IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
New Hampshire => Ice Fishing New Hampshire => Topic started by: Steve H. on Mar 16, 2022, 12:35 PM
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Just got back on Monday. Drove up the previous Friday, got to the house around 4, eight guys in total. Unpacked and staged up our gear for night fishing for cusk. After dinner, we sledded out maybe a 1/4 mile (not too far) and set out a bunch of cusk lines. Got 6-7 eaters (nothing big) which we cleaned up that night and eventually went into a chowder. Next morning woke up to rain, which throughout the day turned to sleet, then a light wet snow, then full-on whiteout conditions. To make it worse, as we were headed out from Beaver Cove to the broads, one guy in our group got careless crossing a giant pressure ridge and swamped his machine. Thankfully there was thick ice below the 3 feet of water but the sled was submerged minus the windshield. Another from our group got his sled across and a few of us walked across, roped up and carrying picks. That small team was able to get a spud across the sled's skis and somehow (miraculously) managed to pull the submerged snowmobile onto safe ice. The driver of the sunk sled got wet up to his waist, but that was basically it. He shot back on a different machine to change, towing his flooded machine behind him. After that we set up our shelters a couple hundred feet back from the ridge and sent down an assortment of baits (mostly smelts) into 60-70'. While the weather was getting dicier by the minute, the flags were popping quite frequently. In fact, I'd label it a "hot bite" as far as lake trout fishing goes, based on my modest experience. Between 8 - 1:30 or so, we must have brought at least 15 togue to hand, maybe closer to 20. By 1:30, visibility was practically nill, and after packing up, it was a little unnerving trying to find our way back using Google Maps on our phones in a whiteout. But we all made it back safe. Sunday was howling winds and bluebird skies (not a fan of post frontal conditions), so I hung back at camp with one of the others, cleared snow, and did other chores. Guys that did fish tried in close, leeward to one of the islands, and didn't see a flag all day. Glad I stayed back. Headed back on Monday, stopping at a lunch joint in Corrinna for a sandwich. Solid trip for sure.
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Great report!
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Nice report, and good team work getting out of a doggy situation!
Any fish pics?
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good guys made it out ok. scary stuff hitting water like that! how thick was the ice there?
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Now that’s a trip! Way to persevere!
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Sounds Fun Glad everyone made it home OK, hopefully the machines are ok also?
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Just got back on Monday. Drove up the previous Friday, got to the house around 4, eight guys in total. Unpacked and staged up our gear for night fishing for cusk. After dinner, we sledded out maybe a 1/4 mile (not too far) and set out a bunch of cusk lines. Got 6-7 eaters (nothing big) which we cleaned up that night and eventually went into a chowder. Next morning woke up to rain, which throughout the day turned to sleet, then a light wet snow, then full-on whiteout conditions. To make it worse, as we were headed out from Beaver Cove to the broads, one guy in our group got careless crossing a giant pressure ridge and swamped his machine. Thankfully there was thick ice below the 3 feet of water but the sled was submerged minus the windshield. Another from our group got his sled across and a few of us walked across, roped up and carrying picks. That small team was able to get a spud across the sled's skis and somehow (miraculously) managed to pull the submerged snowmobile onto safe ice. The driver of the sunk sled got wet up to his waist, but that was basically it. He shot back on a different machine to change, towing his flooded machine behind him. After that we set up our shelters a couple hundred feet back from the ridge and sent down an assortment of baits (mostly smelts) into 60-70'. While the weather was getting dicier by the minute, the flags were popping quite frequently. In fact, I'd label it a "hot bite" as far as lake trout fishing goes, based on my modest experience. Between 8 - 1:30 or so, we must have brought at least 15 togue to hand, maybe closer to 20. By 1:30, visibility was practically nill, and after packing up, it was a little unnerving trying to find our way back using Google Maps on our phones in a whiteout. But we all made it back safe. Sunday was howling winds and bluebird skies (not a fan of post frontal conditions), so I hung back at camp with one of the others, cleared snow, and did other chores. Guys that did fish tried in close, leeward to one of the islands, and didn't see a flag all day. Glad I stayed back. Headed back on Monday, stopping at a lunch joint in Corrinna for a sandwich. Solid trip for sure.
I would say you earned 'em!.. tough go of it from the sounds of things..glad you salvaged 1 good day and some good eats ...I always carry a mechanical compass, just in cast the electronics fail..I got stuck in a white out on Winni once.. I was very fortunate to get back.. I've carried a compass ever since.
thanks for sharing.
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Nice post. Sounds like a great trip. That lake can show you the best and the worst. Love it up there. you Brought me back. It's been many moons since I've been up there, spent weeks and months at a time there for many years when i was younger. Those were the days of 3ft ice, when cusk, brookies and Lakers were plentiful.
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Great report. thanks for sharing.
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Sounds similar to our trip to that same place last year...well except ours had less fish & more drunken fights.
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Nice to be rewarded with a "hot bite" after putting in the effort... well done, and thanks for the report.
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Nice report, sounds like a great adventure.