Kneel, Sit, or Stand ?

So when you are ice fishing outside (or even in a house I suppose) do you mostly kneel or sit ?

I watched a couple guys kneel for an hour stretch … can’t imagine that, but maybe it is an age thing.

I will drop to my knees on occasion … especially in an elevated and banked ice house when a fish is being lifted out of the hole … but vast majority of time I am sitting and occasionally standing.

Outside I primarily stand, or sit on a bucket. In a house I sit.
Kneeling with all the clothes on makes it tuff for me to stand up.

Kneel and stand. Did my favorite type of fishing yesterday. Sitting in the truck watching flags.

Isn’t tip ups and flags the WI winter state past time ?

I kneel when hole hopping. The ice bibs with padded knees are great. And I have bad knees to begin with.
DT

I kneel when hole hopping and sit in a chair when I’m in my Yukon or C560 hub. But as each season goes by I find myself agreeing with Bearcat. Chasing flags from the comfort of your vehicle is the best. I’ve been doing it lately at a smaller body of water near me and I can get some of my work done while doing it too. Can’t beat that.

In my hub house I have a really comfortable camp chair. Hole hoping I try to stand but when I find a bunch of fish I’ll kneel down. I can’t kneel for long or my legs and knees will want to quit working.

Brittman wrote:

Isn’t tip ups and flags the WI winter state past time ?

I’m only a few minutes from st croix wi, so I’ll go with that.

Hole hopping for walleye I always stand just because it is easier and I like it more. Hole hopping for panfish I kneel just because it is easier to feel bites with your rod tip closer to the hole. If you ever watch Clayton Schick you notice that he is always kneeling even when fishing in the shack.

I am always on the move hole hopping so I will stand. If it’s a breezy day I like to kneel for better visual on line or rod tip movement indicating a bite. Kneeling also good when you’ve got a hot hole and trying to keep it to yourself!

Oh, and also within arms reach of that transducer when you got a good one on!!

There’s a fourth option depending on how late you stayed up the night before…

I got some buddies that are troopers lol

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If I am in a portable holding up over an area waiting on fish, I’m sitting.

If I am hole hopping and actively marking fish, I’m kneeling. This is with two knee surgeries that were sports related and many years of above average wear and tear. It’s still the best way to get close to the ice with good knee pads.

If it’s late ice on the river and we’re working sketchy ice that’s got water on top, I stand for sure all day.

I kneel and then after 20 minutes I try to stand up and curse why I just didn’t bring the bucket.

I’m not that old but 2 ACL replacements and my knees don’t cooperate that much anymore.

Stand with long rods.

I used to kneel and would get so stiff. Made some 48” and 50” rods this year for hole hopping and they have been great. I now only kneel when it is a hot bite and I am trying to hide all of my catches. I sit in a house.

I mostly kneel but my knees wont take that much longer.

Kneel or stand if I am outside, Sitting on a bucket in my flipover.

If I’m marking fish, I usually kneel. Easier to see the light bites or if there is a breeze it helps too. It’s also a good way to not advertise what you’re catching to the rest of the lake. I’m usually sore the next day though.

I only sit on the couch watching girls gone wild with rattle reels down and within arms reach of the on off switch for the strobe lights and electric flag pole. Just kidding I dont use rattle reels.

Agree it is often difficult to see a subtle pannie bite when standing. Some days the bite can be so incredibly soft or up … that putting the rod in a holder is the most efficient way to see it.

We have a couple of really light ice fishing folding chairs. Again I rarely fish out of house (portable or larger) if temps are decent and wind is manageable … especially if I think I will be moving about …

JEREMY wrote:

I only sit on the couch watching girls gone wild with rattle reels down and within arms reach of the on off switch for the strobe lights and electric flag pole. Just kidding I dont use rattle reels.

Sometimes I am on the couch, sometimes the dinette and I also bring a chair to be in better position to jig a hole. Jokes a side. When fishing outside or in a portable I bring a directors chair for comfort, kneel if the bite is hot or dealing with a fish, my knees would not take it for too long.

JEREMY wrote:

I only sit on the couch watching girls gone wild with rattle reels down and within arms reach of the on off switch for the strobe lights and electric flag pole. Just kidding I dont use rattle reels.

Lol

Until last season most all my ice fishing was done from a Kneeling position. I always preferred to be as close to the hole and flasher as possible and kneeling also helped to block the wind some. With age and not being in the best physical shape I’ve now switched to sitting on a bucket. All that getting up and down from a kneeling position started to bother my knee’s and back. I don’t think sitting works as well as kneeling , but good enough for me these days. If it is a real calm day I often stand.

I sit 95% of the time. I have a small folding chair. Just knees to grab fish. Walking out is enough standing for me because of 49 years of working/standing on concrete.

JEREMY wrote:

I only sit on the couch watching girls gone wild with rattle reels down and within arms reach of the on off switch for the strobe lights and electric flag pole. Just kidding I dont use rattle reels.

If im outside on the river I prefer to stand but my lower back just dont wanna do it for very long. So I stand til I cant take it any longer then sit on a bucket for a while.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Outside I primarily stand, or sit on a bucket. In a house I sit.
Kneeling with all the clothes on makes it tuff for me to stand up.

Life alert is your friend

Kneeling is for those young studs who can only imagine what us guys with bad knees are going thru. but that’s OK, cuz in 20 years, they’ll be the guys sitting, not kneeling.

I’ve had both hips replaced and don’t move as good so I stand, I ordered a 44” rod this year because of that

I usually carry a bucket to sit on. Until I find a hot hole, then I will kneel by it. I use a short rod that I’ve made. Easier to keep the wind off of you and see the bites. And easier to get nice panfish out of the hole