Author Topic: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?  (Read 3581 times)

Offline JMZ

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What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« on: Jan 11, 2015, 11:52 PM »
We fished on Belmont in PA  on Sat night. The temp was 4 degrees F. There was no wind but it was  brutal. My tipup line was freezing on the ice My artifical bait, wax worms, minnows froze. We were in a hut, but the zipper froze so the door would not close. We fished until 1 PM but nothing was biting. Three other guys were there from Nanticoke and they said the bite was tuff all day. Did I make anyone laugh or feel sorry for me? :'(
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Offline saskbucks

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 11, 2015, 11:55 PM »
Went out yesterday and it was -25 celcius or -15 F.  The wind made it feel like -30
Get outside.  It does a body and mind good!

Offline JMZ

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 12, 2015, 12:07 AM »
Here's a little trick to estimate the temp in from Celcius to Fahrenheit. Just multiply it by 2 and add 32.
If you want to go from Fahrenheit to Celcius the subtract 32 and the divide by 2.
So for my example 4 F - 32 = -28 / 2 = -14 C.
That's cold in PA. :o

Wow saskbucks, you got guts or are nuts! ;D
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Offline Rickr

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 12, 2015, 12:18 AM »
-5 fished for 3 hours and said the hell with it and sat next to the wood stove

Online SpitzoMT

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 12, 2015, 12:30 AM »
The wife & I fished for about six hours one day in -15F w/15 to 20 mph winds. It was brutal, but we fought through it because we were catching fish. We had chilled bodies for two days after that trip.
        

Offline Mr.Seaguar

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 12, 2015, 01:02 AM »
About -7f, wind howling, NO SHACK. My BIL and I fished a promiscuous fishing lake in SD and caught two five gallon pails of perch. I doubt we ever counted them, I don't remember how many. We would fish as long as we could, then get back in car to warm up. We drove into town and had lunch and bought a pan so we could heat our coffee over a fire. My in-laws thought we were nuts. They could not believe our catch. I couldn't either. This was Xmas 1996 or 97, the real cold one.
Every plastics manufacturer claims plastics outfish livebait. So now I use livebait just for the increased challenge.

Offline Swift

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 12, 2015, 01:39 AM »
-15* dead calm in the open. Got tired of skimming the hole ice out constantly, only lasted an hour or so. Temp wasn't that bad but I was much, much younger then. Gull Lake, MI and ~3' of ice mid '70s, did well on Smelt that night

Offline bigfoot697

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 12, 2015, 03:51 AM »
minus 25 twice,i didnt learn the first lol.

Offline adkRoy

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 12, 2015, 05:00 AM »
I've been out at -15 F with no wind an that was not bad but one time I fished it was about 10 f with 30-40 mph winds and that was brutal.
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Offline ICE WANDERER

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 12, 2015, 05:03 AM »

          I've been out at -35* with no wind, it was sunny and felt warm facing the sun. I only jigged that day, getting tip-ups in is never
     the problem, it's picking them up at the end of the day. :o

Offline Hyland33

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 12, 2015, 05:17 AM »
Saturday morning when I went out it was -1*F with some wind. Yesterday was -4*F but no wind. It was much nicer without the wind
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Offline Whopper Stopper

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 12, 2015, 05:35 AM »
-30's is fairly normal on northern lakes here.

When properly equipped that's not as bad as it sounds.

                      WS.


Offline fowl_language

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #12 on: Jan 12, 2015, 05:39 AM »
I think it was -25 F , near Kieler, WI while in college.  Can't remember if it was with or without windchill, probably with, I think it was about -15 though, holes froze before jigs hit bottom.

Offline wyogator

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #13 on: Jan 12, 2015, 07:30 AM »
10 years ago, it was -13 without a shack.  I had a buddy heater out in the open to keep my hands warm.  I will never do that again.

Offline coboy

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #14 on: Jan 12, 2015, 07:40 AM »
This season -29F and -26F. ! do use a shanty with heat though. -4F was the high one day but with sunshine and no wind it was one of the nicer days to fish.

Offline Tikkaman

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #15 on: Jan 12, 2015, 07:43 AM »
My very first weekend of ice fishing about 7-8 years ago.  We drove 3 hours to the cabin on a Friday night.  Saturday morning was nice and about 20-25f with a little breeze.  We fished outside the portables in the morning and then all hell broke loose midday.  First the snow came and the temps took a nosedive.  We split up into the 2 portables.  Fished for a little longer and packed it up.  Me buddy and I were in a clam 5600 with the plastic floor, he got out to start loading the truck and the shack took off across the lake with me in it.  By the time we got off the lake it was -20 with windchill around -55.  Sunday was no better, the wives were happy that we were home early

Offline eriksat1

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #16 on: Jan 12, 2015, 07:56 AM »
It was minus -20°f here this morning regular temperature. If in a shelter jigging it's not so bad but trying to set up or pull in tip up's is brutal, my hands can't take it anymore once below around +5°f setting  tip up's that is.

Offline dcso3009

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #17 on: Jan 12, 2015, 07:56 AM »
Last year -38F on Upper Red.  I know I was out in -40's back in college (Ely, MN), before I knew any better.

Offline Ironeagle

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #18 on: Jan 12, 2015, 08:07 AM »
Below zero and right at Zero and a few times in single digits not considering wind chill,  here in pa.
I have a shanty and I fish when I can. Don't let the cold dictate that. If I didn't have a shanty and fished tipups it would be a pain though.


     
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Offline Bucket Brigade

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #19 on: Jan 12, 2015, 08:17 AM »
Last year we cancelled work so I went fishing. The sun came out and it wad a clear day. The fish were biting all day. The sun was VERY warm. I had to run back to the truck so I checked the temp on my mirror...it said -8*. It didn't feel anywhere near that temp.  Amazing the power of the sun!!!
When there is ice on the lakes, I never make employee of the month!

Offline ODU...Schwarz

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #20 on: Jan 12, 2015, 08:30 AM »
Devils Lake two years back. Wind blowing 20 - 30, -12 F. Cold cold cold
Fishing Fishing Fishing!

Offline WET-KNOTS II

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #21 on: Jan 12, 2015, 08:35 AM »
-20* variable winds. we stayed several hrs with non stop action. Then One time i believe it was 10* and -25 windchill 30-40mph wind we stayed less than an hr and called it quits.

Offline delawareriver

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #22 on: Jan 12, 2015, 10:00 AM »
I was out Saturday all day before sunrise to sunset. Think it was 1 or 2 before the wind chills got above 0, didn't take the shanty because it was a mile or two hike in down railroad tracks with minimal amount of snow. Didn't think it was bad but definitely had to clean out tip up holes every half hour or so. Wasn't the coldest Ive been out but coldest I've been out from sunrise to sunset with out a shanty.

Offline SLAYERFISH

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #23 on: Jan 12, 2015, 10:03 AM »
My coldest was -33F.  Back when we didnt have huts.  Lasted 2 hrs, no bites.   Done -25F several times,  with no humidity and no wind it aint bad if the fish are biting.   Back when I was younger and didnt know any better! ;D
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Offline ADK11

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #24 on: Jan 12, 2015, 10:27 AM »
Below -10 it all really feels the same...fricken cold.. But you dress right and there's no problem.
Loving the Adirondacks.

Offline Raynestorm

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #25 on: Jan 12, 2015, 10:36 AM »
-20 several times last year, was a brutal year for ice fishing.  We caught more fish the worst the temps were.  Tip ups were hot, but it was so cold, no one wanted to go out when a flag went up!

Offline tswoboda

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #26 on: Jan 12, 2015, 10:38 AM »
Coldest actual temp was -32 F.  No wind and we were out all day on snowmobiles with no shelters, it was actually very tolerable fishing outside due to no wind.

Coldest I've felt fishing was +5 F with sustained 25-30 mph winds... I could feel the wind through my car door on the drive to the lake.  I fished 2 hours in a shelter and it was still brutal, heater ran out of propane and I had to leave because my hands didn't have the dexterity to switch in a fresh propane tank.  Good thing I left when I did because the DOT shut down the interstate shortly after I got home.

I fished Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon this weekend without a shelter and temps were -5 to +5 F but no wind so it was pleasant fishing outside.

I'll take bitter cold temps and calm over mild temps and a strong wind any day.

Offline DFresh75

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #27 on: Jan 12, 2015, 10:55 AM »
-35 Wind Chill the last 2 years at the Brainerd Ice Fishing Tournament.  Lets just say the Striker Suit and Facemask are key.  The skin around my eyes got messed up.  Goggles this year for sure.

Offline tswoboda

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #28 on: Jan 12, 2015, 11:27 AM »
-35 Wind Chill the last 2 years at the Brainerd Ice Fishing Tournament.  Lets just say the Striker Suit and Facemask are key.  The skin around my eyes got messed up.  Goggles this year for sure.
No disrespect, but do you realize you can look up weather history?  The past 2 Brainerd Jaycees haven't gotten below -15 F windchills... I'm not saying it wasn't cold, just saying windchills weren't even close to -35

Offline Drifter_016

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Re: What were your coldest ice fishing conditions?
« Reply #29 on: Jan 12, 2015, 11:33 AM »
Close to -50F with the wind chill.
Yesterday it was -31 with the wind chill when I was out.

 



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