Sk8man

And....never rule out alcohol as a potential factor. Honeoye for example in the Spring and summer has a lot of drunken operators at night oftenwith no lights...personally observed repeatedly while fishing from shore (luckily)

Congrats! Glad also to see that he is still at it gives encouragement to us old timers

Good you caught it....I f'd up.....I admit it... believe it or not I do know the difference.

I routinely use the #8 Spros Pap but I have slightly (and carefully) opened up the line guide on a number of my reels. It is easier to tie knots with the #8's and they offer a little more insurance with kings

Propane has that nasty scent added to it for detection of fumes. Folks are supposed to test out the tank when put on with soap suds etc. to detect potential leaks but sledom does anyone actually do it. Even a little rust on the threads can create leaks. If you aren't actually detecting a leak in that closed environment it is probably the increased carbon MONOXIDE level which could mean a faulty heater too since you seem to have things ventilated. I just bought one of the new insulated huts and just my body heat in it seemed to steam things up in there without any heat and I've never been a big fan of heaters despite having three different types anyway after seeing one blow up on Honeoye once. Most of the time dressing in numerous layers gives you the option of staying warm and shedding as necessary.....

The muddy characteristic is usually following warm days as the creeks run pretty good and empty muddy water into the lake as well as stir things up where it enters the lake proper. Other times the water takes on a sort of iridescent quality looking like the lake turning over which obscures vision and I'm not sure what causes that.

Lucky 13 has given you some good info. I would add the following: I wouldn't go out there alone and I wouldn't take kids either at night.....it can be VERY spooky with the ice cracking etc. and it could end your trip soon after it begins. I'm assuming you are intending to use a shelter as contrasted with sitting out in the open (I have done both and a highly mobile shelter with some battery powered interior lighting is the way to go) I fished Honeoye many times at night in the past and it is easy to get disoriented out there because at this time of year many of the cottages aren't occupied as they are in the warmer weather so little to no lighting to orient yourself when it is really dark. (although I think there is now a light pole near the launch) Generally for the crappie fishing for numbers or potentially for the walleyes you'll usually need to be out quite aways from the launch. There have been many of the streams active that flow into the lake recently so the ice integrity is a question mark especially near the shoreline. The temps are considerably colder after the sun goes down and /or the wind comes up so a good working lantern is very desirable. An LED head mounted light with extra batteries is also a good idea. Although tip-ups can be great in the non-windy day time they cab be a bit clumsy or cumbersome to manage at night and thus jigging is really the preferred method for a few reasons a) You are able to see what you are doing near the light, b) you aren't running around out in the dark and chasing potential windflags....safer, unless you absolutely have the greatest spot identified ahead of time you'll need to move around to some degree to locate fish and you'll be very reluctant to do that in the cold with tip-ups. I usually waited until I had definitely located some fish by jigging before setting them out. I was also assuming fishing the south end. At the north end there are many gas pockets and spring upwellings etc. which are hard to see in the daylight let alone at night as I normally avoided fishing the north end at night. Often Trident Marina has had a bubbler going which adds to the potential treachery for nearshore entry/exit at that location.

One of the things many folks don't think about on the Finger Lakes in mid summer is the occasional idiot that is attempting to swim across the lake without an escort and all that can be seen at best is the tiny shape of their head in the water and you have the possibility of folks traveling at full tilt (e.g. cigar boats etc.) just another disaster waiting to happen....

A few days ago four of us ice fished it at Penn Yan end. There are 3 - 6 inch dinks covering most of the territory out to 30 ft. and despite there being decent perch down there they only look and don't hit (except for the dinks) regardless of bait used, jig, or approach.Some folks have been getting pickerel and bass on tip ups in closer to shore. A buddy tried yesterday with his new Vex and had the same result ....only 4 people out there. The Branchport arm is totally ice free and we checked the launch on the way home and it too is free of ice and should be no problem to launch if we don't get another huge snow storm.

Hopefully the plating has improved from the ones they sold last year. (didn't hold up very thin) but they always work well anyway