I have the gear, just need safe ice.

Anyone else?

Looks like a blast of cold air is on its way. Should get some good ice out of this...

Went to the ice show in St.Paul last Friday. Some new stuff is out looks pretty cool.

Garmin echomap plus 73 with panoptic a new flasher which you can scan 100 ft around the ice hole. Was pretty cool but spendy 1800.00 bucks. I think it's a game changer. No more drilling 50 holes to find fish. Can set up on a reef and see if there shallow mid or deep.All at the same time. In a couple of years other companies will come out with something similar and probably cheaper.

No ice here yet. Water is low too.


Thinking about getting a pop up shelter for spearing.

Wabi, I'm thinking about it.

How thick is your ice Dave?

lake of the woods broke up with high winds late in November, it varies from 12" to 18" right now. It will be safe for the bigger wheeled houses like mine by Saturday. I like spending new years out on the ice but I don't know if I'll do it this year, it's supposed to be -30 this weekend, lows were -35ish this morning. I hate dealing with the troubles that come with that kind of cold. Generator issues, propane issues, I haven't decided yet if we are going out this weekend or not.

Heading to Clear Lake, Iowa in a few days... have a heated shack reserved and can relocate it every day if we decide. Had a great time last season.

Fishing through the ice largely consists of hoping a fish comes by and commits suicide before you freeze to death. Driving a vehicle on ice is a good way to get very wet and very cold all at once. Much better to fill the freezer when there is no ice and then stay inside where it isn't cold and eat the fish.

But fresh fish.....

Fresh fish at these temperatures never make it home not frozen! Fresh fish when they can be had are indeed better. Seems to me though that if I can find walleyes I can find more than I can eat at one sitting so the vacuum sealer keeps them nicely in the freezer for me for as long as I like. I will say this though: Walleyes out of cold water are about as good eating as they come. The only fish I have had that's better than them is specks out of Nipigon and native redfin lakers out of Nipigon or Superior. I could kill myself eating any of them fresh out of the lake.

It's fun! Unlike work, when you get tired, and cold, you head back to comfort of the wood stove.

I did all my ice fishing sitting on a bucket. The moment I turned 70, I sold my ice fishing gear.

We've had it so warm that safe ice is hard to find here, but a couple of guys have had 100 perch days already.

I am about to give it a go after 40+ years. As a family we did a bit of ice fishing when I was a kid and I just bought a new auger and took the box of tip ups down and started to go through them. For us it was mostly pickeral, really big yellow perch and every now or then rainbow trout. Hope to give it a first try sunday.

Hoping to get the Ice shack out on Eagle Lake, this coming weekend.

Lots of ice, after 3 weeks of arctic weather & the ice road has now been plowed.

Hopefully, pics of fresh walleye to come next week !

Catch a few for me Paul, I'll buy a new license first chance I get !

In a tent style icehouse that a breathable MR. Buddies work great, in a ridged they produce a lot of moisture during combustion and you get condensation all over the walls even the ceilings start to drip. In a solid icehouse a vented stove works much better, either wood or propane, NuWay makes a great little stove both vented propane or wood.

http://nuwaystove.com/product-category/propane-stove/

Looks like tomorrow I'll be trying out a few frozen bays here on the lake. I checked out my 6 year old floating suit made by Arctic Armour, and it was getting pretty worn. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods yesterday and bought a new 2 piece floating ice suit called Climate made by Striker. Looks to me like the next generation of ice fishing apparel. I picked up a new pair of Muck Arctic Pro boots too. Should be good to go tomorrow. I hope it is a long season. Ice fishing for pan fish is my favorite sport

As to the two piece floater suits, never wear the bibs, without the coat! A body would float, but the wrong side up!

Well Wabi',

As we are back into the arctic, looks like this will have to wait another week !

Bummer Paul, look at it this way, they should be bigger fish when you get to them!

heading to lake of the woods shortly. My oldest boy is already there with my plow truck and my big fish house, kids should have it all set up by the time I get there.

Awesome Dave,

Stay warm !!! STAY INSIDE - they're saying -35* including wind chill !

Picture report on Monday please !

Hope you have a great one.

Can't keep holes open in this, without ya luxury camper.

Got these guys last night...5 degrees. But was pretty comfy in a shanty. Now to get the peanut oil hot....

Ice was well over a foot thick...some driving pickups on it.

That's what I'm thinking of Monk.