Ice :)

[TrapMan13]

This cold spurt has got me thinking about some early ice and cats,eyes, and crappies flying out of the same hole... Gotta love them early "catfish" spots! Anyone else getting ready to gear up?? Got the line stripped off most my rods and most my tackle together.. Bring on the cold!

[Brad B]

I have been geared up for a month now. just waiting on the ice to show up. hopefully soon if this wind dies down.

[JBMasterAngler]

Last february was my 1st time ever targeting cats through the ice. Got skunked So this season I'll be hitting the chain christmas weekend in hopes of having a better chance hooking into a few "whisker trout".

[aanderud]

I'm planning on being out there Dec 8. We'll see what the weather says though. If the ice isn't thick enough I'll be doing something else. I have to believe it'll be thick enough. Might even be able to go out on the 2nd, but that's just a hope and a prayer at this point.

[Rick G]

The lakes should be locked up be tomorrow, I see 12 on the thermometer Water temp was 38 on Wed. I might try to get out one day in the week, otherwise it's game on next weekend for sure

[aanderud]

Yeah, I'm secretly hoping for the 2nd but I'm not going to hold my breath. It all depends on this week. Big monster truck show with my 5 year old on saturday the 1st

[nsnutter]

Brian - give me a jingle sometime when you're planning on icing some whiskers. I wouldn't mind trying it this winter (been saying that for a few years now lol).

[aanderud]

Will do.

[Stick in Mud]

The lakes should be locked up be tomorrow, I see 12 on the thermometer Water temp was 38 on Wed. I might try to get out one day in the week, otherwise it's game on next weekend for sure

I like your confidence, Rick, but hubris might bring a heatwave down upon us.

[Rick G]

Carmike , are you trying to jinx us If the heatwave does indeed come I will know who to blame

[Andrew Erickson]

how do you target cats through the ice? What kind of structure do you guys look for? It sounds like a blast

[Brad B]

how do you target cats through the ice? What kind of structure do you guys look for? It sounds like a blast

check out these past threads. there is alot of information in these and if after reading these you still have questions feel free to ask away, people are more than willing to help out :

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2709400/Cattin_the_Chain_2012#Post2709400

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...ear#Post2760382

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2727608/1

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2406571/Cattin_the_Chain_11#Post2406571

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2378315/2

(go to page 2 and Borch has a detailed list of stuff that is recommended for ice fishing for cats)

[TrapMan13]

Look through previous threads and find some of the more "well known" hotspots.. Try those spots first. Most of the time we end up drilling a good number of holes so bring your auger gas tank..(I usually use a zig zag pattern covering as many depths and structures with the fewest amount of holes, since it takes enough the way it is and i want to spend some time on the ice actually angling) Once you think you have drilled a sufficient amount of holes you begin taking your sonar and checking from hole to hole to locate some fish. More times than not... Once your on the fish, you'll know. Generally you will run into schools and from time to time half your screen will be solid red with fish. As for depths, it varies, day to day sometimes.. Techniques? Some people fish them like eyes with spoons or bobber rigs (red seems to be a popular color)I prefer to fish them on light tackle something like I would for crappies.. Small Glo Jig with a Crappie Minnow hooked through the head and i work the jig as i normally would. Hope this helps!

[JackPineGuy]

I grew up fishing the minnesota river just south of bellplaine. Nothing fazed me then. We fished the river year round. we rarely fished lakes back then. now i would never step foot on the Mn. Lost 2 friends in a five year span that way. One was a close friend from blakey in 73, and another from shakopee in 78... The ice was nearly a foot thick then on both occasions. But with our knowledge of the river we knew it was only a matter of time.

[aanderud]

how do you target cats through the ice? What kind of structure do you guys look for? It sounds like a blast

Basically all of the info you could ever want about icing cats has been talked about in the threads Brad liked to. It's not rocket science, it can be summed up in about 2 sentences: Look for deeper water, and fish the breaks leading into that deeper water. Bring variety of baits and hook sizes -- because some days they want spoons jigged hard, other days tiny bits of chicken liver on a hook under a neutrally buoyant bobber.

[TruthWalleyes]

Amazing how important a neutral bobber can be at times.

It be nice to just drop a hunk of cutbait down the hole and wait for the clicker to scream like during soft water

[Rick G]

It be nice to just drop a hunk of cutbait down the hole and wait for the clicker to scream like during soft water

Get up here in the first week or so of ice and it almost is I will be making my first trip of the year for them tomorrow. I expect them to be hungry and the overall size to be good

[aanderud]

Listen to Rick, he knows what he speaks of. He's right, that first couple weeks is usually the best bite. It tapers off throughout the season up until about the point where I stop fishing for them altogether around late Jan or early Feb.

I'd get out this weekend but my wife's working, meaning my kid is in tow, and I need a bit thicker ice to be taking him. Judging by the forecast for next week I probably won't be out until...2 weeks from now or so, minimum (dec 15th). I might end up in cedar rapids that weekend, putting my first cat outing at like the 22nd. Argh. Good news is we ought to have plenty of ice by then

[Stick in Mud]

Carmike , are you trying to jinx us If the heatwave does indeed come I will know who to blame

You, my friend, were the one to get all confident 'n stuff. Now look what we've got....40's and 30's into next week. Pride goeth before the fall, as they say. But alas, that "fall" isn't referring to temperatures.

[Rick G]

I said you were going to jinx us, now look what you have gone and done

[fishnowworknever]

We had a blast last year out there, started off slow then each of us got over 50 easily on a couple occasions. That tiny twitch of the bobber or your pole tip ever so slightly dropping down...nothing better. I have a buddy who fishes the MN religiously, but this was up around your neck of the woods, Rick. Probably the same "areas"

I sure hope the ice is better this year.

[TruthWalleyes]

Get up here in the first week or so of ice and it almost is I will be making my first trip of the year for them tomorrow. I expect them to be hungry and the overall size to be good

That's awesome. Might have to swing up there early ice.

[Stick in Mud]

Yup, early ice is where it's at. By February it gets pretty tough to catch them.

[Rick G]

The way this crazy weather is going we might not see first ice on the chain till Feb Got a little wet while trying to get on the ice this morning thankfully it was only knee deep

[aanderud]

Supposed to be cold this weekend and again next week. Grrrr I'm getting frustrated with all this warm weather. Before thanksgiving I was predicting that this coming weekend would be the weekend for me, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

I'm guessing the next week will be good. Unfortunately, I'll be in Iowa. You guys will have to prefish the areas so I know where to go when I can get out the week after.

ARgh.

edit: I hope the 2 inches today and the 4-6 inches this weekend doesn't put a huge damper on the ice-making. That much snow on just a few inches of ice can really insulate the heck out of it, making it a long process to thicken up.