Early Ice Recollections

I was looking at the weather forecast and it looks like it could shape up to a situation I experienced a few years ago. A couple coworkers and I walked out in early ice conditions with little to no snow for an afternoon/evening. There were many large expanses of good clear ice. I remember walking back to the landing in the dark. Many times you would look down and it was pitch black with absolutely no detail at all. It was like you were walking on top of a Void and it had a really eerie feeling.

Yeah, I absolutely hate walking or riding on that black clear ice. It makes the sphincter pucker right up. I will do it but I just hate it.

Yes pretty freaky walking on what seems to be hard air but with the lack of snow that is the beginning of making very good hard Ice. Hopefully a good long ice season.

Paul Delaney
http://www.lateeyessportfishing.com

A spud bar does wonders for my confidence as I am walking. I spud as I go and if it ever goes through or water comes up on one good spud I back out. First ice when its clear and solid is very strong ice.

When my brother and I first started ice fishing we used a pick axe to cut open our hole. Usually just one hole big enough for 2 lines down. For rods, we just took off the top half of the 2 piece spinning rods and fished with that. Nothing fancy like jigging. Just 2 bobbers down getting tangled until one of us caught a fish, which was usually a hammer handle northern. Fishing never lasted too long. After all we were both soaking wet from cutting the hole. Both lake water and sweat!

-J.

I recall walking on ice (Lake Bemidji) that was so clear it felt like I was flying. I could actually see weeds sway and perch dart underneath me. Gets your knees shaking… even with a spud.

The turbine channel at the Coon Rapids Dam always freezes early, it is a hoot to be walking on glass and seeing 20lb carp schooling under your feet.

Today, I was the first known fisherman out in the bay. The ice was very clear and undisturbed which kept my fists clinched around my Frabill ice picks “haha”. Thankfully the ice thickness was consistent and I was able to verify safe ice as I curiously trekked out to the depths.

Keep it safe! Cheers

Saw the first portable out on an area lake today. They pulled it by hand. Too early for this guy. I’ll give it a few more days.

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The turbine channel at the Coon Rapids Dam always freezes early, it is a hoot to be walking on glass and seeing 20lb carp schooling under your feet.

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School of carp under the ice. A good way to have the ice deteriorate from under side of the ice. I herd a story where the MN. DNR had one of there vehicles go thru due to carp under the ice.

Walking back across the running slough in merrick had 2.5in going out but it warmed up on us, crossing back over I was first and the ice spiderwebbed on me so I laid down and started belly crawling, my buddies gf was sobbing and hasn’t forgiven him to this day it’s only funny now because we made it

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A spud bar does wonders for my confidence as I am walking. I spud as I go and if it ever goes through or water comes up on one good spud I back out. First ice when its clear and solid is very strong ice.

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Agreed on the chisel. I want to be the guy with the chisel, or the guy behind the guy with the chisel. Ran into those kind of conditions fishing with Grant and James a few years back. The water looked like the ice looked like the water. Impossible to tell what was open and what wasn’t without full light and a spud bar.

Joel