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We're cold here, not like Bill though, only -8 here.

Cold on the lake too.

That right there folks is a thing of beauty....

Way to get some LOW eyes ND.....

Save some for me.... LOL....

Dave- That is the coolest thing I've seen in a long while. Even a southerner could tolerate ice fishing in a rig like that.

How do you drill the holes? Set the rig down and mark the holes and then pull it up and drill, and them back it back into place? I can't see running a 2-stroke auger inside a rig that nice.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

Scott and I (well me anyway) had good luck fishing the other day. I caught an almost 10 pound 32 1/2 inch Northern. Biggest one I have ever caught angling. It put up a good fight. It got to the hole and I saw the size of its head and it took off. I was not sure if I would get it in or not. We lost a couple good ones before they got to the hole. I let it get played out and brought it in. Scott was right there and was not going to let it get away.

Good job cuz! We saw your txt photos, Nice fish!!

Hey Gadfly, I'll try to cover your questions with a little photo essay once pam gets her pictures in order.

(that bucket got fuller, I have a pile of fish to clean while she works on her photos)

Thanks Dave, I'll be looking forward to it.

Dave, any chance we could trade walleye for deer meat?
I'll even let you come shoot your own..........


dead serious.

season is open for another 2 weeks, don't make me call your wife and make you come shoot deer......

Good job Muggy.

Looks like you're not used to the iPad yet.

Here we go!

Setting up on Sunday just before noon.



Drilling the (8) fishing holes. We drilled the holes with the house up, then let the house down on the frame. the drill (auger) is an electric one with low rpm and an aggressive bite. It worked really well.





We have special gear for drilling with the house down on the ice too, a special catch tub for containing the ice shavings and allowing the water to flow back down the hole you drill through. But we got by drilling with the house up, raking the slush out from outside the house then setting down.

Pam caught the first really nice keeper.



Then Nate.



And they kept coming, lots of throw backs to get keepers. We kept small fish if they werent't going to survive after release.



A group of houses on a reef area I sometimes fish.




Joe got a nice "slot fish" which needed to be released, (19.5" - 28")

Hook popped out right in the hole, I was able to catch it though.

[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/northerndave/fishing%20stuff/IMG_7851.jpg[/img]

Little bit happy lol!

[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/northerndave/fishing%20stuff/IMG_7856.jpg[/img]

You have to measure the fish with the tail pinched, this one went 20.5" with the tail pinched.

[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/northerndave/fishing%20stuff/IMG_7861.jpg[/img]

A couple of smiles.

Very similar teeth, neither of us ready for Hollywood



And the timely release.



A tiny walleye coming up on a line.



A dandy perch by Mr Joe.




A kid we know, setting up the way we used to ice fish... We don't miss this method.




We called it today at 2pm, started cranking the house up, here's our fish bucket.



Ready to pull the house off the lake.

[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/northerndave/fishing%20stuff/IMG_7961.jpg[/img]

Our typical kitchen shot back home..

[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/northerndave/fishing%20stuff/IMG_7963.jpg[/img]

Then it's my job to turn this:

[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e364/northerndave/fishing%20stuff/IMG_7964.jpg[/img]

Into this:

[img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e...ds/Resampled_2013-01-01_20-57-04_122.jpg[/img]

How do you get the Mercury out of them Dave??

Nice shanty! Doesn't look like anyone even got their slippers wet...lol...

lol!

Thank's for putting up the photo-essay, Dave. This is all kind of fascinating to me. I do most of my fishing in 90 to 100+ degree weather.

Speaking of which, is that an AC unit on top of your fish house? Also, how big a generator do you need to run the auger?

The auger is 12 volt so you hook it up to a 12 volt battery. The house has a deep cycle 12 volt in it that's wired up for 12 V lights and to an inverter/charger like most RV's would gave.

Yes it's an AC unit, we use the whole rig year round, it's a camper in the summer months.

Thats for sure!

Great pics, Dave. Some fine eating as well.

How thick is the ice?