First Ice 2018

First ice of the year always comes faster than expected. I was still open water fishing for Pete’s sake, when I got a call from my fellow angler Ryan (stateofhockey) who said he was fixin to get after some ice (last weekend). Nay Nay said I, where pray tell could there possibly fishable ice right now?! Ryan brought to memory a small lake in cheese land that bolsters a nice population of brook trout. Well Frick, better get my ice rods re-lined and rigged ay!? Ryan and his buddy checked ice conditions for us before we were to head up to meet him. He reported 3.5 solid inches of clear ice which was music to my ears. Best part was we would only be fishing in 4 feet of water! So even in a worse case scenario a dip into the drink would not be life threatening unless your a vertically challenged person. I even brought out my island themed water wings and Seahorse floaty pool toy for safety's sake.

I wasted no time telling Wrecked Angler who was gung-ho with little more than the promise of the possibility of catching some troots. Billy The Supersticious was to join us as well so our little troop of merry anglers arrived at the lake before noon while visions of ice holes and bobbers danced in our heads. I was not the first to step onto the now frozen water. Nay Nay,  I leave that up to lighter and more nimble bodies. At 6’1 and 230 I’m not the smallest angler on earth so needless to say I’m wary of surfaces that may or may not support my vestigials. (Nothing puckers up my balloon knot worse than cracking ice under my feet.) The anglers chipped there way over to the shoreline we picked to fish along and ice was solid the whole way. 3.5 inches was plenty to support us and our fishings affects. The ice saws made short work of the ice, cutting nice neat sight fishing holes with ease. If you consider yourself an avid ice fisherman and you do not own a Fish’s brand blue Ice saw they are HIGHLY recommended, I cannot extol the virtues of these saws enough. Great product. Leave the ice Auger at home you won’t even need it.

The day was wonderfully pristine. Clear sky, little wind, and the fish were biting!! My heavens were they ever. We caught dozens upon dozens of young brook trout. Some coming nearly out of the whole to take a spoon baited with waxworms. Some beauties were caught even two pushing 18.5 inches! Slobs. Just tanks. Three of us angled PB brook trouts and the rest (me and wrecked) managed only lil bois but the action was so hot it mattered little that we didn’t hook into the Don Shlobbio (this time)

 

I only managed to catch yung fish, same with ol’ Wrecked angler. But my lord we slayed um. Jesus Mary Martha and Joseph. Just pulled um in left to right. It was a fruitful fishing trip. One of the best if not THE best first ice outing I ever had. Big ups to Ryan for once again finding the fish, dude has an uncanny ability to get on the denizens of the deep in a big way.

 

All of us returned to shore high and dry no worse for the wear. Some of us had puckered stank hole syndrome but that is to be expected on a first ice adventure. Recovery time is short and luckily non detrimental to digestive health.

 

Species List:

Comments

Dr Flathead's picture

Those males are just wide-bodied.  Very impressive! Bet those big ones fought like a son of a bitch in that shallow water. A good early ice report almost makes me want to get out.....almost being the key word. Haha!

Casey Shanaberger's picture

Sweet troots dude! Although it makes we wonder what I'm doing since I caught a drum today and you caught these badass brookies!

"I swear if you catch another drum"

tom's picture

Ya know, I've only ever ice fished a few times and hated it. Seeing this makes me think I'm just doin' it wrong. Awesome fish and pics and jokes as always. 

BradleyR's picture

Wow those are some great specks! All wild?

andy's picture

First ice report and some Yuge Brookies!  Kickass man.

SomewhereDownstream's picture

Little native brook trout are cool. Football-shaped native brook trout make me drool a little.

WOW.

SomewhereDownstream

Eric Kol's picture

Nice footballs!

 

Carpy Diem!

Cast_and_Blast's picture

Thanks for sharing.  That looks like a fun trip.

Goldenfishberg's picture

Thanks dudes! I wish these were true wild fish but the body of water we fished is managed for brookies. Though some are wild most are stocked I imagine but they sure do make for some purdy pictures and good eatin! 

Ya just Can't catch um from the couch.

Stateofhockey's picture

Was a lot of fun buddy! Team No Bait prevails! 

Eli's picture

Very nice square tails! Looks like a lot of fun

Eli

 

 

FP4LifesDad's picture

Wow those are some tankers!  That ice doesn't look real thick buddy be safe!  We are getting reports up here from a couple days ago with 7 inches plus, some permanent houses going out and wheelers running all over.  These next few days should make some good ice, won't be long before the trucks are out ........ not mine, but they will be!  Thanks for the report and cool pics man!

 

Hengelaar's picture

Fecking huck, man, I sure love your style of report writin'.

Great stuff. And look at those bulbous brookers!

Fishn sure is neat

RoboJoeN7's picture

Ice fishing just scares me, I am a big dude and the sound of ice cracking would just make me stay at home! hopefully in east coast we'll get a really cold winter maybe I'll try ice fishing.

TonyS's picture

 sweet brookies! those saws work well in medium thickness ice (10-20") too? overlapping holes with an auger is less than ideal, those saws are nice and light too...

Goldenfishberg's picture

Tony, YES, I love my Ice saw for cutting through thick ice for making sight fishing holes or holes for very very large fish. I usually cut two holes with my auger if the ice is over a foot then I cut out the section in between with my saw. I've cut up to 25 inches thick so far and its the bees knees! No more overlapping holes ever again with these bad boys, and the saw is blade is over 3.5 feet long and I have yet to find ice I could not cut through with it. If you ever want to give it a try we should for sure meet up on some ice and make some cuts, first one is always free cuz you'll be hooked for life after it. 

Ya just Can't catch um from the couch.

TonyS's picture

I'll probably buy one based on that recommendation alone,  ice sight fishing is awesome stuff.  that said we should get out fishing anyway, assuming I survive the holiday season