How thick does ice need to be for it to be safe to fish on?  I grew up in the midalantic and as a kid "DO NOT GO ONTO ICE FOR ANY REASON" was drilled into my head so often that ice fishing still sounds so crazy to me.  

42 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

How thick does ice need to be for it to be safe to fish on?  I grew up in the midalantic and as a kid "DO NOT GO ONTO ICE FOR ANY REASON" was drilled into my head so often that ice fishing still sounds so crazy to me.  

4" to walk, 6" for snowmobille/atv, 12" for a car

8 minutes ago, slonezp said:

4" to walk, 6" for snowmobille/atv, 12" for a car

Hah, man, in my childhood (ok, some of my adulthood too) of throwing rocks into iced over water, I don't think I have ever seen it over an inch or two here.  

About 4 years ago around my place we had an old fashioned true winter, I was out with my son for lakers, and with my power auger I just barely made it through the ice, it has a 48” long auger on it so I guess you could say we were pretty safe to walk there ?

I know I've already posted these catches, but I had some leftover footage of some bobber-takedowns on the Atlantic Salmon this past summer so I figured I'd put it into a video.  Something to look forward to this coming summer.  Fish On

 

 

The initial run is the best.  Unstoppable!

Thanks!  Definitely.  You never know what to expect when you throw your bobber into the turbines.

You have to try centrepinning.  It's a blast, though it wouldn't work in the spot from your video.

A pair of jigging spoon flatheads that will make some good dinners for my buddies parents. We caught them one after the other off the same spot, first my spoon got smacked, then his. 

Got a couple crappie today. Water was frozen in a few places. If you guys could keep the ice up north that'd be great......

66 degrees outside today, figured I would night fish. Not bad for January 

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

66 degrees outside today, figured I would night fish. Not bad for January 

^hahaha

You need to have a replica made 

 

Had an hour before dark. Went out and caught a few nice bream off the dock.

Nice, cool evening after a COLD few days.

I've been pretty busy with school picking up, but have still been able to make the most out of my weekends.  Last week I went out and got a couple perch on the minnow and bobber, a ton of throwback walleye, a throwback pike, a 17 inch walleye, and then lost a monster 3 lb walleye just beneath the hole using a moonshine jigging spoon.  It was a pretty good time.  Then this past Sunday my dad happened to be walking our dogs down the road and told me there were a couple shanties stacked out near an island only a half mile from our house.  I went and checked it out and started sight-fishing a teardrop and waxie for whitefish in about 10 feet of clear water.  Using an ice saw I can extend the hole to about 2 feet to make it easier to see.  About 20 minutes in and a huge pike rolls up, probably pushing 30 inches.  I call up my dad and he brings out my walleye and pike lures with my dead minnows.  Shout out to my dad.  The pike comes back and takes some hard shots on my #5 Perch foil Jigging Rap tipped with a full minnow.  The fish is so finicky though and spits the jig rap out every time I go and set the hook.  I head back out again after class Tuesday for a few hours and only see a couple minnows.  On Friday I went to the local bait-shop, bought some big sucker minnows and threw them on tipups.  I’m jigging a #7 Silver minnow jig rap with minnow when the beast comes back!  He charges the jig rap with mouth wide, misses, reloads, comes back and INHALES the bait.  I set the hook hard, but he spits it out just in the nick of time again!  By this time, I’m feeling frustrated and the tipups never trip once.  About an hour later I’m jigging the #7 jig rap again when the fish shows up once more!  This time he’s not aggressive and only circles the bait.  Keep in mind this is the exact lure he spit out an hour ago.  Without hesitation I pick up my #5 Perch jig rap rod with steel leader and minnow and drop it down.  The pike comes back with interest but still doesn’t commit.  I decide to change it up and start jiggling my rod-tip with fast twitches.  It makes it look like the minnow on the treble is having a seizure.  The pike spins on a dime, comes up to the lure, fans his fins, and then takes a big bite!  Set the hook hard and couldn’t believe he was on!  Came out to be a fat 4.67 lber at 28 inches and was only hooked by ONE BARB on the jig rap treble!!!  Sight-fishing for pike has to be the most exhilarating kind of ice fishing I’ve ever experienced, and a 10 minute walk away to boot!

 

 

 

Sweet!

First fishes in Minnesota ice fishing after 3 skunked trips 

 

 

 

 

still trying to catch a walleye 

Couldn't keep the fish from swallowing my baits yesterday. Wipers were super aggressive and most every one of the 3 dozen I caught had my bait like this.

I had a first also, my first flathead from this lake, on a homemade bladed jig.

Mayan Cichlid. AKA atomic sunfish. They are hard fighters. My area is loaded with them. Supposed to be great eating although I never tried one.

Finally remembered to bring the big shad I froze last month and let some soak while I was fishing for bass. Got on a hot bite on a flat point where I just dropped the motor in the mud and sat there, great chance to let some cut bait sit while I was casting. 3 nice blues and a channel liked the spot too  added a 4th blue right at the end of the day on a Keitech. 

 

Got to wonder what these crazy white bass are thinking sometimes?! That's a 190 Plopper, all 7.5" and 2 3/4oz of it. 

Did a little offshore fishing this morning. Gorgeous day. Got this grouper and three Spanish mackerel, including a really big one.

 

...oh, and this massive nurse shark.

 

Winter steelhead fishing one of the tributaries on the northern Oregon coast.

Not even a good filet.