Ice

[Bob Horn]

Is anyone gearing up for this ice season yet? I think ice fishing year around so I'm ready to walk on ice now. I know a lot of the stores are putting gear out already.

[s2h]

Im ready. I stopped at Gander in Joliet yesterday. They had a lot of combos out but not much else. They said in 2 weeks, they will have everything. I was still able to find a few little things to buy.

[trolloni]

Yeah im startin to shop for a humminbird ice machine thinking about puttin in some wooden type cribs put some old pallet tpees out 5 years ago and man do they hold fish put 6 bill dance spheres out last year theres fish on em but nothin like the wood .

[Bob Horn]

trolloni, do you know how long it took for the fish to use them? Very interesting.

[trolloni]

Cant really say as i put em in right before ice[last year i had to break ice with my lund to put in the spheres]but with the wood we put em in spring after ice out and started catching bass within a week,the reason i know the wood holds fish better is i have an aquaview and you can really see whats happening around em ,last year you could fish 10 feet from em when the temp was in the 20swhen it 10 or less you would have to fish right on em to get bit i have them on points 4 tapering to 12 but the best one is in 8 feet flat that gets sun from sunrise to sunset.if you put some in wear a life jacket and have someone with you.pallets are heavy once you put a couple concrete blocks on em the spheres are cake just one brick one hand drop it in ,pallets stay put spheres kinda until some clown comes along and snags it withe 20 pound test and make sure no one sees you put em in.need to protect youre honey holes!

[s2h]

trolloni, how are you making these cribs with pallets? Sounds like a good idea.

[trolloni]

take 3 pallets go with light ones not oak lay one flat on the ground take the other 2 and lean them together like tepee or house shape screw em together with zinc screws that wont rust might have to take out a few boards to get em to fit tight then i wire couple concrete blocks to em and then i take em to a spot with the boat and roll em out dont worry if they tumble when ya chunk em theyll stand up i like to take out a few boards here and there gives em a place to hide usauly get pallets for free pick up scrap or broken blocks for nothin only thing is screws and wire with them spheres i have about 21 bucks in each one the advantage is everything on em is pvc and you cant get snagged on em pallets you do but theres somethin about wood that draws and holds fish mainly bluegill and crappie a few perch and lotsa bass probably should check regs before you get all geared up though,

[s2h]

Thanks trolloni! I have a few places to try this out. Good idea on the zinc screws.

[s2h]

I just stopped at Silver Lake in Warrenville. 1.5 on the sides. They still had the docks out looked about an inch at the end of them.

[trolloni]

The ice was decent till middle of this week ,but now after 3 days of rain it dont look good at all ! lock and dam 13 area ,the ole cricks are roarin! looks like the ole riv has jumped about a foot and a half this morning.

[Bob Horn]

I will probably take a week or so for the river to go back down. Everything is high around here to. Nielsen's channel has good ice but they are walking to the end of the dock to get out because the shore ice is bad. I have not had a chance yet this year to fun fish. I am hoping this weekend.

[JAR JAR]

When I lived down there we used to do well on cats through the ice on Silver by the island. and crappies by the south shore.. do they still get cats there?

Jar Jar