New Jersey Ice

[Bukshot]

I thought the same thing about the pickeral.  He looked at that bait forever before he hit it.  Amazing.

[iceman_4432]

I just finished putting them up, they're at:

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=24023.0

Nice clips webguy.  I love the pickeral one.  Im sitting here at work staring at the screen waiting for the pickeral to take it.  LOL

[iceman_4432]

Now this Sunday is lookingike a lousy weather day.  Warm (50 degrees) and rain.  I sure hope it dosent mess up what we have started in the ice dept.   Im keeping my fingers crossed that we dont get the rain. 

Anyone have a good Non-Rain dance ?   

[Itsallaboutcatchingem]

Just drove by Budd and one guy our there, by the beach.  Almost looked like he was sitting on the swimming dock.  Jigging and had a few tip-ups out.  Stopped by, was going to walk out, but no easy way out there.

Hope he had some luck.

[NJ_ICE_HUNTER]

Rain may actually be good to flatten out the junky snow ice.  Right now I noticed that most of the iced over lakes have a sandwhich effect going on  2-3" snow, then air space, then 2"-3" black ice.  They said a cold front will move in after Sun so hopefully it will lock evrything up again and we will have 6" of good ice within a couple days after the rain.

[projoe]

right u are maybe the rain will actually melt the top crust off and as the cold front moves in then black ice will be able to be formed rather then the snow insulating the ice underneath

[iceman_4432]

Good point about the rain flattening out the junky ice from the snow.  I guess as long as we have that 2-3 inches under it, the rain wil be ok and the cold weather moving in after the Sunday rain will take over. 

[doodle]

We can only hope so!

[NJ_ICE_HUNTER]

Rain helped most of the lakes around here.  Got the crusty stuff off the top and cemented the split layers together.  I was out on about 4-6" today.  Careful on some of the bigger lakes cause the ice will vary within 30 yards of itself.  Lost count on fish these past couple days.  Lots of small ones but here was one of the nice ones I got before the rain last week.  Got a few like him.  It was a nice suprise considering were I was fishing.

[Itsallaboutcatchingem]

OK Hunter...where did you find 4"-6"?  Drove by a few lakes past few days and didn't really see any safe ice.

I'd like to stay in NJ to fish tomorrow and Saturday, but thinking of heading up north.

Happy New Year.

[NJ_ICE_HUNTER]

Mostly around here in Highland Lakes.  It is colder at the top of the mountain here.  However Highlan lakes is private.  I would check Wawayanda, Laurel Pond, or High Point area.  There are a couple others around that should be safe. You just gotta know where to look.  Been fishin round this area a while so, I know most of the cold spots.

[doodle]

Home feild advantage is always a good thing.

[NJ_ICE_HUNTER]

Gonna try and sneak out tommorow.......However, Forecast is not lookin good though ......... untill next Mon/Tues.  I wouldn't venture out around here again untill maybe Thurs or Friday of next week.  Hopefully Cold air will tighten it up by then.

[Itsallaboutcatchingem]

Thanks Hunter.  Know Highlands very well.  Have a friend who has a place on the lake.  Do very well for LM there in the summer.  Actually picked up a nice musky a few years back.

Think I'll try NY again.  Up there last week and could "only" catch LM.  But they were big and fat.  I'd say a few of them were over 5...didn't bring a scale, but they were very wide.  Had trouble getting two out of the 6" hole, had to squeeze them.  Actually wanted to get into some pike, but not last week.

Thanks.