Slippen and Sliden

[MossRoad]

Yep, I just walk out a couple feet onto the ice, drill a test hole or two, make sure it is over 3" thick and march off onto the lake. Yikes! How unsafe is that? Actually, I drill lots of test holes and am very cautious. Dying for a bluegill is not in my plans. I'm what you would call "old school" as I just sit on a bucket. I have thought about a portable shanty, but have really never been in bad enough weather to really need one. I've been out as cold as 22 below and been surprisingly warm. As long as you dress for the weather, you can enjoy yourself although two years ago I started taking a thermos of hot tea and snacks to boost my core temp. My metabolism has slowed due to lack of physical activity due to tractor purchase!

Great looking house you have there. We had a very similar house where I grew up... high ceilings, lots of glass and nature right outside. I miss that. My views now are my street, my north neighbor, my south neighbor and my garages. At least my neighbors aren't ugly people. I don't think I could stand that! ( just kidding as I ain't all that good lookin'!!! )

 

[Barryh]

Yep, I just walk out a couple feet onto the ice, drill a test hole or two, make sure it is over 3" thick and march off onto the lake. Yikes! How unsafe is that? Actually, I drill lots of test holes and am very cautious. Dying for a bluegill is not in my plans. I'm what you would call "old school" as I just sit on a bucket. I have thought about a portable shanty, but have really never been in bad enough weather to really need one. I've been out as cold as 22 below and been surprisingly warm. As long as you dress for the weather, you can enjoy yourself although two years ago I started taking a thermos of hot tea and snacks to boost my core temp. My metabolism has slowed due to lack of physical activity due to tractor purchase!

Great looking house you have there. We had a very similar house where I grew up... high ceilings, lots of glass and nature right outside. I miss that. My views now are my street, my north neighbor, my south neighbor and my garages. At least my neighbors aren't ugly people. I don't think I could stand that! ( just kidding as I ain't all that good lookin'!!! )

Well thanks, don't mean to sound like I am bragging or anything, but we really love this little house and living out here, these pictures are very dark and don't really do it justice. Looks a lot different when the is sun out. Here's one of the back half living room area can’t really see the fireplace or kitchen, and bedrooms areas off to the sides.

We have 22 foot pine ceilings, oak floors, the couches upstairs are Italian leather with walnut wood and glass coffee tables. The down stairs we have a pool table big screen HDTV for foot ball games, a lounge and bar area for entertaining friends. Makes for kind of a sports bar, mini theater atmosphere. Put that together with around 20 acres of nothing but woods, out back of the house and it gets real cozy.

So you go out fishing on your own, or do you have someone with you in case of a freak thing like falling through thin ice. If it were me, I might be temped to tie a rope somewhere and take it with me just for a little reassurance. What other fish are biting in the winter other than Blue Gill? I would think most fish are kind of dormant in icy conditions.

 

[pajoube]

Berry,

Everyone looking at those great pictures would love to change places with you. Not overly cold, good accumulation, solid tractor and a weekend without work to play.
Did you use a blade also or just the bucket?
PJ

 

[Barryh]

Berry,

Everyone looking at those great pictures would love to change places with you. Not overly cold, good accumulation, solid tractor and a weekend without work to play.
Did you use a blade also or just the bucket?
PJ

Well thanks for pictures compliment, I'm sure a lot of you have much nicer places, and love your castle, as much as I love mine, with or without the ice and snow. I know someone else must have some new snow clearing pictures. This is proving to be a solid little tractor.

I'm just very content, and appreciate what I do have. When retirement rolls around in another 14 years, the only thing I may do different is find something similar with another 5 or 10 acres. I don't ask for much do I?

I do have a 42 inch blade that I converted from my craftsman tractor. And it works well, but I find that working with the small bucket also works fine, so I don't bother putting it on anymore.

I just have to be careful not to tear up my driveway with it. It makes a great ice breaker. I take silicon, and spray the bucket before and after I use the PT.

I also give the joints and cylinders a spray to keep them lubed, or to keep the rust off. I have been meaning to read the back of the can after doing this the last few times. I should make sure there is nothing in the can that might eat at the hydraulic seals.

 

[MossRoad]

So you go out fishing on your own, or do you have someone with you in case of a freak thing like falling through thin ice. If it were me, I might be temped to tie a rope somewhere and take it with me just for a little reassurance. What other fish are biting in the winter other than Blue Gill? I would think most fish are kind of dormant in icy conditions.

Yes, I do go by myself many times. In fact, I enjoy it more if no one else is around. I tell my wife when and where I am going and when I am expected back. That way the authorities won't have to search too far for my body!

When I walk out, I drill many test holes along the way and rarely go to lakes that I am not familiar with. I walk slowly and carry an auger. It is 5 feet long and if I fall through, I will turn it across the hole and use it as a grab bar to help me get out. It has sharp edges that will dig into the ice. Some folks carry ice awls on a string around their neck to grab and dig into the ice to pull themselves out. Once I find a place with good ice, I drill a half dozen holes or more and walk around fishing in each hole, moving if I don't get a bite. But I never stray out of the known good ice area or move between holes on a path that I have not walked on without my auger if I am alone. No sense in taking chances without some safety equipment.

Bluegill are the predominent fish in our lakes, however, perch, crappie, bass, pike and even catfish are common through the ice. They really are active and bite very well. Smaller baits tend to work better in cold water. I usually use a small jig with a wax worm if they are biting. If they are not biting, I switch the waxworm out for a spike, a small maggot. Just like summertime, you have to find out where the fish are. Underwater structure, dark bottoms that warm faster than light bottoms, bright, green weeds that indicate good oxygen and springs that bring warmer water(but dangerous ice) are good places to look for fish.

I really enjoy it. Last weekend I took my 9 year old daughter on her first "serious" ice fishing trip. I went to a lake where I knew she would catch fish, even if they were small. We did. She caught 25 and I caught 13. I was too busy to fish. She'd get one on, bring it up, I'd start to take it off the hook, she'd yell "Look, another one" and point to a different hole with a pole in it and run over and grab it. By the time I'd get to that one she was pulling up another one. Some other guys that were out there were laughing their butts off because I was following this little kid around hole after hole. I finally had to teach her how to take her own fish off the hook. Then I was able to catch a few on my own! Next time's lesson: How to bait your own hook.

 

[Barryh]

Yes, I do go by myself many times. In fact, I enjoy it more if no one else is around. I tell my wife when and where I am going and when I am expected back. That way the authorities won't have to search too far for my body!

When I walk out, I drill many test holes along the way and rarely go to lakes that I am not familiar with. I walk slowly and carry an auger. It is 5 feet long and if I fall through, I will turn it across the hole and use it as a grab bar to help me get out. It has sharp edges that will dig into the ice. Some folks carry ice awls on a string around their neck to grab and dig into the ice to pull themselves out. Once I find a place with good ice, I drill a half dozen holes or more and walk around fishing in each hole, moving if I don't get a bite. But I never stray out of the known good ice area or move between holes on a path that I have not walked on without my auger if I am alone. No sense in taking chances without some safety equipment.

Bluegill are the predominent fish in our lakes, however, perch, crappie, bass, pike and even catfish are common through the ice. They really are active and bite very well. Smaller baits tend to work better in cold water. I usually use a small jig with a wax worm if they are biting. If they are not biting, I switch the waxworm out for a spike, a small maggot. Just like summertime, you have to find out where the fish are. Underwater structure, dark bottoms that warm faster than light bottoms, bright, green weeds that indicate good oxygen and springs that bring warmer water(but dangerous ice) are good places to look for fish.

I really enjoy it. Last weekend I took my 9 year old daughter on her first "serious" ice fishing trip. I went to a lake where I knew she would catch fish, even if they were small. We did. She caught 25 and I caught 13. I was too busy to fish. She'd get one on, bring it up, I'd start to take it off the hook, she'd yell "Look, another one" and point to a different hole with a pole in it and run over and grab it. By the time I'd get to that one she was pulling up another one. Some other guys that were out there were laughing their butts off because I was following this little kid around hole after hole. I finally had to teach her how to take her own fish off the hook. Then I was able to catch a few on my own! Next time's lesson: How to bait your own hook.

Hey, something she will always remember, even when you are long gone. The special times I spent with my dad. Some things money just can’t buy. Pretty cool !