I was out for the first time this season on a smaller lake near Parham yesterday (Long Lake). We had 6 to 8 inches of solid black ice in the central/western end of the lake. The lake is mostly 15FOW with a deep 20+ ft section so I am sure the ice was related to how shallow the lake was. We fished for a couple hours with two "ok" perch to show for our efforts. Not a banner first outing, but lets face it, with the winter we have been having so far I was glad to just get out.
Good luck to all the fisherman in the upcoming season and stay safe!
Cheers
Al