Winter?

[Drunk_Dynasty]

whats zoomer?

Generation Z. Akin to Boomer.


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[Nershi]

There aren't many things I despise more than ice fishing. Standing on a sheet of ice staring down a hole hoping some poor bastard comes by to bite your hook while breathing LP fumes and nearly having a seizure to the flashing lights off your vexlar. That's assuming youre sober, I'm convinced the only way someone can actually enjoy ice fishing is to fill coolers with gobs of beer and drink their mindlessness to death because there's literally no other reason to be doing what youre doing. Its no wonder we're in 2024 and there's still people that haven't figured out how not to put their truck (or this year, airplane) through the ice. Their braincells have been giving each other CPR since they started this absurd habit. The absolute best case scenario is you have some crazy action and spend 4 or 5 hours pulling in a dozen 10" crappies.....yay

The only thing I picture worse than ice fishing, is watching ice fishing on youtube. I can't believe there are icefishing influencers = day ruined

Let the hate flow!

Sounds like you aren’t doing it right.

[Fish Felon]

I'll be the first to admit ice fishing isn't all that great. My older brother would tell new people who'd come out with us.....College and even high school days type shit when typically people would ask to come with us mainly just to check it out for the novelty factor and be able to say they've gone ice fishing.....once we were all set up and there's the "now what" moment in the mind of any rookie....in that first moment of silence where they were awaiting further instructions but there were none...just to "hurry up and wait," in that slightly awkward moment my brother would always go,

"Well, this is pretty much it. That's all there is to it. Now we just sit here and wait. Sometimes you wait a long time and don't catch anything, sometimes you'll get a few fish here and there, and there are times when it can actually be a really good way of catching a lot of fish, but mainly it's pretty lame and that's why most people drink and do drugs in excess.....but hey.....it's something to do...it isn't great but this is really all we've got this time of year. This is all we've got....at least it's something to do when there's nothing else to do."

And that's pretty much the best way to describe ice fishing. It's not that cool. I'd trade getting skunked in the boat on a nice sunny day when it's 80F out for just about any awesome day of ice fishing I've had...solo for sure....but the days I've been out with family and friends have a lot more meaning to them. I guess I wouldn't trade any valued time spent with family or friends for anything....besides more or better times with family and friends.

Anyone who tries to make ice fishing out to be more than it is....especially anyone who will tell you with a straight face they like ice fishing more than regular fishing and look forward to winter because it's their favorite season.....it's hard for me to not find those people disingenuous.

Ice fishing can be fun but I only go as a last resort, really. If there are other activities available and the weather has been like it has this year? I'm not going to sit on the ice unless it's unpleasant to do anything else outside and sitting stationary in a heated tent or camper is it for leaving the house and doing something while not freezing my ass off and being miserable purely as a result of the conditions.

I've also got a lake thirty feet in front of the house I'm living in so it's easy for me to go and be done when I want to. If I'm bored with it and others are fishing I can walk in, throw in a frozen pizza, take a shit in a bathroom, fukc around, shower, watch a movie, go to bed, and pick up all my shit on the ice the next day. Having a couple tip-ups out constantly would be stupid not to do....which I'd say is a lot more like trapping than it is fishing....it's closer to trapping muskrats than it is to regular fishing by a wide margin in my opinion....I don't really consider it ice fishing despite it legally being just that.

Culturally, it's what Minnesota might be known for the most. It's different now with the internet and prevalence of YouTube, but when I first went to Austin, TX in 2002 to visit where my girlfriend was from and meet her family......I got asked about ice fishing from literally just about everyone I met. There was a debate amongst Texans apparently about whether or not ice fishing was real that was split 50/50. Half of them thought it was a thing made up in the movies (Fargo, Grumpy Old Men, and other flicks...there'd been a string of popular movies in the mid to late 90's that highlighted ice fishing) that wasn't actually real.....kind of like how me and my buddies thought going around and paddling incoming freshmen when we were going to be seniors was a real thing after watching 'Dazed and Confused' which was filmed in Austin. I even once later did a Geek Squad float with my brother in Houston one Thanksgiving Day and we ate at a fancy steak and lobster place on Best Buy's dime afterwards....and I had old dude's approaching us to ask what the cold was like...they asked us the coldest temperature we'd ever experienced and what it was like....what it felt like....and how they had to experience the cold someday and asked if we'd recommend going ice fishing when they did it.

So ice fishing is very Midwest in that it's not great but all we got and what we're known for. It's like the sign that used to hang outside Nisswa that read,

"Pretty Good Shopping."

[Nershi]

It’s sounds like you’re also not doing it right.

90/10.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

I enjoy ice fishing but not enough to go just to go for something to do. Especially around home. The gf loves just to go and catch 5" sunfish. I can't stand it. I'm sure if I put some effort in I could find some nicer fish to chase but...they are few and far between around here. I'd rather just take a trip or two to the cabin where I know I'll catch nice fish and that's enough for me to be content for the year. Putting in the work, dealing with the cold, just ain't worth it to me if it's not worthwhile fishing. Maybe I just suck at finding sizable fish.

[Fish Felon]

It’s sounds like you’re also not doing it right.

90/10.

How so?

The goal of fishing is to have fun....and I generally have at least some marginal success there.

I've drilled a hundred plus holes in a day and constantly moved until finding them type of stuff, not really my thing but I definitely put in a lot more effort most years....at least do a weekend or two of that, usually when some buddies are up and looking to take things at least somewhat serious. I haven't had the desire at all. Crappies have been funky this year...again taking into account my level of effort. I think we missed out on two year classes the past two springs, which wouldn't be fish for catching yet anyways, but the lake has been goofy. It sucks my camera finally crashed at the end of last season....had to of had it for a decade which seems crazy since it was as modern as most you'd buy today. I've had no problem marking fish but have had a lot of them be real tiny. Not in practice and reading my flasher as well as I should've right away....thought they were crappies....went small....turned out to be rock bass. I've never caught a rock bass through the ice until this year...and caught a bunch. Even two on tip-ups. I wish I had my camera but again....don't really care to be honest. I keep telling myself I'm going to hit Mille Lacs....figured the bite would be really good after seeing the fall forage counts, and it sounds like it has been....just haven't cared enough to go yet.

I've definitely lost the juice for ice fishing this year.

[Fish Felon]

My brother....the one I mentioned in the previous post....

He won an ice fishing contest today....drove home with $3K cash in an envelope he got for taking first place. He's unbelievably jacked about it.....of course.

Another buddy text me a pic of his kid holding up his very first fish ever....a 9" perch caught on a bobber set-up on Lake Jefferson by Mankato. His kid is like four, maybe?? He got him set up but the kid watched the bobber, set the hook, and reeled the fish in all on his own. Pretty cool.


Just when I'm kind of talking ice fishing down more than I should be......I'm reminded that it's a valuable outdoors experience, in it's own right. Lots of memories made out ice fishing. Anything that gets people outside and away from their screens....I'm all for.

[Quack]

The two things I like about fishing are the same as the two things I like about deer hunting.

1) figuring out the puzzle
2) Eating the proceeds of figuring out the puzzles

Doesn’t really matter what time of year. Wife and I ice fished a lot before we had kids. I miss going out frequently enough to stay in the loop. Going out once a month doesn’t do it for me so I’m basically down to once a year with friends who don’t have kids. We used to catch a lot of fish on a lot of lakes and it was good for the mind and body. We should be fishing this winter but there’s always just enough stuff that gets in the way.

[kwackkillncrew]

My brother....the one I mentioned in the previous post....

He won an ice fishing contest today....drove home with $3K cash in an envelope he got for taking first place. He's unbelievably jacked about it.....of course.

Another buddy text me a pic of his kid holding up his very first fish ever....a 9" perch caught on a bobber set-up on Lake Jefferson by Mankato. His kid is like four, maybe?? He got him set up but the kid watched the bobber, set the hook, and reeled the fish in all on his own. Pretty cool.


Just when I'm kind of talking ice fishing down more than I should be......I'm reminded that it's a valuable outdoors experience, in it's own right. Lots of memories made out ice fishing. Anything that gets people outside and away from their screens....I'm all for.

He wasnt fishing a lake near mora was he?

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[Nershi]

There are those that go ice fishing to pass time in the winter and then there are those that go ice fishing to find fish and catch fish. Most people are lazy and just go and drill their holes, set up the house and wait. That’s fine if that’s your thing but most times you don’t catch many fish. Ice fishing follows the 90/10 or 80/20 rule like a lot of hunting and fishing. If you are a ‘hurry up and wait’ fisherman you probably fall in the 90 or 80 category. If you hunt down fish with your knowledge and electronics you probably fall in the 10 and 20. I know you do both felon but I was commenting on your quote below.

And if you think catching a dozen 10 inch crappies in 4 to 5 hours is a good day like maniac mentioned, you definitely suck at ice fishing.

It’s not for everyone. I have taken plenty of newbies out and we have smashed fish and they had their fill and didn’t feel the need to go again. But if you think it is boring because you aren’t catching fish, it’s time to get off your ass and go find em. If you are too lazy to do that, it’s probably pretty boring and you should maybe just stick to the couch and watch Netflix.

I'll be the first to admit ice fishing isn't all that great. My older brother would tell new people who'd come out with us.....College and even high school days type shit when typically people would ask to come with us mainly just to check it out for the novelty factor and be able to say they've gone ice fishing.....once we were all set up and there's the "now what" moment in the mind of any rookie....in that first moment of silence where they were awaiting further instructions but there were none...just to "hurry up and wait," in that slightly awkward moment my brother would always go,

"Well, this is pretty much it. That's all there is to it. Now we just sit here and wait. Sometimes you wait a long time and don't catch anything, sometimes you'll get a few fish here and there, and there are times when it can actually be a really good way of catching a lot of fish, but mainly it's pretty lame and that's why most people drink and do drugs in excess.....but hey.....it's something to do...it isn't great but this is really all we've got this time of year. This is all we've got....at least it's something to do when there's nothing