whats the craziest thing that has come up your ice hole?

[shnelson]

I'm sorry if you have a perverted mind, but I couldn't think of any better way to word the subject..

I decided to start with a new spot this morning, walked about a mile out at dark thirty and got all setup. Dropped the vex in and was graphing fish like crazy, made me forget how tired my legs were!

I threw everything at these fish, I would get some taps but couldn't pull anything up. Finally switched to the lightest jig I had and got them to strike pretty hard. Turns out they were all fingerling perch, which got me excited about the possibility of a walleye. As soon as daylight hit, I popped a hole outside the portable and dropped the camera in for a perfect view of both lines I had down. I had to go outside and re-adjust it several times thanks to the northern that wanted to pick a fight with it.

After finally getting the camera to where I wanted it, the perch came back in since the northern had left. I pulled up a few more fingerlings and had to bait up my jig. As I was doing that, out of the corner of my eye I see my transducer get knocked around by a big object. I brushed it off as me imagining things, maybe the last perch I dropped back hit it on its way down?

I continue on fishing, my camera gets knocked around again by what I thought was a northern, but then air bubbles came up the hole I had a deadstick in, and moments later a furry little critter emerges through my jigging hole and decides he wants to kick me out of my fishing spot! It was a fairly large muskrat, and he didn't like the idea at all that we were in the same confined space! I had rods flying everywhere, transducer wrapped around my leg, minnows knocked all over and the heater sizzling like crazy from all the water splashing around. I finally grabbed the bottom of the tent and ripped it up to get him out of there after we danced around in circles a few times. I'm sure it must have been a site to see, I can only imagine what I looked like going after a muskrat with a minnow scoop - I just about needed a new pair of shorts after that one! I have no idea where the critter came from, I was a few hundred yards from shore and completely alone on the lake. Figured he might have dropped into my camera hole outside but that was locked up with ice/slush and I had a tripod on top so there's no way.

Decided it was time to move after that, never did get my much anticipated walleye bite this morning; but did leave with a rather interesting experience .

Anyone else had something other than a fish make its way through your ice hole?

[Will]

Good muskrat story, i had one scare the carp outa me before too.

I had a rattle wheel down on mille lacs overnite one time. I woke up and noticed my indicator bobber was gone. The line was not moving, i figured a pout swallowed it. I picked up the slack and felt tension, no movement felt like dead weight. I pulled it in slowly, waiting for a run. I kept pulling until i saw a square rock. My minnow was still alive, wrapped around the 1 pound rock. I took a pic then released it back to fight another day.

[shadypaddler]

Well I have to say when I read the title of your post I was thinking "I have a great one for this topic". Then I started reading your post and thought NO WAY. I have had the same thing happen. Minding my own business when up through the whole pops this muskrat. I was shocked as I think he was too because he shot straight back down never to be seen again. So I'll just say I know the feeling. Funny now but for some reason scared the [PoorWordUsage] out of me when it happened. All I could think of was some show like "when animals attack"

[eyebjim]

Kinda makes a guy worry about sleeping in the house.

[RebelSS]

HAHAHA!!!! You just made my day! That's hilarious! (Sorry..) The new Pat McManus of fishing!!!

[DonBo]

I had a muskrat TRY to come up my hole also...THREE TIMES! Luckily I was sight fishing in shallow water and was able to jam my boot down the hole every time to keep him outa my shack. Scared the beejeezes out of me!

[motley man]

Had them come up also, they would come after we left and they would use house for feeding room. Lots of weeds they ate and were eating stuck in corners. Finely had to put something over holes to keep them out when we left. Always have a few big water beetles visit, but they always go back down.

[SDS]

im hopeing for a muskrat someday, but for now its only a 2 puppy day, lame!!!

[PRO-V]

Fishing at the Eelpout Festival on Leech one year we caught the arm of a clothing store mannequin. Turns out a buddy of mine in another camp was scuba diving and wanted to give us a laugh.

[GatorBait]

Well, to this day I still do not know what it was that came up the hole but it was the freakiest looking thing I've ever seen. Was fishing on Winnibigosh for some perch in about 10ft of water. I'm sitting there watching the fish and this thing (Color Red with multiple legs) floated up the hole and crawled on to the ice. I freaked, granted I was like 13 at the time, I still remember that thing. Was almost sea urchin like. Also had the muskrat come up the hole, if your not expecting it, that's a definate pucker factor when they pop up out that hole. WOW!

[hoggs222]

When I was around 5 or 6, my Dad & I went up to Mille Lacs for the day in his permanent house. I believe we were out around 4 miles or so. Shortly after we drilled holes, we heard some scratching on the floor of the house. Took a bit to figure out. Yup, muskrat. It must have swam up the hole the day my Dad left the fish house the week before.

We had to un-bank part of the house and that thing took off across the ice.

[broken_line]

when i was 8 my grandpa was fishing next to the airator hole and my uncles buddy decided it would be funny to go yank our lines then stick his arm up the hole. lets say a freaked out 8 year old with a ice scoop will still hurt through neopreme! lol

[dan z]

still LMAO about the wiley rat through the hole

[patsrock]

I believe the correct phrase when think you may need to change your shorts should be "I think I need to check my filter." Much less embarrassing.

[riverview]

my brother had what we thought was a big walleye and we couldnt get it started up the hole. this was in the spring when we needed a extension to get through the ice so we couldnt see all the way down. finally get it up and i am ready to grab a 32 incher its a otter i jump back he gives it slack and down the hole it goes.

[fishersofmen]

Drilled a hole over an aerator system today on accident. All of a sudden a volcano of water came shooting out of the hole. Scared the tar out of me for a second.....

[brianh]

A Mermaid wearing Ice Armor and Buckshots for earrings

[d.frazier]

So r u guys basically telling me i shoudnt use rattle wheels at night in case a muskrat comes swimming up?lol..Is it really all that common?

[minnbowhunter]

I was sitting in my wheelhouse on S. Center a couple years ago and heard a big commotion outside. I opened the door and saw about 5 guys with scoops chasing a muskrat across the ice. It popped out of someones hole while he was fishing. funniest thing I've seen in years.

[wplatehunter]

A rubber chicken with the help from some friends.

[long caster]

Them darn muskrats !!!! Had one come up the same hole

twice in about an hour. Beware when you see air bubbles

coming up your hole, might not be the lake bottom burping...

I am sure the people around me got a laugh as I said a few

choice words and starting stomping the ice hole....

The second time I knew what was coming at least

[Ed Carlson]

A big fat Mama Beaver decided it wanted to check me out one night on the Boise De Sioux River.

She came up inside my Frabill Solo and sat there sniff'n my Vexilar and scratching her belly.

She was about a 40 lb fat healthy Mama beaver and in a Solo the only way out was to flip the shack up and go by her. So we sat there eyeball to eyeball for a few minutes.

I got the brilliant idea to tap her on the head with my fishing rod to encourage her to go back down the hole.

Ya..bad idea....she was not to happy with that....she got that "OH..NO YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT TO ME.."LOOK"...and commenced to have a royal ticked off Mama Beaver type holy #$%t-fit.

It got purdy darn Ugly for a minute...I apologized profusely to her...she eventually calmed down after backing me into the very back of the Frabill Solo and giving me a preaty good piece of her mind.

She then took here own sweet time waddling around complaining and lecturing me about...whatever, manners I think...and found the hole...gave me one last WHAT FOR LOOK...and dove back down trying to drag my Vexilar along with her just for fun.

I'll try to be a better host next time a Beaver decided to pop in to visit, apparently good manners count with beavers too.

[Will]

Great story! Loved it.

[&JAG]

Jigged up a rod holder out of a resort on Mille Lacs

[KC612]

I had just reeled in a small sunny while taking it off the hook a little northern who I assume was chasing the sunny I just caught attacked the transducer so I pulled on the cable and almost had the northern up when it let go.