Better Halves and Ice Fishing

[dartsportsteve]

Just wondering if you guys have had to sell your wives on ice fishing. She's been out once with me (last year) and seemed to like it (probably because she was catching more than I was) but she is dragging her feet like crazy this year.

She's also pretty freaked out about the ice... doesn't want me out there until the perms are on the lake. Any good way to convince her that it is safe? I love her like crazy but she's a real worry wart.

[only ice]

First time my wife went,she had a blast! LOW and she caught a 27 1/2 " eye! Got hooked. by the 5th time out, she had her own Vex. So watch out!!

[BoxMN]

Still trying to get mine out. She did go with to the Lions contest last year, but just to help me bring the grandlids. It was cold She says she will go this year, I won't hold my breath, haha!

[minnbowhunter]

I feel your pain bro. I've been married almost 30 years and heres what works for me. Tell her that you would'nt do any thing to put her or yourself at risk. She is always welcome to do with and if she wants she can pick the lake. My wife goes with me about 1 out of 5 trips out. We usually spend the weekend in the wheelhouse, She not real big on the portable but the truth is I prefer the couch in the wheelhouse myself. Take her out for breakfest and the main thing is to enjoy the time you have together. I took my wife out one time on a lake at night that had about 4 inches of water standing on top of 2 ft of solid ice and I thougt she was going to have kittens. Bad idea. She calmed down a bit after we punched some holes and she saw how much ice was there.

[Nate McVey]

I showed my fiance the graphic of "what safe ice is" that I saw on TV 6 tonight. That seemed to put her at ease a little bit. She also knows I take my spud, ice picks and a rope with me, and I show her how I would use all of them in an emergenct, which puts her at ease. She comes out with me on the "sunny" days and seems to enjoy it. It does come down to spending time together and enjoying it.

[Scott M]

I can't ever get mine to go either. But the worst part is she guilt trips me about how I never spend time with her. We dont' really have an activity to share. I don't go shopping with her but will when she asks me (as long as it isn't too long).

It's always a safety thing too. She says she needs a foot of ice and then she's still scared. And when I'm busy using the camera or flasher, she thinks I'm cheating. And don't try giving her a few tips. She knows it all. She'll drop everything and quit if you even suggest doing something differently. I can't win, so I'll ask from time to time, but that's about it. Besides, I'm doing all the work, baiting hooks, taking off fish, etc. Who needs to play guide all day and complained to and then on top of it not get paid what a guide gets.

Sorry for whining. Good luck with your wife

[DTro]

My wife felt a little better when I showed her the Arctic Armor video.

[g_anoka]

Keep showing her that video, christmas is coming, it worked here. My girlfriend has joined me a few times. She seems to enjoy herself, but there is no way she will spend a night out on the ice.

[woodman]

Well I must be a lucky one. She owned a portable before I married her and I had a new auger. We now have 2 portables and 2 wheel houses. She bought an on board charger today to keep the batteries charged at all times and we also got a new honda 2000 generator for our christmas present this year. My wife loves to fish all year long as well as hunting. She will have our third child on Tuesday, and is excited to hit the ice after she is better. Our kids go out fishing when they are only a few months old in the porta crib. Great time together and hey now we can have 2 more lines down, I guess I better listen to her and build another fish house that is bigger and better!

Good luck guys I am blessed. Oh yeah and she IS a Valley Girl to boot!

[SP180]

My wife went for the first time today. She is teriffied of the ice and I had to go back to shore to hold her hand on the way out. She had a 5 lb pike half way up the hole and caught a 2 lb pike and a few nice sized perch in 2 hours. I think she will go again this winter.

[ilovehardwater]

I got lucky and have a girlfriend who is also one of my favorite fishing partners, she loves it, and for some reason always catches the biggest fish .She was a little apprehensive of going on the ice the first few times out but she soon got used to it. Even last weekend I was going to go and throw out a few tip-ups and sit in the truck, she convinced me to grab the portable and we enjoyed a few hours in the portable . It's nice to have someone who not only supports my hobby but also likes to partake in it....Like I said I got lucky ...Bt

[cjac]

We did LOTW last winter as a get-away, she even set it up. Mid-week many places run very good deals, and provide great service, we had a great time and caught the most fish of the parties there at the time!

I showed her how to read the Vex and in turn lost all control of it for three days, I sure wasn't going to complain. It was like a video game for her......and she dd quite well!

One word of advice, "WARMTH", take care of that and you're good to go.

Chris

[Nate McVey]

Woodman, you are a lucky man! Da Chise....lots of heat, card games, maybe some booze and a lot of "yes dears, I know that fish is slimey", "yes dear, I know those fins are sharp" and my favorite "yes dear, I'll walk you back to shore and drive you to the gas station so you can use the bathroom." Good luck buddy!

[woodman]

It is a good sign when I was looking at a new crank down last fall and she walked in and said if you want one this is the one you have to buy! I bought it the next day. Gotta love it!

She also has a vex, custom rods and out fishes me all the time. I don't care about that so much, just that she is with me (us) and having a great family activity. My daughter who will be 8 on Friday will get up at 5am and go to the fish house, my boy who is 5 wants to go every day on the way home from preschool. I guess the new one will have no choice with a family like this.

[Hammer Handle]

My wife loves to ice fish...especially spearing.

I took her spearing two years ago...now I have to compete with her on who gets to use the house.

This year, I put TWO houses on the lake. Now I need to find another good spear. I hate the cheap ones they have nowadays....

[Lisa Almquist]

Great posts guys! When I first met my husband I had never ice fished. He was really smart and brought me up to URL and I was catching crappies like CRAZY. I was hooked-pun intended!! I guess I have to say that I'm not that afraid of the ice because I know he'll never put me in danger and I trust him. I actually like ice fishing better because I can control everything on my own (unlike the boat since I think he puts himself over the better spots ). You all sound like you're doing the right thing (especially the keeping her warm part-it's huge!)and if she still doesn't want to go then she's just not that into it.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Mrs boilerguy just read these posts and now she's laughing, kind of. She LOVES ice fishing.

Having said that, she also knows that I would never bring her out in a situation that would even have a possibiltiy of a soft maybe that she may be in danger. Her idea of fun ice fishing is with me, in the big house, catching fish or reading a book, knowing full and well that I would never put here in a thin ice situation.

Trust??? Ok, that's cool. I guess over 20 years of marrige will do that. In the end I think she knows that I do stupid things to myself daily, but when it comes to others, I'm Mr. safety.

Have fun, be safe!!!

[Lure Lightning]

My wife seems to be hooked as well. Put them on some fish and they love it. I think alot of her gear is better than mine.

[Lisa Almquist]

LL,

I'm definetely playing catch-up gear wise since he's fished so much longer than me! But he's really nice and let's me dig in his tackle box but I am really getting into the buying tackle end of things. I gotta be honest too-sometimes I pick tackle because it's just cool looking. I know it's girly right?

[looneyducer]

Quote:

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sometimes I pick tackle because it's just cool looking. I know it's girly right?

---

I wouldn't call that a girly thing. That's pretty much how I buy tackle, all flashy and spinny and holographic techno glow. You have to decorate the tackle box you know. Every day fishing is sort of like Christmas.

[mustangt69]

my wife's only request is that we bring the weiner dog with lol. She onyl ice fished once before last year and after i built the perm house she came out a bunch of times and has no problem staying over night. funniest time last year was when i was helping my uncle move his wheelhouse and when i got back to mine, i heard her freaking out and the dog was barking up a storm and i opened the door and she had a couple pound northern flopping around on the floor and fishing line everywhere. i couldnt help but stand there and laugh.

[Grant Pearson]

I'm kind of spoiled too as Mrs. Kingfisher loves to fish as well. Even though she grew up on a lake (and a lake with nice sized fish), her family didn't do much fishing and her dad never took her out in the boat. She was tickled when I asked if she wanted to go along in the boat, and has never said no since. It's always fun when you watch someone that's new to fishing catch a few fish, even if it means that you have to bait the hook or take the fish off!!! I ended up helping her catch her first snot rocket (a BIG goal of hers) and her first bass. She was also with when I caught a 48" musky, and now she's hooked on musky fishing and wants to try to outdo me!!! I couldn't ask for a better other half!!!! It definitely makes it easier to convince her to take the midget out when he gets old enough!!!! might have to "upgrade" to a pontoon when we go out. can we say time to get the grill out while fishing?

[dartsportsteve]

Great posts guys. I figured this might be a popular thread... I've seen some good ideas to sway her toward loving hardwater fishing. I think what would be the best is to get her a large walleye or northern, then she would be all about it. Thanks all and Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[The_Duckslayer]

My wife loves to fish as well. However comma pause for effect she is literally allergic to the cold! She has what is called cold uticaria. I think that this year I will take her up to one of the places up north that rents perms and make sure that it is nice and warm before she comes in out of the truck. That may get her hooked. Then when the ice is thick enough down here to drive on I can set up the portable, get it nice and hot in there and then have her get out of the truck and into the fish! She can be in the cold for a while but then she will start to develop hives and swelling and it goes downhill quick from there. She has atropine shots that she has with her at all time in the event of that happening. Weird huh… and living in MN. When we first met though I told her that this is where I was from and that this is where I was retiring to and she was fine with that. Hope to get her out soon. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[slipperybob]

*rewording it*

have a body buddy heater