Author Topic: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense  (Read 3042 times)

Offline TravelFred

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Big mistake.

I lived in Houghton (in the UP, by lake Superior) for a year. The winter was long, it snowed a lot, and weather was, for the most part, miserable. This from someone who had lived close to the Mediterranean Sea most of his life. I eventually did get used to the snow though (didn't take long), and as a good traveler I adapted.

What I could not get my head around were those little shacks I saw on the frozen lake, out there almost on any given day even if there was a blizzard. Eventually someone told me they were for ice fishing, and explained what was going on inside.

What? I couldn't think of anything as boring and uncomfortable as that. By the way, I do practice endurance sports, had been in the cold before, and surfed in very cold weather too. But ice fishing?

Little did I know that a few years later I would try ice fishing in Finland (here's a link to my experience https://www.maitravelsite.com/ice-fishing-in-lapland-finland/)- completely unplanned.  And on that day my perception of ice fishing changed forever. I actually had fun, lots of it, despite not catching anything! Perhaps it's because I realized that the fun thing about ice-fishing is not waiting for the catch, but being outside, enjoying weather that most people don't like, and having fun with the people around you.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Offline skifisher

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #1 on: Apr 28, 2020, 02:09 PM »
Yep! It happens to me at least 3 or 4 times every ice fishing season!
Seriously though, welcome to the “Dark Side”! ;D
"Ice fishing...ah, the anticipation! 🎣”

Offline TravelFred

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #2 on: Apr 28, 2020, 04:49 PM »
Thanks Skifisher! It will take some time before I go again because of where I live, but I know I'll step into the "dark side" again!

Offline badbrad2186

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #3 on: Apr 28, 2020, 07:52 PM »
Yup happens to me 3-5 days a week once we have "Safe: ice lol. Welcome aboard
If you sit around all day and do nothing your a bum, but if you sit in a boat all day or in a shanty and do nothing they call you a fisherman

Offline Spider1

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #4 on: Apr 29, 2020, 05:13 AM »
yeah buddy, you got the idea. I had basically the same kind of experience as you did. I grew up a beach bum, ice doesn't grow very well on salt water. But I moved to Colorado and one day driving along in the winter I noticed a group of colorful huts out on a lake. When I found out what they were doing I figured, "well, the lunatics gotta go somewhere in the winter!" wasn't until years later while in Pennsylvania a buddy took me ice fishing. Most people that live in the ice belt tend to hibernate and get miserable. Depression sets in and the winters last forever. But ice fishing gives you a reason to look forward to it, to count the days until the ice is thick enough to walk on. Without ice fishing, I'd probably be living in Florida by now :blink:

Offline Jagger0502

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #5 on: Apr 29, 2020, 08:21 AM »
yeah buddy, you got the idea. I had basically the same kind of experience as you did. I grew up a beach bum, ice doesn't grow very well on salt water. But I moved to Colorado and one day driving along in the winter I noticed a group of colorful huts out on a lake. When I found out what they were doing I figured, "well, the lunatics gotta go somewhere in the winter!" wasn't until years later while in Pennsylvania a buddy took me ice fishing. Most people that live in the ice belt tend to hibernate and get miserable. Depression sets in and the winters last forever. But ice fishing gives you a reason to look forward to it, to count the days until the ice is thick enough to walk on. Without ice fishing, I'd probably be living in Florida by now :blink:


Spider - it still might be where the lunatics go in the winter time...
Dad- “Did I wait to long? Should I have set the hook? “ Me- “I am fairly certain fish don’t have hands....”

“GET EM!” - Scott Odonnell

Offline Seamonkey84

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #6 on: Apr 29, 2020, 01:09 PM »
Just getting a reason to get outside is all fun enough, plus the chance of catching a fish while basically day camping.  but once you really start getting into fish, and then pick up sonar and jigging, it becomes an addiction.

Offline Gunflint

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #7 on: Apr 29, 2020, 02:05 PM »
Just getting a reason to get outside is all fun enough, plus the chance of catching a fish while basically day camping.  but once you really start getting into fish, and then pick up sonar and jigging, it becomes an addiction.

And then you get a LIVESCOPE
and, and, and....well enough said.
Veritas Odium Parit

Offline badbrad2186

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #8 on: Apr 29, 2020, 06:39 PM »

And then you get a LIVESCOPE
and, and, and....well enough said.


Or you fish blind like I do and just use GPS to my spots usually out fish the crowd
If you sit around all day and do nothing your a bum, but if you sit in a boat all day or in a shanty and do nothing they call you a fisherman

Offline OldCaveman

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Re: I always thought ice fishing was boring and made no sense
« Reply #9 on: Apr 29, 2020, 07:55 PM »
 I remember years ago driving by lakes with people fishing thinking that was the stupidest thing I had ever seen. Then some friends from work asked me to join them ice fishing.  I had a blast, we tossed a football around, drank beers  and enjoyed a beautiful day on the ice. The hook was set and my addiction  began. Fred your post made me laugh when I saw it and thought back. I guess I wasn't alone. Enjoy
John

 



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