Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! > Ice Fishing Live Baits and Plastics
Keeping minnows outside overnight or longer
esox_xtm:
Quick update: After 2 days of pretty much single digits and low teens we're finally back to 20F. When I checked bait this morning the bucket lid was all frosty with a layer of frozen water about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. All appeared to be frozen spray from aerator bubbles surfacing. There was a light ring of ice around the very top of the water on the bucket itself. Everything else was ice free: aerator, bucket sides and bottom. If I'd have left it I'd have been chipping a couple inches of ice off the top of the water. pulling the aerator to thaw and tossing half if not more of the bait.
If we get sub zero I might bump up the setpoint a couple/few degrees but right now, at 36F, it's doing just fine in some pretty cold weather. I'll be into a larger cooler by Monday so that will likely change a few things. We'll see.
PikeKing23:
I use a 50 gal plastic drum on its side.
A small pool pump and homemade 5gal bucket filter and an aquarium aerator work for me, but I am keeping big bait. I keep this outside all winter just as you see it.
After many other failed experiments, I found that a 20 gal standard aquarium heater works perfect. I only turn it on over night if the temps drop to single digits. The flow in my tank keeps it from freezing above that.
Kevin23:
--- Quote from: Snitch#8 on Dec 26, 2020, 02:23 PM ---Essox, I sure hope your right in thinking Gore is wrong. Personally, I don't think so. I have lived in Michigan for over 60 years now. We haven't had what us Michiganders call "winter" since the 70's and things are getting worse. Last year was the first year since I've been ice fishing that I couldn't fish Saginaw Bay. Well, I guess I could have, there were people doing it, but I wasn't comfortable with the ice conditions the way they were. I have two small lakes within 1 mile from my house. I couldn't fish either of them, as well. I had to drive either two hours north or four hours south, to fish. Again, I hope your right, but things aren't looking good. I actually think within 25-30 years, ice fishing will be a thing of the past unless you go to Michigan's U.P.. Regardless if that happens or not, I'm pretty sure, I won't see it! As always, Take Care and Stay Safe!
--- End quote ---
Here in Iowa we see the ice line go north and the ice season start later about every year. Just 20 years ago the normal start to ice fishing was thanksgiving or a little later. Now it seems we PRAY for any kind of cold weather before Jan and the last couple years have started the ice season Jan 15-20. This year we are slightly earlier due to a big cold snap that just went through, but tomorrows high is 45deg. Hoping to be on ice by next week sometime.
We dont see the deep freezes like we use to anymore either. We used to have the "January blues" where the ice got over a foot thick and the temps got COLD and most people quit fishing because the panfish go deep and suspend. And then by late Feb you would see people back out again in masses as the ice (now 24-36") started to warm and melt. Always ice fished through feb and until mid/late march. One year we ice fished until may 1 on a shaded bay and that was an experience I will never have again. Now the last couple years our season was less than a month long, and most ice was 8-10".. On the other end, we never got cold weather until november. Nov 1-10 was our cold fronts that brought the ducks and froze up the water every year. The last couple years we had skim ice on opening day of duck season in early october. Its only a few days, then it goes back to hot. then cool. then hot. etc. But that never used to happen.
I don't believe in the whole "we are all going to die and run out of food" global warming, but there is no doubt that there has been a change in weather patterns where I live. Myself and friends thought it was just a couple fluke years but it didnt change back and has been getting worse. We will adapt like always.
I'm sure the people in northern MN. ND, WI, and canada don't notice anything different. But those of us down in the central midwest sure notice it.
river_scum:
if you have room in the garage, build a corner out with foam board and hang a light bulb in there. then your bait wont freeze up.
Icemole:
I got no basement or garage.... my "leftovers" get kept in 1 or 2 - 5gal buckets that I keep in the tub in the second bathroom(not used much anymore). It is about the coolest spot in my house plus my little nieces + nephews get a kick out of checking if there are fish in the tub ... LOL
As for cooling the water down before I get to the lake... not a problem they ride in the bed of the truck in a 5gal bucket with one of those "bait" lids. Even on a 10 min. ride to the close lake they are cooled off enough not to have shock.
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