How many guys have been members of IceShanty at least 10 years?

[Fat Boy]

My first post that I could find was on the old forum, March 12, 2001.  The first version of Iceshanty was called "The Shanty" from 1996.  When I posted for that first time though, the website was called Iceshanty.com.

I was a member of another ice fishing message board before that (don't remember the name) where several PA Iceshanty member migrated from that just suddenly closed down.  It was a national site too, but mostly PA and NY guys posted there.  I remember wondering why I hadn't found Iceshanty sooner once I did log in for the first time.  The old forum looked mostly like text, but also had a magazine type home page which at the time was pretty cool.  A few of those original PA members post here to this day, or at least log in.  I check up on them from time to time to see how they're doing.

When I made that first post, you logged in using your email address (I think, but it was a long time ago) and had used my real full name and my real first name when posting after that, at least when I searched the archived posts, I found both names as user names (full name used during the early part of the 2001-2002 ice season).  During the end of the 2001-2002 "ice season", the forum or software and forum changed, and for the first time registered with the user name "Fat Boy" on March 2nd, 2002.  That was when the forum took on the look and feel for the first time of what we now see today (although it's much further advanced and much bigger now).

Now look how far we've come!  Membership has exploded, but the look and feel from 2001 still has that appeal today to not only attract new members, but also allow the many members who've tagged along all this time to make this the best ice fishing forum on the web.

Kudos to the membership, whether or not you're a long time member or a newbie, or a mod or admin, because it's you all that have made this site what it is today.  And that is awesome! 

Special thanks to Scott too, for being the brains and originator behind this.  I've made many friends on here, have fished with many of them and not fished with others, and appreciate all of those relationships, whether they are virtual ones or in person.

OK, enough of the group hug crap.  Let's get some ice down my way so I can report something useful!

[bigredonice]

My first post that I could find was on the old forum, March 12, 2001.  The first version of Iceshanty was called "The Shanty" from 1996.  When I posted for that first time though, the website was called Iceshanty.com.

That was where I got my start too around 2000 or so, just using my name.   Using the wayback machine we can go back in time and check it out!

http://web.archive.org/web/20011211235825/http://www.iceshanty.com/index.shtml

[archbishop]

Next month will be 10 for me. I used to be on here a little more than I am now

[Fat Boy]

That was where I got my start too around 2000 or so, just using my name.   Using the wayback machine we can go back in time and check it out!

http://web.archive.org/web/20011211235825/http://www.iceshanty.com/index.shtml

That's pretty cool!  I just did a Google search on Iceshanty Archives and found the old general forum, and links to those same pages.  But there is an easier way that I forgot about, by just clicking on the word "Archives" in the menu above!

Next month will be 10 for me. I used to be on here a little more than I am now

Ha, and you have double my post count!  I admit that I don't post as often as I used to, but it's not for lack of interest.  Rather, there are plenty of smart people on here that post what I'm thinking before I do.  And also, I'm older and busier than before, hence also the reduce hours of fishing time compared to my obsession of those early years.

[Mr.Seaguar]

I used to post on a site called The Shanty or possibly The Ice Shanty on Up north.com or similar. I asked queste about Seaguar string until they named me Seaguar and I replied 'that's Mr. Seaguar to you'. I always  thought they were the same place until Scott told me different. Years back we would use the chat function a lot but that kind of died(pun sadly intended)

[Fat Boy]

Yeah, me too Seag (using the Chat)...I need to get back on there more often, that was fun.  I have had PC issues the past few years, but now can get on using my iPhone app...just been lazy lately.

[sbuffaloice]

I have! And I wear it like a badge of honor...Don't let my post # fool ya, I was in the military for 5 of those years and there wasn't ,unfortunately, any ice to report of from Texas or Iraq   Glad to be part of this awesome site!

[bigredonice]

Next month will be 10 for me. I used to be on here a little more than I am now

holy crap, awesome to see you've still got a post or two left in you, Arch!    Happy holidays!

[Iron Chef]

im right there, had to change my email address from net zero account, should probably do some fishing so I can do some posting 

[Swift]

Doesn't feel that long

[Fishinut]

Dang I just looked and I guess since 02, when I was 14.  Learned how to ice fish on this site. That makes me feel old.

[archbishop]

Coming up on 14 years January 13 now 

holy crap, awesome to see you've still got a post or two left in you, Arch!    Happy holidays!

[DR.SPECKLER]

ive have been here 10 years.

[docbas]

Just celebrated my 15th!!!!

[Kevin23]

10 years on this account, I was lurking on another account for a long time before I decided to start posting.

[goneunder]

Man you must have looked deep for this string, the last post being in 2014.  Love, love, love this site!

[bart]

2007 for me, haven't been the same since! 

[perchnut]

since 2005 for me.....would hate to add up all the time ive spent on this site....wowza.  But have sure gotten alot of good ideas from here. 

[SHUBA]

I have been member sense 2005 , oh how time as flown by
 What a great site lots of info to be had as well as shared ,wish I had more time
and computer knowledge to enjoy the site fully. Hoping for some cold weather to get on
the ice this year , without ICE SHANTY ,I would be going nuts for sure
  PLEASE EVERYONE STAY SAFE AND FISH HARD WATER

[ice dawg]

Been here since 2004.

[holehopper]

2006 for me.  Have learned a lot from reading this site. Great reviews on gear and lots of great ideas shared to improve. Thanks IS for 12 years of good info!!

[Drifter_016]

11 years for me.   

[royjulius]

10 years last October.   

[phesant]

11 for me

[Whytie]

In about 5 more days it'll be 10 years for myself. Who's throwing me a party 

[dogfish]

I remember when I joined I was member number 700.
A different time, you could post that you had done well someplace and there would not be 100 guys there the next day.

[John_BZ]

Just hitting 16 years for me.

Dogfish you are right. I'm a month behind you. Although this board doesnt have near the traffic it used to there are still people internet scouting. Nowadays almost everytime I post pictures it turns into people pm'ing me wanting to know where I caught the fish. I even had a guy ask me to draw on a map where I caught some perch one time.

[olds-Pa]

I joined on my birthday in 2003, nearly 15 years ago. Didn't even know the site existed until some ice fishermen told me about it on the ice while fishing. I have met and chatted with some nice people on here. Even invited them here to my home for some great fishing adventures on the hard water. Times have changed over the years. Even to the disappointing fact there isn't even any ice yet in Pennsylvania. Crazy weather anymore out there. Back in the 70's you could ice fish and hunt deer at the same time. I do miss the chat. We used to chat for hours at a time in the past. Some of the guys have gone to the big ice fishing heaven where the fish bite all the time . They were great friends and dearly missed. For sure there is a big wealth of information to be had here...Thanks to Scott

[wolfpak3770]

I've been in since October of 2005. Doesn't seem that long though, time flies. 

[jepik]

Dec. 2nd 2002 best site on the web.