Mother Nature finally comes threw

[toadhunter2]

So now that Mother Nature has graced us with the cold and hopefully most of us in the northern part of the state will be walking on safe hard water this weekend did you guys get anything good for Christmas that you will be using this out there this season

[zcm_82]

About all I got for Xmas was an ear infection 

Smaller ponds around here that skinned over yesterday had about an inch at 3pm today. Most of the bigger ones got opened back up by the wind.

Some of the smaller, shallower ones in this area should be ready by Thursday or Friday, as long as the forecasters didn't botch tomorrow and Thursday's predictions.

[toadhunter2]

Sounds about like my holidays. my family all got smacked by the Covid so we were hunkered down at home. My wife did do a good job by purchasing me a otter Pro xt x over lodge for Christmas but the only thing she forgot was the hyfax and that should be delivered here tomorrow so hopefully I can put it together for the weekend

[zcm_82]

I completely regeared a few years ago, so I'm pretty much set for life on gear, aside from line,  reel or two, or maybe another fish house someday when this one goes kaput. I don't fish electronics, so the latest and greatest stuff doesn't really get my hackles up annually 🤷‍♂️

[jackpine]

FINALLY

[DaWakoKid]

The -3 Thursday night is really going to help. As I usually fish a deep, clear, spring fed gravel pits, I'll give those until next weekend.

May check out some smaller local waters around Blo/No this weekend, though.

[Luckydog]

Looking good for this weekend

[Luckydog]

Fran -- If you're still sharpening blades, there's a fellow in the General Fishing Forum looking to have his strikemaster blades sharpened.

[zcm_82]

Just checked 4 ponds that all had about an inch of ice yesterday afternoon. Wind broke up the two bigger ones, so they're open water. The two smaller ones are up to about an inch and a half.

[Kevin23]

Just checked 4 ponds that all had about an inch of ice yesterday afternoon. Wind broke up the two bigger ones, so they're open water. The two smaller ones are up to about an inch and a half.

Where are you located that is having such a hard time locking up? Most everything in NW IL is locked solid. I've been getting several reports of guys fishing on 3-6" already and we should make another 3" at least over the next few days.

[Rebelss]

Just checked 4 ponds that all had about an inch of ice yesterday afternoon. Wind broke up the two bigger ones, so they're open water. The two smaller ones are up to about an inch and a half.

Same thing here, zcm. Open water spots interspersed with very thin ice....never seen it unfishable here before in January. This spot on the lake would normally be packed with shacks right now. And the river? Forget it, not even close. 

[zcm_82]

Iroquois County, so I'm a solid 60 miles south of I-80.

It was looking good yesterday, but we had 30mph wind today with gusts over 50 that just smashed it all up on bigger ponds where the edges weren't locked tight to the shore yet.

[zcm_82]

Same thing here, zcm. Open water spots interspersed with very thin ice....never seen it unfishable here before in January. And the river? Forget it, not even close. 

Aside from backwaters and Oxbows, the rivers around here never really get fishable ice. They used to like pre 1960, but not anymore.

There was actually an ice house along the river here they used horse teams to drag and store river ice from up into the 1930s, but a lot of winters it never even freezes over now, let alone enough for teams of horses to tromp around on.

[Kevin23]

Iroquois County, so I'm a solid 60 miles south of I-80.

It was looking good yesterday, but we had 30mph wind today with gusts over 50 that just smashed it all up on bigger ponds where the edges weren't locked tight to the shore yet.

Yep, you are definitely at the southern end of the ice belt. Hopefully you guys get a chance to get out this year

[zcm_82]

Yeah, I'm down here a ways. Some winters we get good ice for a couple months, and other winters we don't get any. We would have been in pretty good shape locally by tomorrow or Friday if the wind hadn't gone crazy today.

The smaller ones that stayed intact should still be fishable tomorrow or Friday. They're shallow and put on ice fast.

[DaWakoKid]

I live in Woodford Co but do most, if not all, my fishing in McLean Co. It's crazy how different the ice is each year on the waters I fish. I've drilled through 12-15" some years and last year, I was only to fish a couple days.

Doesn't help my go-to spot is an old gravel pit. Depth averages 20' with the deepest trench being 35'. Spring fed, clear, and deep so it takes it's sweet ass time locking up.

[zcm_82]

I do all my ice fishing in Iroquois County, and Newon County, Indiana. Most of my ice spots are small, shallow ponds or river backwaters so they make ice fast, but also melt off really fast, too. Last season I went from 11" of ice to open water in less than a week at the end of February.

[zcm_82]

Found a touch over 3" on one of the smaller ponds the wind didn't break up.