the year of no ice

[wapak ice dawg]

2011-2012 ice season was a bust , I finally took all my ice gear out of my truck and put my crappie and river gear in. I hated to Ive in but February is on the way out and March is within site, even if we would get ice I ain't got the fever anymore. Hope to see all you guys out there next year, might start looking for bargain deals on all ice gear, you can never have enough fishing equipment!

[HardWater Junkie]

I agree on not being excited anymore. But I am excited for next season. I refuse to let an iceless season get me down an ice fishing as a whole. I still have a lot of my stuff out as im working on building a bunch of new rods for all my reels. Next season will be great. Im predicting an average winter next season with first ice around the first of the year and getting 7 to 9 weeks of safe ice. Just in case Im wrong I will be putting 40$ each week into a jar so if we dont get good ice again I will be ready to hit the road for a week or two and head north. Im sure that there will be those people selling there gear and giving up on ice fishing all together. I really hope that nobody here does that and lets this season get them down so bad that they give it up. We will fish again so lets all just move on to spring fishing then summer and fall and next thing you know will be getting ready for a new season. 

[slabslayer]

Well put!  I'm never going to give up ice fishing!  Disappointed, yes, was really looking forward to this season.  Got new line, rods, lures, tip-ups, etc. and no ice.  Oh, well, next season I'll be ready to go.  Now time to focus on some early slabs, then starting in April, I'll be after the green basses again till ice up next winter.  With a late fall crappie trip or 2 thrown in.  Think this year is going to be good for softwater as well as a great upcoming ice season.  We won't have a warm, rainy winter 2 years in a row!