-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
any guys ice fish ?
- Thread starter Bruins508
- Start date
bigpick
NES Member
Won’t do much to the ice. Snow acts a nice insulator so it will all got to a soupy mess on top and then the cold is coming back in to freeze all that up to make for a few more inches of ice. The ice will be fine. 10-12 inches in Haverhill from what I was on last Thursday.
I am hoping to get out somewhere Sunday if there isn’t 4” of water on the ice. I wasn’t so worried loosing it all as I was wondering what that amount of water might do. My 4y/o son has never been before so I am really hoping to get out for a bit. It’s been in the works for the past 2 weeks but been too cold for me to bring him.
MP-In-The-Wind
NES Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,657
- Likes
- 687
bigpick
NES Member
Should be ok but will probably still be messy, it's supposed to get cold Saturday night and all of Sunday so I would think Monday would be better. I plan on bringing my daughter out on Monday since it's a holiday and there's no school. If he has good waterproof boots it might not be so bad on Sunday. Figuring by Monday with 36 hours of freezing weather it will be nice and frozen up.
bigpick
NES Member
Will be nice to get out again, not wishing for Monday to come soon but getting that itch to ice fish again.
I have not ice fished in 23 years. It use to be all Saturday and Sunday for my wife and I. She would cook breakfast and lunch out there. We brought our son with us when he was still in diapers. One day he went to college and I got busy with other things including working a second job. Poof, 23 years went by. I am semi retired now and very excited to get back into the game. I have ordered a K-Drill and Milwaukee M18 Fuel drill and a Humminbird Ice 35 flasher. Got my free Mass license ( yeah I am 70 years old) and shelled out $55 for a Conn license. We are headed to Cabelas this morning because there MUST be more goodies I need.
Glad to hear it!!!!! Honestly ice fishing is the only way I make it though winters now.
Hoping for the "flash freeze" Saturday night so we have good ice on Sunday. Expecting 3-4 inches of rain tonight and tomorrow! Ahh natures Zamboni.....
Last week the ice as like a piece of clear glass...
View: https://imgur.com/sOcs5bl
Last week the ice as like a piece of clear glass...
View: https://imgur.com/sOcs5bl
bigpick
NES Member
Please report on the kdrill I’ve heard good things about them, also the Milwaukee is the way to go just make sure the battery is 4.0 or better. Good luck out there.
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2011
- Messages
- 2,135
- Likes
- 2,428
Went down the cape yesterday. Easy eight inches of ice. Slow fishing a few white and yellow perch. Some guy comes over to chat and said he had been fishing there for years, caught everything except a pike. While he is talking I get a flag four feet from where we were standing, line screaming out. Haul line in look down and have a big a$$ pike. I get it out of a 10" hole, lay it on the ice, then the 15lb fluoro leader cuts off. I'm standing there looking down in astonishment when it starts flapping, pulls a perfect triple lindy and goes head first back in....I look over at my buddy's and first one says "I didn't see anything. No weight no measure no picture, No fish...." What a day and that's why I fish. You just never know...
Sunday may be tough going. I'm thinking there will be layered ice on top then water then ice. If your breaking through that top layer when walking around its gonna SUCK! But....the weather looks good to freeze everything up next week.
MP-In-The-Wind
NES Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,657
- Likes
- 687
I just bought the K-Drill....and use a Dewalt drill. It works GREAT. It probably takes 15-30 seconds to drill a hole in 8" ice! 8^)
bigpick
NES Member
Another good report for the Kdrill, if I didn't already have enough augers I'd buy one. Pretty good design that it floats too since it doesn't have the plate. Does that piece actually work and keep it afloat?
MP-In-The-Wind
NES Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,657
- Likes
- 687
Hmmm...it's VERY light...but I haven't tested it yet.... Next time out (probably next week), I'll let you know... I'll make sure I have something attached to it just in case!
Back about 45 years ago (ugh), I dug my holes with an ice spud that my father-in-law made at Moore Drop Forging in Springfield. It is a very efficient tool. While digging a hole, the spud broke broke through the ice and the the loop of rope around my wrist broke, sending the spud to the bottom in 10’ of water. I was sick.
A little while latter a game warden stopped by. After telling him my tale of woe, he laid down on the ice, blocked the sunlight and said he could see the spud. He said it was imbedded in the bottom and was vertical. We made a lasso and eventually pulled it back up through the hole. I still have it today.
A little while latter a game warden stopped by. After telling him my tale of woe, he laid down on the ice, blocked the sunlight and said he could see the spud. He said it was imbedded in the bottom and was vertical. We made a lasso and eventually pulled it back up through the hole. I still have it today.
MP-In-The-Wind
NES Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,657
- Likes
- 687
I just retired my spud....which my dad made YEARS ago...I chopped my last set of holes on my first outing this year! (Never dropped it thru, but there were some close calls) ....Since the first outing I've been using the K-Drill.... I'll never go back!
Probably going to skip tomorrow, the ice around me looks like hell. Took a ride around with my kid this afternoon. Unfortunately I have to work Mon so going to have to wait. Looks like it’s going to be semi warm this week so hopefully the cold nights will let it stick around a little while. Past couple years have sucked for ice.
bigpick
NES Member
The week will lock it all up but there’s good ice up in my area so I’m probably going out tomorrow. The edges look like they took a beating but still plenty of ice.
I don’t doubt it’s safe, getting on will probably be a little difficult. The edges are open but sure there’s still good ice. I wouldn’t have a problem going but bringing my 5y/o is a different story.
Southern Worcester co., Douglas. I have a brother in Belchertown that I was talking about going somewhere out towards him with but am probably going to wait till next weekend. I am going to take another ride tomorrow and check out a couple small ponds near me and see if I can find a spot to go early afternoon but we shal see.
Ramshorn, Singletary, Manchaug, ... I wouldn't go out on them yet. MAYBE on Monday, if it stays below 25 from now until then. Otherwise, there was open water on Electric Light Pond in Auburn, and I think Eddy Pond also; and those are North (colder) of you.
I can't tell you how many times I've seen fish pull that off. As soon as the line breaks or they come off the hook and hit the ice I kick them away from the hole.Went down the cape yesterday. Easy eight inches of ice. Slow fishing a few white and yellow perch. Some guy comes over to chat and said he had been fishing there for years, caught everything except a pike. While he is talking I get a flag four feet from where we were standing, line screaming out. Haul line in look down and have a big a$$ pike. I get it out of a 10" hole, lay it on the ice, then the 15lb fluoro leader cuts off. I'm standing there looking down in astonishment when it starts flapping, pulls a perfect triple lindy and goes head first back in....I look over at my buddy's and first one says "I didn't see anything. No weight no measure no picture, No fish...." What a day and that's why I fish. You just never know...
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
