Ice fishing this weekend!

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Rusty Spinner
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Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Rusty Spinner » Fri Jan 29, 2021 10:18 am

I'm all set. My five tipups are all set as are my two jigging rods and all the associated gear sitting in my Jet Sled awaiting a nice cold morning tomorrow. I'll be out on a private lake in West Milford where I grew up with my life long buddies drinking Irish car bombs and catching largemouth, pickerel, crappies, yellow perch, and channel cats through the ice. Looks like another very short season this winter, but at least we will have one!
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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lightenup
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by lightenup » Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:11 pm

I prefer catching trout as opposed to ice. :D :D :D :D :D :D ;)

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Rusty Spinner » Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:56 pm

lightenup wrote:
Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:11 pm
I prefer catching trout as opposed to ice. :D :D :D :D :D :D ;)
After a few Irish car bombs, I won't care if ice is all we catch. :lol:
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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Twism86
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Twism86 » Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:21 pm

How'd you do?
"Stupidity is scary but genius can be frightening.
Genius built the atom bomb. Genius topples nations."

Vance
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Vance » Wed Feb 03, 2021 7:46 am

Hey Rusty, How was your ice fishing trip? What in heck is a Irish Car Bomb? Since I don’t drink never heard of them. Now it will be a job getting out onto the ice in northwest jersey since hey got hammered with the snow. Here in Manahawkin we got one inch which as fine by me. Had my driveway shoveled in less then ten minutes. Bill the mailman

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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Rusty Spinner » Wed Feb 03, 2021 8:56 am

We had a blast, but very slow fishing day. Same for the other two crews out on the same lake that day (last Saturday). The ice where we wanted to set up in the deeper parts of the lake was marginal, so we stayed closer to a cove which meant shallower water and fewer fish. In the end, I think we landed one perch and two pickerel was all.

Irish car bombs: pour a pint of Guiness Stout, fill a shot glass 2/3 full of Jamison Irish whiskey, and fill the last 1/3 with Baily's Irish Cream. Drop the full shot glass into the pint and chug it all down. The Irish car bomb. :lol:
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

martalus
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by martalus » Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:41 pm

Perhaps the ice fishing season got a late start in mid-late January, I predict you will be able to ice fish till at least early/middle march based on the 15 day forecast. My brother has gotten out on Budd Lake the last two weekends and the ice is thickening up nicely with very cold weather to last at least the next few weeks. Ice fishing is like skiing, once you a thick base, the fishing/skiing can persist quite a while even if it warms up. 4 inches of ice can melt pretty quick but if you get over a foot of consistent ice, its lasts. The perch and pike bite has been good with some pike over 30 inches and fat.



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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by BiggerThomas » Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:34 am

martalus wrote:
Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:41 pm
Perhaps the ice fishing season got a late start in mid-late January, I predict you will be able to ice fish till at least early/middle march based on the 15 day forecast. My brother has gotten out on Budd Lake the last two weekends and the ice is thickening up nicely with very cold weather to last at least the next few weeks. Ice fishing is like skiing, once you a thick base, the fishing/skiing can persist quite a while even if it warms up. 4 inches of ice can melt pretty quick but if you get over a foot of consistent ice, its lasts. The perch and pike bite has been good with some pike over 30 inches and fat.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAVE1XsL99E
I agree with that prediction, Martalus. After Monday, it doesn't look like N. NJ will break the freezing mark until the end of Feb.
"Most anglers spend their lives in making rules for trout, and trout spend theirs in breaking them."

-From Letters to Young Fly-Fishers, (1926) Sir George Aston,

martalus
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by martalus » Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:07 am

I love skiing and ice fishing in MArch with-temps in the 40s/50s, sunshine, light winds

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Rusty Spinner » Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:19 am

martalus wrote:
Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:41 pm
Perhaps the ice fishing season got a late start in mid-late January, I predict you will be able to ice fish till at least early/middle march based on the 15 day forecast. My brother has gotten out on Budd Lake the last two weekends and the ice is thickening up nicely with very cold weather to last at least the next few weeks. Ice fishing is like skiing, once you a thick base, the fishing/skiing can persist quite a while even if it warms up. 4 inches of ice can melt pretty quick but if you get over a foot of consistent ice, its lasts. The perch and pike bite has been good with some pike over 30 inches and fat.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAVE1XsL99E
Actually, the snow on the ice right now insulates it and doesn't allow the ice to thicken. I'm hoping tomorrow's rain and snow mix melts some and it refreezes thicker than it was last weekend before the big storm. Very few lakes are safe all over; most just have a few coves or half their surface in safe ice. And with all the snow, it is dangerous to not know 100% where ice is safe and where it is not.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

martalus
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by martalus » Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:33 am

Did anyone get out on the ice this weekend?

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lightenup
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by lightenup » Sat Feb 13, 2021 12:20 pm

Rusty Spinner wrote:
Fri Jan 29, 2021 10:18 am
I'm all set. My five tipups are all set as are my two jigging rods and all the associated gear sitting in my Jet Sled awaiting a nice cold morning tomorrow. I'll be out on a private lake in West Milford where I grew up with my life long buddies drinking Irish car bombs and catching largemouth, pickerel, crappies, yellow perch, and channel cats through the ice. Looks like another very short season this winter, but at least we will have one!
I like to "fly fish" although I have never caught a fly...

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BiggerThomas
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by BiggerThomas » Sat Feb 13, 2021 7:06 pm

martalus wrote:
Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:33 am
Did anyone get out on the ice this weekend?
Yep sure did--my driveway is full of it!
"Most anglers spend their lives in making rules for trout, and trout spend theirs in breaking them."

-From Letters to Young Fly-Fishers, (1926) Sir George Aston,

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Rusty Spinner » Tue Feb 16, 2021 9:19 am

martalus wrote:
Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:33 am
Did anyone get out on the ice this weekend?
I fished twice so far through the hard water. Once on the private lake community where I grew up two weekends back and on Saturday this past weekend on Swartswood Lake. Both outings were tough fishing for a few pickerel and yellow perch. But both fun times on the ice with good friends which is what it's all about for me. I may get out one more time, we will see...
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by coaltrout » Thu Feb 18, 2021 10:37 am

Im experiencing ice fishing for the first time this season, what fun :mrgreen: !

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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by martalus » Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:21 pm

I haven't gotten on the ice since about New Years day 2011, but it is definitely a lot of fun. I fish it like I fish for trout or smallies, i.e. actively as opposed to just sitting around and waiting. I used to drill a dozen plus jigging holes in a tight grid in likely areas like drop offs/where the weed line might be as well as many holes for tip ups. Then I jig from hole to hole (usually 6 feet or so apart) and spend at most 1-2 minutes at each hole before I jump to the next. I assume since the water is cold, the fish are not moving much so if you dont get a strike right away, that means the fish are either not there or not feeding. My go to rig is a trout manget/swedish pimple tandem, tipped with way worms. Mostly I would get perch, crappie, all manner of sunnies etc. as well as trout and pickerel depending where I was. For tip ups, I would use large or extra large shiners for the big perch and pickerel and pike. Nothing better than jigging up lots of panfish and then sprinting to hand retrieve a 30 inch plus pike!

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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Rusty Spinner » Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:06 am

Some pix from my Saturday outing, my third of the winter. That's a good five years of ice fishing for me under normal years. :)
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"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

martalus
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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by martalus » Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:37 am

Looks like the dinner plate sized sunfish, jumbo perch, and monster pickerel finally cooperated! How thick is the ice now? As you predicted, has the insulating snow slowed down the thickening of the ice? The other side of that coin is that even as it gets warmer, the snow will slow down melting, right?

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Re: Ice fishing this weekend!

Post by Rusty Spinner » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:52 pm

martalus wrote:
Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:37 am
Looks like the dinner plate sized sunfish, jumbo perch, and monster pickerel finally cooperated! How thick is the ice now? As you predicted, has the insulating snow slowed down the thickening of the ice? The other side of that coin is that even as it gets warmer, the snow will slow down melting, right?
We had 8"-10" of ice on the lake and maybe 8" of snow on top of that last Saturday. If I had to guess, I'd say most if not all northern lakes will be safe through this coming weekend despite the warmup coming. It's below freezing and has been for the last week plus even midday.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

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