So, musky season is over for most of us. What will you do over the winter?
I'll probably continue to try to learn walleye thru the ice. I have some ideas of where they hang during winter on one or two local lakes and I REALLY like the idea of having a small shanty to walk to as opposed to no cover or dragging my 2-man pop-up hundreds of yards. So tonight I bought some simple plans for a plywood/tarp affair that's supposed to weigh under 100#.
Do you ice fish? For what and where? Anysteelheaders out there?
Thanks!
I hate ice fishing nothing about it appeals to me but I've been dying to get on the rivers for some winter steel since Thanksgiving. Next weekend hopefully! Problem is I've started a boat re-carpeting/re-structuring project that will take me off the rivers on a few weekends between now and March (I don't fish steelhead after March 1st).
"edalz" said:
I am also learning about live bait fishing for snook and it sounds like the saltwater version of the Musky disease.
I can say for certain that Snook are worse than Muskies and Tarpon are worse than Snook.
"Will Schultz" said:
I hate ice fishing nothing about it appeals to me but I've been dying to get on the rivers for some winter steel since Thanksgiving. Next weekend hopefully! Problem is I've started a boat re-carpeting/re-structuring project that will take me off the rivers on a few weekends between now and March (I don't fish steelhead after March 1st).
[quote="edalz"]I am also learning about live bait fishing for snook and it sounds like the saltwater version of the Musky disease.
I can say for certain that Snook are worse than Muskies and Tarpon are worse than Snook.
I know Tarpon is bad because about 2 years ago I was in a school of about (40) huge tarpon and they were within 5' of the boat and they would not eat. Imagine (40) muskies rolling at the boat for 2 hours and they won't even look at a bait…
Whats not to like about ice fishing? 2 to 15 mile quad ride over working cracks, sub zero temps, but taking a chance and setting up on a big school of eyes and catching way more than you can take home. No worries about boat control and you get to watch fish react on a flasher, catching fish 6ft below the ice in 20fow is cool, you just have to try it. Oh yeah I forgot about the lakers and whitefish that are quite common in the bay the past 5yrs or so.
Only ice fished a couple times, but no success. I think if I was to take up another hobby, Lucifer would throw a fit. I will, however, try to build a custom box in the front of my boat. I have a open area that I'm going to enclose with plexiglass and add a plexiglass cover as well. Like a Just-en-Case box. Right now, the area has a carpeted cover for the front casting deck. I think I will dedicate this area to my Dawgs, since going through multiple Plano boxes is getting old.
"Jim tenHaaf" said:
Only ice fished a couple times, but no success. I think if I was to take up another hobby, Lucifer would throw a fit. I will, however, try to build a custom box in the front of my boat. I have a open area that I'm going to enclose with plexiglass and add a plexiglass cover as well. Like a Just-en-Case box. Right now, the area has a carpeted cover for the front casting deck. I think I will dedicate this area to my Dawgs, since going through multiple Plano boxes is getting old.
Jim, I don't know if you ever saw it or not, but Mike Hulbert had something like what you're talking about making. He used the same PVC material that bumpboards are made out of. I'm not sure if the PVC would be cheaper than the plexiglass or not but I figured I'd shoot ya the alternative choice. If I had the room in my boat I'd be making one too.
"Esoxonthefly" said:
Jim, I don't know if you ever saw it or not, but Mike Hulbert had something like what you're talking about making. He used the same PVC material that bumpboards are made out of. I'm not sure if the PVC would be cheaper than the plexiglass or not but I figured I'd shoot ya the alternative choice. If I had the room in my boat I'd be making one too.
Thanks for the imput, JT, but since I will also be standing on it, I thought it'd be cool to be able to see down inside it. I could use it for the sides, but I think for looks, it would be better if it matched.
"Will Schultz" said:
[quote="Jim tenHaaf"]I'm going to enclose with plexiglass and add a plexiglass cover as well. Like a Just-en-Case box.
Don't use plexiglass it's too brittle, use clear lexan!
Noted!
Surprised today, stopped by Big Portage Lake in Waterloo and it was totally frozen over. Didn't think it would have been with all the wind. You could see way out in the middle where it is 30 or 40 feet it was real thin. I stepped out on it about 5 feet out, did not crack, real solid. Supposed to get to 39 tommorrow with freezing rain, that will screw it up. Probably will be able to ice fish by x-mas weekend.
I went on Austin yesterday (Sat) to try my new quest for a winter muskie. Ice was only about 1.5-3 inches so it was a little shaky. We were clearly the first people to be out fishing it this year, just the way I like it. We caught about 20 5-7 inch perch, so we started putting them on tip ups, but no success.
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