cricket george: Know what you mean about getting the willey's from the popping and cracking of the ice. That was why my wife quit ice fishing. Actually that is when the Ice is the safest, is when it is popping, cracking, and jumping up and down. That means it is making new ice and is getting thicker. When it is dead quite is when it is deteriorating. I fished mostly at night thru the ice out of a portable house. I run tip-ups outside an two jigging poles inside the house. We can have 5 poles ice fishing so would have other people along just so I could have more tip-ups and rods out. I use to fish with about 5 other guys and we would spread out and fish different area's of the lake. When one found the fish he would alert the rest and we would set up on them. We would have our own little tent city going. Our meals consisted of wild game of some sort. Turkey, Deer steaks, sometimes we would cook the fish right there that we caught. We had a little grill and would grill deer steaks right there on the ice. The game warden always seem to know when we were cooking and would misteriously show up in time to get a deer steak sandwich, and hot cup of coffee or coco.
Valentine Refudge is the premire lakes of the State for Ice Fishing, especially Pelican Lake for BULL BLUEGILLS (10-12 inch), and very nice Walleye Pike.
I love the fact that in shallower water you can watch the fish bite the hook. In deeper water you can watch your jig on your flasher and see the fish come up and take your offering. You catch the fish without ever feeling them bite. I love to watch them as they get close to the hole and they start swimming in circles around the hole.
I can't Ice Fish anymore with my lung problems. The cold air really locks me up and I have a hard time breathing. If I had all my equipment yet I may still have tried it, but the wife figured this, and had me get rid of most of my equipment. Good Fishing EB