Bob Clausen

McGurk, I lived in Colorado for a short time. I can't count the number of times I hiked way into what I thought was wilderness only to find an empty six-pack. It's never happened with me but for some, beer bottles actually become heavier as you empty them - to the point where they get to heavy to be carried. Reminds me of the miracle of submersion I once read about somewhere. You must fish close to me. We should get together and try to out-lie each other some time. I enjoy your wit. Best of Holidays!

ikeslayer, I dropped through late ice (walking) about 25 years ago. I remember it vividly but what is most vivid is the gasp that escaped from me when the icy water surrounded me. The video talks about it and it is pretty much involuntary. Had the ice not supported my weight with my outstretched arms, I'm sure I would have filled my lungs with water. I don't know if I'd have drowned, but remaining calm would have been far more "uphill" than it was. On ice I'm unfamiliar with I make sure and keep my jaw closed and clenched and breath through my nose. Avoid the gasp!

McGurk, I truly mean no direspect to you, but your hierarchy of ecological priorities fascinates me. Cigarette butts on the ice are anathema but trucks under the ice seem to be acceptable. Like I said...fascinating! bob

Nick, Thanks for sharing and am glad your father in law made it. Am mostly responding to get this back to the top of the board. I went through the ice many years ago and was alone. Still don't know how I made it out but do remember the half mile (tin man type)walk back to my truck was one of the toughest jobs I've ever completed. If you haven't noticed, I get really fired up when people treat ice as if it's akin to the risk of a croquet game on the lawn. Thanks for sharing! Sorry if I'm sounding like an expert, COACH.

Thanks for solving a mystery for me (some) FMers. During over 15 years in corrections, I often wondered what became of 75 or 80% of the inmates who spoke as if they were the toughest, bravest, and craftiest people on earth. Now I know!!! They moved to MN, bought (or stole) some ice fishing equipment, and beat their bare chests with minnow scoops and frozen shiners while proclaiming their wisdom and fearlessness in fishing forums. A suggestion I learned from two men who went early ice fishing on Lake Sinai near Brookings, SD shortly before I moved to MN (13 years ago). If you're taking chances, be sure and drag a portable sled with your gear in it behind you. When both went down and lost their lives they evidently succumbed so quickly that they didn't even have time to try and hang onto the sled as it was found floating over their bodies with all their gear still in it. Saved the divers a lot of time and us taxpayers some money. Perhaps - according to a couple responses- they were actually safe until one maybe had some doubts...and then they weren't safe any more. Take all the chances you want by yourselves guys, but don't try to kid yourselves and others that ice is safe just because you think it is. Someone from the shallow end of the gene pool may actually believe you. Got my BP up with this thread!!!

I just purchased the H2O color. It's more money, but the feature that swung me to the color model was the fact that (I'm no techy) whatever resolution features are in the color model make it effective in the cold down to -40 F. No more tucking it in my coat to keep it warm and then taking spot readings on my way to a destination. Perhaps the B&W has the same features, but we couldn't find it on the features chart. I can mount it on the snowmobile and go without it fading or locking up.

Whoa guys!!! Shut your trucks off and get back in your houses. The post says they are planning on taking the permanents out next weekend around the 8th or 9th. With a week-long forecast of lows at zero or below, that week will make a lot of difference.

I've owned acreage tractors most of my life. Four years ago I bought a 1980 Ford 1500 compact utility tractor. It had 25 hours on an overhaul, is a 4WD with two sets of rear tires, a Ford 770 loader. a snowblower (3 point type), a box blade for moving dirt and a heated cab. The tractor is a 2 cylinder 20hp diesel with a heated cab. I gave $3800 for the whole works and consider it the best investment in "tools" I've ever made. Ford made a whole bunch of compact utility tractors in the 1970-85 era. Models 1100, 1110, 1200, 1210,...al the way to 2110. There are quite a few of this type in hsolist but most of them seem to be in the east or the south. I have seen a couple on implement lots since I bought mine. I'd stay clear of the new generation compact utility breeds as the axles and spindles on them wouldn't last a week putting it through what my little Ford goes through (I'm a residiential contractor). Watch the classifieds, the auctions, and the implement lots and you'll find what you want. By the way, that little 20hp tractor dragged a 3/4 ton Chevy for about 75 yards through the clay my area is known for...with no help from the truck. My $.02

Thanks, Tom for sharing your voice of wisdom. I spent about 40 seconds in freezing water when I fell through the ice in my late 20's and I can affirm how quickly all of your body parts start to react. Funny thing, the thing I remember most was the incredibly loud involuntary gasp that came from me when the cold water hit my body. I've had the front end of a truck drop through 18" ice and have drilled holes through 11" and 4" of early ice within 100yd. of each other. Safe ice is the ice you made it off. Any other ice not in a glass has risk. I take risks every day in my work but almost always with calculation and my "escape" plan ready. Please do the same for your sakes and the sake of those who need your presence. Nuff said!

I've tried the polar therm tip-ups and the soft hole covers. My quarrel with both of these was that, when they froze to the ice I either had to give the polar therm a kick to break it loose or try to handle the tip-up and tear the soft covers free from the ice at the same time. I fish mostly Buffalo Bay on LOW and when fishing big northern use an 8 to 10" (dead) suspended tullibee or perch. It's not unusual for the northerns that take that size bait to run out 100 yd. of line before they stop and turn the bait in their mouth which is when I want to set the hook. With the covers I made, I don't have to give any resistance to the fish until I'm ready to set the hook. If I get the fish on and the hole cover is frozen to the ice I just give it a kick to break it free without ever having to give up contact with my line. When fishing walleye up there, I use frozen shiners since there's no place close to get live bait. I can check my bait without having to move the hole cover or repack snow around it since I have a "swinging" door to let me raise the tip-up.

I've bought some things that didn't work like I wanted, so a few years ago I made some insulated "boxes" out of 1/4" plywood. They're 12"X12"X2"(deep). I glued 1-1/2" foam board to the inside and cut a whole in the center slightly bigger than the tip-up reel and made a notched cover that rotates over the tip-up shaft. I also painted them black so they absorb sunlight during the day. The most I get when I bank a little snow around the base is skim ice, and what I like is that I can work the tip-up and leave the hole cover in place unless I get the fish up to the hole. I'm also the guy that rigged the tip-up to a cordless doorbell for a strike indicator...$9 for a pair vs. $70 apiece. I can send a picture if you give me an email address.

My son and his family may be moving to the Mason City area, so of course "where to fish" becomes the question of the day. He is primarily a bass fisherman (both largemouth and smallmouth) but will also drag the bottom looking for walleye. Where do those of you with similar tastes go for these species in the area? Any help is appreciated. Thanks...bob

Pikeprowler, I see you are from west central, MN. I have a guy who does my sled work so cheap I don't even bother "playing" mechanic. If you want his name, email me at rclausen at prtel.com. He lives by Rush Lake if that's in your neighborhood. bob

I was in your situation a few years back. I'm not a snowmobiler - I'm an ice fisherman who puts 300 miles a year on a sled and pulls hard-sided fish houses arond L.O.W. I don't know your financial shape, but I didn't want to put a lot of money in a sled that gets used so little. I second the suggestion to get one with a longer track. My older Polaris Sport GT (2-up)has a 141 inch track. I also love the carrier on the back so my expensive gear doesn't have to bounce around in the back of my otter sled. I personally wouldn't want more than 1" treads on the track since pulling a fish house with 1 1/2" studs puts a real strain on the track if you're digging into ice. I read and am told that the four strokes tend to overheat at low RPMs, but I can't say that for sure. I do know that I rarely go more than 25mph off-trail on LOW. My generic suggestion...buy an older sled (cheap) with the long track and carrier, use it as long as it lasts and then customize it to the suggestions as repairs are needed. I drive an old sled with a new moter and new (1")studded track and have about $2,000 in it and it should last me for years with a bit of preventive maintenance. I watch the sled adds fairly closely and think that finding a sled with all the good suggestions listed will be a very rare event. Buy cheap and make it suit your own needs.

Mine's been doing that for three years. It goes through 3 or 4 frequencies until it warms up and then it quits. I can actually see the shroud around the burner vibrate. Figured it was doing it because it's an old heater and parts of the shiny shroud are not so shiny any more...remember physics - different rates of expansion. The molecules are goin crazy until they all get to the same temp.

Thanks for all the input guys! Sounds like there's no sense chasing bad money with good. I think I'll spend the extra up front for studs! bob

Chris, The things I'm talking about look like a hex-head sheet metal screw with some "teeth" on the top and actually screw into the lugs but do not penetrate the track. My track has one-inch lugs and I would use a 3/4 inch Grabber. You can check them out at http://www.bergstromskegs.com

Has anyone tried using these instead of studs? They are made by Bergstrom Skegs Inc. in Illinois. They're quite a bit cheaper than studs and don't seem like they'd stress the track as much. I use my sled mainly for ice fishing and it would be nice to have a little extra bite when pulling fish houses with little snow cover on the lake. Very simple concept - almost seems like you could use sheet metal screws for nearly the same effect. Also, can anyone give me an idea on how to make or where to get the spring-things that attach to your sled skis and help lube the hyfax when riding on ice or hardpack? Thanks for any help.

The ringer uses AA batteries - the push buttons use the garage door opener type. I'm sure you can get extra buttons since they only make a limited number of codes. Mine are three years old so maybe, by now they have programable ones. Your friends will get a kick out of them and they are much less irritating that the loud "store-bought" ones. Words to my wife: If they didn't want me to take it apart, they wouldn't put it together with screws or rivets.

This may sound really "hokey", but I thought the manufactured tip-up warnings were greatly over-priced. I bought a $9 wireless doorbell system with two buttons and made my own warning system. Set the tip-ups outside the house and bring the bell unit inside. It works great and my fishing buddies get a real kick out of hearing the doorbell ring.

My older Polaris Sport made the same noise two years ago. Turned out to be the bearing on the drive shaft. I don't know if yours is set up like mine, but the fact that my speedometer cable broke is the first sign that the bearing is going or gone.

I'm building a fish house now. Fleet Farn has solid vinyl 1X6 and 1X4 pieces in 8ft. lengths. I'm going to make the wood runners and then put the vinyl on the bottom of them so they slide easier and don't freeze down so hard. Apply a little heat to them on the bend and they should mold pretty easily. You can recess the wood screws that hold they in place so they are flush with the vinyl surface.

I bought a medium Otter with the sled cover last year. I chose the medium becuase it fits into the back of my short box pickup. I rigged up some pails with stadium seats so I can sit in the sled with my feet off the ground, store gear in the pails and have room for my auger, heater, and fold up floor I made when transporting. I love it and my fishing buddy loves it. We fish out of four holes in the sled. The only complaint I have about the otter is that air can come around the edges if the stretch cord isn't tight enough, but I'll be remedying that before winter.

You're right about that plastic retainer requiring a special tool. However, even with the special tool, they sometimes lock in the threads and have to be broken out. I did my 40hp Merc, and sacrificed the old retainer by (carefully) breaking it with a chisel. I think it cost me about $4.50 to buy a new one. No special tools or pullers are required after that.

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