Author Topic: Close to ice in White Mountains!! (Read 10250 times)

dickbaker · « **on:** Nov 18, 2012, 04:13 PM »

12 degrees , in Littleton, this morning and I almost couldn't get my shiner traps out of the settlement pond at Walmart. It looks like its OK to begin looking for more than a little beaver pond skim ice!! I've checked the noontime water temp.
at a nearbye unmanaged trout pond. On 11/7 it was 43 degrees. Its slowly gotten colder and , with bright sun today, it was 39 degrees with some skim ice in the coves. At that rate the water temp should drop to 32 degrees in ten to twenty days (Nov. 29 thru Dec. 9). The forecast for the next five days is for nighttimes below 20 degrees and days around 40. The forecast for the next 5 days is for below freezings temperature both day and night. Than its just a matter of how long it takes to make at least 4" of clear ice?? Southern NH temps are forecast at 5 to 10 degrees warmer so it might take another couple of weeks there. Looks like we will be on the ice before Christmas

I don't want to be resposible for some neophyte falling through unsafe ice so I will try to follow up with a photo of the first safe ice here in the north. I would also like all reports of safe ice to provide a photo. My wife always reminds me that me have a terrible time guessing just how long 6" is

Dick

nhpikeking · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 18, 2012, 04:29 PM »

Thank you for making my day beaver pond by my house is getting locked up really tight I'll be on it within 2 weeks

dickbaker · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 06:23 AM »

How do you fish for beaver's??
Just teasing you!
Dick

Capt. Black · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 06:47 AM »

Quote from: dickbaker on Nov 19, 2012, 06:23 AM

How do you fish for beaver's??
Dick

With a worm.

Capt. Black

dickbaker · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 08:32 AM »

Captn

Can I assume that that is the same worm that you will use to measure the ice thickness(6")??

Dick

SmellsLikeFishNH · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 12:02 PM »

He will need 2 worms for that measurement! ;-)

Great news dick, thanks for sharing!!

Lots of skimmed over ponds in the Merrimack Area the past few mornings too, im keeping my eyes open.

nhpikeking · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 12:08 PM »

all I'm gonna say is hahaha

Jay Fat City · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 12:36 PM »

I did too much driving up that way to fish last season, but I DO have December 14 circled on my calendar to get up there.

Keep us posted!

Jay

meatandmetal · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 02:03 PM »

Not far behind!!! Area Pond this morning... Skim stayed on the pond for most of the day yesterday... Got1 - recognize the view? Hopefully we will hit it soon. I'll keep you posted.

Capt. Black · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 05:02 PM »

Quote from: SmellsLikeFishNH on Nov 19, 2012, 12:02 PM

He will need 2 worms for that measurement! ;-)

You been peaking again?

whitewing · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 06:37 PM »

Was at Brindle Pond in Barnstead this morning. Pond half covered/ rest open. Ice 1/2" or so at shore - nothing you'd want to do a jig on - but getting there. That said temps in Minneapolis today 58 - heading this way. It will be a while before we get out on safe ice!

dickbaker · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 19, 2012, 06:50 PM »

Forecast for the White Mtns. still call for below freezing nights for the next ten days. If I have good ice early remember that all you have to do is hop on I93 and drive north. My nearby pond is at an elevation of 900 ft. but its only 10 minutes off the interstate and 5 minutes from MacDonalds

It will still be at least another three weeks. I haven't even ordered my wax worms or changed leaders and jig rod line.

Dick

dickbaker · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 20, 2012, 03:17 PM »

Nearbye trout pond temp was back up to 40 degrees this afternoon but more than half of it was skimmed over. Serious rainbow fishermen were still trolling in the small amount of open water.
Keep in mind that I only await 32 degree water temp. Sad to see that southern IS posts refer to frozen swimming pools and possible places to fish for beavers?? Skim ice doesn't mean anything until the deeper water temp has dropped to 32 degrees. THEN you will see "ice making" when calm night temps drops well below freezing!! "Skim ICE" will only trap warmer water below the surface. I learned that from a UNH workshop decades ago!!

OK! I tracked deer in snow at 1100 ft. today and I hate to stop dreaming about it just because someone's swimming pools froze in Boston!!

I noticed that I have fewer posts than some of the older IS member but I try to keep mine relavent to the season

Dick

Jay Fat City · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 20, 2012, 03:22 PM »

Quote from: dickbaker on Nov 20, 2012, 03:17 PM

OK! I tracked deer in snow at 1100 ft. today and I hate to stop dreaming about it just because someone's swimming pools froze in Boston!!

Dick

I'll tell you, when you don't hunt, seeing that pool is the best thing you got until mid-December!

Jay

dickbaker · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 20, 2012, 04:16 PM »

Jay! I understand! It's been a long time since I moved to the north country. I will always be happy living hear!! Your young and there's still time!

Dick

JIGGIN- · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 20, 2012, 05:37 PM »

Let the guys enjoy their excitement for ice watching. Nothing wrong with that. That's kinda the topic of this thread...sorta, isn't it? I believe the guys are trying to keep it somewhat relevant to the thread......

I believe I read somewhere that the lake needs to roll over and will freeze prior to the surface temp hitting 32F....I don't know and don't really care. I check it periodically and when the ice is "thick" enough I go fishing. I check it with a chisel and go from there. For those that use rocks to check the ice, Please don't.

Don't rain on someone's excitement.....or parade.....your starting to sound like a grumpy "old" man.

Just my thoughts Dick.

james · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 21, 2012, 05:34 AM »

Lighten up Dick! no one really cares where ice is being made. wether it be in a bird bath, someones swimming pool, or out on the lake. just knowing that it's being made is good news, and we will all be on it soon!

PS ice forms on a lake when the water temp drop to 39.2 degrees. if the water in the lake dropped to 32 degrees the whole lake would turn into a solid block of ice.

salemguy · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 21, 2012, 06:34 AM »

Shoot I get excited when I pull in the driveway and dump the contents of my cup (soda & ice) on the ground and when go out to leave the next morning the cubes are still there. So to feed the need for a fix. I take a ride to the nearest tackle shop. Of course the wife says and thinks I have enough tackle already. So to combat her attitude I quickly pull out the bank receipts to show her different kinds of shampoo, conditioners, shoes... and compare the cost. Case closed I win

dickbaker · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 21, 2012, 07:16 AM »

Jiggin might be right I might be turning into a grumpy old fisherman. Logical because for years I was vice president of the NH Grumpy Fishermen Group. Most members are dead but I try to pass on the knowledge that they accumulated over generations of fishing.

I just thought I could give anxious ice fishermen a Christmas like target day by providing more actual data. Its is what I do for a living and it extends to my fishing.

North country ponds will be the first to provide "safe" ice and I plan to let IS member know when that happens. I do it with good intent and I don't mean to "rain" on anyone (because rain is the last thing that I want)

Ice formation and melting is something that all fishermen should be informed about. James has obvious done a little research

Jay, I'm sorry I picked on your frozen swimming pool

Just trying to keep your mind on serious ice formation so that you can come north in December and take home some more of our trout.

Dick

whtmtniceman · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 21, 2012, 06:09 PM »

I might go sunday morning... beat that!

nhpikeking · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 22, 2012, 12:16 AM »

Quote from: whtmtniceman on Nov 21, 2012, 06:09 PM

I might go sunday morning... beat that!

I'm trying like hell

Jay Fat City · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 22, 2012, 08:20 AM »

Quote from: dickbaker on Nov 21, 2012, 07:16 AM

Jay, I'm sorry I picked on your frozen swimming pool Just trying to keep your mind on serious ice formation so that you can come north in December and take home some more of our trout.

Dick

No offense taken! I knew the ice wouldn't make it through noon. After last year, I'm just excited that the lakes and ponds are starting to cool down on time.

Jay

whtmtniceman · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 22, 2012, 08:58 AM »

aawwwwww you guys are so sweet

Jay Fat City · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 22, 2012, 09:19 AM »

Quote from: whtmtniceman on Nov 22, 2012, 08:58 AM

aawwwwww you guys are so sweet

Quiet you!

JigChaser08 · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 22, 2012, 05:32 PM »

I know i know

Quote from: meatandmetal on Nov 19, 2012, 02:03 PM

Not far behind!!! Area Pond this morning... Skim stayed on the pond for most of the day yesterday... Got1 - recognize the view? Hopefully we will hit it soon. I'll keep you posted.

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

got1 · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 23, 2012, 10:21 AM »

thats a fun place...surprisingly large fish hold up in there....soon.

Chiefbush · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 25, 2012, 03:55 PM »

Checked four different locations around Berlin. (Sat 24th) None were even close. Small ponds had a bit of skim ice in places, larger bodies of water were still wide open. Threw a small rock on top of the skim ice and it went right through. Jericho Lake was the only one that had a bit of skim ice that might "catch on" but it was very windy today and we lost most of it. Plan on checking again next weekend.

Chief

dickbaker · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 25, 2012, 07:30 PM »

Chief, Same thing Littleton area. High winds blew off any ice cover. Hopefully the wind turned the water over in the ponds and it will be ready to freeze by next weekend.
Dick

masspike · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 26, 2012, 08:27 AM »

i drilled a hole on the left side of coffin pond early last week...not safe by noon..most of it was gone saturday,,should be back this week

Chiefbush · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 26, 2012, 11:33 AM »

Quote from: dickbaker on Nov 25, 2012, 07:30 PM

Chief, Same thing Littleton area. High winds blew off any ice cover. Hopefully the wind turned the water over in the ponds and it will be ready to freeze by next weekend.
Dick

Hope so, I will make the rounds again on Sat.

News:

Author Topic: Close to ice in White Mountains!! (Read 10250 times)