Hungry for open water?

[CALVINIST]

This morning I got up, inventoried all my open water soft plastics for pannies, and made a list of ones I need to get. Then thought about some repairs I need to make on my boat. All the while, daydreaming about catching monster bluegills on the open water(and crappies, and walleyes, and smallies, and muskies....) I like ice fishing alot, and the best fishing is yet to come, but it won't be long now, maybe a month, before I put the ice stuff away and get things ready for open water. Anybody else hungry for open water as I am?

[Matt Johnson]

All in due time

I'm sure once the end of March rolls around I'll be ready to rock and roll on those open water pannies! And yes, I'm also guilty of going through my open water panfish tackle several times this winter I've even bought quite a few more panfish plastics throughout the winter as well

[CrappieJohn]

I'm lucky I guess. I have a lake about two blocks from my back door with a power plant on it that keeps the water open almost all year....only the coldest of the coldest days will the majority of it freeze. I make trips there quite regular....as in this early afternoon. Yep, thirty casts and 13 fish, all crappies with no huge ones to speak of, down from my usual catch/cast ratio of just over 75%.

Ain't much, but it keeps me connected to open water and I love the freedom of movement.

[harvey lee]

The boat is coming out of storage next week so when the great late ice bite is open water,I will be ready.I dont want to miss that great ice out bite.

[CrappieJohn]

I've been known to push the boat across ice to open water just for the early ice off fishing. And I have several shore spots where I have fished in veritable blizzards...all decked out in the insulated clothes and casting my plastics. Biggest fish of the year at this time and everyone else seems to think that the ice is the best. Ohhhhhhhhh, what they are missing. This is whyI love late ice...it keeps people away from the real thing!