Ice fishing season...a little late but I finally got out.

whacko

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I know some guys have already been out for hard water season but the lakes in the Merrimac Valley took awhile before I trusted the ice. Got out yesterday on 7 inches on millvale in haverhill.
My son headed back to college today so took half day off yesterday and went out for a few hours in the afternoon. Slow day.....5 flags 2 fish....small bass and small pickerel. Weather looks good this week to put on enough ice for the bigger bodies of water for some Sunday fishing

First ice fish of the season.

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Took the kids out last Sunday about. 4” on the pond at the sportsman’s club checked a few other spots in town and ice wasn’t safe. I am sure a lot of ponds made some ice this week.
Decent day of fishing enough flags to keep kids interested some perch and a bunch of slime darts
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While that is somewhat humorous, you breathe out on the way up because taking in a breath of compressed air at depth will expand as you rise in the water column. If you hold it, you run the risk up rupturing the alveoli in your lungs as that breath expands on the way up.

The bends is more dependent on pressure and length of time at depth. You basically need to be breathing compressed air at depth so the nitrogen will go into solution in your blood. When you ascend too quickly the nitrogen bubbles out of solution. Think of opening a soda can. The rapid change in pressure causes co2 to come out of the soda and is what causes bubbles.

Otherwise, I LOL'd.
 
Thanks will do. Bought a new shelter last year too but didn't get to use it. Thinking tomorrow will be a great day for it. Got my Arctic Armor suit so I'm good with warmth.
Gonna take the wife out this weekend. We're planning on Sunday as the better weather. Single digits in the morning so.....we'll be going out for the "afternoon bite" lol.

I have a popup shelter and a heater as well. The wife likes it because I bring a little portable kamode out with me and leave it in the shelter for her. Its basically a toilet seat that snaps to a 5 gallon bucket.....I line the bucket with a heavy duty trash bag ans put a little kitty litter in the bag. It makes "the business" much easier out there.

This is the lid I have. Makes bringing the wife ans younguns along much more comfortable.
Amazon product ASIN B0000B13MTView: https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-9881-03-Luggable-5-gallon/dp/B0000B13MT/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=toilet+seat+5+gallon+bucket&qid=1611919421&sr=8-3
 
For nearly 25 years I've wanted to try hard water fishing and I got the ice fishing bug bad last weekend after hanging out with some friends so now it's time to start obtaining some gear.

Ordered some Jack's Traps today and while I have tons of snowmobile gear I prefer dedicated clothing for a task so I ordered a pair of Eskimo Superior Bibs. No joy in finding a jacket yet or a shelter so those may have to wait cause Covid unless something comes along near the end of the season.

One friend already has a bunch of incidentals to get me started and he has my old 86 Yamaha Phaser so no need to dive deep on gear all at once.
 
For nearly 25 years I've wanted to try hard water fishing and I got the ice fishing bug bad last weekend after hanging out with some friends so now it's time to start obtaining some gear.

Ordered some Jack's Traps today and while I have tons of snowmobile gear I prefer dedicated clothing for a task so I ordered a pair of Eskimo Superior Bibs. No joy in finding a jacket yet or a shelter so those may have to wait cause Covid unless something comes along near the end of the season.

One friend already has a bunch of incidentals to get me started and he has my old 86 Yamaha Phaser so no need to dive deep on gear all at once.
Ordered a set of jack traps? Damn you don't mess around.

I have eyeballs those for years up st ktp but I don't need fine furniture to catch fish.......$60 a tip up is too rich for my wallet. I bought a set of heritage Lakers like 15 years ago to replace my polars. $18 each back then and they are still in good shape.
 
Ordered a set of jack traps? Damn you don't mess around.

I have eyeballs those for years up st ktp but I don't need fine furniture to catch fish.......$60 a tip up is too rich for my wallet. I bought a set of heritage Lakers like 15 years ago to replace my polars. $18 each back then and they are still in good shape.
No kids and ya, I normally go balls in when I do something. I saw them up at Indian Hill Trading Post when I was getting my fishing/hunting license and registering my sled. I was like wow those are really nice so when I got home and really started thinking about it I said F it just do it. So I did.
 
Jack traps are nice bought each of my kids a few figured it was a good Christmas gift that if they take care of they could have them to pass on to their kids. I still fish with some cheap no name ones that I think came from the Fair.
 
Busy day out there. 15 fish total big ones were 3 and 5 pounders according to the scale. Made venison sausage sandwiches with peppers and onions......also threw some marinated backstrap into the cast iron pan for a little snack. IMG_20210207_133009663_HDR.jpg19093.jpeg20210207_124914.jpg
 
Ordered a set of jack traps? Damn you don't mess around.

I have eyeballs those for years up st ktp but I don't need fine furniture to catch fish.......$60 a tip up is too rich for my wallet. I bought a set of heritage Lakers like 15 years ago to replace my polars. $18 each back then and they are still in good shape.

I have a set of Heritage Lakers given to me in a NES karma, of all things. They are quite nice and I don't think I'll ever need anything else unless I buy a couple for spares.

My club had their annual ice fishing derby today out on Long Pond, Rutland. There was a pretty good crowd otherwise and the pond was VERY well covered with tip-ups. Despite the coverage, it was an extremely slow day. I only saw a couple picks, maybe a perch or small bass, and a medium bass get caught. Nice time anyway, and I had a short snooze and woke up covered in snow. I have a heavy parka that's warm enough to do that.
 
I have a set of Heritage Lakers given to me in a NES karma, of all things. They are quite nice and I don't think I'll ever need anything else unless I buy a couple for spares.

My club had their annual ice fishing derby today out on Long Pond, Rutland. There was a pretty good crowd otherwise and the pond was VERY well covered with tip-ups. Despite the coverage, it was an extremely slow day. I only saw a couple picks, maybe a perch or small bass, and a medium bass get caught. Nice time anyway, and I had a short snooze and woke up covered in snow. I have a heavy parka that's warm enough to do that.
Lakers are a good value. I started with the orange flat polar style ones got em at the post px in the late 1990s for $1 each one spring clearance 😂 bought all 10 that were left on the rack. I like em.....but you can't see em when there is snow on the lake. So.....I went with heritage over the years ans my son and i each have a set. They will last forever.
 
Another great day on the ice 11” of ice went thru 2 dozen shiners was action all day till we picked up at 3:30. Kids caught white perch bullhead pickerel and my son only 3 years old hauled in a 20” large mouth that was 2.5lbs mostly by himself.
And we had to build a snowman between flags 3C4DDE98-39C3-48A1-85E1-C5B42251CEDD.jpegCA9CC5D9-3282-409E-98ED-B0840C28A1B8.jpeg0AC240F7-D7EC-4873-A020-97CB52B96B60.jpeg191EE486-D517-469D-AF97-5ADAE6111264.jpeg
 
Haven't been on the hard in 10+ years, but no open water for three weeks now and was jonesing to get some fish. Got a new auger yesterday and did a short trip today to check on all the gear. Fished for an hour or so, and got a couple decent perch.

As I was wrapping up, I got serenaded by a Coast Guard chopper. Then. as I got back to my truck the town fire department shows up. Apparently a local Karen saw me on the ice and called the police. They then called the Coasties and FD. So much for a peaceful time ice fishing on Cape Cod.
 
Haven't been on the hard in 10+ years, but no open water for three weeks now and was jonesing to get some fish. Got a new auger yesterday and did a short trip today to check on all the gear. Fished for an hour or so, and got a couple decent perch.

As I was wrapping up, I got serenaded by a Coast Guard chopper. Then. as I got back to my truck the town fire department shows up. Apparently a local Karen saw me on the ice and called the police. They then called the Coasties and FD. So much for a peaceful time ice fishing on Cape Cod.
Karen should be responsible for the cost of the chopper and first responders showing up. ;)
 
Im supposed to go snowshoe hare hubting with a guide in Maine mon and Tuesday. They called me this morning and said the woods are icy as hell so it's bad for the dogs. Offered for me to cancel.....or do a night coyote hunt over bait in a heated shack.....or ice fishing for lake trout. Hmmm? I'm not to keen on coyote hunting not my thing. But a chance at a big laker suits me just fine. So he's taking a drive north of his place today to check some woods up farther to see if the snow conditions are better. If not I'll be lake trout fishing instead. I'd much rather be hare hunting but Lakers on the ice is a good second option.
 
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