Why do you ice fish?

[Fishman Teters]

I am so excited that another season is soon to start!!! I've been gearing up and am really looking forward to my first day drilling holes..."But why do you always want to go ice fishing?" That's what I was recently asked. My reply was this: 
"Why? It's different out on the ice. The people are different...we engage in conversation with one another. You look across the ice and you feel a kinship with your fellow fisherman...and nothing really compares to it...the fishing is usually phenomenal. And to be honest, the fish just taste better."
I have at least a thousand reasons. What are some of yours?
Btw....feel free to hit me up for a cup of coffee if you see me out on the hardwater.

[strgon84]

Its like the rut, except for humans. Finally all the bucks come out and expose there hiding spots all out in the open just standing there! Lol. You are exactly right, completely different group of people out on the ice. Miss it too much for words. Can't wait!

[OneMoreFish]

Its like the rut, except for humans. Finally all the bucks come out and expose there hiding spots all out in the open just standing there! Lol. You are exactly right, completely different group of people out on the ice. Miss it too much for words. Can't wait!

lol that was great.

[staggerin]

Because I can walk on water lol.

[Mr.Seaguar]

Because I can. Same reason why I tried to pick up a fork truck with a 5 ton hoist until my boss asked what the fudge was wrong with me.

[muskiewrangler]

The serenity... the peace... the ability to go to areas in the lakes I can't go to because I don't have a boat. I just love ice fishing for everything it offers and it truly shows who are the dedicated fishermen/women and how we can endure the harshest weather as well as show how innovative we are when we make our mods on our gear/portable shacks as well as making permanent shacks... I've seen some AMAZING ice shacks and am still bewildered by some of the things people put into them! The people are amazing or at least the ones I came across (which is part of the reason why I signed up here) and when I had my gear stolen, so many from the site were there for me and yet barely know me... it's a culture that is probably one of the best things in life and I'm proud to be a part of it... just waiting for the ice to enjoy all of it again! 

[strgon84]

Well said musky! Well said.

[icefishmissoula]

Nothing better than having a reason to wake up at 5 am on your day off to be sitting over a hole as the sun rises and to look around and see all the other crazy folk with the same passion! The excitement over ice fishing can only be compared to opening day of hunting but we get to keep doing it for months. Also icefishing has the best toys and gadgets to get excited about. Cheapest hobby to get addicted to but most expensive once addicted. Oh yeah and don't forget the fresh fish instantly frozen on ice.  Can't do that in August.

[stripernut]

For me I like it all, but I have narrowed it down to the moment I like the best; is that first "tug" on the line, that first bite that is full of mystery and possibility. Scholars call it intermittent reinforcement, it is the "Tug is a Drug" and it is true, our brains flood with endorphins and I can't get enough!

[Spider1]

it's hard to put into words. Personally, I have more success on ice. I don't know, maybe this type of fishing is more my speed, but I always catch more and better fish on ice. Then there's the room. Standing on the ice is like being in a boat but you have all the elbow room you need. But then it's not like being in a boat, it's like walking along in an open field and just drilling a hole and fishing wherever you like. You can go it alone or bring a bunch of friends or family and have regular party on the ice. One time I was fishing with a couple buddies, they were in a hub and I was on a bucket. I worked my way to about 30 yards or so from them when a snow storm blew in. Total whiteout, 50 mph winds. I couldn't see a thing but the hole in front of me. It was so quiet. I felt so alone in the world, it was so peaceful. An hour later the storm blew past and there they were, cooking hotdogs an a grill! Lunch tiiiime!!!!

[Hoosier]

 "Because I`m married"

 

[Monovasia]

I like the solitude, pulling the sled across the ice, eyeballing the spots I marked out on the soft water this summer as good locations.....drilling the holes, firing up the buddy heater, thermos of soup, flask of bourbon, good cigar.....the cold wind whipping around outside....the flasher spotting fish and then fish on.....the occasional other ice hounds walking by, saying hello....there is just something magical about the ice....

[Spider1]

"Because I`m married"

LOL! Yeah, I forgot that part..."I fish cuz I can't hear my wife from the boat!" Jeff Foxworthy

[Raquettedacker]

"Because I`m married"

    Oh boy, that didn't take long....   27 years for me..          
Just like eating fish caught through the ice...   

[albo]

I started ice fishing for the same reason as my Grandfather, he was too busy as a carpenter in the summer to go fishing. I have continued with it because I can have solitude if I want, or fish near others if I want to be sociable. Most ice fisherman share the same set of ethics and principles that I value and I have rarely met anyone on he ice that I have not liked. Ultimately it give me a reason to encourage the weather to get cold and to enjoy another of the seasons we have in Montana. I thrive on the seasonal changes.

[lingking]

the question is why DONT you ice fish!!

[gso12]

the question is why DONT you ice fish!!

[Tmuskie]

It helps to deal with the crazzyness of the silly season called Christmas. Before and after.

[Fishman Teters]

It helps to deal with the crazzyness of the silly season called Christmas. Before and after.

Amen

[Papa John]

Just check out these boards. The summer site, My Fish Finder, has been a tomb all summer. Now here we are, before ice has even formed, and everyone is pumped. Ice fishermen are more sharing, more social, more passionate, and far more insane that the rest. Include me in that. I just love it for all those reasons. What a great bunch to be a part of.

[JiggerDan]

Just check out these boards. The summer site, My Fish Finder, has been a tomb all summer. Now here we are, before ice has even formed, and everyone is pumped. Ice fishermen are more sharing, more social, more passionate, and far more insane that the rest. Include me in that. I just love it for all those reasons. What a great bunch to be a part of.

X2! It's also a good way to relieve boredom.

[SLAYERFISH]

The only reason I ice fish is 'cause the water is frozen.

It's not that I dislike it, it's just another method of getting my fishing fix.

[Seedtree]

I like to ice fish for numerous reasons.  Perhaps foremost is the getting out in the cold and clean air with friends and family.  Very good opportunity to catch up, cook/eat on the ice, fellowship, etc.  Hot food and drink on the ice is better than anywhere.

Also, fresh fish in the depths of winter is excellent.  Especially in a surf and turf setup on the home BBQ watching football.

Also a challenge.  Most people have no chance of catching a fish through the ice under the best of conditions.  It is very satisfying to catch a smart fish like a big walleye or pike through 2 foot of ice when it is 20 below. 

Also the surprises.  I have brought fish to the ice hole/shanty light that literally spooked me.  Amazing to land a big pike on light tackle.  Another night I had an otter come up in one hole of my shanty, run around causing near panic, and dive down another hole. 

That's why. 

[Osage]

I like the cold,I like the solitude,I like to hear the ice talk,and it sure beats sitting in the house .

[Elrik]

Love fishing vertically and its even better when you can see down the hole. Love not having to worry about boat control and drifting off the spot or having the wind make dealing with line or light lures impossible.

[SirCranksalot]

No black flies!!!

[esox_xtm]

"I ice fish, therefore, I am."

Seriously, first tippy flag of the year I'm so charged up I may as well have licked my finger and stuck it in a wall outlet....... 

[SpitzoMT]

The solitude & the simple fact that the hardwater provides an escape from the hustle n' bustle of everyday life.

[Bout-Time]

Because every single trip is an adventure, with its own challenges and victories. Overcoming adversity to achieve a goal is very rewarding to me. The challenges make me adapt and grow as a person and a fisherman. Walking out on the ice on a crisp cold dawn is a clean slate, one that gets filled with triumph and anguish as the day progresses, and no 2 trips are the same.

PLUS:

Trapping your own bait, making your own rods, making your own hardsides, making modifications to gear that actually help you catch fish, studying maps to learn all you can about a lake you want to fish, studying maps to find the best route to take to get to the lake, buying extra goodies that you think you need to make the adventure more enjoyable, learning different methods and fishing for species you may not have tried for much, seeing the beautiful scenery and wildlife out there, forgetting all your land-based woes for just a little while, knowing that one screw-up could land you in the hospital or worse, meeting like minded people out there, helping like minded people out there, helping my grandkids enjoy ice fishing, re-assessing your mistakes and adjusting your presentation/set up/location/bait and finding success, all play a part in why I ice fish.


Its too broad of an answer to actually be put into the correct words for me.

[lexman2]

wife wont follow me out on the ice!