“SANDY POND “by Boggey

[Arkangel]

Best wishes Jim...looks like you've stockpiled the venison & elk from friends...and we KNOW you have a pile of perch fillets...so we at least you won't starve..!

Take 'er easy and good luck with rehab.  Camp will be open in just a couple weeks (April 14th)...so I'm just down the road if you need anything done on the weekends...call or text.  No joke - I mean it. 

Take care and God Bless.

~Arkangel

[KingPerch]

Wishing you a speedy recovery Boggey. Some of us, aren’t too far away, should you need something!! 😎

[New Old Guy]

Yo Guys & Gals,
Just signed off over on MFF. First snowfall got my crystalline juices flowing or should I say hardening. Looking back at how I closed the ice season out last year, I left you with the news about my right knee replacement. 9 months later I can say it isn’t all I anticipated. After lengthy and painful rehab, I am up and almost back to normal which ain’t steeple chasing considering my age. All that being said, I am moderately mobile and I can thank the Lord for my good health.

Additionally let me announce my Annie and I “ tied the knot” September 1st. I am blessed to have such a loving and caring person to share the rest of my life with. As you have read in the past, she is a tried and true fisherwoman both in the boat and on the ice. She baits her own hook, drags the shanty on occasion, and cuts the belly bones out when we are cleaning fish. Pretty dang perfect I’d say.

Well now we’ve established the new ground rules for the 23-24 season, let the games begin.

Looking for a local ice fishing show. Is there one scheduled for Syracuse area?

Water level on the Pond remains low going into winter. There is talk of extending the shipping season due to the St Lawrence shipping strike. Will that have any effect on lake water levels?Just asking. Hope that’s enough to stimulate some informative conversation till the “ice man cometh”.
Boggey

[Raquettedacker]

Good to see you back pal.
 Congratulations on the wedding nuptials.
 Too bad about the knee and not what I want to hear. My doctor wants to do one of mine. I know people that have had it done and they back at it in no time. So I’m skeptical..

[mr.clean]

New Old Guy/Boggey nice to see you back on Ice Shanty. Belated congratulations to Annie and you and the wedding nuptials. May you knee get better with time so you can do some of the things you enjoy this fall and Winter.

 Steve

[joefish]

Yo Boggey  No Ice over here yet but glad to see you back.

[New Old Guy]

Yo Joe,

Glad to hear from you my friend. You know you are my bell weather for ice conditions up North. I’d like to hear from you about one week before Christmas. That would be a great Christmas gift.

Sorry we didn’t get to fish together this summer. Hopefully we can hook up next summer. Will see you shortly i hope.
Boggey

[New Old Guy]

Thanks Dom and Mr Clean for the best wishes. My Annie is a blessing every day. Looking forward to a good ice season. Hop you both catch a bucket full or as many as you want to clean.

All for now. Boggey

[Arkangel]

Yo Boggey...!

Well aren't you just full of good news!

It was good to hear your rehab (while arduous) is complete and you are back to fightin' weight.  You are tough as nails, my friend.

And wedding bells?  Thats terrific ! So happy for you and Annie.

Our Sandy Pond camp is closed for the season, and I too await the Ice Man..!

My Annie and I are headed to Florida to see the kids around and during the holidays - returning the first of January...so let's see what you can do about getting the hard water thing going between now and then.

Would love to re-unite and fish with you this season.

~ArkAngel

[Otto]

Congratulations to the new Mr. And Mrs. Boggey!!!

[New Old Guy]

Thanks,Otto and Chris

Boggey

[filetandrelease]

 Congrats Jim on getting hitched

[nykonsdream]

hello everyone good to be back, its the worst time of the year where you just sit and wait and look at the forecast and wait some more until the ice finally turns to solid and then spud spud spud. Well I cant wait thats for sure.

Pat

[New Old Guy]

Yo Pat
Hope to have a good ice fishing season as well. Looking forward to cutting some ice with you neighbor. Between your 4 wheeler & my snowmobile we should have all our options covered. That and of course enough ice to use them.
Boggey

[Arkangel]

Boggey...Nykonsdream.. .

I'm with you, Pat - it's great to be back and talking about ice fishing - even if we're stuck in this limbo waiting period.

I've had the pleasure to fish with Jim (and BigBuck as well)...it'd be great to meet Nykonsdream and fish the Pond.  I've had my SnowDog up to the river a few times - but never on the North Pond. Sounds like everyone has their own ride..!

Heading south for the holidays to see our kids...but we're back right around the first of the year. 

Until then - organizing, cleaning, re-rigging gear and lines will have to do.  CANNOT WAIT...!

~ArkAngel

[New Old Guy]

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃

Boggey

[Raquettedacker]

Yo Jim same to you and your family ..✌️✌️

[filetandrelease]

 Thanks Jim and right back atcha

[KingPerch]

Hope you had a great day, Jim!!😎

[New Old Guy]

Yo Guys & Gals,
Wish there was something encouraging to talk about. Might have to make up something out of whole cloth just for giggles.

What are you all doing in preparations for the upcoming season? I got my cutting heads back for my Nile’s auger. Boy that Frank DeLuca certainly does a great job sharpening them.

Economics are going to play an intrinsic part of my ice season this year. Gas guzzling truck may have to come off the road.  Cutting down on the travel this winter makes me evermore dependent on safe ice here on the Pond this ice season.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has to tuck up his skirts this year. I’m grateful my limiting health issues have not curtailed my activities altogether. If I do have to travel, the Hyundai will make better sense. Smaller pay load, but I can get a small jet sled and a hub tent in the hatch back. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.

So just to recount, new knee, new wife, new hub tent , the blessings of good friends and family, I don’t have much to complain about.
Boggey

[Arkangel]

Good Morning, Jim...

You ask the question..."what are you all doing to prepare for this year's ice fishing season...?" My list ranges from the rudimentary to the educational.

If I can't sit on a pail or "hole hop" or be inside of my shanty in this early stage of the year - then I've decided to take my gear from the shed to my cozy family room - start a fire - and inspect or replace lines and knots and generally clean and organize gear.  I might have a YouTube channel playing in the background with a winter theme or ice fishing video.  I've also found that there are several ice fishing seminars online or on YouTube.

 Scheels - for example - has a 2 part online seminar.  It is free but you must register to qualify for $5,000 in giveaways from Clam Outdoors..!  It is Tuesday December 8th and Wednesday December 9th...check it out.

I think Ol' Boggey could be one of the instructors - with your vast experience and technical ice savvy...but guys like me could use a little tune up now and then. 

Here at 0700 on a Saturday I hear rain on the window next to me.  Waiting for the Ice Man.

I will leave the ice making to you all these next few weeks - as Mamma and I depart for Florida to visit kids/grandkids over the holidays.  Back the first of the year with hopefully some safe ice to tread on at Sandy Pond.

It was a good idea Jim...to start a new thread within this thread...What are YOU ALL doing to prepare for this ice fishing season...  Do tell...!

~ArkAngel

[New Old Guy]

Yo Chris,
Nice to hear from you my friend. I hope you have a great time in Florida visiting family. Further, as you suggest , I hope we have some safe ice to tread on by the time you get back after New Years.

About the thread “ What are you  all doing to prepare for this ice season”.  I think Trapper 2000 has sufficiently covered that. ( see current topics page.)

I too spend a lot of time perusing the “youtube “ offerings of how to improve my ice fishing skills and practices. A lot of wisdom, but a lot of snake oil as well to get you to buy the “latest and greatest” lure, pole,line, shanty, ecetera to enhance your ice fishing experience.

As I set here writing, I look out my window witnessing a droll, dismal rainy day with a projected 15 day weather forecast as much similar conditions to prevail. Bummer. Guess I will have to take some solace in doing some fishing from shore as long as the locks aren’t frozen up yet.

Important to mention, the Sandy Pond Sportsmen’s Association’s Fishing Derby is scheduled for  Feb 17-18. This is a great opportunity to get out bring the family, get together with old friends and maybe make some new friends. There will be some great raffles, and door prizes. Our local businesses out do themselves to come up with some great contributions to our fishing derby. I am trying to get a copy of the flyer which I will promptly post herein and on the closed topics heading “Fishing Tournaments and Derbies”. Hope to see you all there.

All for now……………..Boggey

[New Old Guy]

Yo Guys & Gals

What a bummer. This is usually the time of year while waiting patently for safe ice to form on the Pond, I call one of my buds up North to find some hard water elsewhere. Well, I just did that to no avail. Seems the subtropical temps are prevalent throughout the immediate driving area.

A further look into the future shows little chance of ice forming well into the new year. So Old Boggey will have to be content fishing the locks and other shoreline areas. If you find ice before me , I pray you would drop a shout out . Meantime I will struggle along with the rest of you.
Boggey

[nykonsdream]

hey everyone,I know the warm up has gotten ya down so much for a white Christmas. At the good news of it the 2 week forecast is definitely showing some colder temperatures. i promised the wife years ago I don't talk ice fishing until Christmas so this is my last resort to blowing off some steam. shhh don't tell the wife is said any of this. Cant wait to see what my brother got me for Christmas every year its nothing but ice fishing gear exchange between us two. I hope everyone has a merry Christmas and an extremly safe and happy new year.

Pat

[New Old Guy]

MERRY
CHRISTMAS

[bgaffney]

Merry Xmas

[Raquettedacker]

Yo ho ho Jim , Merry Christmas to you and your family my friend…
  Dom✌️✌️

[Arkangel]

Good morning everyone…and a very Merry Christmas to all.

Will try not to pile on with the warm weather reports…as I’m currently in Tampa with the family and catching up on free hugs from our 4 year old granddaughter…

We’re waiting for her to rub the sleep out of her eyes this morning so the Christmas unwrapping can begin..!

To all my friends I’ve made here with more to come…Merry Christmas - and hopefully the Big Guy can deliver us some ice real soon.


~ArkAngel (Chris)

[New Old Guy]

Happy New Year

[reeleyz]

Happy New Year!