First fish 2010 Ice fishing

[rugsrme]

Well, it's been nearly 20 years since I have done "true ice fishing" getting out on the ice and drilling holes. The report is not great, but the way the weather is going to be this week coming up, I hope to have some better ones soon.
Went and met up with Earl at his daughters place on a small pond. -4 deg we both were surprised to find the ice only 5 and 6 inches thick after all this cold. We punched about 6 holes and I finally caught one with only a couple other bites. I had my luck on a black/pink jig with a chart nibble after about 4 hrs. Earl tried some minners and other stuff with no luck.
Only thing that kept us after them was there was no wind so we really didn't get too cold.
First is me with my fish, second is Earl while he was cursing his rig trying to re-tie something different.
He had a snot-cikle almost 3" long hanging off his mustache buy the time we quit. My mustache has got to go!!!!

[jackb]

Quinn, you started off the new year right...FISHIN!

[TnRidge]

Did you try for gills too or just crappie ?

[rugsrme]

Did you try for gills too or just crappie ?

I usually catch gills the same way I catch crappie, at least where I fish around here, it is usually a good sign if I catch gills then I know the crappie are around too.

[longliner]

That's the biggest fish that has been caught the last of acouple of days I say!!!!

[camo_boat]

looks so cold! glad you caught one :-)

[MOfishmgr]

A popup blind can serve as an ice shanty and when it's really cold a coleman lantern inside will have you shuckin clothes!

[basscatman]

How big a nightmare is it punching holes with the manual augger? I am pondering getting one.

[grb22]

Good job. Looks cold but fun. I never caught the ice-fishing bug so I'll just have to wait until it warms up a bit!

[rugsrme]

How big a nightmare is it punching holes with the manual augger? I am pondering getting one.

6 inches of Ice is a piece of cake, it actually warms you up when your cold.
Back in S. Dakota we hand drilled 3 feet of ice, one guy holds down on the top and the other cranks the auger.
It was really sweet one time we just finished drilling a hole and a couple guys showed up and had a gas powered auger, he offered to drill some extra holes for us, it took only moments for him to do 4 more holes for us.
Most of the holes I made today I used a heavy steel bar with a point.