Tis the season!

[icebucketjohn]

Like all of you, I'm antsy with the upcoming season... and probably moreso than most since I only ice fish. (No software fishin' for me). But what is really grand is to see old friends from past ice seasons and the comradere' all of us share in this hardwater passion of ours.

Yeah, jawing about past catches, misses, mishaps & experiences are all part of the ice fishing world. Reminiscing about friends & family gone by is also a major part of those wonderful memories. But just sitting on the ice with those fella's sure feels good... even if we don't say much, we're out their together in search of our finned prey sharing the cold outdoors.

Looking forward to meeting new friends and making more memories this season too.

Let's have fun... but be safe too!

 

[slabslayer]

Agreed icebucket!  I've probably seen you out there, but we need to fish together this year.  I know you're around Portage Lakes, fish Nimisila much?

[HardWater Junkie]

I know I want to fish Nimisila at first ice. A few years ago we really cleaned up on big redears at first ice. It was nice when I lived a lot closer to Nimi.

[slabslayer]

I know, I wish I was closer too.  About 30 minutes for me, but if the redears are on like they were a couple years ago, I don't care about the drive.  First ice is when I've always done my best at Nimi.  Looking forward to trying it again this year, I never made it up there last ice season.

[icebucketjohn]

I'd prefer Nimisila over Old State Park for first ice. both in fish quality & ice fishing experiences.

It seems that Old State Park quickly turns into a circus atmosphere. In reality, I enjoy the quiet environment of Nimisila over Old State Park.

Most of my ice fishing the last 2 seasons has been done on Turkeyfoot.  I've had mixed results, but my having 2 bum ankles in the last few weeks may prevent my trekking to T/foot.  (May have to limit my overall ability in getting to various ice fishing sites... No more walking 1/2 mile to them this season because of both sprained ankles).

I've hit Nimisila a few times and had some gill success at the C-5 (Campground Bay) during early ice season.  I really enjoy ice fishing it.  I've tried my luck at a few other areas during mid season, but haven't had much success.  (I really don't know the lake or the winter patterns of the gills, crappie & walleye in that lake).

Looking forward to it.

[slabslayer]

I'm the same way.  Don't really know winter habits of that lake.  After a week or so the lakes closer to me freeze up and I'm on either Berlin for walleye or Deer Creek for crappie, those lakes I know the full winter cycle of the fish.  Those lakes just take longer to freeze safely because of flowing channels in the middle.  First ice at Nimi I love bluegill bay (C-5).  I always have good success there.  Even iced a few really nice 10+ inch perch at the mouth of that bay.  We'll have to try it at first ice.  It's close for your ankles, I've got a power auger and could drill you some holes!

[icebucketjohn]

Nice

[HardWater Junkie]

First ice on Nimi is definitely better then later on in the season. The fishing in the bay really falls off fast after a few good weeks. The year that I really fished it hard the main lake really was never safe so I couldn't really chase the fish. As much as the OSP is a circus as the season moves on with all the idiots that leave there trash laying around it stills holds its appeal to me. I got my largest crappie ever thru the ice there 3 or 4 years ago that was 17 1/2 inchs. Think about trash on the lake, mogadore off of congress lake rd. isnt much better. I dont know why people have to be so lazy. The ice is littered with propane and soda bottles, fast food bags and what ever else there to lazy to take off. It was easy to bring it on the ice yet it is so damn hard to take it off. The parking lots are even worse. Im not going to get on that rant yet. I will save it for later  

[slabslayer]

Agreed.  Some of those morons are going to ruin it for the rest of us.  Some places will restrict our access to the ice.  I always try to take back to a garbage can any propane bottles and the like that 'people' (and I use that term loosely) abandon on the ice.