What drives you?

[High Tide]

Just like that look that you get from people when you say "I can't wait to ice fish this weekend". I'm sitting here wondering what species to target for my first time out this season. It's odd to me that everybody seems to have one or two species they love to target... like your born with the genetic link to that fish. Why? Where does that come from? I get the opportunity to hang with a lot of Bass Master Elite guys throughout the year, from speaking engagements and PR events, and they're ate up with Bass... I mean ate up. I love their passion, but Bass fishing never appealed to me, and when I'm fishing for Bass, I'm thinking about the other fish that may be holding on the structure that I'm casting at. People know me as a crappie guy, but if I was limited to one fish for the rest of my life (fresh water) it would be walleye with perch a very close second. Here is the kicker... I have no idea why. As a young man, I fished for carp 24-7... loved it, cat fishing was number two, then bass. I only caught bluegill and crappie when it was time to catch food for the table. Of course, I fish for crappie over 150 times a year, and enjoy targeting trophy crappie, but the guys I fish with would rather not fish for anything but crappie.  I guess for some they chase the challenge, and some chase the food, but I don't really know why I love walleye and perch so much... I can't put a finger on it. How about you?

[Jigmup]

Walleye and perch!
I owe it to the 1980' s Prairie Creek, my father and two uncles.

[Turk]

A 1996 White Ford Bronco in perfect working order!

[Jigmup]

A 1996 White Ford Bronco in perfect working order!

I was going to go there but thought nah!

[High Tide]

A 1996 White Ford Bronco in perfect working order!

Technically you drive it! Lol

[Turk]

No... Al Collins drives it.

[tabtat5]

Always been a pan fisherman...mainly gills and crappie, Started fishing when I was 5 with my Dad and Uncle and now 40 and still fish the same.

[Jigmup]

While I love Walleye and Perch, there is no denying the enjoyment of pulling a big smallie through the hole, a 10 inch gill or a 15 inch crappie. The excitement is short lived as I focus on the task at hand but fun none the less!

[Beets]

Was into bass a lot when I was in my 20's,then it was too easy and then caught some big ones that i know will never happen again.
Got into pike on the Kankakee and the DNR harrassed me every day and told everyone where I was fishing.
Then got into Muskys,didn't catch alot but caught some nice ones.
Now into walleyes and panfish which can take some finesse to catch and taste alot better.
Tight lines!

[FishORDietryin!]

The thought of catching anything drives me! I mainly bass fish but any fish tugging my line makes me happy. I jus flat out love fishing of any kind . I thinks the fact that you never really know what your gonna catch. Steelhead fishing is up there on the list for me. Nothing standing in the middle of a river catch coldd steel!

[ugglystick101]

The tug

[bubbagill]

My belly.   

[FelixD]

My belly.   

I'm with ya Bub!!! 

[Hoosier38]

Northern Pike, nothing more exciting to me than seeing a flag flying then pulling up a big northern.

[muskyjoe]

Musky's would have to be my favorite species to target but bluegill and perch the top two to eat. My musky fishing drove me because I chased the magic 50" mark. Now that I have caught a few of them it will be hard to chase my personal best, which is what drove me. During ice season I wanna learn how to chase big perch.

[rico]

I'm with ya Bub!!! 

X3

[marmooskapaul]

Always driven to catch bass. Growing up we..cousins, uncle's, grandma and dad would fish, for fish to eat. Back then that was anything but carp...carp where bait for the turtle trot line...which we caught to eat,,also. We always fished for bass with artificial lures though. Big bass where always prized..but back then they were also eaten...lol..and I still like bass from certain lakes. Sometime before 10 years old I got the bass bug and pretty much had a single mindedness desire to only fish for them...which drove my dad nuts. Panfish..bluegill mostly where still caught because we loved to eat them. We always took time to catch bluegill though..but it was always so we could eat and freeze them...then I was back to bass fishing.
When I started ice fishing seriously..late 80's early 90's bluegill/crappie was what we where after. I didn't care about bass..during ice season. It was a nice break. So for me ..the accomplishment of being able to get a nice mess of gills was always what drove me to ice fish. I loved to eat them and the challenge was fun. It's changed a little  over the years and I do fish for walleye and bass on purpose ..lol..through the ice once in a while.
I basically stopped bass fishing seriously when I picked golf up again ..mid 2000's. Ice fishing still provides the same needed break/divergence that it did from bass fishing. It gives me a single-mindedness to concentrate on one thing during that time of year and fun and good eats. With a challenge that's always there when fishing..the satisfaction of being able to do it right once in a while.

So...to answer the question...the feeling you get from a well struck ball is what drives me...lol
Paul

[Gills-only]

Gills Only!!

[captain54]

I like it all from the night before prep,food,rigging jig poles,the trip getting there,finding fish( I'm not a bucket sitter) the razzing with buds, the pull of a 9.5 inch gill and the head shakes of a slab 1.5 lb crappie to the assume runs of a 40inch pike. Don't even mind cleaning a mess.I do enjoy my Friday night fish fries. Fish,fries,jalapeno poppers,and coleslaw add some garden sliced tomatoes in the summer.It's the real deal. Is that enough to drive you!

[CWlake]

there is nothing like the feeling of a well struck ball. As fish go, I think the allure of a fat 14" perch, and the difficulty in finding them is what drives me fricken crazy!!

[ridingerboy]

In the infant stages of fishing, it was all catfish with my Grandmother,then in my 20s it was 100 mph Bass fishing,tournys and only catch and release. When Tournement fishing I was always thinking stradigy and other patterns,it kinda burned me out after 13-14 years. Then came kids that liked golf,so that became an obsession,,,all the while,a nice piece of ice and some big gills,would allow me to mentally unwind. I still play a lot of golf all spring-fall but when the winds get cold,I will be on the ice slammin big gills as much as possible. There is NOTHING like a 9-10 inch redear or gill coming up a 4" hole.....

[Gillhunter97]

Some reason I only like bass fishing in the summer then just panfish in the winter. Kinda weird..

[Stinkybaits]

I think lately it's been looking for new areas. I'm looking forward to some longer walks scouting about. If the snow gets deep I'll be over it fast. 

[wallydiven]

During ice season I wanna learn how to chase big perch.

Let me know when you wanna head east a little ways. I've got a few spots that hold a few of JUMBOS 

[wax_worm]

I always thought Paul was little off, but know I am sure of it.  I hate it when my balls are well struck!!   

Grew up fishing for gills in open water and perch only thru the ice.  Got away from the gills in the open water and started fishing bass tournaments 15+ years ago, so that is about all I target from April - October.  No thru the ice, since my grandpa passes,  I fish mainly for gills or crappie, set out a tip up for pike now and then and will go on a perch search a time or two each ice season.  I would fish for perch more, but I lost most of the good parking I had due to reasons discussed in other threads (trash by others, parking poachers, home changed hands etc)  Ice fishing gets me out of the house in the winter.  Plenty of things to do outside in the warmer months, but not so much in the winter.  When you work from home, you have to get out of the house or go stir crazy in the winters.

[rivereddy]

That initial contact, pure and simple. Be it a thump, whack, slurp, or a plunked jug. I live for the simple joy of "FISH ON"  I've fished over 55 years and just love it when my mind says, "you don't feel it in your hands, there's no line twitch" but he's there..... I've caught everything from bluegill to blue marlin and can honestly say the best one is the next one.................

fish on, and on, and on

rivereddy

[Swedish__Pimple]

A 7 LETTER WORD................."WALLEYE"

[bgriffis17]

don't need to tell ya what drives me Doug, just flat out balls to the wall fishing, kind of like a junkie without a addiction, but I do spend to much time on perch and walters

[High Tide]

Waxy, I'll bring Paul with me up to camp shine at least once this year, he's definitley as odd as the rest of us, as well as a bluegills worst nightmare! Lol I am surprised he didn't mention carp as his real true love, but I guess we're all in denial about something though!

[High Tide]

A 7 LETTER WORD................."WALLEYE"

I could of swore it was gonna be.................... . Mountain Dew. Lol