[Perferator]

Sorry if this is an inappropriate topic for this forum....I'm claiming ignorance

One of the greatest resources our state has is the fishing sports and recreation. Do we have anyone here that has been out on the ice this year? Where and what are you catching?

I'm up here in Charlevoix County and since Lake Charlevoix is out my doorstep that is where I do most of my fishing.....note that I didnt say "catching". It's been a terrible icefishing season. I'm 0-3 on the big lake and 0-1 for fishing Deer Lake over near Boyne Falls.

How you doin'?

[Coldjensens]

I do not ice fish. I looks like fishing in a toilet to me. However they do a lot of it in front of our house and we see them catching things sometimes. When I ask they say it is mostly Perch. In front o f our house is supposedly a great Walleye fishing place, but we do not see them pulling out anythng that big inthe winter. Maybe Walleye do nto eat in the winter. Not sure. However, they are definitely catching some perch this winter. No idea how it compares to other winters, but we seem to get as many people as usual, so they must be catching quite a bit. We generally see a half dozen or so fish being pulled out on any given weekend. There must be a lot mroe that we do not happen to see. They would nto come pack again and again and sit all day and catch nothing would they?


We sure see some stupid things though. This year one guy was sitting on a bucket right at the edge of the ice where it sode not freeze over, so he did nto have to make a hole, just toss the line out into the river. That edge ice is thin and breaks up all the time. All it takes is a little bit of wave action. We also see guys out there when it is 50 degrees and you can hear the ice craking all over the place. Some of them build bonfires out there. Many of them will core a hole right next to the hole left by the guy from yesterday. Why is that?

We hear some real amazing stories from our local coast guard people about people who go out on unsafe ice and sometimes even bring their car with them and then end up breaking off and floating out into Lake Erie.

Perferator, you may get into trouble Ice Fishing since you are able to read and write. I think that there is a mximum IQ limit for this sport.

[Perferator]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I do not ice fish. I looks like fishing in a toilet to me. However they do a lot of it in front of our house and we see them catching things sometimes. When I ask they say it is mostly Perch. In front o f our house is supposedly a great Walleye fishing place, but we do not see them pulling out anythng that big inthe winter. Maybe Walleye do nto eat in the winter. Not sure. However, they are definitely catching some perch this winter. No idea how it compares to other winters, but we seem to get as many people as usual, so they must be catching quite a bit. We generally see a half dozen or so fish being pulled out on any given weekend. There must be a lot mroe that we do not happen to see. They would nto come pack again and again and sit all day and catch nothing would they?


We sure see some stupid things though. This year one guy was sitting on a bucket right at the edge of the ice where it sode not freeze over, so he did nto have to make a hole, just toss the line out into the river. That edge ice is thin and breaks up all the time. All it takes is a little bit of wave action. We also see guys out there when it is 50 degrees and you can hear the ice craking all over the place. Some of them build bonfires out there. Many of them will core a hole right next to the hole left by the guy from yesterday. Why is that?

We hear some real amazing stories from our local coast guard people about people who go out on unsafe ice and sometimes even bring their car with them and then end up breaking off and floating out into Lake Erie.

Perferator, you may get into trouble Ice Fishing since you are able to read and write. I think that there is a mximum IQ limit for this sport.

You crack me up

"Fishing in a toilet"...are you referring directly to Detroit River? I'd be leary of fish coming out of that river and second, I'd be leary of ice fishing any river...but would chance the Grand River near G.R. for the monster pike they spear over there. Fishing stories of guys being hauled off of ice floes never did appeal to me. I just dont understand the pull of needing to be out there, last man floating.

I prefer icefishing smaller inland lakes. In the summer you have to trouble yourself with the expense of a boat but in the winter you can walk right out there. And really, walking on water always did and still does intrigue me.

Handlining perch, walleye, and all types of trout is a blast. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can get my 3yr old grandson out there. And the fish? Cold water fish is delicious.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Perferator

You crack me up

"Fishing in a toilet"...are you referring directly to Detroit River? I'd be leary of fish coming out of that river and second, I'd be leary of ice fishing any river...but would chance the Grand River near G.R. for the monster pike they spear over there. Fishing stories of guys being hauled off of ice floes never did appeal to me. I just dont understand the pull of needing to be out there, last man floating.

I prefer icefishing smaller inland lakes. In the summer you have to trouble yourself with the expense of a boat but in the winter you can walk right out there. And really, walking on water always did and still does intrigue me.

Handlining perch, walleye, and all types of trout is a blast. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can get my 3yr old grandson out there. And the fish? Cold water fish is delicious.

Detroit River fish are fine now. You can get the recommendations on the internet. Basically do nto eat a ton of it if you are pregnant. Do not eat a lot of thebottom feeders. However it is the same recommendation as most lakes. They ahve really cleaned it up. It helps that most of the factories save shut down.

[Driller1]

Hubby fishes the Saginaw Bay. It is the worst year to get fish ever.

Now, with the deep snow the only way to get out is on snow machines.

The last time he was out it (about 8 miles) it took five hours to get two small walleye.

Lots of fishing reports on this forum.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/index.php?

[Perferator]

Originally Posted by Driller1

Hubby fishes the Saginaw Bay. It is the worst year to get fish ever.

Now, with the deep snow the only way to get out is on snow machines.

The last time he was out it (about 8 miles) it took five hours to get two small walleye.

Lots of fishing reports on this forum.

The Michigan Sportsman Forums

I post on that forum, too.

This has been the worst year I've ever experienced for icefishing. I dont know if I believe the "plenty of baitfish" story or not but it is the best explanation for this terribly boring lull in the action.

There was one other year that was similar to this one, that was my senior year in high school.

[idw2s]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I do not ice fish. I looks like fishing in a toilet to me. However they do a lot of it in front of our house and we see them catching things sometimes. When I ask they say it is mostly Perch. In front o f our house is supposedly a great Walleye fishing place, but we do not see them pulling out anythng that big inthe winter. Maybe Walleye do nto eat in the winter. Not sure. However, they are definitely catching some perch this winter. No idea how it compares to other winters, but we seem to get as many people as usual, so they must be catching quite a bit. We generally see a half dozen or so fish being pulled out on any given weekend. There must be a lot mroe that we do not happen to see. They would nto come pack again and again and sit all day and catch nothing would they?


We sure see some stupid things though. This year one guy was sitting on a bucket right at the edge of the ice where it sode not freeze over, so he did nto have to make a hole, just toss the line out into the river. That edge ice is thin and breaks up all the time. All it takes is a little bit of wave action. We also see guys out there when it is 50 degrees and you can hear the ice craking all over the place. Some of them build bonfires out there. Many of them will core a hole right next to the hole left by the guy from yesterday. Why is that?

We hear some real amazing stories from our local coast guard people about people who go out on unsafe ice and sometimes even bring their car with them and then end up breaking off and floating out into Lake Erie.

Perferator, you may get into trouble Ice Fishing since you are able to read and write. I think that there is a mximum IQ limit for this sport.

That does it! You have thrown down the gauntlet sir. Fishing in a toilet? How can our beautiful waterways be described as a toilet??????

I'm offended.

I would love to try ice fishing. If I were a tiny little female, I might have the courage to try, but I'm sure not trying any ice fishing around here any time soon. Maybe some year when we have a really long winter, in a really small, really cold, really well iced pond. Maybe we can suspend me from a crane. Maybe I can invent a new sport, fly ice fishing? A bridge?

Hrm....

Fishing in a toilet... You didn't.

I thought half the point of ice fishing was like... the Thursday night poker game. Food, beer, and the guys. Does that require actually *catching* fish?

[idw2s]

Originally Posted by Perferator

You crack me up

Handlining perch, walleye, and all types of trout is a blast. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can get my 3yr old grandson out there. And the fish? Cold water fish is delicious.

And there we hit on my primary motivation for wanting to try, in spite of my fear of going all Harry Bailey.

Fish are food, period.

[Luzette]

Well, all I can add is a guy in our church said when he was 15 he fell through the ice and never went back until decades later when some buddies assured him it was perfectly safe. He said he fell through again and will NEVER go out on any lake in an effort to ice fish. I personally enjoy seeing the shanties out all over and always hope people are catching some good fish.

[Perferator]

Originally Posted by Luzette

Well, all I can add is a guy in our church said when he was 15 he fell through the ice and never went back until decades later when some buddies assured him it was perfectly safe. He said he fell through again and will NEVER go out on any lake in an effort to ice fish. I personally enjoy seeing the shanties out all over and always hope people are catching some good fish.

If ice is questionable, take a spud and spud your way out. My brother and I fished a very remote pond for brook trout (undiscovered) but had to spud our way out with 2" of ice....it wasnt deep enough to drown in but was cold enough to impede your escape back to the vehicle through the swamp. We didnt go through on that occasion but my brother fell through into 4' of water when he revisited the spot by himself. Said he would never do that again.