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Hard water can come anytime

geoice

geoice
in Ice fishing

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Sk8man

Sk8man

Posted
Posted (edited)

Good points made Rich and it is a different ballgame up north as far as the ice thickness and I have never used mine around here in more than 12 to 15 inches tops.  Around here it isn't as thick and much of my fishing is for perch, walleyes and panfish (and bass, trout and pickerel) in shallower water because the bigger lakes don't always freeze up so Honeoye and some of the shallower lakes and ponds are the only game in town. For this type of fishing what I usually do is drill ten to 15 holes when I arrive at a spot fish a couple for awhile and then slowly work my way around the others letting them calm down for a bit. Sometimes I will set tip ups or tip downs in some holes to find the fish and then switch it out when I get something and jig that hole. I usually get away from everyone I can too which is something I learned from the "old timers" along with sitting with my back to everyone and dropping fish into the hole cut in the top of my bucket so nobody sees what I'm doing :lol: .  wishinfishin I haven't ever really compared the lazer auger on the drill but back when I used it with the top half as a hand auger it seemed to cut quite a bit better than many of the folks around me. I even had guys come up to me a few times and ask about the auger when I first got it way back when :)  I think most were using Moras back then.

Edited by Sk8man
geoice

geoice

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Good info from everyone for sure and many different opinions that all come together to make all of us better outdoorsman and learn something new. Let's keep the topics going! Jigs, shanty's, poles, reels, even tip ups vs tip downs...my ice story starts like this: Delivered furniture n appl for 10yrs, snapped my right Achilles tendon on April 18th in 2009 was on my ass for awhile and when I thought I was good to go...boom snapped it again :-\ so I was just starting to hobble around about 9 months later as deer season started so I was in my stand every day, filled my tags and then I was like what the hell am I going to do now...So I grabbed my grandfather's and fathers old wicker basket and the ol Blue Mora and headed to my local lake and started to drill...Holy ****! 18"!! I drilled two holes and was dead..guy next to me says hey buddy try mine and drill some holes for ur tip ups..eskimo 10" gas auger so the by the following week I had a strikemaster 8" xl3000 which I still own, over the years I have learned the love of panfishing while I have tip ups spread out for the toothy critters...got a lowrance with sonar,flasher,GPS and two hubs 6 man and 2 man, heaters, jig boxes full of customs and local bait shops specials..needless to say I'm addicted..best jig for me last year was Dave Genz drop kick jig in pink and white and bait was always changing, some times plastics sometimes live bait..always learning and still being outfished by old timers with one rod and a bucket..some times simplicity is better

Sent from my E6782 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Sk8man

Sk8man

Posted
Posted (edited)

Rich the shaft is 30 inches long :)  My previous comments yesterday are a good example of being in my own little world here in the Finger Lakes in terms of ice fishing because anyone reading them from the Michigan UP or MInnesota for example would be laughing their azzes off. The usual conditions here are about 3-10 or 12 inches. No matter which drill selected or batteries if you are confronting 2 or 3 ft of ice (or more) you'd be lucky to get a couple of holes and probably would be tossing your drill or hand auger as well :lol:

 

As far as the simplified approach I have a 2 person Clam shelter all set up with adjustable rod holders,  heater etc. and it may have been great when I was in my twenties (If I had had it then) but once there is deeper snow and jagged ice protruding from the surface. It is a "bear" to drag loaded down with all my crap in it which I am too compulsive to leave behind :lol: and usually stays at home or in the back of the Expedition. Yes some guys install a conduit frame and it is easier in the deep snow but again the weight is a factor and another biggy is that once I get real comfortable in it with the heater etc. I don't feel like moving around to find the fish and if using tip ups or tip downs they are harder to see from inside. Enter the "old school"approach related to portability and ease of movement with less personal comforts :)  I have gone back to a deep plastic sled and my old Igloo shelter which goes up and down in about 30 seconds max. and a folding chair in the extreme weather OR more often just a bucket and jigging rods, auger, scoop, and jigs and plastics flasher and lately GPS. Much more conducive to moving around and finding the fish, able to see better what is going on around me, not as able to see down the hole but that is OK as I have the flasher with the zoom :)

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Edited by Sk8man
Rich s

Rich s

Posted
Posted

Got a gift card incentive from my over priced health insurance so I bought more ice gear .

I have a buddy heater but sometimes in the flip over its just to much . Popped on the little buddy :)

Also I had an abu Garcia 5600 that I used and again was just a bit much so bought a c4600 that is the perfect size for jigging lakers .

Hardwater can come anytime after I pull the boat off the Great Lake on sept -15 , I like hunting in cold weather as well ;)

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steelie21

steelie21

Posted
Posted

Got my new Eskimo Wide 1 and cover through my favorite site Amazon. 1½ hours of sweat putting it together on a muggy night thinking of hard water fishing and the salmon run hasn't even started yet let alone deer season!

EsoxAC3

EsoxAC3

Posted
Posted (edited)

Amazon is great. I also like sportsmans guide. I wait for the free shipping promos which they have quite often and ALL their gear is replacement guaranteed for life! Prices are among the lowest as well. Pretty sweet. I buy all my big ticket items through them for that reason. Best return policy in the business.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Edited by EsoxAC3
bandrus1

bandrus1

Posted
Posted

Got my new Eskimo Wide 1 and cover through my favorite site Amazon. 1½ hours of sweat putting it together on a muggy night thinking of hard water fishing and the salmon run hasn't even started yet let alone deer season!

 

 

I could have saved you the trouble  :P

Rich s

Rich s

Posted
Posted

Come on ice!

I'm with ya but 90 degs out , still gonna be awhile :(

Heading up to the boat for one last 6 day push then tow her home. I will be shopping for some ice gear while out there :)

  • 5 weeks later...
EsoxAC3

EsoxAC3

Posted
Posted (edited)

Getting chilly... Had our first fire in the fireplace the other night. Another week or so will probably have to break down and turn the heat on. Have to imagine water temps are cooling at a nice rate with these chilly nights.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Edited by EsoxAC3
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

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