What do you feel about ice fishing?

[fisheraug4life]

If you don't get it i mean do you feel like your gonna catch a monster, feeling comfy sitting in your shack, etc.

[maineduckhunter]

I think I like Ice Fishing a lot more then Open Water fishing......example.. ....I have yet to wet a line this open water season......ice fishing season I hardly ever miss a day!!!

[Kyle_]

I like cold weather more than warm weather, I HATE bugs(specially skeeters) so thats one of the main reasons.  I also like how you can go anywhere and stay where you want, you dont have to worry about how close to shore you are, anchors,etc.  But flyfishing is very fun too, I'd say I like icefishing a bit more however.

[adkRoy]

I catch way more icefishing, I catch bigger fish, Species I can't catch during open water. I meet more people icefishing, go to more lakes, and generally have more fun. plus I like the fact in addition to two hand lines, I can have 5 tip-ups in the water too.

[RLWagner]

Ice fishing is tops. The ability to sight fish on occassion, the solitude, tranquility and cold air!
I love getting the Mickies on and trapsing out on the lakes while it's stiull dark outside. The adrenaline rush every time a flag goes off is irreplacible! noT EVEN DOWN RIGGER RODS POPPING CAN DUPLICATE THAT FEELING FOR ME.
dARn caps loc again!
I also like the 1# test line on micro light rods, and still being able to land 30 inch pike and 6# Bass.
Seeing a pile of Gills laying on the ice with some Perch and Crappies mixed in is the best art work I can ask for!

[SPARKYICE]

i posted this in reply to the question "do you fish alone", but it sums up how i feel about ice fishing.


yes, i fish alone.

there is nothing like the thrill of knowing just how screwed you would be if something went wrong.

there is no better way to clear your head of stress than a few hours alone in the woods or on the water.

there is no greater satisfaction at the end of the day than knowing you did it all by yourself.

i love my hunting and fishing buddies, but sometimes you need your space.

[putback]

If you don't get it i mean do you feel like your gonna catch a monster, feeling comfy sitting in your shack, etc.

Allways, even on slow days, no matter want I'm fishing for. 50+ plus yrs old and still like a kid anticipating the weight of the hook set. Then if its heavy praying I can at least see it if I loose it! If I could have only one sport it would be ice fishing, but I'd sure miss my bow.

[madpistoleer]

I enyoy the solitude, It's always great to have a buddy come along or show up but there is nothing like being out there in my shanty. Time to enjoy fishing, time to think, time to relax. My time............

[calvin21]

i love ice fishing cause you can go anywhere on the lake ( when ice is safe) without needing a boat.
We are stuck to the shores usually during the summer so ice is way better for me.
Also i feel there is a way better chance to catch a monster on the ice.

[pdbruzassr]

I love ice fishing and I am almost sixty years old. I caught my largest brown trout last Winter jigging a Rapala#11  silver black combo. It was a moment I will never forget trying to ice that 22" fish vertically through a 10" hole that I did not even drill through the 16" of ice here in CT. The ironic thing was that the fisherman who drilled the holes caught a 28" 8 lb. Brown trout out of the same holes. How do I know? My friendly bait shop owner told me so when I brought my fish in to be weighed. I fished all temperatures this Winter and I cannot wait until the first ice  forms and my nephew and I go after the monsters off the sandy beach again. I bought several heavy duty jig rods with conventional reels since ice out. I also purchased a camp stove but am still looking for a portable ice shanty. Maybe I will try my hand at Walleyes this Winter. There are very few walleye lakes in my area and have a better chance at pike. I feel like the Lord when I walk on the ice, I no longer wish to be in green pastures but rather on frozen water.

[captain54]

 It's the best there is hands down, I've done it all streams. ponds. lakes,rivers, and the big ponds the great lakes and the the biggest pond the ocean. Get me over a hot bull blue gill bite and I'm in heaven. My son and I iced over 400 bulls between 8 1/2 to 10 inches,we had a great year plus we caught 100 plus crappie and several bass and pike on tipups,3 pike where over 40 inches. We very seldom open water fish anymore. Bring on the ice baby,only 7 more months.

[vermonner]

I love icefishing
I love the solitude when I go alone
I love chewing the fat w/ the boys in the shack when I have company.  I love putting my shanty together on the ice.  I love not knowing what will come through the hole when I get a bite.  I love it love it love it.

[fishfry]

NO BUGS!!!!

[putback]

Happens in NY. too ? Thought it was a VT. thing! Seriously ice fishing folks do seem to be a cut above.

[madpistoleer]

Oh Yea..........Beer stays cold.............. 8)

[Skipper]

You need a cooler to keep your beer from freezing! 8)

[njsimonson]

Always a blast when I can get out in December and January, and the anticipation is killer in November.  By February though, I'm longing for openwater. 

Things I enjoy:
Six inches of clear ice with no snow on top, when you can see the fish coming up.
The Vexilar screen. 
Buying tackle.
Sled-shack portability. 
FLAAAAAAG!
Run-and-gun jigging on 25 degree days.
Finesse fishing picky panfish. 

Things I hate:
Reynaud's Syndrome (my hands are horrible in the cold).
The fact that people see the ice as a seasonal dumpground.
Slower fishing than summer. 
Watching a bobber.

[esox13]

If I could only pick one hobby it would be ice fishing (which has surpassed the hobby stage and entrenched itself in pure passion) without a doubt. I, like others have already said, have yet to be fishing this spring and have no plans as of yet to do so. I do hunt (and truly love it) and open water fish, but it is hard to explain how much I love ice fishing - it generates a physical reaction in me when I know I am going. A lot like the excitement you felt when you were a kid on Christmas morning.

There is nothing like the site of a flag popping and seeing the spool turning when you arrive. The excitement and anticipation of what is on is fantastic. When my Vexilar is lit up like a xmas tree it gets me as wound up as seeing a really nice buck coming to my treestand. Looking out across a frozen lake at sunset is breath taking.

I also enjoy the camaraderie that ice fishing brings with it. The people you and your friends meet are much nicer than open water for the most part. I like stopping by other "camps" and talking ice fishing with their group and everyone is always welcome in our "camp".

[madpistoleer]

You need a cooler to keep your beer from freezing! 8)

No problem, put em outside the shanty a couple at a time or so. If the timing is right there will be ice crystals just starting to form as each fresh beer is popped open.... 8)

[Hardguy]

Nice that all of your gear can fit in a sled that can be pulled anywhere. GPS gets you on the old spot and you actually stay there without fighting waves, wake, or wind. Not a whole lot to do that time of year if you are not into the hardwater anyway. Your shack is like your home away from home. All is good inside. Keep you eye on the tipups and enjoy!

[Mr.Vexilar]

Well... I used to hate ice fishing, then this past season it just clicked with me and now i absolutely LOVE IT!  Dont know why it happened that way, but now part of my paycheck is even going toward ice fishing!  Just what  i needed! Another hobbie! lol

[johndeere540]

Ifish out of my truck here in Vt.  So if the fish aint biting i'lle move somewhere else the next day.