What drives you?

[Swedish__Pimple]

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

Walleyes love Mt Dew to dont ya know........lol

[river_scum]

i have always fished for all kinds of fish. just depends on what biting best at the time. had a few fad phases with bass carp cats musky. when i was chasing ski they were tigers. never went and tried since the pure breads came on the seen. a search for the biggest baddest fish indiana had to offer sent me into catfish addiction, that lasted 10yrs. cant catch the big cats threw the ice though, so maybe they shouldnt count? the last few years has had me in food mode which means gills crappie eyes and perch mostly. always setting out flags for the bigger predators too though of course. phases come and go with me and probably always will.

[icecleate]

I fished for gills for many years. Now I fish softwater for eyes (I will keep perch and crappies as well for the table). For hardwater  I just like to fish. I will jig for bass (catch and release), gills, eyes, and whatever else I might catch.

[Jigmup]

River Scum...I know they are not giant flatheads or blues but if you want some very large channels through the ice, just let me know!

[kidd2]

when I was younger, I would be trolling around casting for bass and occasionally have to go around some older fellows, beer bellys hanging out, straw hats or a towel under their hat, bobbers dancing, catching gills, it was always a good laugh.....  now that's me!! lol!! and I rather do it thru the ice than open water!

[first sergeant]

I myself grew up iceing gills and specs then my dad got hooked on trolling the big pond and perchin.  Then I moved out and got hooked on Bass (strictly tourneys) for the challenge and such. Ice fishing for pannies is probably my passion now since getting involved with NAIFC ,but I like High Tide can not  seem to get away from chasing perch and eyes and getting pretty good at it...I love it love it love it

[ice-dogg]

Walleye, perch, and Jigmup's fire truck.

[lip rip]

Anticipating the next bite.

[Hersh17]

For me it has always been Crappie, however my youngest daughter lives to fish. So, the last couple years I've been letting her pick which species we target when we go out. We now fish for perch, gills, crappie, or walleye. It is absolutely AMAZING how much that girl has learned that I didn't realize I was teaching her!! I'm even letting her decide how we should rig up, sometimes it's goofy and a complete waste of time, but hey she'll soon learn what works, and what doesn't!!! Just hope she takes me along when I'm old and decrepit...lol

[marmooskapaul]

Ha Ha!! I want to fish with each and everyone of you...before I die!!! OK I've had to much beer and I've just discovered my Marcum lx3tc I bought last year isn't working ,m..,//.,//
Just sent the most descriptive e-mail ever to Marcum.
Paul

[marmooskapaul]

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!

You see the urologist yet??
Paul

(and in rare form tonight,lol)

[ftwwalleye]

I love drifting for steelhead. Ive never caught a trout on hardwater. Caught them just last week in some cold conditions, but I'm driven this year to pull a big trout through the ice!

[tightliner812]

My main fish that I like to target on the ice is perch . I will spend most of the season chasing them . I used to just go after the gills and the crappies I don't mind the crappies but I don't get to excited about gill fishing anymore unless it's a good site fishing bite . I started perch fishing because I had always liked catching them and it gave me a challenge to learn how to find them and where to find them . In  most of my area there are not to many people that fish for them at all so most of the time I have a big part of the lake to myself other that the guys that are fishing with me .

[Fishslayer81]

I just like to get bit!

[High Tide]

You see the urologist yet??
Paul

(and in rare form tonight,lol)

Lmao!

[bgriffis17]

Walleye, perch, and Jigmup's fire truck.

    fire truck I need more ?

[slabgill]

Smallies Smallies and more Smallies...

[Stinkybaits]

I have another drive now... GHOSTS!!!

[TType86]

My favorite species to target is walleye. Then crappie, perch, and then bluegill. Rarely do I bass fish anymore. I used to be a die hard bass guy, but to be honest it bores the crap out of me anymore. I dont eat bass for one, and in IN, your not going to be catching giants anywhere near where I live atleast, so I just lost interest I guess. I like walleye because of the challenge and the satisfaction when I do well. I still have tons to learn about walleye because I've only been targeting them for a few years. Perch around me are very tough. Or maybe I just suck at it! Perch are another spieces I've got a lot to learn on. I am known as a crappie guy mainly. I enjoy locating crappie, and using the jigs, baits, and methods it takes to catch them more than bluegill. One thing I need to get better at is staying on fish patterns. I'll fish a hump, or drop, or weedbed etc, and do well over the coarse of several weeks, but then one day I'll go back and try all them spots and cannot locate active fish! Where the heck are they?  if I know. Maybe they are just not feeding but it is frustrating at times. Then Im puttin around the lake, or walkin around the lake, with my head down feeling like a failure lmao! Not really, but you guys probably know the feeling. Obviously I only fish when I can and usually its a wknd, so I cant follow fish on a given lake as good as someone who is retired and lives on the lake. But them fish better beware once I'm retired some day! Every time out you learn a little more from experimenting with different methods or baits, or finding something on the finder to mark and come back to etc... Thats what drives me. The challenge and years of trial and error and a plan coming together. Sorry that was so long I just couldnt stop typing dangit!

[Jigmup]

Hey TType86

87 Dark Garnett red T-type. Stage 2 cheetah, oversized injectors, ram air, waste gate dump, 115 octane chip and some other mods.
Low 10's.

Deja vu...maybe I posted that last year.

[crappie66]

Catching is what drives me.  I am of a competitive nature so if I am not catching I get frustrated.  I used to fish mostly for bluegill through the ice, it is nothing to catch a big mess of gills -- anything less than a 30 fish day was a failure.  The last couple years I have mainly focused on crappie, basically the same set up as fishing for the gills but selecting different locations and lakes -- it has proven quite successful.  I have met and fished with several in Indiana from this board, all great guys - wish I could fish more with them and wish I had met up with more - also wish I could get back to NE Indiana to fish. (first person I met was Riverscum back in 2003, my GF at the time now wife thought I was crazy to meet a random guy from the internet)  Here in Chicagoland I have met on the ice a group of guys, also a great bunch of guys, we fish together regularly -- midweek the texts start for where and what time.  We don't go out to fish, we go out to catch, and that is what we do.  I feel as though I am getting old now at 36 years old, but I am one of the younger guys in our group, it is nice to learn some skills and techniques from the older guys.   I always liked to drink but never did it much while fishing, the last few years we fish, drink, and have a good time -- we still keep it competitive though.  Maybe it is the friendships created now that keep it fun -- you never know what is going to happen.   In 2013 made it out for 20 trips, in 2014 made it out for 34 trips.  All are welcome to come up to IL anytime and fish.

[spring bobber]

What drives me? Waxie makes me pull his sled for him anyway, so I figured I might as well fish. 

[TType86]

Hey TType86

87 Dark Garnett red T-type. Stage 2 cheetah, oversized injectors, ram air, waste gate dump, 115 octane chip and some other mods.
Low 10's.

Deja vu...maybe I posted that last year.

Nice! Mine was actually an 86gn but the name ttype sounded better lol. Mine was stock block, stock bottom end, stock heads, ta60 turbo, th down pipe, upgraded entire fuel system (cannot remember injector size at the moment), ram air cant remember which one, lots of stuff I forget, methanol injection for street, race fuel for track, bfgoodrich drag radials. Ran a best of 11.78 @ 116. I bracket raced it competitively for awhile. Wrecked about 4 trannies! Didnt want to upgrade to a 400 and lose 4th gear! It was a street car, I drove it to track. I was running way too much boost in that stock motor lol. Upwards of 24lbs. Spun a bearing and rebuilt it then sold it. Got sick of breaking and dumping all my money into it. Couldnt afford it anymore with kids. I miss it everyday! When my kids get older, I WILL have another one. Low 10's is insane! And expensive!

Ps, if you ever sell that car make sure to message me first!

[Jigmup]

^
insanely expensive....and that was 20 years ago!

[wax_worm]

What drives me? Waxie makes me pull his sled for him anyway, so I figured I might as well fish. 

Thats right...I am getting too old to pull the jet sled anymore.  In a couple years I will probably be sitting in the sled while you pull.  Then a few years after that you will have to drill my holes for me too. 

[river_scum]

River Scum...I know they are not giant flatheads or blues but if you want some very large channels through the ice, just let me know!

thank you for the offer! channel cats are for eating to me these days. i find myself chasing the smaller ones mostly. lol ill save the trophy cat fishing for summer. that being said, the offer will go rite back to you for some summer flathead action.

 

[sprkplug]

Trophy bluegills are what drives me. I'm over the pile-O'-fish thing, so numbers don't mean anything to me these days. I've noticed they quit growing larger when I put em' in the freezer, so when I want a meal I try for a dozen and let the rest swim. I would rather catch one eleven or twelve inch fish than 30 nine to ten inch fish.

To that end, I raise fish in our own ponds. We have multiple species present, but my focus is on growing large bluegills. I find it very challenging, highly frustrating, more than a little educational, and extremely satisfying.

I fish private water, although I always break down and purchase a license for my annual pilgrimage to Greene Sullivan. I went one time last year.

[izzy65]

What ever is on the other end

[custom r]

  My dad and uncle .  Grew up fishing rivers carp, crappies ,eyes , what ever bite . Really didn't care as long as I was catching fish .
When I was 12 . dad came home with some salmon and steelies . I was wow what a fight that would be .  Later that year he took me .
Been fishing every since .  Very rarely got to go to lakes . Use to ride bike to river just to fish .

[bret]

For me it's a few things.  I like the challenge of finding fish.  It's rewarding to study the lake and be able to find your target species. 

I also like catching bigger fish of the species I'm after. Like sparkplug said large numbers of fish don't do it for me.  One evening we got into a bunch of 12-14 inch walleye....I mean 50-60 fish between 3 of us.  We were excited but we kept hoping for the BIG ONE! He never showed. 
We made a few trips to Lake Erie last season and We caught a lot of walleyes.... but if you would ask the guys that went, I bet they would've traded those fish for a 13 pounder!

It's not always about catching food for the table.  I like the fight of the fish.  Big fish fight harder.  Catfish and white bass come to mind that aren't common table fare.  When you've been at it for a few hours with nothing to show and a school of whites shows up... it's a blast!

I also like the minimalist approach.  I prefer to travel light but I usually take too much stuff.  I've been considering fishing without my Marcum just to see how challenging it would be.... lol... we'll see!  Some good clothing, a couple rods, small box of tackle (who needs bait?), hand auger, flasher?  it's the only time of the year you can fish the best structure on the lake without a boat!