Ice fishing 2023’

Saltwater60

Saltwater60

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I figured it’s getting there and I know a few guys do it. I’m all ready and just ordered some bait. I figure next weekend or the weekend after ice should be good to get out. I hope this fishing is good. Propane tanks are filled, camera batteries, charged, new poles strung up, and new lures bought. I bought another sled and I’m much more organized this year. I’m ready and can’t wait for the big one!! I lost a nice pile last year so I’m hoping to get that one back.
 
Acer-m14

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why i hate fishing lol

removing-backlash-in-a-fishing-reel-1.jpg
 
Saltwater60

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Tisto said:
I'll be glad to take a half dozen fresh perch.... or a walleye....
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Never caught a walleye since I’ve only been doing it a few years, but it’s on my list for this year. A buddy and I talked about spending the night on Chautauqua Lake for walleyes.
Mostly what I catch is big blue hills and a few keeper perch but I’m happy to share if I get a few nice ones.
 
Saltwater60

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Tisto said:
If you're pulling bluegill and small perch through the ice, you need to go to deeper water to find walleye. I would guess you will find them in 35 ~ 50 foot depth....if we ever get ice.
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For sure we need to go deeper. I have not yet targeted walleye but I hope to this year. I plan to go to the northern part of Chautauqua Lake and spend the night this year if my buddies wife allows it. I doubt she will.
Also on that note I know you’re close to me if you ever want to join me on the ice let me know. I have all the gear and it’s fun. You know a thing or two about it from past conversations and maybe I’d learn something.
 
Tisto

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Saltwater60 said:
For sure we need to go deeper. I have not yet targeted walleye but I hope to this year. I plan to go to the northern part of Chautauqua Lake and spend the night this year if my buddies wife allows it. I doubt she will.
Also on that note I know you’re close to me if you ever want to join me on the ice let me know. I have all the gear and it’s fun. You know a thing or two about it from past conversations and maybe I’d learn something.
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I still have a pole, some jigs, and a few other things, but I haven't used them in a hundred years.

I think about the only thing I could teach you would be new swear words. I would, however, go out with you if the opportunity came up.
 
Saltwater60

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Tisto said:
I still have a pole, some jigs, and a few other things, but I haven't used them in a hundred years.

I think about the only thing I could teach you would be new swear words. I would, however, go out with you if the opportunity came up.
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I have everything. All you would need to bring is food and drink of your preference and a chair.
I have 8 poles, 6 man tent that fits 4, 5 is a squeeze. Lots of lures(jigs, spoons, buckshots, live bait), and a heater. I also have two cameras. We will see if the ice forms and go from there. Not an ounce of ice on the small boat harbor and it will be in the 40’s all next week. Yikes.
 
2WheelGnnr

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daughter coming for a week from S Carolina later this month and hoping to get out ice fishing....I told her bring the ice......... she loves it and has not been able to since leaving NY a couple 5 years ago...but then again a small price to pay for freedom?!!!
 
MuttCat

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Usually had to drill three feet of ice. Some dummies favored early and late ice and would bring planks to walk on to get off the shore. I remember one guy, who I went to high school with, fell through one time...lucky the water was shallow enough to stand up.
 
Saltwater60

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MuttCat said:
Usually had to drill three feet of ice. Some dummies favored early and late ice and would bring planks to walk on to get off the shore. I remember one guy, who I went to high school with, fell through one time...lucky the water was shallow enough to stand up.
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I don’t take risks. Last year I waited too long and the ice was a foot thick before getting in. I’m cautious because I’m new at it but getting better and more comfortable as time goes on. This will be my third season I think. My first season I didn’t have much.
 
speedkills27

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Haven't been out at all this year. In fact I haven't even opened my gear since last winter. Been busy with the new addition to the family. We do have a big trip booked for February up in Chaumont Bay, hopefully there's ice up there by then.
 
Saltwater60

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speedkills27 said:
Haven't been out at all this year. In fact I haven't even opened my gear since last winter. Been busy with the new addition to the family. We do have a big trip booked for February up in Chaumont Bay, hopefully there's ice up there by then.
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I would think so by then. I hope so for you.

I was out for work today and lime lake had zero ice, Chautauqua lake had a bit of very thin clear ice in a bay, but the rest of the lake was open. Mayville had no ice at all. There was around 6-8’ of open water around the edge and not a chance I’d walk on it. Silver lake has a nice covering about 2-3 weeks ago but I’m guessing it’s gone. Even silver lake didn’t look safe and I saw no holes out there and no huts at all. I guess a few guys were out on some of the southern tier lakes, but I don’t k ie which ones and it wasn’t me. Another southern tier lake off route 243(I forget the name) has zero ice as well. We still have some warm weather coming next week. This weekend will be cold but not enough.
 
Tisto

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Saltwater60 said:
I would think so by then. I hope so for you.

I was out for work today and lime lake had zero ice, Chautauqua lake had a bit of very thin clear ice in a bay, but the rest of the lake was open. Mayville had no ice at all. There was around 6-8’ of open water around the edge and not a chance I’d walk on it. Silver lake has a nice covering about 2-3 weeks ago but I’m guessing it’s gone. Even silver lake didn’t look safe and I saw no holes out there and no huts at all. I guess a few guys were out on some of the southern tier lakes, but I don’t k ie which ones and it wasn’t me. Another southern tier lake off route 243(I forget the name) has zero ice as well. We still have some warm weather coming next week. This weekend will be cold but not enough.
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Rushford lake ?

I went by Cuba lake a couple days ago and there wasn't any ice that I saw. There were a couple guys in a boat though.
 
Saltwater60

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Tisto said:
Rushford lake ?

I went by Cuba lake a couple days ago and there wasn't any ice that I saw. There were a couple guys in a boat though.
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That’s it. I drive by it regularly and just had a brain fart. You can ice fish rushford now and I would like to because they drain it. Draining it will concentrate the fish and food. Also from what the DEC says draining it keeps the weeds down and keep the pan fish levels lower. I’d like to get into something larger than pan fish. My son has caught a couple nice large mouths, I keep losing the big largies I hook into and the pike I hooked last year got caught in my buddies camera and the line snapped as he was at the hole.
I got some bigger poles for bigger fish this year so we will see.
 
Saltwater60

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I ordered some new jigs and some plastics for ice fishing. The new jig have ears and are called mik-E jig and when you jig them they make a little hop and come back center. I’m rather excited about them. I ordered some ADK bones plastics that look very nice and buggy looking too. They have UV so they should glow, but not full UV so it’s glowing specs and should be pretty cool. We will see and hopefully ice will be safe in February.
 
Saltwater60

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This sucks. They keep saying it will get cold and then I check the weather a day or two later and they increase the temps dramatically. Next weekend they were saying teens like 12, 13, 17 degrees and now the temps are until into the low to mid 20’s. We’re never going to build ice fast like this. We will be lucky to get on the water first or second weekend in February. Tis life and can’t change it.
 
speedkills27

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I was really worried about my trip to Chaumont but it looks like they have enough ice and guys are slaying walleye there. Hopefuly the bite is still strong in a week and a half
 
Saltwater60

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speedkills27 said:
I was really worried about my trip to Chaumont but it looks like they have enough ice and guys are slaying walleye there. Hopefuly the bite is still strong in a week and a half
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I’d love to ice a few walleyes. That was one of my goals for this year but I don’t know that it will happen. Good luck and post up some pictures. I’m hoping for the weekend after this one but I don’t even know that that will happen around here. We’re planning a trip to Oneida lake, but haven’t talked about when. I fear the bite will cool down by the time we get there.
 
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