Super User A-Jay Posted January 3 Super User Share Posted January 3 At this point, my world is a white & frozen place. The skies are mostly grey and fishing prospects seem bleak. Despite what has so far been a relatively 'warmer' version of winter, there's nothing even remotely resembling open water up this way. So it's time . . . . . Open water day in 2021 (always a fan favorite), happened on 21 Apr, sort of an average time frame ~ Pulling it right out of a hat again this year, I'm going with an optimistic date of 18 Apr 2023 for fishable waters here. https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/launch?iso=20230418T12&p0=5787&msg=A-Jay's+5th+Annual+Ice+Out+%2F+Open+Water+Countdown+Thread+~&ud=1&font=cursive&csz=1 That leaves 15 weeks for the magic to happen. As always, please feel free to add your comments, support, and yes, even the jabs; as I know they're inevitable & always quite entertaining. To my fellow bassheads who are also enduring this inevitable hiatus, hang in there it will all be over soon enough. The days are long but the weeks go by fast. And for those folks that can & will get out on the water while the rest of us are wearing 3 or 4 layers, don't forget to add a few pics of recent catches. Always helps to pass the time while I day dream of fishing again as soon as possible. Stay Safe A-Jay 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Jar11591 Posted January 3 Super User Share Posted January 3 Is it really only 15 weeks until mid April? When you put it that way it seems much more manageable. It’s been unseasonably warm here as well. All the snow has melted but I doubt any of the lakes have opened up enough to get out. The boat is up for the winter and most of my reels are out for service anyway. Although the forecast for the next week or so will continue the warmer weather, I may walk the bank at a river or stream to scratch the itch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3 Author Super User Share Posted January 3 7 minutes ago, Jar11591 said: Is it really only 15 weeks until mid April? When you put it that way it seems much more manageable. It’s been unseasonably warm here as well. All the snow has melted but I doubt any of the lakes have opened up enough to get out. The boat is up for the winter and most of my reels are out for service anyway. Although the forecast for the next week or so will continue the warmer weather, I may walk the bank at a river or stream to scratch the itch. It's still a week shy of 4 months but you're right, 15 weeks sounds better some how. Walking the banks can be very therapeutic, I say do it ! Especially if you don't need snow shoes . . . A-Jay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted January 3 Super User Share Posted January 3 I was wondering when/if this thread was going to show up @A-Jay. I was beginning to think you forgot. Now that we've definitely had a head start on winter, I will go with a later ice out date than average. My prediction will be Thursday, April 20 for an official ice out date on Lake Minnetonka here (average date is April 13). There actually isn't a lot of ice on the lakes even though its been quite cold with a ton of snow already. All the snow is inhibiting making more ice. I heard that this is the most snow we've had by New Years since 2011. And more is coming this week too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MN Fisher Posted January 3 Super User Share Posted January 3 7 minutes ago, gimruis said: Now that we've definitely had a head start on winter, I will go with a later ice out date than average. My prediction will be Thursday, April 20 for an official ice out date on Lake Minnetonka here (average date is April 13). With the snow cover - as you mentioned - I'm going with an earlier ice-out. I'm saying April 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted January 3 Super User Share Posted January 3 12 minutes ago, MN Fisher said: I'm saying April 8 I like the positivity! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 I was trying to get out one more time before ice this year but that artic blast and holiday schedules put a stop to that. We had fishable ice in NJ before Christmas which is saying something (I'm also saying that I'm not getting out on it!). That said, this warm blast here just nuked all of the snow and the water temps have gone up a degree or two. The delware river is up 5 degrees Celsius (up to the mid 40's F) and if it goes up 2-3 more I might have to get the kayak on it this weekend. All of this warm water filling the systems is going to give a little higher base temp I think. And days are getting longer now! My prediction for here in NJ is that I'm going to have minimal ice all year so 'ice out' won't even apply. I just need to pick a water temp I want to start fishing at. I'm going to say 40 degrees for the water and sunny with no wind above water. Late Feb for me. Better get that TW order placed sooner rather than later (jerkbaits will feature this spring I think, thanks A-Jay). 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3 Author Super User Share Posted January 3 1 hour ago, gimruis said: I was wondering when/if this thread was going to show up @A-Jay. I was beginning to think you forgot. Now that we've definitely had a head start on winter, I will go with a later ice out date than average. My prediction will be Thursday, April 20 for an official ice out date on Lake Minnetonka here (average date is April 13). There actually isn't a lot of ice on the lakes even though its been quite cold with a ton of snow already. All the snow is inhibiting making more ice. I heard that this is the most snow we've had by New Years since 2011. And more is coming this week too. Admittedly my memory probably isn't what it used to be, but open water and this thread in particular, are near and dear to my heart. So I didn't forget, I was simply pacing myself waiting for just the right time. #nailedit A-Jay 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnold335 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 We already had our ice out…….hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Billy Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 4 hours ago, A-Jay said: To my fellow bassheads who are also enduring this inevitable hiatus, hang in there it will all be over soon enough Thanks for the kind words A-Jay. Ya know, my wife often calls me a basshead, but the way she pronounces it, the B is silent. 😁 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User A-Jay Posted January 3 Author Super User Share Posted January 3 26 minutes ago, T-Billy said: Thanks for the kind words A-Jay. Ya know, my wife often calls me a basshead, but the way she pronounces it, the B is silent. 😁 I get it ~ Sort of like 'K' as in Knife . . . 🤪 A-Jay 1 hour ago, Darnold335 said: We already had our ice out…….hopefully. As far as the sequence of events usually occur, a water generally needs to have experienced an 'Ice In' before there is an 'Ice Out'. Stay Frosty A-Jay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnold335 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 32 minutes ago, A-Jay said: 1 hour ago, Darnold335 said: hopefully. Expand As far as the sequence of events usually occur, a water generally needs to have experienced an 'Ice In' before there is an 'Ice Out'. The river was about 80% locked up a week ago and people were ice fishing on the lakes around here. Said there was 3.5-4” on the lakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 24 minutes ago, Darnold335 said: The river was about 80% locked up a week ago and people were ice fishing on the lakes around here. Said there was 3.5-4” on the lakes. I will confirm what he's saying about the river. We drove across it in the middle of the storm on the 23rd, back across it on the 27th, 29th, and 2nd going from NJ to Pittsburgh area. It was a mess. When it started flowing it was icebergs the size of cars and ice sheets clumping in the shallow riffles. I've never seen it quite like that before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnold335 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 27 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said: I will confirm what he's saying about the river. We drove across it in the middle of the storm on the 23rd, back across it on the 27th, 29th, and 2nd going from NJ to Pittsburgh area. It was a mess. When it started flowing it was icebergs the size of cars and ice sheets clumping in the shallow riffles. I've never seen it quite like that before. I was out the 29th. If you knew where to launch you could do it. Here is a YouTube guys video of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 3 hours ago, Darnold335 said: I was out the 29th. If you knew where to launch you could do it. Here is a YouTube guys video of it. yeah, I think it was the 27th when we came back across it was locked up. No way I’d be fishing what’s in that video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnold335 Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 3 hours ago, casts_by_fly said: yeah, I think it was the 27th when we came back across it was locked up. No way I’d be fishing what’s in that video. There is a main channel that runs down above where I launched. Most of that ice was coming from the north branch. So the ice was on the middle to east shore. There were spots if you launched on the west shore like I did it was clean running no ice. That’s the 81 bridge in that picture and you can see where all the ice flowing down is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody B Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 I get depressed when the water get's under 50 degrees. I can't imagine ice. Hang tough cold weather guys. Spring is just around the corner. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnold335 Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 9 hours ago, Woody B said: I get depressed when the water get's under 50 degrees. I can't imagine ice. Hang tough cold weather guys. Spring is just around the corner. Don’t you tease me with a good time lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User 12poundbass Posted January 5 Super User Share Posted January 5 Just looked at the extended forecast and at the rate we’re going I’d say January 28th! 😂 Reality will eventually set in and we’ll get a normal winter weather pattern. The big question is will it make up for lost time and linger well into April or will it start to thaw towards the end of March. Since I’m going to get my 💩 in a group this year I’m going to be optimistic and say April 5. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User A-Jay Posted January 5 Author Super User Share Posted January 5 9 hours ago, 12poundbass said: Just looked at the extended forecast and at the rate we’re going I’d say January 28th! 😂 Reality will eventually set in and we’ll get a normal winter weather pattern. The big question is will it make up for lost time and linger well into April or will it start to thaw towards the end of March. Since I’m going to get my 💩 in a group this year I’m going to be optimistic and say April 5. I was thinking the same thing the other day especially with all these weird warm air temps and RAIN. But what if by some bizarre meteorological combination of factors, I was actually able to safely get out on Lake Menderchuck in like mid February ? Now that would be pretty cool. Might take me a while to find some bass. But when I do, I bet I would finds "Them All" ! Katie, Bar The door ! It's fun to dream. In the mean time I'll just keep doing this . . . . A-Jay 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Jar11591 Posted January 5 Super User Share Posted January 5 It’s seeming like spring here. Almost 50 degrees, sunny, birds are chirping, squirrels all up on the bird feeder. At this rate ice out will be somewhere around this weekend haha. I may have to get the 12Vs charging soon…. I’ve lived in upstate NY all my life so I’m well versed enough to know we won’t make it out of January or February without a refreeze, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a thought! Here’s hoping. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 4 hours ago, A-Jay said: I was thinking the same thing the other day especially with all these weird warm air temps and RAIN. But what if by some bizarre meteorological combination of factors, I was actually able to safely get out on Lake Menderchuck in like mid February ? Now that would be pretty cool. Might take me a while to find some bass. But when I do, I bet I would finds "Them All" ! Katie, Bar The door ! It's fun to dream. In the mean time I'll just keep doing this . . . . A-Jay As much as I'd love to see that, I don't think northern MI is going to cooperate on that one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User A-Jay Posted January 5 Author Super User Share Posted January 5 44 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said: As much as I'd love to see that, I don't think northern MI is going to cooperate on that one. That's not winter here ~ More like a late spring or early autumn. This is winter . . . . A-Jay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User A-Jay Posted January 6 Author Super User Share Posted January 6 Fish Catch Friday ~ Starting this one off with last season's First 5 lb brown bass. 14 weeks, 4 days & a wake up . . . . A-Jay 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoneFishingLTN Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 Do you have peg boards you organize over the winter or anything similar A-Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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