Today’s the day to be on the ice

It’s certainly not news to anyone here that we’ve been toughing it through a very cold winter so far. I’ve been running around the midwest for 8 years filming the TV shows and I can’t recall a winter even close to as frigid as this one.

That said, today would be the day to be on the ice this week. I’ve been fortunate enough to catch 3 other days this winter similar to today with regards to barometer and weather pattern and all three of them were gangbusters.

Temps started warming up last night over night about the time the temps started rising.

Temps started to rise last night after midnight.

I agree.. aside from the W winds at 25-30 gusting over 50 here.

I want to be out on the lake so bad today, unfortunately I’m stuck listening to a professor talk at me for 6 hours . Good luck if you hit the lake today, I’ll be waiting until sunday morning to watch the show and live vicariously through the IDO crew.

My experience has been that the fishing will be good until the barometer hits bottom and starts to rise. The winds usually switch direction about that time as well and the fishing usually shuts off with an audible THUD.

Unfortunately I’m not on the water today. For those that are, enjoy. I get to fish Sunday and Monday. Things don’t look quite so rosey.

I can honestly say I need a break from fishing. I cant wait to get back on the sled this weekend! It’s been too long.

-16 is this your new norm temp to get out.

Is it even possible to get sick of fishing? Sounds like foolish talk to me . Guess I haven’t ever went enough in my day then, I’ll have to step up my game. I’ll just make sure I tell the gf that I need to go fishing more often so I eventually become sick of it…that’s brilliant

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-16 is this your new norm temp to get out.

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I’ve been dubbed Caption Cold Front.

While I won’t ever get sick OF fishing I’ve definitely been sick FROM fishing. I’m going on week 4 of miserable sinus infection with a nasty cough that won’t go away. Sunday and Monday is definitely NOT what the doctor ordered.

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Is it even possible to get sick of fishing? Sounds like foolish talk to me . Guess I haven’t ever went enough in my day then, I’ll have to step up my game. I’ll just make sure I tell the gf that I need to go fishing more often so I eventually become sick of it…that’s brilliant

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It’s possible if you do other stuff. I have always been a serious sledder too. I have fished part of every weekend since before Christmas so yes I personally need a change for a weekend or two. Not to mention sledding is an activity my wife and I do together. Cant wait to squeeze that handle. The sled, not my wife. braaaaaaaaaaaaap.

Seems to me James also dabbles in the black art of snowmobiling…..

I wonder how many more days like this will come and go before i get on the ice ???

I’m not able to get out enough as it is so most times if I’m sick I normally tough it out, strangely I don’t think it has ever made it worse. I know you are running a business and you don’t have much of a choice either, I would argue there are worse things you could possibly have to do when you are sick than fish . All that said sinus infections are a real pain, used to get them all the time when I was a kid haven’t had any for years now, knock on wood.

I was being sarcastic if you didn’t sense that, totally acceptable to take off fishing to ride the sled I’m jealous indeed. I love riding but its awful expensive for a college kid like myself, thus I budget for ice fishing instead

Here we are waiting for tomorrow. We will have that for one day.

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I was being sarcastic if you didn’t sense that, totally acceptable to take off fishing to ride the sled I’m jealous indeed. I love riding but its awful expensive for a college kid like myself, thus I budget for ice fishing instead

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I know. All’s well. All this talk of fishing has me wanting to fish again! Thanks a lot!!

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-16 is this your new norm temp to get out.

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I’ve been dubbed Caption Cold Front.

While I won’t ever get sick OF fishing I’ve definitely been sick FROM fishing. I’m going on week 4 of miserable sinus infection with a nasty cough that won’t go away. Sunday and Monday is definitely NOT what the doctor ordered.

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Some of the bites you guys have been on have to make you forgot about the sinus infection for at least a little while!

So,rising temps, falling barometer, wind out of the west equals fish. The reverse equals destructive social behavior?

Yeap … Taking time off work to go fishing…can’t beat this..

I cant make it out today, and it looks like it may be bad timing to take my 13yr old nephew out for his first time ice fishing tomorrow. Just going to a local lake that got pounded for gills earlier this winter, hoping there are some left. After tomorrow, we’ll see if he ever wants to go ice fishing again.

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-16 is this your new norm temp to get out.

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I’ve been dubbed Caption Cold Front.

While I won’t ever get sick OF fishing I’ve definitely been sick FROM fishing. I’m going on week 4 of miserable sinus infection with a nasty cough that won’t go away. Sunday and Monday is definitely NOT what the doctor ordered.

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Good luck with that James, my son had the same thing and it took 7 weeks to beat it even with the docs’ help!!

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Good luck with that James, my son had the same thing and it took 7 weeks to beat it even with the docs’ help!!

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I think last Friday was my low point. I had to abort a shoot up near Backus because I was running a high fever and had the shakes so hard I couldn’t talk without sounding like I was driving over a rubble strip on the side of the road.

I cut Ben Brettingen, IDO’s #1 camera guy, loose for a couple extra days off this week so he could rest and hopefully avoid what I’ve been dealing with. If the crew starts dropping like flies the wheels come off the IDO bus in a hurry.

Backus!! That is sweet!

My poles always ready to get off work early.

James you mirrored my thoughts completely. Went out today….very slow…..non active bite. Still had a great time getting on the ice. Temperature was wonderful.

I can’t enough of ice fishing…I didn’t get out for 3 days and it was killing me…My auger and sled have been in my car literally since Nov 26 Haha…went out this morning managed one eye it was pretty slow

Took the day off to spend on the ice. Great day and after a cold week the temps and wind felt great today. Did a lot of drilling and hole hoping today checking a new lake we have been fishing this year. Have had good results on this lake up until today. Guess it was just to nice of weather for those crappies to bite. Lots of lookers and when they did turn on it was the small fish. Still not a disappointing at all. Put in the work on my end. Cant always make them bite. Found some new spots on this lake to check that Im sure they will bite at another day.

Best part of the day was getting to spend it outside in the middle of January here in mn.

With the temps coming in the next week might have to do a trip in honer of my father in law. That is standing on the ice in well below zero temps. That guy smoked me more times with a stick, Dacron line and plain hook than I care to admit. All while asking me if I was cold. Thanks for the motivation this winter Jim.

crappies started hitting at noon and didnt stop till i packed up at seven cause of the wind. WHAT A DAY!!!!!!

Thanks for the laugh Capt Cold Front. I should introduce you to my buddy Capt Wind Magnet.

The bucks were active and at the feeder last night. This morning, the squirrels were at the feeder eating earlier than normal and in bunches. I felt like I got a great night sleep.

Is there a correlation between that and a good bite? I always think to myself when I see birds and squirrels feeding heavily at the feeder if it would be a good time to be on the water right now.

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Is there a correlation between that and a good bite? I always think to myself when I see birds and squirrels feeding heavily at the feeder if it would be a good time to be on the water right now.

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I think there is. days/evenings/morning when I see deer out wading in the water and grazing along the shore is usually a spike in the fish activity for me

Too bad there isn’t a correlation between the fish biting and ME being hungry…the fish would be biting ALL the time.