~1st Icefishing Experiences~

[Lisa Almquist]

Hi Everyone! I was just reminiscing about one of my 1st ice fishing trips and had to share. My husband Jim brought me up to URL in 2000 (yes, I'm not SUPER seasoned on the ice-but love it just the same ). At that time, the crappies were just booming! I was busy hopping from one hole to the next and squealing and just hauling them in. I was really all thumbs putting my bait on so Jim was running a 3 ring circus with baiting and helping me and running his own crappie factory on his side of the house. I've learned all the ins and outs now but that was so much fun! That was the trip that made icefishing a large chunk of my winter time . What's everyone else's icefishing trip that hooked ya?! Or are there people out there that have just done this forever?

[boatfixer]

I'd love to hear Jim's version of the story.

[Lisa Almquist]

Actually me too! I'm sure it's not QUITE the same!

[Jim Almquist]

Bruce it was not really all that bad but I just had to remember that she had never been taught to do anything the right way so it was a matter of teaching the basics - setting the depth,setting the hook, baiting the hook and making sure the knot did not move and hooking the minnows. Guess who still has to clean the fish ?

[boatfixer]

Atta boy Jim! You taught her that too. seriously though, I think it's great that you got her into fishing. My wife was already "seasoned" when I met her. I knew she was the one when we grouse hunted together the first time and she field dressed em' all. Quite a sportswoman I have. I'd post the pictures of her cleaning one of my latest catches, but she would probably smack me, "cuz her hair is too messy for everyone to see".

Sorry to have gotten a little off the subject, sooo lets hear some stories!!

[Jim Almquist]

 Quote:

but she would probably smack me, "cuz her hair is too messy for everyone to see".

So it's not just me that runs into this problem

[Lisa Almquist]

Ok you two! Don't MAKE me use my edit button on your keisters!!

[boatfixer]

Sorry, Ma'am I promise to be civil

[WifeKidsandDog]

 Originally Posted By: LisaTealz

Ok you two! Don't MAKE me use my edit button on your keisters!!

LOL, it's only now that I made the connection that this Jim, who sometimes comments in the photo board, was your Jim.

I'm sllllllllllloooooooow.

[Lisa Almquist]

Now I just can't shake him out of this women's forum! hahahaha

Nah-He's a fun guy(or fungi??!! ) and has lots to offer us women even if it's just as comedy relief! He keeps me honest so I can't re-live my fishing stories the way I REALLY want to!

[WifeKidsandDog]

 Originally Posted By: LisaTealz

He keeps me honest so I can't re-live my fishing stories the way I REALLY want to!

LOL, yes!

[polarsusd81]

 Originally Posted By: LisaTealz

He keeps me honest so I can't re-live my fishing stories the way I REALLY want to!

That right there is pretty funny. Do I sense a little desire to exagerate a bit here and there? I know, I do it too, sometimes.

[DonBo]

Okay, back to the story line...

What realy "hooked" me was, some friends took me walleye fishing on first ice. I was scared cause the ice was so clear it didn't look like it could support us. They laughed at me when I brought my 10' long stick so I wouldn't fall through when the ice broke. It didn't.

We fished only tip ups. We caught a pile of fish and some realy nice ones. The ice was so clear, you could see the turns and holes in the weedline to place the tip ups. After a fish was on, you could see it swimming under the ice. It was still some of the most fun I've ever had on the ice.

[Lisa Almquist]

The 1st year I started, the ice was like that too! Really freaky but the ice was really thick that year so there were no worries! Thanks for responding DonBo! I thought this thread was dead in the water! Just thought everybody has some sort of story to share....

[glenn57]

now, give me one reason to believe any story by someone who hunts and fishes. the big one always gets away and the little ones always end up to be twice as big as really is. been there done it. and you cant tell me otherwise. right. hehehe.

[reelemin]

OK my story -

I was about 10 or 11, so about 1972 or 73', I had been summer fishing a few times and loved it. So I asked my dad " can people really fish through the ice ? " He said "yes" so of course I then had to do it.

So off we went.

A side bar here, my dad had a major stroke a few years back 68' and was paralizedm on the left side. He had no use of his left arm and very limited use of his left leg. He was able to walk with a cane but was still quite unstable.

Anyway, we headed to a lake we had fished a few times before in the summer. We both hobbled out onto the ice, me hobbling because I'm also supporting him and carry our gear.

We get to a spot, no way of knowing anything back then about where on the ice we where, and set our gear down. I proceeded to chop, yes chop, a hole in the ice with a hatchet!!!! Finally got through to the water, and dropped my first line. I don't remember how long we where out there, but we both froze and caught nothing!! It was agreat day !!!

My dad has beed dead for a long time now, and this is still one of my fondest memories.

I never whent ice fishing again until last winter. I wish my father was around now to hear about the fun I've been having and to see and use all the new gear!

Every once in awhile, I still drop a line for him.

[Lisa Almquist]

Your 1st icefishing story is wonderful Tami. You're dad didn't seem to let anything hold him back. I'm so glad you took up ice fishing again or I might not have ever met you!

[glenn57]

ok, i get the idea. sometimes my mind works like the fish are currently cooperating. sloooow. back waay long ago when i was a kid we were at the cabin during the winter. my brother and i sat in the spearhouses with our parents. well they decided to take a little ride with the snowmobiles and left us in total control of the fishhouse. it didnt take long and this big nord (15-20lbs) comes in so i think im good but missed it. he tormented me 3-4 more times coming in, hitting the decoy an leaving and me missing. i learned what the word frustrated meant that day and recieved an education. my parents,dad in paricular laughed and teased me for weeks. he passed away 4 years ago, sure do miss my fishing and hunting trips to peterson lake with him.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I honestly don't remember my first time on the ice. My dad wasn't an outdoorsman and my brother and I and a few pals all fished together.

I have a great many fond memories chipping through what seemed like 500 feet of ice , using line tied to a twig for a rod, a rock was the depth finder, and pulling up crappies hand over hand. The first time, however, is fuzzy. Then again, I barely remember yesterday.

[Lisa Almquist]

Now you guys have the hang of it! glenn, I've been reading the spearing forum for awhile now. Such an interesting sport but quite controversial.

[efgh]

My first ice fishing experiences was about 60 years ago with my dad. He had a 4 by 5 ft. collaspable wood fish house, 4 sides a roof and a floor which was held together by hooks. we loaded that thing in a trailer along with decoys and 7 tine spear, wood for the stove, a gunny sack for fish and two nail kegs to sit on and headed for the lake. we set up the house, cut a 2 by 2 ft. hole, got the stove going and started to fish. Dad said he was going to talk to other fishermen on the lake that were close by and I should man the hole, he no more than left and a 8 or 9 in. perch came in, I speared that perch, when I brought it up all 7 tines were in it lenght ways. Dad came back, looked at the pearch and said cat food. No one that I remember fished sunfish in the winter because everyone though that they wouldn;t bite. The first time I fished for croppies my dad made me my own fishing stick,boy was I proud of it, it was a broken off hoe handle, cut off about 3 ft. long, a nail drove in the end and sharpened, This was to stick in the ice, and two nails drove about 18 ins. apart further up the handle to wind the line on which was black cotton. the line had a pencil bobber, two split shots and a snell leader and hook,the snell was about a foot long.We headed for the croppie hole and caught croppies, It felt to me like it was about 40 below O that day. I often think about those old days and the gear we used and wonder if the fish were that eager to bite or were not educated yet? see what schools will do for you. With the equipment we fish with now days, the fish bite no better.

[UdeLakeTom]

Mine is almost like that...sticks with black line, chiseling a hole with an axe or a hand help Swedish auger. Using a cork bobber or a plastic one like you use for open water fishing. I can remember my brother-in-law using the large bobbers with a sucker minnow. No tip ups. And we could still build a large fire on the ice to keep us warm. I believe that if ice fishing was still like that, the lakes would be a lot emptier.

[glenn57]

lisa, its only controversial if you want it to be. i dont spear on lakes that have muskies in them cause i dont want to make that mistake. im not a muskie fan but everyone marches to a different drummer and i leave the muskie people do what they think is right for them as long as they leave spearing alone. that goes for most every so clled controversial issue.

[Lisa Almquist]

I personally don't see what the big deal is. I will always be one to appreciate handing down one's hobbies from one generation to the next. It seems that spearing was something that was very popular back in the "old days" and is important to keep this sport alive (thanks also to Bass N Spear and his very active forum here on FM!) with the help of regulations and guidelines that all fisherpeople (anglers and spearers alike) have to follow. Right?

[glenn57]

lisa, you hit the nail on the head there. i think spearing is more popular than most believe. to me the most amazing part of spearing is watching the different species of fish come thru and the way they act. sometimes its downright hiariuos especially nords, they can get to acting really goofy.