Author Topic: Ice... close, yet so far. (Read 4572 times)

zcm_82 · « **on:** Dec 18, 2020, 02:38 PM »

Checked a few ponds in Iroquois County today, since it was 12° this morning when I got up for work. All of them were skinned solid with half an inch, give or take a bit.

It will be gone by the end of the weekend, though...forecast is 40s and rain Saturday, then more 40s and sunshine Sunday-Tuesday.

Sylvanboat · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 20, 2020, 07:12 AM »

I am just west of Chicago. Same here. I don’t expect ice before Jan.

zcm_82 · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 20, 2020, 09:38 AM »

Quote from: Sylvanboat on Dec 20, 2020, 07:12 AM

I am just west of Chicago. Same here. I don’t expect ice before Jan.

Our first ice down around here is usually mid-January, but that teaser ice always gets my hopes up, even though I know it shouldn't

harpenter · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 23, 2020, 11:45 AM »

The teaser ice is always the worst. Gives us so much false hope! I know we're still weeks away from safe ice, but I'm dying to get out. Watching all these ice fishing videos are killing me!

zcm_82 · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 23, 2020, 12:09 PM »

If the rain misses us here Sunday, and they have the forecast close, I might be able to hit a puddle or two around here next weekend. Depends on the weather. I would say unlikely, but not totally out of the picture. A couple of them I fish lock up real fast once they have a good skin.

Luckydog · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 23, 2020, 12:15 PM »

This weather is absolutely killing me. High of 54 today, then a high of 18 on Friday then back into the 40s on Sunday. It doesn't seem like we'll ever get ice. It's the same every year

zcm_82 · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 23, 2020, 12:20 PM »

Quote from: Luckydog on Dec 23, 2020, 12:15 PM

This weather is absolutely killing me. High of 54 today, then a high of 18 on Friday then back into the 40s on Sunday. It doesn't seem like we'll ever get ice. It's the same every year

We get a good one once in a while. Jan-Mar 2019 were really good for ice. I think March 9th was my last ice day.

Jan/Feb 2014 were really good, too, but I had a kid coming anytime and too much other stuff to take care of to get out much that winter.

zcm_82 · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 27, 2020, 10:11 AM »

Just checked the same 3 ponds. The two bigger ones were pretty inconsistent because of the wind making them lock up so slow. Had .5-1.5"

The smallest one had a pretty consistent 2" all the way around.

bigbucky1 · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 27, 2020, 07:42 PM »

I got out yesterday and scratched the itch a little. Was on 3" but I was also on only 3' of water. Caught a ton of gills but kept none. Just was nice to get out for a few hours

zcm_82 · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 28, 2020, 06:17 AM »

Quote from: bigbucky1 on Dec 27, 2020, 07:42 PM

I got out yesterday and scratched the itch a little. Was on 3" but I was also on only 3' of water. Caught a ton of gills but kept none. Just was nice to get out for a few hours

Guessing you're up in N IL to find 3" of decent ice?

uplandk9 · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 28, 2020, 10:59 AM »

Quote from: bigbucky1 on Dec 27, 2020, 07:42 PM

I got out yesterday and scratched the itch a little. Was on 3" but I was also on only 3' of water. Caught a ton of gills but kept none. Just was nice to get out for a few hours

I figured you guys would be out at the visitors center this weekend. Hoping for ice on the other spots locally by the weekend.

bigbucky1 · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 28, 2020, 06:47 PM »

Quote from: zcm_82 on Dec 28, 2020, 06:17 AM

Guessing you're up in N IL to find 3" of decent ice?

If you consider along I80 northern IL then yes.

bigbucky1 · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 28, 2020, 06:48 PM »

Quote from: uplandk9 on Dec 28, 2020, 10:59 AM

I figured you guys would be out at the visitors center this weekend. Hoping for ice on the other spots locally by the weekend.

You know where we were at you have should ventured over

zcm_82 · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 28, 2020, 07:02 PM »

Yeah, that's about 40-50 miles north of me. I'm gonna check some ponds in the morning to see if anything around here is walkable before the warm spell blows it all up Wednesday. It was still about 2" at best around noon here.

uplandk9 · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 30, 2020, 08:24 AM »

Quote from: bigbucky1 on Dec 28, 2020, 06:48 PM

You know where we were at you have should ventured over

Was tied up on a project at home, hoping to get out this weekend unless this heavy wet snow causes issues.

zcm_82 · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 01, 2021, 08:37 AM »

Hit a pond for about an hour this morning until that freezing rain rolled in hard. Edges were a bit thin, but the center was still 3-3.5" and solid. Landed a few small gills and lost a decent bass at the bottom of the hole. Conditions got nasty fast, though. Had standing water on the ice by the time I got off there around 745am.

IlliniIce · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 03, 2021, 08:42 AM »

gonna check out a small pond tomorrow, hoping for the "required" 4 inches

zcm_82 · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 03, 2021, 09:35 AM »

Half an inch of slush on top. Edges are pretty soft, but had 4" solid clear ice one I got 10-15 feet from the bank.

uplandk9 · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 04, 2021, 07:50 AM »

Went and checked a small lake in Marshall County on Sunday. Ice was sketchy but we punched a few holes, nothing but two dink bass.

Lots of slush and weight on the ice, hope it firms up this week.

zcm_82 · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 04, 2021, 07:55 AM »

I fished yesterday afternoon and had some slush and water on top. I had a quick look at the same pond on my way to work this morning, and it was all frozen up. We bottomed out around 23-24° overnight. The forecast looks decent... should slowly thicken up as long as there's no big high-temp blowups.

News:

Author Topic: Ice... close, yet so far. (Read 4572 times)