A-Jay's 3rd Annual Ice Out / Open Water Countdown Thread ~

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

It sure does seem like it’s going by fast! 

Tell me about it - I gotta get my reels out and do some maintenance before the water opens up. Way it's going we may see open water sometime in March.

[Jigfishn10]

On 1/30/2021 at 8:01 PM, 12poundbass said:

Two tenths of an inch is in the forecast for us so it must be south of me too. 

You serious, you get reports on 10ths of an inch not a dusting? Who reports such things!? ?

[A-Jay]

One days it's winter, one day it's not.

Been a zany hard water season no doubt.

Either way ~ 77 Days & a Wake up.

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

28 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

One days it's winter, one day it's not.

Been a zany hard water season no doubt.

Either way ~ 77 Days & a Wake up.

A-Jay

Have you seen next week? 

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Have you seen next week? 

I dunno about next week for you guys in 'The Mitten' - but I'm gonna hibernate this weekend.

[12poundbass]

1 minute ago, MN Fisher said:

I dunno about next week for you guys in 'The Mitten' - but I'm gonna hibernate this weekend.

Yup same for us. I will this weekend but I can’t during the week. Even though we work outside we really can’t  take days off with the exception of the rare major snow event or “polar vortex”.  In the almost 11 years I’ve been doing this I could count on one hand and have a few fingers left over the times we’ve been off because of weather. 
 

I’ll just have to spend a bit more time in the truck. ?

[A-Jay]

Zero is cold but it's better than the -20 or -30 that's pretty common here in Feb. 

And wind makes it brutal.

You know what it's like. 

A-Jay 

[roadwarrior]

Time for a Florida vacation.

[A-Jay]

50 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Time for a Florida vacation.

Why ?

So I can get acclimated to 75 degrees for a week and then come back

AND REALLY be cold 

No Thanks

I'm Good. 

A-Jay

 

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Why ?

So I can get acclimated to 75 degrees for a week and then come back

AND REALLY be cold 

No Thanks

I'm Good. 

A-Jay

 

 

Do you take the dogs for a run in that weather?

[12poundbass]

29 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

 

Do you take the dogs for a run in that weather?

As much as the cold weather gets old and sometimes you just don’t go outside, you can dress for cold weather, but you can only take so many clothes off in hot weather before the boys in blue get called. ?

 

Like I had said in another thread 10 minutes into shoveling snow yesterday I broke a sweat and it was below zero windchills. 

[DitchPanda]

23 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

As much as the cold weather gets old and sometimes you just don’t go outside, you can dress for cold weather, but you can only take so many clothes off in hot weather before the boys in blue get called. ?

 

Like I had said in another thread 10 minutes into shoveling snow yesterday I broke a sweat and it was below zero windchills. 

I grew up in Texas so I'm used to 90 days straight of 100 degree weather. Yes hot sucks but if ideal temp is 50-70 it only gets so hot from there. It gets way colder than that...next Thursday the wind chill is gonna be -30.

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

 

Do you take the dogs for a run in that weather?

Running, biking and sledding with the dogs is almost always a great time.

Although adittedly the inital training can be challenging.

Temperature extremes either way can take the shine off it pretty fast.

So we pick our spots 

A-Jay 

[slonezp]

-10 this morning and hovering around zero now. Just another winter in Chicago.

[A-Jay]

69 Days & a Wake Up ~ 

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

69 Days & a Wake Up ~ 

A-Jay

These cold temps have made the days seem to slow down, but seeing that beautiful brown bass sure helps ease the pain. 

[DogBone_384]

Everything within an hour of Boston is locked up.  I fear this last cold spell locked Cape Cod up too...  ?

[A-Jay]

Been Ground Hog Day for a couple of weeks now.

Sunshine's been rare. 

Sort of like living in a snow globe. 

66 Days & a Wake Up ~ 

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

Looking at my prediction of March 6 and looking at the 12”+ of ice and the 12-18” of a snowy blanket covering that ice, I’m not sure we’ll have open water here in 20 days. The following week is supposed to be above freezing so it’s a start. Either way we’re getting closer each day. 

[Jigfishn10]

So....How's the ice out prognosis? ?

[DitchPanda]

8 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

So....How's the ice out prognosis? ?

Well here in Iowa it ain't looking good for early ice out. Last year it went out the first week of march but there's no way that's happening now. It looked like it was possible but we have been below freezing non stop for like 10 days in a row now..the last few days we've had wind chills approaching -40. Even when we get out of this the warmest days look like low 40s for the next few weeks.

[Jigfishn10]

10 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Well here in Iowa it ain't looking good for early ice out. Last year it went out the first week of march but there's no way that's happening now. It looked like it was possible but we have been below freezing non stop for like 10 days in a row now..the last few days we've had wind chills approaching -40. Even when we get out of this the warmest days look like low 40s for the next few weeks.

Definitely something going on with the jet stream, but we're not really having the typical New England winter this year. I thought with all the hurricanes and tropical storms we had in the summer and fall our winter was supposed to be bad. So far so good.

The past couple of years we really didn't have a spring. Mild fall and early winter but then winter caught up and went right into summer it seemed like.

 

[DitchPanda]

4 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Definitely something going on with the jet stream, but we're not really having the typical New England winter this year. I thought with all the hurricanes and tropical storms we had in the summer and fall our winter was supposed to be bad. So far so good.

The past couple of years we really didn't have a spring. Mild fall and early winter but then winter caught up and went right into summer it seemed like.

 

Last year was strange for us. We had crazy warm weather in February which led to the earliest ice out I can remember. Then the temps dropped back to low 40s highs and 20s for lows which left us with open water but very little warm up which kept the fish in a funk. Stayed that way for a month probably then it just bypassed the 50s and warmed up super fast with days in the 70s and even some touching 80s. Even with the funk I managed to get into alot if quality fish including 3 big fish for my area (2-6s and a 7) pre spawn. I really feel that the fish will hold off for weather a while but eventually the draw from sun angle and day length start pulling them up regardless.

[A-Jay]

29 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

So....How's the ice out prognosis? ?

 

As entertaining as 'my prediction' may have been,

there's no way to accurately estimate, earlier or later, which way this is going to go.

Very little if anything that happens this entire month ever plays any role in if there's hard or open water in April or May for that matter.

Late March's demeanor might affect this whole deal a little.

But for my money, it's all about April. 

A Super mild one, especially early, could open it up and of course, well,

I don't even want to discuss the other option.

Looking back at my reports, I've had some very special days on the water in April & early May.

So I'm just going to do what I can to be ready when the time comes.

Is it too early to pack a lunch ?

A-Jay

[Jigfishn10]

Me thinks that Michigan is more unpredictable than New England...?

Next 10 days here is 30*'s & 40*'s and not much snow in the forecast. Our waters are frozen with a nice layer of snow on it but the rains we're getting will change that.

 

Stay warm my friend.