We forget how lucky we are

[eriksat1]

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am, I was reading a post by a guy who said he had to drive 100 miles to ice fish. I am sitting here about 500 yards from a 5,000 acre lake, about 3/4 mile from a 3,000 acre lake, about 15 min. drive to a 15,000 acre flowage, about 20 mins. from another 3,000 acre lake. My hardest problem is deciding which lake to fish today. I wonder how many guys on here are weekend warriors who have to drive a long way to fish? I fish almost everyday without thinking how lucky I am. I get off work at 3:30pm so I can hit prime time just about everyday.

[GotEmHooked]

I am also one of the fortunate ones, not as fortunate as you! but I do have 2 big ponds 1/4 mile away from my house...what makes that nice is it sits on 80 acres of hunting land so I have the opportunity to set up some tip-ups and do some bunny and or squirrel hunting.

[Greg2ha]

Eriksat1!
If you want to adopt an adult from Indiana drop me a line! 
Yes you do have it good!

[jeffd7766]

i too some times take it for granted, i just open the back door and its about 75 ft to the water. And i have not fished there much this year

[walleye wacker]

i am a very lucky one with the same issue. i am looking at my lake about 50 yards off my back deck and 5 other lakes within 10 miles

[baginwal]

I can't imagine being able to come home from work, change and do alittle ice fishing before dinner.  You guys are truly blessed!

[jeffd7766]

thats the thing....it doesnt ever happen like that. Im always someplace else

[eriksat1]

I can't imagine being able to come home from work, change and do alittle ice fishing before dinner.  You guys are truly blessed!

I don't even go home I just bring everything with me to work and fish till dark.

[Moose-51]

I drive 3 hours to fish one lake.  1.5 hours to fish another.

This has always been the case growing up, ect.  I've never lived closer than 30 mins to a lake I liked to fish.

The drive is def worth it though.

[Drifter_016]

I am super lucky as I have thousands upon thousands of lakes close by.
The biggest one is 10,502 sq mi or 6,721,280 Acres. 

My Backyard.   



A close up.

[wilenard]

Canadian's have a lot of beautiful lakes and rivers. Hard to spot the land on a map amongst all the blue colors! Northern Wisconsin has treated me well and I too feel fortunate that I can drive to 1000 lakes in 30 minutes or less. Good fishing too!   

[Madpuppy]

My Cabin is about 30 feet from the Missouri River so I don't have to hike to far, yes I'm lucky

[Nam 69]

We are all lucky to have our freedoms to do what ever we want. I am about 5 miles but thats close enough for me. Just went out to check the lake and most guys are fishing close so they dont have to drag their equipment through 20 in of snow. Looks like it is starting to compact some what, Maybe this weekend!!, Flasher is here on Friday, Cant wait so I am reading everything I can about it now. Guys if you have links for the Marcum LX5 on how to and what to do I appreciate a PM. Stay safe, Jiger

[Alpinedirtfarmer]

I have been trying to tell you guys for two yrs how lucky you are.  I read this site at least once a day just to live vicariously through you to get my "ice fix" as where I live, I too would have to drive several hours to get to the type of ice fishing I want to do.  NOT willing to do that, I can wait I guess.  We have expanded the job search to now include MN instead of just WI......soon as my wife lands a job at a school we are out of here and I will be in the same position that you are in, trying to decided which lake to hit today   Yes, there are a lot worse things in life but for those of you who think your having a bad day and you live by hundred of lakes....think of us guys who have to drive 100 miles to go ice fishing   Living where you DON'T want to live is like being stuck in Purgatory.

[reelbigfish2]

I grew up on a private lake full of large panfish and like to make it out on the ice  every day.  My fishin' buddies and I cut holes in over 20 lakes in a winter and none of them are over an hour drive from home.  I'm one of the lucky ones.  But seriously if I had to live 100 miles from icefishing I'd move to the lake and drive to work.

[perchnut]

I grew up on a lake in wisconsin...now live in virginia and have to drive 2.5hrs to ice fish....so am def a weekend warrior....   

[snuffcan]

I have a minimum 40 min. drive to ice fish in central Pa. I have a few good lakes closer, but they are water authority lakes that are closed to ice fishing.(They claim liability issues) In Pa you have to go to a State park or Army Corp. lake for the most part to ice fish.

[surflizard]

I feel for the guys who have to travel to hit the ice. I'll give them credit, at least they don't sit on their couch
and cry about it. I'm very lucky in that I live in the Lakes Region here in NH. The worst part is no matter what direction I take leaving the house to go to work,I have to go by a hard water haven to get there.

[fishermantim]

Sometimes it isn't about how far you HAVE to go, but how far you WANT to go.
Sure, there are plenty of small bodies of water closer to home, but they may be either unsafe, unclean or unaccessable.

[Juan bond]

I live in West Central IN and we are lucky to have a 5 day hardwater season, so I am definately envious of the guys who have good cold winters. I'm from Northern IN and still have family there so I can visit for awhile and then go fish, not a bad deal. Gas is the killer,,,,500 mi. round trip just to the family and then through in the trips to whatever water I want to fish.....

Have Vex, will travel!!!!!!

[scmelik]

I am super lucky as I have thousands upon thousands of lakes close by.
The biggest one is 10,502 sq mi or 6,721,280 Acres. 

how in the world do you choose which lake to fish?

[Drifter_016]

how in the world do you choose which lake to fish?

Taint easy!!!                

[scmelik]

Taint easy!!!                

I bet not, I have quite a few lakes within an hour drive and never know which lake to head to I can't imagin having that many choices

[Lobes]

I am super lucky as I have thousands upon thousands of lakes close by.
The biggest one is 10,502 sq mi or 6,721,280 Acres. 

Just looking at those maps makes me think I have to pee ...

                               
NBG

[rgfixit]

Well, living just East of Rochester, I can be on enough different bodies of water in 45 minutes to make it confusing. In the summer I can be in the stream with the flyrod in 10 minutes and have the boat wet in 15.

Gotta love fishing in upstate NY

RG

[cbtrtbum]

Its about 30 miles to my closest good fishing, and i certainly consider myself lucky every day for all that i have!!  (headed there right now!)

[Greg2ha]

Drifter has as much water as land it looks like! I am super jealous!

[eriksat1]

Drifter has as much water as land it looks like! I am super jealous!

But what kind of fish that far north? Trout, Northern Pike, Grayling?

[Drifter_016]

But what kind of fish that far north? Trout, Northern Pike, Grayling?

Yes, Yes & Yes, plus walleye, whitefish, burbot, char, cisco.
There are some other fish available but not near me.

[andycapp]

Well, living just East of Rochester, I can be on enough different bodies of water in 45 minutes to make it confusing. In the summer I can be in the stream with the flyrod in 10 minutes and have the boat wet in 15.

Gotta love fishing in upstate NY

RG

I live about 10 minutes from RG. I am right up on the Lake. I can fish any number of Bays and Ponds all over the county I live in. 45 mins South I have the Finger Lakes and about 1.5 hours south I have the Genesee River that hold some of the most beautiful colored Trout you will ever see. Spinning or Fly Rod we slay them in the spring. They certainly are some of the best eating any place I have been. Guys come from all over the state to fish Irondequoit Bay 5 minutes from my house. We have awesome Steelhead Fishing in the Genesee before the barrier. Huge Steelies now and then. I love the fishing here.