Today, the high was in the 50s.  I thought to myself, "This might be the last chance I get to go fishing this year - screw it, after the Manchester United game is over (2-0 over West Brom!  GGMU!) I'm going to take a trip up to where @740anglerlikes and see what it's all about.

 

So I grabbed my new phone and some new line (bought some 8lb Nanofil 150yd [expensive!!!]) and headed out.

 

GPS gave me a few routes, I chose to take a slightly less familiar route - it cuts through the AEP ReCreation Lands that I frequent but I've never gone farther north than it.

 

Everything is fine until it tells me to turn off on this gravel road - at first it's ok, but after a few corners...  There it is. 

 

A single, solid glare of wet ice. 

 

When I came to a stop, the car slid forward 6ft.  Yikes.  Eventually, I got turned around despite myself and chose to keep going north on the main road.

 

Unfortunately, at some point you have to take what used to be a dirt road because that's what gets you to the lake.  All told, I had to drive about 3 miles of gravel roads that were almost all wet ice.  Thankfully, I know to drive slow and keep the revs low and light on the brakes so I managed to make it to the lake with no incidents.

 

Then things went from bad to worse.

 

 

Yeah, it's been cold the past few days to maybe a week, but this place has flowing water and it was warm today so I figured I'd be in the clear. 

 

Nope.  Whole lake is frozen over with about an inch or so of ice.

 

So, I drove 45ish min for nothing.  lol

 

Oh well, we live and learn I guess.  Maybe it is time for me to hang it up for the year.

Been there brother. A long trip for no reward should be my motto. But remember spring is just 3 and a half months away. 

On 12/17/2016 at 6:47 PM, Gundog said:

Been there brother. A long trip for no reward should be my motto. But remember spring is just 3 and a half months away. 

 

Three and a half...  lol  If only it wasn't as long as it sounded! 

 

I'm torn, I tell ya - between loving cold weather and hating heat and wanting to fish year-round. 

 

I think Alaska is where I'll eventually end up - maybe somewhere in Wyoming.

26 minutes ago, CybrSlydr said:

 

Three and a half...  lol  If only it wasn't as long as it sounded! 

 

I'm torn, I tell ya - between loving cold weather and hating heat and wanting to fish year-round. 

 

I think Alaska is where I'll eventually end up - maybe somewhere in Wyoming.

ALASKA...lets not get crazy now. Last time I checked there ain't no bass in Alaska. 

Lol. Alaska seems quite nice - they also have salmon among others.

5 hours ago, CybrSlydr said:

Lol. Alaska seems quite nice - they also have salmon among others.

Gets pretty cold in Tennessee but you can fish all year. A whole a lot of folks from Ohio now live here

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Gets pretty cold in Tennessee but you can fish all year. A whole a lot of folks from Ohio now live here

 

That may be, but it also gets stupid hot the further south you go.

 

I'd rather avoid heat than cold!  lol

4 hours ago, CybrSlydr said:

 

That may be, but it also gets stupid hot the further south you go.

 

I'd rather avoid heat than cold!  lol

Yea it was crazy hot this year right up until Halloween. It was upper 90s all summer especially late with no precip

44 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Yea it was crazy hot this year right up until Halloween. It was upper 90s all summer especially late with no precip

 

Ran into the same problem here in Ohio.  We started fishing in early August and it was just brutal all summer/fall.