COMING NORTH OF THE BORDER DURING WINTER WARNINGS!!!

[HARRYFISHBALLS]

 I would like to give our neighbors to the south a lil idea what they are in for coming to the great white north.You will experience the coldest days of your life ,I guarantee it.The weather is unpredictable and down right dangerous ! The driving conditions can be very dangerous. You will need winter clothes that may not be available in the USA.expect high winds that can freeze your skin in 2-3 minutes.Often the winds are very high on large open lakes that turn into white out conditions,visibility can be limited or zero at times.Your augers will need extensions because the ice can reach four feet plus in depth. An atv is a must ,especially after the winds/drifting. I'm not trying too scare anyone but the danger is real and you must do your research and be prepared for extreme conditions.

[sask187]

Let's be honest here if they're coming up ice fishing most likely they live in the northern states where the weather really isn't durastically different, they can get cold windy days as well. Also most of the best ice fishing clothing companies are based out of the states so I'm pretty sure they can get as good or better clothing than we can here.

[IcePirateJace]

harry, this is the second time I’ve read you saying how cold it is up there. What parts of the US are you trying to inform. Northern Minnesota and North Dakota the weather is just as brutal.

[HWeber]

yeah i thought the warning was kinda funny and obviously made to deter people even tho he said it wasn't. Anyone spending the money to make that kind of trip is going to be prepared

[Akhardwater]

Man it sounds like I should come down there so I can warm up.  Sounds downright balmy if you ask me. 

[greenbackhunter]

Most of the Americans coming up are better prepared than people that live here.

Get a grip.

[carcus1]

Most of the Americans coming up are better prepared than people that live here.

Get a grip.

X2, are they ever!  Don't see to many of them stuck at the mouth of prudens!

[oleike]

here is another thread where HARRYFISHBALLS goes all out on the threat to americans...very strange behavour...lol


https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=348261.0

[HARRYFISHBALLS]

 I travel a lot including the USA, 99% of the people refuse yo believe what temps we get in the north,a common comment is,theres no way anyone can live in those temps "-35 to -40 celcius. not including wind chills. I travel 2-3 times a yr to the Carribean during the winter months, i have met dozens of Americans who  tell us about their brutal temps. We laugh and tell them thats t-shirt weather in CAN!  I have a brother in NY who laughs at people thinking its cold there.Sure they get snow storms but they don't get our extreme temps! I'm giving a fair warning to our neighbors to the south is all.I have a friend in Montana who sends snap shots of their weather,max I seen was -15 C ,this is no where near the temps we get in the prairies. LK Winnipeg is a giant lk with many miles of open area for winds to pick up.My moms whole family lives near Winnipeg so I know what the conditions are.I hope any Americans coming north will take my advice a prep for the worst. My uncle and 2 cousins were hospitalized 15 yrs ago after there truck broke down in a blizzard,without a cell and white out conditions with extreme wind/chill they walked 4 hrs blind! The threat is real!

[greenbackhunter]

I travel a lot including the USA, 99% of the people refuse yo believe what temps we get in the north,a common comment is,theres no way anyone can live in those temps "-35 to -40 celcius. not including wind chills. I travel 2-3 times a yr to the Carribean during the winter months, i have met dozens of Americans who  tell us about their brutal temps. We laugh and tell them thats t-shirt weather in CAN!  I have a brother in NY who laughs at people thinking its cold there.Sure they get snow storms but they don't get our extreme temps! I'm giving a fair warning to our neighbors to the south is all.I have a friend in Montana who sends snap shots of their weather,max I seen was -15 C ,this is no where near the temps we get in the prairies. LK Winnipeg is a giant lk with many miles of open area for winds to pick up.My moms whole family lives near Winnipeg so I know what the conditions are.I hope any Americans coming north will take my advice a prep for the worst. My uncle and 2 cousins were hospitalized 15 yrs ago after there truck broke down in a blizzard,without a cell and white out conditions with extreme wind/chill they walked 4 hrs blind! The threat is real!

Unfortunate about your uncle, but you made my point. No cell and running solo on lake winnipeg? Unprepared. No gps? Unprepared. No extra clothes/survival gear/food?Unprepared.  Walking 4 hours in a whiteout on big windy? Downright dangerous.

[Akhardwater]

Your temps make me laugh 😂.  Let me know when you start seeing -50s with -80 windchills on an average day.  You’ve obviously never been to the north slope and seen what real cold is.

[Slamhound]

Spent the night on the big windy last night woke up this morning. -52 with windchill they said on the radio ( not sure if that was where we were or not) but it was windy anyways haha 4 foot snow banks blew up beside the shack and truck but we made. Iced a few small green backs today

[hogfather]

Boy Scout motto,be prepared !
And have AAA or CAA to. Plain & simple.

[Lockport1850]

Your temps make me laugh 😂.  Let me know when you start seeing -50s with -80 windchills on an average day.  You’ve obviously never been to the north slope and seen what real cold is.

Holy smokes, those temps definitely take it to the NEXT LEVEL!!!

-80F is around -60C... either way... that's too bloody cold. Best to let someone know when you plan to return so they know when you are in trouble.

[XN]

I found it funny last year when the "Locals" kept asking us american's to help them get unstuck on Winnipeg because they were not prepared.

[bb400guy]

I found it funny last year when the "Locals" kept asking us american's to help them get unstuck on Winnipeg because they were not prepared.

Does this really surprize anyone?  People who drive a dozen hours and bring a whole crew/rig for ice fishing should be more prepared than a few of the local people who can't afford such extraordinary amenities or are simply lazy and unprepared (yes, there are some).     

[lexbroski]

I found it funny last year when the "Locals" kept asking us american's to help them get unstuck on Winnipeg because they were not prepared.

Those locals are usually "Citiots". 

[fishinjohn]

Harry...
I'm so thankful you put this post up!!!!
I had packed my swimsuit and suntan lotion for my ice vacation, guess I best pack a little heavier!
Let's be real here for a min... I'm from NY. We deal with some extreme conditions as well but sure we rarely see a -40° f day unless the wind chill brings temps there..HOWEVER ...
Cold is cold.. doesnt matter if its 0° f or -40°c..
You reference to us Americans from the "USA" seems like you're suggesting we are nomads from a 3rd world country???
NO MATTER WHERE you are ice fishing ITS COLD and if unprepared you will certainly suffer and not enjoy yourself..
The ONLY part of your post I found helpful was the reminder your ice can get 4 ft thick and I need to put my extension on my auger THANK YOU!!!
GOOD LUCK on the hard water

[Seamonkey84]

This post again?! Lol 

[aquarium234]

Who would go to Canada in the dead of winter anyway, I'd come up at the beginning or end, For early or late ice after ours has thawed... we have our own ice fishing down here during the real winter with live bait and many tip ups to play with :-).

[Gunflint]

Cold is cold.. doesn't matter if its 0° f or -40°c..

This is not true.

Growing up in Minnesota, what I consider to be "cold" starts at -20, anything warmer is just "winter."

At -20 the snow begins to squeek under your boots, that doesn't happen at -10. There is a noticeable difference in how one must dress and how things begin not to work.

At -40 there is another level of cold where things begin to break that won't at -20. Cars and other equipment act differently. Engines that are reliable to -20 simply don't work. Oil in the crankcases hardens and the world is different. If you are not prepared, you may suffer the consequences. Anybody that thinks -40 is the same as 0 degrees is silly, or perhaps "lucky."

At -50 there is another change (NOT windchill, but REAL -50) I have only lived it a couple times in my life. You spit and you cannot have it NOT freeze before hitting the ground. In addition to all of the above (on steroids) you cannot take deep breaths directly, better through a scarf or long fur hood. If you are not dressed properly , you can die.

If you are dressed properly, it can be wonderful. Whenever it is "cold" it is also a clear blue cloudless sky, the snow glitters and sparkles.
Cold weather is not depressing. Life is Harsh but Optimistic!  But only if you are dressed for it

Apparently, there are other issues at even lower temperatures, but I have not experienced them.

[Seamonkey84]

-40 is where F and C meet, it is the temp most synthetic materials fail if not it’s designed to withstand those temps, jackets can rip like they’re made of paper.  On the plus side, your fish will freeze solid and thaw out still nice and firm, not mushy like from your home freezer.

[Gunflint]

-40 is where F and C meet, it is the temp most synthetic materials fail if not it’s designed to withstand those temps, jackets can rip like they’re made of paper.  On the plus side, your fish will freeze solid and thaw out still nice and firm, not mushy like from your home freezer.

I was catching Crappies in a stiff wind in the open at -40 (I was young, poor, and dedicated) and they would flop one and a half times - then go stiff.

So cold we put our bare hands on the glass of a 2 mantle Coleman lantern and it was only barely warm.

Now I am old, less poor and still dedicated enough to fish the cold from inside my nice heated shanty. 

[icefishman]

Today I got called into work (Natural gas well production) due to cold causing issues. It was -5f when I left my house in Northern lower Michigan. Coldest I’ve ever seen was -32f here. Due to Fuzzyfishnuts post I wanna come up there even more now and try it out. See you soon (hopefully)