open water VS hard water

[LPCrowRiverFisherman]

Open water any time, much more comfortable, and not as much need for electronics, especially if you shorefish a lot like me. Spring and Early summer on lakes, rest of year on rivers, open water is better, but ice fishing is still fun.

[croixeyes]

Toss up, I love doing both.Its all just fishing to me,I dont care how much setup time it takes,Its worth it.Its not right to have to choose one or the other when you can have both.

[wally20]

Hardwater by far, I think about ice all summer

[gregg52]

100+ where do you fish in south america lol

what maybe a day ot 2 that hot

[fishersofmen]

Ice.

[BucksnDucks]

Not to meantion i HATE hot weather, i hate sweating my balls off when its 100+ outside and 100% hum/due point, give me 0 outside and nice warm house over a nice little honey hole anyday

Im with ya on this one man! Can always put more clothes on 2 stay warm. Only so much can come off before I start to get strange looks from not only buddies in the boat, but also other boaters! Ice Ice Baby!

[croixflats]

Open water, more places that are open to explore fishing when you are on the water and faster to find the spots. Lot of times your stuck on one end of the lake when ice fishing takes more time looking for spots. As I found out this year the lakemaster chip is not to accurate for the water I fish.

And the weather can realy turn the bite on.(off to I guess).

[Big Buck Buster]

I like open water, but after a weekend of fishing for walleyes in a wavy boat, I feel like I am still rocking in the boat when I head to bed.

This doesn't happen on hard water. Ice all the way!!! And no wind burn!

[zepman]

Flip flops, shorts, and a nice cold beverage...100% open water here.

[deadeye]

NO BUGS!!!! No sweating. No Worrying about bad weather tossing me around in a boat. I will take ice fishing any day over open water. If I could live in antarctica I would be all over it.

[goose89]

No shivering. No slipping. No worrying about bad weather closing the path in. I'll take open water any day over ice. If I could live in Alaska, I would be all over it.

Just playin'. I love em both. I used to like the "ease" of icefishing years ago, but recently I find it just as much of a "hassle" (Vexilar batteries, gas, auger, ATV, buddy heaters , propane, frozen locks, ect.) as open water and all the hassle that goes along with owning a boat. Preventing/ working around/ working through the "hassles" is half the fun sometimes. I'd go with open water by a hair.

[hunter101]

hard water for sure

[B K'S DAD]

ice fish by far you don't have to deal with all the boat buncing you around.

[Loos15]

I've found i'm far better at ice fishing than open water.

[Scott K]

I prefer both, that is why I live in MN!

[Flaco651]

I fish no matter what the season is. If I had 2 choose only 1 it would be open water though.

[McGurk]

Conditions are perfect right now for both! Today you need a boat and an auger to fish.

I find myself to be a better fisherman in winter, so I'd say hard water. The other thing I like in winter is the comradery with other fishermen. Once you leave the access, no one wants anything to do with anyone else in summer beyond the quick wave. If you don't agree, explain how the Jaycee tourney and the Eelpout festival are so popular, and find me a summer fishing event with a tenth of the attendance.

[reddog]

I have like 8 hours logged so far on the ice in 09 and close to 12 hours on the outboard for 09 already, so I guess that answers that.

[Sandmannd]

I really enjoy both a lot. But if I had to choose one, it would be open water.

[wplatehunter]

They are both a lot of fun, but give me open water any day of the week.

[JimBuck]

Like everyone else.....crazy about both, but I'll take open water most days.

[lungdeflator]

ICE FISHING! How many lakes are there that you cant get a boat into in the summer? How many of those lakes are dynamite crappie and pan fish lakes? easily accessible with your built in transportation.

[michigan'eyes]

If I was forced to give up all hobbies but one, ice fishing is the one I couldn't give up. Luckily the wife would never force this upon me, because my daughter loves fishing year around, and she wouldn't want to break her little heart.

[nater]

Most definitely open water! Those awesome evenings in the boat on the lake are hard to beat. That and casting for muskies now that I'm hooked.

I like ice fishing alot, essentially it gives you something to do in the winter. Fish and hang out with friends. I didn't grow up walleye fishing so I prefer casting over jigging.

[CrappieAttitude]

Even though I enjoy both, I would have to say my favorite is Ice Fishing for sure. No bugs, coolers only to keep your beverages from freezing, the hum of the mr heater cooker, the excitement from watching your vexilar, the thrill of watching your fish come head first through the hole. If I could ice fish all year, I totally would.

The nice thing about ice fishing is that I feel it evens the playing field with most anglers to an extent. You don't need a boat to get to fishable spots. I also feel that it requires you to do your homework a little more on learning a lake. I am way more rewarded when I locate fish in the winter than in the summer.

You really can get by with the bare essentials ice fishing. (a hand auger, five gallon bucket,an ice scoop and a jiggle stick.)

Even though my "essential list" now includes a power auger, otter lodge, vexilar, multiple rods, 4 wheeler...and various other "non essential" stuff I bring along with me, I think that the reward of bringing fish through the ice greatly outweighs that of open water fishing.

Just my 0.02

CA