With winter coming on strong, I’ve begun to notice frozen puddles on my way to work in the morning, and every time, a shiver runs down my spine because I know – the ice is coming.
Take a look at this picture. This photo captures my exact feelings when I lifted through the ice a yellow perch on my first ever ice-fishing trip. I tried to enjoy it, I really did, but when I lifted the rod after feeling what I thought was the rear hook on my Swedish pimple catching the line, a few half-hearted headshakes almost put a bend in the jigging rod and I winched the icy perch to the surface. When George Clondas snapped the shot, I’m pretty sure I was in the middle of saying, “Is this it?”
But, I’m definitely the oddball at the OTW Office when it comes to my distaste for ice fishing. Everyone here can’t seem to get enough of it, whether chasing flags on tip-ups or fishing small jigs.
So who’s looking forward to the lakes locking up and who’s getting ready to hibernate until they can once again cast into open water?
I know the feeling! I’m a latecomer to ice fishing as well. When you start catching bigger fish it’s more fun, but it is more of a social event. It’s a great way to get some fresh air in the middle of the winter. The fish are just a bonus.
Some of my favorite memories are ice fishing on Green Lake in New York State. I don’t know if it was the thrill of the hunt or just the fact that I was with dad. Wow the excitement of having a flag go down was unreal. I also remember going back to the house with the fire in the wood stove roaring and crackling, then cooking and eating our fresh catch. The whole time laughing like crazy about how cold it was and how it felt like our face was going to freeze. Great memories, thanks for sparking them.
“Irish Jig”