A delicate subject: Ice fishing expatriates

[Questor]

I live in Minnesota. I tried ice fishing. Didn't like it. But love open water fishing with a passion. Anybody else have the same attitude? Will they kick me out of the state if they catch me?

[harvey lee]

No they wont kick you out. If you dont ice fish that is just fine as its less competition out there. Ice out will be soon.

[gunflint]

Don't worry about it. I don't fish the hard water either, for many reasons. But that means that when open water season is here I fish every day that I possibly can.

[Eric Wettschreck]

There's a difference between don't like it, and don't do it much.

Don't do it much= it's cool. Ice out will be here soon.

Don't like it= Many will think you are a Packer fan.

[Nate McVey]

Man, every where I look someone is rippin on Packer fans.....Are there not that many of us out here? Help me out Green and Gold

[Deitz Dittrich]

Questor,

Nah, we won't kick you out. But I do think as a fishing based web site we have to look into why you didn't like it?

Can you please go into the things you didn't like about ice fishing? I would like to hear it.

My opinion. I really enjoy ice fishing. It can be some of the best fishing the entire year. Fish taste better during the winter months. My dad prefers ice fishing over open water fishing. I am not sure I can say that, I am far to much a Bass head. But he quotes.." its always 75 degrees and no wind while ice fishing".

When you went, who did you go with? And did you catch anything?

[sachem longrifle]

Quote:

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I live in Minnesota. I tried ice fishing. Didn't like it. But love open water fishing with a passion. Anybody else have the same attitude? Will they kick me out of the state if they catch me?

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I live in Wisc. Originally from Minn. Will be moving back as soon as my youngest child graduates from school. I grew up open water fishing. My dad said he first took me fishing at 2 on Lake Superior back in the late 1960's. We fished everywhere. But we never ice fished. I tried it off and on. I even tried with an ATV, power augar, and electronics. Could not get into it. Sold all my equipment and invested in all new open water junk. I don't even hunt much anymore, except for grouse which I love, and toss around the idea of duck hunting again. But I don't deer hunt much anymore. So you are not alone. I am also passionate about the open water fishing

[DancesWithWaves]

All one has to do is follow that winter circus on Upper Red Lake to become an ice fishing expatriate. Seems the rif raf disappear in the summer.

[traveler]

I'm about 95% open water, 5% ice fishing. I can list a few reasons...1. No steelhead/salmon thru the ice (mostly). 2.Fighting fish; MUCH more fun for me with a "real" rod, especially with bigger fish. And I really like rods, the variety of actions, legnths, etc...I know high tech ice rods get into this to, but c'mon, it's just not the same. Also, I've never liked the lack of control I have fighting a bigger fish thru the ice, hate losing fish to bottom of the ice or line catching on ice edges. 3. no boat! I love the feeling of being on the water, be it canoe, fishing boat, float tube, even standing in waders in moving water...none of that ice fishing. Unless you count getting a ride on a 21st ave Ice floe!(Duluth guys will get this) 4. Wildlife; a lot of my fishing is in areas where we see wildlife frequently...too much of the "wild" life I see ice fishing is from drunks getting stuck or littering.(I know, I know...MOST guys ice fishing aren't doing this, but the bad ones stick out) 5. Machines; be it power augers, 4 wheelers, snowmoblies..to get around without busting your a$$ in the winter means dealing with too darn many motors for me. I'm admittedly not a motor guy, but it's a lot easier for me to keep 1 outboard operating properly than the ice equivelent. Part of the motor thing is even if I choose to walk and drill by hand for my ice fishing, most others aren't, and are driving and drilling and running and gunning me to death. During open water there are just so many options away from the noise...canoe, waders, etc.. 6. Boredom...I get it pretty quickly ice fishing, much less so open water; just the way it is for me. 7.Variety; during open water I can fish muskies, more trout, all the regular species, and can even fly/drive south in the winter (or north in the summer) and fish other places for more open water species. Well, those are a few of my reasons; to each his own of course, but I guess I only ice fish cause I can't be on open water.

[barnyard]

I used to really enjoy ice fishing. Now that I have an outside job and fight the cold all week, I am not that interested in "playing" outside on the weekends.

Another part of it is that my main ice fishing partner moved out of the area. It's very hard for me to motivate.

And, it's not that I am not well equipped for it. I have an auger, fl8, nice selection of lures and jigs, plus rods with some very nice actions for ice fishing. I also have 2 fish traps and heaters. So it's not like it's even that uncomfortable to hit the ice. Plus, we always caught fish.

Just not into it, I guess.

Tom B

[Borch]

Naw they won't kick you out.

I'm a fanatic during both seasons. However my target fish changes drasticly. Open water I'm 95% walleye with some pnfish and bass mixed in. Winter time I'm 95% panfish with some walleye tossed in.

[lookincalifornia]

since moving to california, i have been lucky enough to fish open water year round. but i find myself time and time again on this site looking at ice fishing photos and wishing i was there. my first real ice fishing trip was to the okoboji area of nw iowa. fishing those crystal clear waters and catching pounder after pounder was enough to hook me to the hard water. although while still in the midwest i would always look forward to ice out. change is good

[dstrey]

I will agree with change is good. In August I am excited for ice fishing, in February I cant wait for open water. Overall I would say I like ice fishing much better. I just really dont like fishing when it is 90+ degrees with no breeze. Would rather have it be 10 degrees any day.

[Bassboy1645]

traveler has some nice ideas......Ice fishing Pros

)fish with eggs in the winter are bigger and i think better tasting

)its a blast watching them on the vex or aqua view

)it really helps cure the winter blues that i used to get before i started ice fishing

Cons

)more gear u have to buy and money to spend

)can be downright miserable or boring

)Fish are harder to find/ more inactive generally speaking

Open water Pros)

Nothing beats watching the sunset listening to the ripples of the waves wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a fishing pole

)more versitality

)seem to catch more fish

)tournaments are fun

Cons)

)Burn up gas like crazy!

)lightning keeps you off the water and waves can too depending on where ur at

)the outboard gets more maintenece and inspection then the lawnmower

Im more of an open water guy. But ice fishing can be some of the best fishing of the year. I like to ise fish when its summer and summer fish when its winter....anybody else feel this way??

[onemorelastcast]

I get the expatriate feeling this time of year. Just waiting for the first chunk of fishable river to open up under the dams in town for the pre-prespawn bite to start. LOL.

I love to ice fish from December through about February. After that the bloodlust dies off into mild enjoyment.

[Down Deep]

I ice fish just to pass the time in the winter months. I head out locally about once each 7 to 10 days and make three or four weekend trips to LOW and the trout areas in Canada. But, If had the power to make the ice melt today and get on open water I'd do it in a minute. Even in winter I try to take advantage when open water exists, such as Looper fishing and shore casting on Lake Superior if the ice moves out.

I'm not sure why I like open water more than ice. It sure isn't because the weather is better because the spring and fall can produce some brutal condtions. I think that fishing out of the boat provides an easy way to move around and it seems to be a more effective way to be versitile and produce a bite.

I'm going to retire in 2011 and my winter fishing is going to be done in Florida or Texas.

[federline]

A fishing buddy and I had a conversation like this toward the end of ice season. It was brought on by his wife asking him two questions earlier:

1) If you had to choose between hunting and fishing, which? (He said fishing)

2) If you had to choose between open water or ice, which?

He said open water, but I didn't know, 'cause he was asking me the question before he told me. I said said open water, too.

I could easily relegate ice fishing to a couple trips "up north" a year from a warmer clime, and fish from the boat all year.

I'm pretty sure I ice fish 'cause cause it helps pass the winter and get me in trouble that isn't illegal.