lot when I was a kid, then we got into snowmobiling for a lot of years, after I blew up my last sled I was bored until I found all the old ice gear in dad's garage, so I started out with some simple stuff and been upgrading ever since for the last 30 years.

[jedhead]

The thrill of the hunt for fish. I don't hunt, so this satisfies my thirst for finding and catching. Finally got electronics 2 yrs ago, makes it that much better! Fishing with family and friends is always a plus.

[kpoorman1]

Good times with friends and family is what I'm in it for. But the solo trips are probably my favorite - can't beat the solitude.

Kinda funny I started when I was about 16 or so (22 now) and ended up getting my old man into it a few years later. Never thought I'd enjoy it as much as I do, but when there's ice, I'm on it... if not I'm just pissed off!

[FreshwaterPhil]

I started out of boredom in winter. I've fished open water since the age of 3, but only got on ice in my late twenties. Initially, it was a couple trips a year for stocked trout, but once I bought an auger and flasher, it quickly turned into an extension of open water season.

I love getting out in the crisp clean winter air, I enjoy the workout of trekking and drilling all day, and being able to access many waterways that I don't access to in open water. As well, most of my eating fish are caught on ice, no worries about them spoiling in the heat. Something primordial about catching a tasty meal in the dead of winter 

[MumbleSEED]

How can you beat days out on the ice?  The scenery, the challenges, the comradery, the food, cigars, and if you catch a bunch or nothing at all I can't say I've ever had a lousy day ice fishing.   

[fishinator]

I have been an avid open water fisherman my whole life. About 15 years ago I started a new career path that ended up with me being laid off for several months in the winter. Nothing else to do so I gave it a shot and loved it ever since.

[cwavs1982]

I never had a boat for open water, so always had to have a relative/friend to go with.  Come winter time, I was able to keep on fishing and love the solitude of the sport.  Been able to fish within mostly MN so we have plenty of options.  Just need to find a lake that isn't overly populated during the heavy season, but gives you an idea of where the general area is for structure. 

For mainly a relative cost effective sport, you can get yourself setup on how you wish to fish and go out and participate.  I seem to be thinking about winter fishing all year.

[hnd]

Something to do in the doldrums of winter.  once holidays are over and ducks and geese are out of season.  We would wait for warmer days and take the boat out on the river and deal with the dam traffic. 

What made us love ice fishing though?  It opened up bodies of water we've fished from shore for years and years (no boat access) but never knew what they actually were.  and also included in that?  Flashers.  if it weren't for flashers we likely would not ice fish. 

but also.  there aren't a TON of ice fisherman around here.  plenty exist but you usually have a spot to yourself for the most part.  being out on the ice and noone is bothering you is an outdoorsmans greatest pleasure.  a mild temp, light snow, eagles, ducks, geese flying overhead.  not a whole lot better than that.  even if the fish aren't biting.   

[Iceassin]

What MADE me love it? I would have to say the challenge and the reward. I started with basic stick rods, a spud and a bucket. And looking down at a jagged hole, watching and waiting for that foam bobber to go "plink-plink" was as exciting as it got for me. Only a true ice fisherman would know that feeling. Equipment has changed...but the challenge and reward still remains.

[Muggsy]

Grew up fishing open water, tried ice fishing with various folks as I aged from single digits to my late teens. Never had much success, didn't enjoy waiting for a tip up to pop and hated picking up the cold, wet lines at days end. Did it, but didn't really enjoy it. Especially when we seldom caught anything.

Fast forward to about 5 years ago, started watching Youtube videos of folks ice fishing and realized that new equipment and electronics might make it more fun. Those video's more than anything started the itch to try it again.

I bought a small sled thinking I'd keep things small and not get deep in to it but that was an optimistic chain of thought. I can't say I love it but I do enjoy it more now and am looking forward to the season, if it ever gets here. I don't run any traps or tip downs, just jigging. I rely heavily on my electronics since I don't really know the how's and why's like the old timers, long timers on here.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

As others have mentioned, the escape factor from your job or other annoying must-do things is a big draw for me. There are a lot of good things about ice fishing including the best eating fish to be caught, and a range of experiences from complete solitude to a fishing tournament. And there is something about that drag onto the ice when all the world is still sleeping that makes me feel the most alive that I have ever been. You can't explain this feeling to anyone that does not ice fish.

Winter has a beauty unlike any other season, and there is a sense of pride and accomplishment from pitting yourself against extreme conditions and coming out of it a better and happier person. I wish everyone could know the feelings that we ice fishermen have - I could never cease doing this for all of the benefits that I derive from it. My hope is that I die while on the ice

[aza10]

All I wanted to do was catch a pike... took about a dozen trips before I figured it out.... dabbled in pan fish and stock trout.  The real addiction started with lake trout....after the first hookup it was basically heroine.  Nothing like a 30 year old fish fighting tooth and nail back down the water column.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

When I say that I hope I die on the ice, I do not mean due to an accident, rather from natural causes, hopefully on my 99th birthday on 2/21/2064. Right after a 10 minute fight with my PB pike on a tipup with my kids there to witness that and to drag my body off in a sled to the morgue.

[meandcuznalfy]

When I say that I hope I die on the ice, I do not mean due to an accident, rather from natural causes, hopefully on my 99th birthday on 2/21/2064. Right after a 10 minute fight with my PB pike on a tipup with my kids there to witness that and to drag my body off in a sled to the morgue.

Lol, that'd be a good way to go, I'd be happy anytime as long as I had a rifle or rod in my hand, it's where I'm at peace the most.