When your going to go on an ice fishing trip...........

[Agronomist_at_IA]

and your looking at the area/lake on the fourms is it better to hear about how slow it's been figuring that there is a chance for the bite to turn on, or are you better to hear about how hot the bite is with the chance its going to turn cold by the time you get there.

[waterbound]

Either way it's better than not fishing for me. I try to stay optimistic about being able to catch fish when I go somewhere and I'll spin whatever information I have however I need to make me more confident. When I tell my dad the same information and why I think it's going to be a good trip though he always seems to find reasons why the trip won't be any good...I should make him use the hand auger and sit on a bucket outside the portable next time, maybe then he'll be happy to be warm and use the gas auger and the electronics.

[shnelson]

Take whatever you hear with a grain of salt!

It is discouraging to hear about how slow or non-existent a bite has been, but you may only be hearing from the people that haven't been able to catch fish and none of the good reports (maybe they're still on the lake!).

I say plan the trip and just go - the local bait shop will be able to tell you what is working. I find that when you lose confidence about a trip, you tend to catch less fish because the effort isn't full force.

[ozzie]

You can only take what is said and reported on the forums so far. I can get a little info and get a little more optomistic with a good bite report but there are way to many variables day to day for a bite and when someone says 18 ft you have to think is that from the top of the water or from the bottom of the ice can be a big difference. I try to just get a basic feel for how that lake has been producing and go from there but I don't rely on the info to persuade me one way or the other.

[Wanderer]

See how its been going and then look at the weather forecast. The change in the weather usually changes the bite, good or bad.

Adjust your pattern from there.

[Dothedew]

Planning on going up to leech lake and upper red lake the weekend of Jan. 29th- feb 1st with 10 friends. Can't wait... good thing is that if the vikes win this weekend we'll be able to catch the superbowl.

Go vikes!!!

[TylerS]

I just go. Every time I hear about a "hot" bite somewhere (especially Lake of the Woods), it gets me all pumped. Then when I head out, I catch squat and all my hopes are dashed. I'd rather keep my expectations low, that way no matter what, you're not disappointed!

[jwhjr]

I just go to wherever I planned on. I don't pay attention to the "hot bite" posts at all.

[DTro]

The only thing I like to know is what the weather might be like. Not too concerned about the bite.

[THavas]

It's always better to be the one discovering the bite than waiting to hear about it from other people.

Go Get Some Feesh!!!!