Eat your hearts out, we are ice fishing in MT

[mjhowe]

Well after 2 weeks of real cold temps, we have "safe", early ice on numerous small lakes in NW Montana. Our local newspaper had a front page pic of a guy fishing the lake across the street from where I work, he beat me to it by a day! I will be on hard water, perch hunting tomorrow morning, before work!

Long timers say this is the earliest they have ever seen Smith Lake frozen and the weather man says this was the coldest October in over 40 years and the 3rd coldest on record. If it holds for the rest of the North, you guys cant be too far behind!

Ahh, the life, the life........

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Mike
Kalispell, MT
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[This message has been edited by mjhowe (edited 11-05-2002).]

[Guest]

Mike your killing me here, I am going out of my mind waiting and now they are saying we may get up to 50 degrees in north central MN this weekend...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[gill man]

I've never heard of ice that early anywhere! We had a high of about 34 here in Wisconsin today, but temps are supposed to get up around 50 by Saturday. I'd be fine if it stayed in the 30s, but I'm in no big hurry for ice yet. With the best few weeks of the bowhunting season left I'll be busy, and gunhunting after that will keep me doing something for a couple more, and maybe muzzleloader, and there's always late season bow...
Really though, I don't care much for the gun seasons. As long as I get a good bow season in I'll be ready for ice by early December.
Be safe on that ice!

gill man

[mistermom]

Hey Mike!
Just curious. Do you know Myron and Julie Beck from Columbia Falls? I know that the odds aren't good; but thought I'd ask anyway.
They were just in MN visiting us about 3 weeks ago.

mm

[Jig stick]

Mike,You lucky bast--d!! you go man! If you go it alone make sure you got good ice. And take your spikes for life and keep them around your neck.Let meknow how you make out.Later Gene

[Iceman77]

I was from NE North Dakota and I remember many years where I would be ice fishing at the beginning of November. There was nothing like filling your deer bow tag, doing a little ice fishing, and then going deer rifle hunting. It's too warm around the cities I want some colder temps and lots of snow. I guess I will keep praying and worshipping to the ice gods.

[Fish Toys]

Chiro
Looks like you’ll have to jump in your vehicle and head out to Kalispell. To go fishing from Aitkin it isn’t that far and mjhowe would enjoy the company! Have fun! Forecasting 40 degrees here later in the week.
“FISH”

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http://www.icesaws.com/

[Steve Foss]

I'm a former NE North Dakotan, too, (Grand Forks) and I remember early November ice as well.

I remember a lot of Montana jokes, as well.

gill man: Where you at in Wisconsin? I live in Superior and we've got a good Superior contingent on the BWCA-Duluth area board on this forum.

[Guest]

mjhowe,
Thats awesome! If I had a few spare days I'd have to take a trip to MT. Hopefully we'll have fishable ice soon here in MN.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[This message has been edited by MJ5 (edited 11-05-2002).]

[the big dipper]

There' at least 5" of hard clear ice on Pine Lake (Clearwater County)near Gonvick,MN I'm planning on setting out a couple tip-ups for walleys-pike this evening. It's froze over glass smooth, so I might go skating too!!

[gill man]

Stfcatfish, I'm a ways away from you. I live south of a ways, near Eau-Claire if you have any idea of where that is(chances are you don't). There isn't much for larger cities around me so it can be hard to explain where I am.

gill man

[Guest]

Well mjhowe I think I have found a fix, I have the 21 Nov off and it sounds like I will be driving up to UR for some slab fishing!

Anticipation is almost as good as the real thing!

[Fish Toys]

the Big Dipper
HEY welcome to forums. I see that your Big Dipper isn’t on the ice fishing gear site YET? Oof-Daa you have that much ice on Pine Lake? Keep us informed on the fishing reports!
Thanks for the excellent Lefse!
TTYL
“FISH”

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http://www.icesaws.com/

[the big dipper]

Hi Fish, Well my ice fishing outing got off to a bad start when I went into the bait shop, bucket in hand, and got that look, the one that says, "are you completly nuts". Anyway, NO MINNOWS -- not even one dead one. I was traveling light... two tip-ups, one minnow bucket, a mora 7", and a hockey stick ice scoop --- just to do something I went out to Pine Lake, and tried to drill a hole to test the ice thickness, I emphasize "tried", (good thing I had my leatherman or I would have gone home without even hitting water). The moral of this excessively drawn out story, --- I should have brought my trusty ice saw. P.S. 4.5 inches and making ice as we speak.

Never was there a more lovely sound; the cold ice building and cracking as I contemplated the evening redness in the west. It brought back a lot of memories of trapping muskrats, skating after school, and standing on the ice with my dads side by side wondering where all the ducks had gone...

[Fish Toys]

the big dipper
See what happens when you bring faulty equipment with! If you would have had my icesaw you would have also caught FISH! One thing about the icesaw you can have it folded open and reach out about 6 ft or so in front of you poking in the ice and it usually goes through with one poke in 2” to 3” of ice. A good warning the ice is not safe! Bring the icesaw next time! My younger brother emailed me from Ca. with some pixs of the NHRA doings out there. His first race is Friday if it doesn’t rain. Should have had some Mrs. Olsons Lefse stickers on his snowmobile! I put my icesaw decals on it. When he wins it should be on ESPN 2 being they are covering the races. Sounds like warm weather coming according to KFGO. Well enough jabbering and back to work!
“FISH”
www.icesaws.com

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http://www.icesaws.com/

[mjhowe]

Yeah, I know its tough!!!

Chiro
Hang in there Man!

Jig Stick
Always, safety first

Mistermom
Dont recognize those particular Becks from cfalls

rest
see this AM's report!!

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Mike
Kalispell, MT
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