How cold is too cold (for you?)

[FishFindHer]

So we have today-Wed off an it's killing us to be staying home when URL calls, but we decided it just wasn't worth it to deal with these stupid cold temps. We are brand new wheel house owners so perhaps we're a little gun shy after having propane/heater issues our first trip out (got to about -25 one night). We will learn as we go, I'm sure, but we figured it's best to err on the side of caution when it's this cold, especially being new to this.

I know everyone is different (and totally not wanting to start a pi$$ing contest or anything), but just curious about your own personal "cutoff" when you decide it's just too d@mn cold. Also, if you have any interesting cold weather stories to share, let's hear 'em. Stay safe everyone..we'll see ya when it warms up a bit

[ammoman16]

I'm not really sure what too cold for me is. Usually it's too cold when everyone else backs out. The coldest temps I've fished in are around -40 actual temp. Unfortunately when you go through all the effort to fish in those extreme temps, the fish rarely cooperate.

[outkast7222]

I stay home when the Powerstroke won't fire up. Which is about 35 below.

If I am going to have to bank the house I stay home at about 15 below.

[highlife4me]

The cold has never really been a problem for me. As long as the propane still flows (above -40) I will still go fishing. The wind on the other hand is a bigger pain. If it is blowing over 20 - 25 MPH especially if there is some snow to blow around, I stay home.

[JakeJ_Mn]

I fished on LOTW today in my Otter 1200 Cabin with one Buddy heater keeping me warm. Fishing was slower, but still came home with my limit. Good test for my new 800 Polaris Assault Switchback sled - started right up after nearly 8 hours on the ice. I did put the cover over it. It was COLD on the ride out and back, but not terrible. You only live once enjoy.

[pikerliker]

Honestly it can vary with me as far as temps go and how I'm feeling on that day. I have sat in a deer stand (not in a box) in -20 actual temps, and on another day decided not to do anything outside when it was 30 and windy. It just depends. I'm probably more annoyed by wind than temps.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Several years ago I set-up on LOW with the reading at -39.

It was kind of a cool feeling.

[Carl Bjorgen]

I don't care for single digit temps, and whenever the wind is up, it tends to keep me off the ice.

I want to go on New Years day, but the forecast looks unfavorable for me.

Probably will just wait until Saturday. That looks like a decent day, at least right now.

[SwivelDigger]

Depends on if the kids are going or not if they are I'm a little more cautious....maybe 0 to -10 ....if it's just me.....if one of the 2 trucks will start I'm going. ( the one will always start because it's in the heated garage)

[bturck]

several years ago I was crappie fishing and the fish were biting pretty good. Don't recall the temp but it was cold, cold enough to cause moisture and condensation to build up on the inside of my clam voyegeur. Well came time to pak up and yup the zippers were frozen up on the door. I knew could get out of the house but how to collapse it and get it back in the truck. I turned the Sunflower around and it must have taken 20 minutes to thaw the zippers out. Caught more crappies while I waited so it wasn't a total loss....the limit at the time was still 15 so that gives you an idea of how long ago it was.

[fishwater]

If it's not windy or snowing, I'll go anytime. If it's blowing snow or storming, I get pretty hesitant to go too far from a heated place to sleep @ anything less than -5.

If I were you, I'd still head up to Red and go fishing, I'd just leave the new wheelhouse at home and head up with the rest of your gear. Rent from those trying to make a living in these tough conditions, they will help you have a good time and help keep you safe and warm.

Buying a nice wheelhouse, then fishing less because your worried about the propane giving out is a head shaker to me.

[NKLCOLT1911]

i fished winnie in -55 actual air temp, carlson was gov at the time if that helps you figure out how long ago it was, it was so cold that the holes would skim over before you could put the auger down and driving the sleds across the lake resulted is iced up visors and frozen shut eyes trying to see out the small slit with the visor cracked open a bit, fishing on the other hand was lights out, 15 of us got our limits, which i think was 50 at the time for perch, as a side note the throw a hot cup of water in the air and watch it evaporate trick worked that weekend, there was also a guy up there with a chevy truck that had loud exhaust, he would start it every half hour to keep it warm and as soon as he fired it up the fish went nuts.

[MN BassFisher]

I've fished in Portables in -20 temps with wind. If I had a wheelhouse, I would be more apt to fish in negative degree temps - those things are luxury! I can understand your hesitance with the previous propane issues though! Hopefully that was just a one time deal!

[3pronghook]

Spent the night in one of Brandts houses when it was close to if not -50 actual temp. I believe it was feb of 1996. House was warm but hardly slept. Got up every couple hours to start the truck and let it warm up. Woke up in morning to a very cold house. 2 100lb tanks couldn't believe both were empty but couldn't move the valves on either one. One last attempt and got the valve to open and the heat was back on. Actually caught a lot of nice perch that morning.

[Chad Holst]

Too cold? surely you jest!

I wont go out if its too cold to CATCH fish, but i will never stay home if its to cold to fish. The fish, dont know that its -50 degrees out when there is a barrier of 20 feet of water between the ice and the bottom and then another 2-3-4 feet of ice/snow between the water and the air. What they do know is the pressure. Typically you are not going to find a good BP when the weather gets to -20 or south of that. However i have fished in -25 regular temp, and had success. The trick is to hit the ice when the weather is about to change for the better...this usually is an indication of a move in the BP to something the fish find more feeding friendly.

BP can be a tricky thing to understand. Fish react to it more than any other factor during winter, IMO. (not that there are not alot of other variables to consider) The number on the berm doesnt really matter as much as where it was and which direction it was going. Think of it in terms of tempature, for humans. When its been nice all summer and then we get a 40 degree day, it sends us into shock, but then when its been below freezing for 2 months and we get a 40 degree day, everyone is ready to run laps outside in a pair of shorts. The fish react to the pressure changes in the same way. Sure the # means something, but more importantly the length of time it was at a number and then which direction it was moving is alot more telling to how the bite will be.

My

[FishFindHer]

Minnesotans are a tough breed, for sure . I'm sure we will go more often when we gain a little more confidence/experience. (I've probably read a few too many horror stories in addition to having our own propane issue.). I guess the psychological cutoff for us was when we saw -30 plus wind. Brrrr! We also have an older dog who travels with us and those kinds of extremes are pretty hard on him as well. Well, this weekend is looking much better, can't wait to get back out. Good luck out there & happy 2014!

[FishFindHer]

Sirlips...that's the other thing...you always hear the fishing's bad when it's that cold, so you go through all the trouble to get out there, and nothing. Sometimes it's ok, of course (we've had some luck in -20ish before when we used to rent houses)...but yeah, seems it's better at either end of the cold snap, not right in the middle of it. All that BP stuff, I guess

[pushbutton]

I rely on my rationalizemeter. A few weeks ago when chomping at the bit to get out headed up to URL in that -35ish with -70 wind chill stuff. Since then have got out multiple times, caught plenty of fish, and got to tell enough updated fishing stories to people who really don't care, especially the mrs.....that my rationalizemeter will not redline until the temps get above 10 degrees for at least a few hours of the day

[paceman]

I have been in both portables and permanents fishing in -30 weather quite a few times. No big deal if you are prepared for it.

[Chad Holst]

Push Button,

I got a rationalizemeter for Christmas one year, i must have been about 10 or 12 years old. To this day, almost 30 years later, it still works like the day i recieved it.

The trick to these amazing tools is to find other devises that will work in conjuction with it. For example, my house has a built in honeydometer and it doesnt work well with my rationalizemeter when the ice starts to form. I have tried several different honeydometer models over the years and they all seem to have an interference issue. has this been your experience also?

[Pleasant]

never to cold, always have enough clothes and couple 3 extra tanks of propane with me

[Luke_M]

For me it all depends on how much I have been out. Normally weekends are my only chance to get ou so I will go out in just about any temp as long as my jeep starts but after fishing everyday for a week when the temps were below 0 Sunday I stayed home and thawed/dried everything out.

[pushbutton]

Yeah, my rationizemeter is a really simple design.....easy to use. That honeydometer, on the other hand, is hard for me to calibrate sometimes, using it is complicated, and certainly puts out a lot of interference to my rationalizemeter. In that case i will often pull out my playdumbometer or didn'therethatometer..... both have ten levels of interference rejection

[Chad Holst]

Yep, i'm hearing yah loud and clear on that.

To be honest I didn't even know about the playdumbometer until i had went through several honeydometers, thinking i had just gotten a bad batch. In retrospect i'm guessing several of them probably worked better than most, but we learn as we go. It turns out it is some kind of design issue with the 2 devices. Each manufacturer says the other meter is the issue but i have learned that no matter what type you get it just doesnt work without interference. My current hoenydometer is by far the best i have found though. I still get a bit of IR but not as much as most of my friends encounter with theres.

My rationizemeter was manufactured by the Mars company and the Honeydometer was made by Venus manufacturing.Im guessing your playdumbometer was home made?

[pushbutton]

From design, construction, and patent. Could make one for you, but have to warn that after I get home and have to blow into the Mrslizer/honestometer it does not help me answer the questions properly and I fail that and the field test nearly every time......