When did you know you were hooked?

[blazer4]

Mine was probably 20 years ago on a nice sunny day in February, fishing Duncan Lake in Kent Co. Mich. The ice was getting shaky at best and there were 20-30 guys fishing out from the access site. My then father in law and I were having a good day when out of the corner of my eye i watched this guy who was 65-70 years old making his way towards the shoreline in the small bay we were in and the ice DID NOT look good  along that edge!! (He was going to go and relieve himself) I remember commenting to my friend that he was asking for it. Sure enough he goes in---Panic sets in!!!! He was in about waist deep water. Well instead of going to shore?? He turns and tries to get back on the ice which is breaking off as fast as he puts his weight on it. Well the more he breaks the deeper hes getting, which is now up to his neck!! Were all yelling at him to go to shore but all the panic and confusion was not letting him think clearly!!! When thankfully this guy came running in with with what I think was a small box with a rope tied to it. Well he commanded the situation by getting the old guys attention and throwing the box in the water next to him. The guy grabs the box and the good Samaritan pulls the guy back on the ice!!! This all transpired in about 90 sec. Well I'm sitting there watching the old guy who's soaked to the bone walk back and fish for another two hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (he must have finished what he set out to do in the first place, while he was in the water   LOL )  He finally gathered up all his stuff and went home. I would have hit shore so fast my socks would have been dry!! never looking back--yelling at my buddies to drop my stuff off at my house when they were done!!!  I thought about wether he was embarrassed or if he just loved ice fishing so much that he didn't want to leave. I think about that old guy every year!!!!  i think that's when I got hooked!!!!!!!!!   

[FISHFORPIKE]

It was probably about 35 years ago for me.  My first time out on the ice for fishing.  A friend took me along for a day of N. Pike fishing with tip-ups.  We were about 1/2 mile from shore and the truck, located on the shore of an island fishing a shoal at about 6 FOW.  Had an open campfire going and enjoying the day.  My friend had a few flags and had iced a couple of nice pike.  It was getting late and the sun was fading.  Well I finally got a flag - my buddy accompanied me to the tip-up and coached me into waiting and setting the hook.  I played what felt like a pretty decent fish for about 10 minutes, the fish ran several times when I had it near the whole.  We got a couple glimpses of a nice fish but didn't know what it was yet.  Finally to the hole, played out, I retrieved a nice 8 lb. walleye.  That was it for me, haven't missed a season on the ice yet, nor have I caught another walleye like that one.  Very memorable, indeed -- I was "hooked"! 

[jonesy]

I would watch shows with envy, because fishing season closed in the fall here in Nova Scotia. I'm thinking around 6 or 7 years they gave us a winter season and I was hooked standing in the local tackle shop buying a auger, the next day my daughter pulled our first chain pickeral onto the ice and there was no going back

[SkeeterJeff]

Three years ago on a Sunday, the first time I tried ice fishing.  Showed up with a rod, bucket, skimmer, couple of jigs and some spikes.  A friend drilled a hole for me.  I sat on that bucket in 6º temperatures freezing my butt off for 4 hours before getting a strike and landing my first fish.  Ordered a shanty later that night and took half a day off on Wed. to go again.  While sitting on the ice on Wed. I received a text that the shanty had been delivered.  :-)

-Jeff

[blazer4]

I would watch shows with envy, because fishing season closed in the fall here in Nova Scotia. I'm thinking around 6 or 7 years they gave us a winter season and I was hooked standing in the local tackle shop buying a auger, the next day my daughter pulled our first chain pickeral onto the ice and there was no going back

They closed fishing?   Really---Is it still that way?

[surflizard]

The first time I went with my Granddad some 40 years ago !! I'll never forget as long as I live seeing the 18 lb Laker he caught that day !! Dam, thats way too many moons ago !! 

[jonesy]

They closed fishing?   Really---Is it still that way?

yes fishing season was closed here from Sept 30 to April 1 for the main part, then we started to get some extensions for smallmouth, then around 2003 or 2004, we got our winter fishery, and it is heavily regulated, we can target rainbows, chain pickeral, white and yellow perch, and we can only have one line in the water and more lakes are closed than are open

[Mainehazmt]

I didnt know I was hooked till Iceshanty told me I was.....made me buy all this stuff too   

[DennyB]

I was 4 years old out on Lake St. Clair with my dad and older brother.  I remember my brother asking my dad if it was a good idea driving the car out on the ice.  I remember catching small perch and having a wonderful time until, on the way back, the car went thru the ice about 6 foot from the shoreline in 2 feet of water.  I distinctly remember learning all kinds of new words from my dad when he had to pay the tow truck to pull us out.   Seems like yesterday.  I still can hear him swearing a blue streak.

[holehawg]

around 10 years old with my dad...bass and picks on our pond...old spud bar and 5 tip ups...i still have them...

[C P]

I dont really have one big thing that got me hooked. I had a lot of great trip with my dad when I was little and I still love fishing with him, but I REALLY got hooked when I got my drivers license! Once I could drive me and my fishing partner Shaggy fished almost every day after school. now I have 2 shantys a vexilar and I dont know how many other gadgets!

Im on the right hes on the left.

[jpicks]

I was honestly hooked after the first day I went out.  Broke the bank on the gear the next day and haven't looked back. 

[DR.SPECKLER]

ive been hooked on alot of things gave some bad things up but i will icefish till im gone.ive been hooked on fishin since the early 80s.

[Shienar]

Ive been hooked on ice fishing sense we have been aloud to do it here
like jonesy say we didn't have any winter fishing in NS for the longest time
unless you were fishing smelt in tidal waters

so after already being a fishing addict and watching and reading about ice fishing
for ages when the opportunity was given too us my addiction was almost instant

that being said in the last to season both of which i have been on IS for
it has gotten worse and turned into a full blown obsession as well as a addiction

[acrawfor]

I've been hooked since started by targetting smelt with my dad about 12 years ago. Went on a 10 year hiatus. And now I sometimes find myself thinking about ice fishing just from seeing ice cubes in a drink. I think I might have went a little past hooked, maybe addicted or 

[frozen_feet]

the first time my dad took me about 30 years yrs ago loved just being on the ice

                  THANKS DAD 

[Guinea]

When I pulled my first lake trout through the ice....as I stood there trying to untangle myself from my ice line. 

[surflizard]

Guinea, I thought you said that Czechoslavakians were good at that ice line dancin ??    Sorry I just can't help
myself sometimes ! 

[Litchfield Fisher]

New I was hooked the day I went through the ice at six years old in a couple feet of water, and got back out freezing cold, fished the rest of the day and was up before my father the next day to go again

[WI_ice_girl]

I got hooked the first time my boyfriend (now husband) took me ice fishing in 2004 on a small lake near Grand Rapids, MN.  We had only been dating a short time.  I pulled a 41 inch northern up through the ice, screamed, and ran about 20 feet away.  I knew I was "hooked".  We got engaged about a week later.  Spent every penny we had on ice fishing gear and have no regrets.  I will pick a day on the ice or in the woods with my husband over any night out with friends.  It's almost scary how passionate we are about ice fishing, but I look at it as a healthy hobby and we're not sitting in the bar being stupid.

[blazer4]

I got hooked the first time my boyfriend (now husband) took me ice fishing in 2004 on a small lake near Grand Rapids, MN.  We had only been dating a short time.  I pulled a 41 inch northern up through the ice, screamed, and ran about 20 feet away.  I knew I was "hooked".  We got engaged about a week later.  Spent every penny we had on ice fishing gear and have no regrets.  I will pick a day on the ice or in the woods with my husband over any night out with friends.  It's almost scary how passionate we are about ice fishing, but I look at it as a healthy hobby and we're not sitting in the bar being stupid.

Got a sister??    LOL

[jcrow931]

i Knew I was hooked 3 years ago my first Vermont trip, We had terrible weather, i didnt have the right boots (Work boots, not a good idea) and i only caught 1 18" pike all weekend. even after all that i couldn't wait for next year for another try. finally caught a 36" 14lbs 2 years later,along with about 20 others16"-36". Now i look forward to that trip every year, and it seams every time I'm on the ice I'm always telling that story or others from that trip