Ice Fishing not as crazy as it sounds

[keg]

Some pics of my buddy and I fishing today. Air temp was 15 deg F, we live in this 6 months out of the year so you kinda get used to it. Fish through ice are as good as it gets as far as taste and meat texture. Ice was 12 inches thick with 4 inches of fresh snow on top. Indiana USA about as far south in North America that ice fishing can occure and after you try it it kinda gets under your skin. I caught a nice catfish, about as big as you can through a 6 inch hole. Link to video my buddy took during the fight

http://youtu.be/66gKJLuLuEM

[North East]

Cool looking fish...as least in Australia you don't have to drag the catfish out from between sheet of ice. When done it get to risky to walk on?

[North East]

....good the see the beer hydration was kept up too.

[Mich]

Ice fishing isn't the problem.

People who don't bother learning anything about the ice is the problem.

Could be 2 inches or 2 feet and people will say "yeah looks good to me?" and start walking.

[inventurkey]

You sure you weren't "ice drinking" and a fish just happened by?

[headspace]

I have a fried in Ohio that does that. Beats the hell out of sitting around waiting for it thaw. But I'm sitting here in a pair of shorts and a t shirt, and what I know about ice fishing I just learned. Bloody good Cattie though.
JD

[keg]

When done it get to risky to walk on?

Most folks say you can get on at 4" I like to wait till it's 5 if it's making ice when it's below 15deg F at night. If the ice is coming off like 30deg F nights when it hits 6 or 7 inches I stay off. There tends to be soft spots.

[bigfellascott]

Thanks for sharing that Keg, it does look like fun, I too get to play in the snow 4 or 5 times a year but the snow here only lasts a day or 2 at any given time which is fine by me as I don't think I'd like to live in it for half a year!

[batter]

I caught a nice catfish, about as big as you can through a 6 inch hole.

Good eating?

[subatom]

Ice was 12 inches thick with 4 inches of fresh snow on top.

What do you get through the ice with?

[bigfellascott]

Ice was 12 inches thick with 4 inches of fresh snow on top.

What do you get through the ice with?

These mate
http://www.cabelas.com/category/Ice-Aug ... 395680.uts

[wrenchman]

i have not ice fished in a few years i had a great time there is lots of ice here

[kritch]

What do you get through the ice with?

MAH FISTS!!! GRRRRR!

[RealNick]

i have not ice fished in a few years i had a great time there is lots of ice here

Sounds like tonnes of fun.

No ice here

[keg]

I caught a nice catfish, about as big as you can through a 6 inch hole.

Good eating?

It's a channel cat and they are pretty tasty especially in cold water when the meat has a lot firmer texture. It's my pond and I stock them. By his size I'd say he was about 15 yrs old he's about as big as I got and that was the first year I stocked them. you have to make sure you cut the fillets thin on one that big so they fry good. We caught 8 bluegills , one is in the picture next to the catfish. I split the catfish and we each had 4 nice blue gills and that supplied my family of three and his of 5 with a fresh fish fry. I actually had catfish sandwiches two days at work also.

If you eat farm raised catfish in the US you are eating channel cat. They are the best eating cat even though they don't get as big as flathead or blue. I was raised along the Wabash river and grew up eating catfish so I really like them.

[keg]

Ice was 12 inches thick with 4 inches of fresh snow on top.

What do you get through the ice with?

These mate
http://www.cabelas.com/category/Ice-Aug ... 395680.uts

I have an old Swedish hand auger I only go 2 or there times a year so am to cheap to invest in a power auger. I can still get replacement blades.

Guys who take this serious invest big bucks on equipment. I fish one of my two ponds or a couple other local farm ponds so I stay on the cheap.

[Bourt]

Looks like great fun, Keg

[sarki]

Looks like great fun, Keg

Does indeed

[keg]

And the hits keep on coming 6 inches of fresh snow today. Picture from my patio looking out on my orchard. You can see my hunting shack in the background.

[Rossi]

Nice Keg.

How big is your property?

[keg]

20 acres and I have strict hunting permission on the 80 acres next to mine. I've planted a bunch of trees and I quit mowing my orchard 10 years ago and it is an impenetrable mess that holds deer like crazy. My property boarders a river to the north and is a great travel corridor. This is a sat view of my ground, my house is in the lower left in the trees next to the red building. My farm is center top and has the orchard on the left and my other pond is on the right side. You can see my elevated hunting shack it's the little square left of the back pond.

[Hercl]

You sure you weren't "ice drinking" and a fish just happened by?

You say that like it's a bad thing