You will never convince me that Florida is paradise?

8 minutes ago, Arcs&sparks said:

You will never convince me that Florida is paradise?

After I got married, I told the mother-in-law that I would never visit between May and October. The one time I was there in late June I almost died from the heat and humidity. She lived in Boca Raton at the time.

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

I would be ice fishing if I was living in the frozen north. I like fishing every weekend if possible and it is rare for me to spend even 2 weeks without going fishing. Hard to imagine living in a place where there is hard water for 3-5 months of the year and more than half the year of cold weather. Blizzards, freezing rain, grey skies, and leafless plants are other things I would not like about life up north. Still like fishing up north during the Fall and Spring but fishing in South Florida or other tropical area is much more enjoyable for me.

Just because it's cold doesn't mean there is safe ice. In the last 5 weeks since I put the boat away, whatever safe ice there may or may not have been is now gone from a warming trend. Mind you it's in the 20's at night and 40's during the day. There may not be safe ice for another month or so. As it is, the geese have kept some of the water open this entire winter so far. There is water open today that was locked up a week ago.

3 hours ago, Russ E said:

You need one of these. May not be a pristine northern lake, but the water usually stays open all year

Cooling lakes in northern IL have seasons. Open April until waterfowl season. Closed all winter

8 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Just because it's cold doesn't mean there is safe ice. In the last 5 weeks since I put the boat away, whatever safe ice there may or may not have been is now gone from a warming trend. Mind you it's in the 20's at night and 40's during the day. There may not be safe ice for another month or so. As it is, the geese have kept some of the water open this entire winter so far. There is water open today that was locked up a week ago.

Cooling lakes in northern IL have seasons. Open April until waterfowl season. Closed all winter

the cooling lake here does not close. the only thing that stops people from fishing is the ramp may freeze over if it gets really cold. 

 

since you mentioned the geese. Have you seen any snow or blue geese up there? We usually start seeing flocks on the local lakes in December.  I have not seen any yet.

Just now, Russ E said:

the cooling lake here does not close. the only thing that stops people from fishing is the ramp may freeze over if it gets really cold. 

 

since you mentioned the geese. Have you seen any snow or blue geese up there? We usually start seeing flocks on the local lakes in December.  I have not seen any yet.

On my way to work, I saw 2 snow geese this morning flying northeast. The flocks keeping the water open are Canadian.

18 hours ago, slonezp said:

Just because it's cold doesn't mean there is safe ice. In the last 5 weeks since I put the boat away, whatever safe ice there may or may not have been is now gone from a warming trend. Mind you it's in the 20's at night and 40's during the day. There may not be safe ice for another month or so. As it is, the geese have kept some of the water open this entire winter so far. There is water open today that was locked up a week ago.

You are correct that cold weather does not guarantee safe ice. There are reports every year of people who fall through the ice because they did not have enough patience to wait for the ice to be thick enough for ice fishing. I will only go ice fishing if the ice is thick enough to be safe and I will take ice fishing very serious just like I treat freedive spearfishing and other sports that I do.

Ice out here in south central pa was December 15th with 50 degree rain moving through the area!  Really only small ponds/lakes had a thin covering.  It was 24 this morning and calling for it to hit 60 of Friday.  Thursday night prep will include the rendition of the all time classic,  "I'm dreaming of a open water Christmas." 

 

The lakes a mainly fish are a coin flip each year if they will lock up for any period of time.  Wind direction and what has frozen/thawed since the last trip out add another element to spot selection.

In my immediate area of PA, a lot of people associate the opening day of trout (mid-April) with the "start" of the fishing season.  I'm hoping there's some truth to the "slightly above average" and a March thaw.  Let's say March 21.  Happy birthday to me!

There is no safe ice left in Northern IL and 2 small local lakes i drove by are 90% open as of this morning.

37 minutes ago, slonezp said:

There is no safe ice left in Northern IL and 2 small local lakes i drove by are 90% open as of this morning.

No safe ice here either. A lady died just over a week ago falling through the ice. 

The main bays of Minnetonka are still unsafe, but the smaller sub-lakes had quite a number of portable houses up.

 

I still wouldn't go out yet even if I ice-fished. Just not sure.

With El Niño we might have ice out in early/mid April here in Minnesota... but then have to wait another month until the season opens which stinks in the occasional years we have decent Spring weather here...

 

So, I added a few new things to my Lund PVB this Fall (including Panoptix Livescope) and I’m hoping to head South somewhere in March/April for some open water fishing.  Have thought about Kansas, or if I get a wild hair, maybe Table Rock or Pickwick.  But I’m a big talker so we’ll see  

31 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

With El Niño we might have ice out in early/mid April here in Minnesota... but then have to wait another month until the season opens which stinks in the occasional years we have decent Spring weather here...

It's called Crappie season.

ONLY 3 months & 29 more days, or 16 weeks and 2 days or 114 more days . . . .

 

And for The BR Members who are currently employed ~ 

76 working days (608 hours, assuming 8-hour workday),

38 non-working days including:

17 Saturdays,

17 Sundays,

4 federal holidays (US) falling on weekdays

A-Jay

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

ONLY 3 months & 29 more days, or 16 weeks and 2 days or 114 more days . . . .

 

And for The BR Members who are currently employed ~ 

76 working days (608 hours, assuming 8-hour workday),

38 non-working days including:

17 Saturdays,

17 Sundays,

4 federal holidays (US) falling on weekdays

 

A-Jay

Well when you put it that way, It's only around the corner. ?

No ice anywhere here and with the current forecast, might now be any on New Year's Day either. 

Unseasonably warm here in central Illinois. I'm gonna hit up the river after Christmas and see what's up. 

I would be surprised if we get much ice at all this year. Maybe a thin sheet on the smaller, shaded ponds and pockets. 

Ice where I was today. 

A-Jay, I got to go for a few hours yesterday. This was my big fish. 7# even. Next one was a 5#. Had a great time with my oldest son. We caught 20 or so. Kept enough smaller ones for a fry Friday to celebrate my baby boys birthday. Ended up with 5 pounds of filet. Hang tight, my brother, ice out is coming!  Incidentally, we are under severe weather watches right now. Lots of rain, wind, possible tornadoes, and flooding for the next 24-48 hours. We all have our crosses to bear.....

 

20 minutes ago, Big Rick said:

A-Jay, I got to go for a few hours yesterday. This was my big fish. 7# even. Next one was a 5#. Had a great time with my oldest son. We caught 20 or so. Kept enough smaller ones for a fry Friday to celebrate my baby boys birthday. Ended up with 5 pounds of filet. Hang tight, my brother, ice out is coming!  Incidentally, we are under severe weather watches right now. Lots of rain, wind, possible tornadoes, and flooding for the next 24-48 hours. We all have our crosses to bear.....

 

Nicely Done Rick ! 

 I'm hanging tough (so far)

Thank you for sharing and Congrats

A-Jay

It's been warm for this time of year in central Illinois. 55 degrees today. Rainy and windy though. 30mph winds tomorrow. Finally Saturday is supposed to be calm, moderately sunny, with no rain and a high of 35. A bit cooler but the water temps should still be in decent condition all things considered. I'm going to hit my favorite river up that day. Just 48 more hours. Haven't felt a tug on my line for far too long. Taking one of my new Fenwicks and the Ned Rig. Should at least 1 or 2 Smallies. I hope. 

1 hour ago, Big Rick said:

A-Jay, I got to go for a few hours yesterday. This was my big fish. 7# even. Next one was a 5#. Had a great time with my oldest son. We caught 20 or so. Kept enough smaller ones for a fry Friday to celebrate my baby boys birthday. Ended up with 5 pounds of filet. Hang tight, my brother, ice out is coming!  Incidentally, we are under severe weather watches right now. Lots of rain, wind, possible tornadoes, and flooding for the next 24-48 hours. We all have our crosses to bear.....

 

Nice fish !!!!!  Where in MS are you located? We are getting those storms around Jackson area now. My back yard looks like I could go out and catch a few !!!

1 hour ago, tander said:

Where in MS are you located?

I'm about 45 minutes north of Meridian on hwy 45. It just hit here. Flooding rain, thunder and lightning. But, the worst of the severe stuff seems to have played out for now. 

Technically, we've already had ice out. 51* and 2" of rain today. It's all gone. Bottoms going to drop out next week and back in the teens for highs.