Thinking about trying these hooks on my tipups with shiners .Anyone try them? I am looking for a thin wire but stronger hook than an Aberdeen that's thinner than a Bait holder hook.  .https://www.amazon.com/Mustad-UltraPoint-Demon-Perfect-Circle/dp/B0...

HEY MUSIC MAN;;  I;LL BE AT BASS PRO THIS WEEKEND;;   ((  THEYRE HAVING SOME KIND OF CRAPPIE THON GOING ))  I;LL CHECK ON WHAT THEY HAVE IN THE WAY OF THOSE HOOKS FOR YOU 

I am on it  I have a gift Certificate to the local shop .

Thanks though Carl ! Have fun! Glad to hear you're going !

HEY MUSIC MAN;;;  I ALSO HAVE TO GO ;; RIGHT BY ACADEMY SPORTS;; PLANNIBG TTO DROP IN THERE ALSO;; I CAN CHECK THERE TO BUDDY;;  LOVE THESE CHRISTMAS GIFT CARDS;; LOLOLOL

One good Fish for me and one for Buddy Steve Yesterday :Crappie-13.5" Frostee Jig /Live Shiner
Chain Pickerel-26" guestimated 4.5# Swedish Pimple/Salted Shiner Head Both Fish at 11'

Got two small Pickerel 5 days ago using a homemade spinner Rig and live shiner on a dead sticked rod.

It's been all Live Shiners past two times out .Only bait working .Pickerel, Perch and Bass

ITS HARD TO BEAT LIVE BAIT;;  GOOD CATCHES BUDDY !!

Thanks Carl .I am liking the simple spinner Rig under the ice .It bangs against the split shot and sends out the dinner Bell when the shiner struggles. Getting rain and warm weather so might be in fishing Limbo for awhile .

Bad start 1/22/19 to the ice fishing season .Greg and I got skunked where we did so well 2 years ago  for lots of Pickerel a some Crappie and Bluegills.

John... you werent skunked... you just ran out of time!

lol ,yea Slip that's it .I aint done i'll go back and catch fish!

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a warmer and wetter winter for most of the country.

  This year, winter officially begins on December 21 at 11:19 p.m. EDT, when the Sun reaches its greatest declination south of the celestial equator. The days around the 21st may be the shortest and darkest of the year, but this means only that we’ll see more and more sunlight until the vernal equinox on March 19 at 11:50 p.m. EDT—the earliest in 124 years!
 
This winter’s forecast may be welcome news if you like slightly warmer weather. We believe that warming trends will dominate in the eastern and northern parts of the nation this winter, with below-normal temperatures limited to the Southwest.
 
You can expect below-normal precipitation in Florida and along the Gulf Coast area, as well as in Texas, Oklahoma, the Upper Midwest, the western Desert Southwest, central California, and western Hawaii. Elsewhere, precipitation will be above normal.
 
As for snow, expect more than normal if you live in the area from the southern Appalachians northward through western Pennsylvania and across most of the country, including the eastern Desert Southwest.

Greg and I finally got out on the ice this past Sunday 1/31/21. The 1/4 oz. Purple Ice Swedish Pimple tipped with Salted Shiner Head or full shiner caught a decent sized Pickerel , a 14" Jumbo Perch and a 2,3/4 -3 # Bass. Greg unfortunately lost a Fish . I cut 12 holes and connected on holes 9, 10, and 11.

Greg and I got out on the ice again and caught 4 Pickerel a Bass and a Perch .Shiners on tipups and Ice Rigger got 3 Pickerel .Live Fathead minnows on a 1/8th oz. Gold Thinfish Spoon got a Pickerel, a Bass and a Perch. Sunny Bright day with a lot of snow covered ice. Saved the 12" Male Perch for the pan with eggs the next morning .Always great doing that again!

WTG John.

Nice fish, John. All I've been catching this year is pickerel and just a few bass. To be fair in 5 trips I haven't hit the panfish spots. It may be next year. This warm spell may melt the shoreline and make it impossible to get on the lake.

Thanks Dick! Bruce-Glad to hear you're getting out there!

These three spoons have been the catchers so far Jan/Feb 2021 :1/8th oz.Slimfish/ 1/5th oz. SP and 1/4 oz.SP.Tipped with salted Shiner heads or Live  Fathead Minnows. 

Wow John nice work!! No ice fishing here this year as we had only skim ice recently and that kept us from doing any kind of fishing. Did get some blade bait bass, big crappie and a few dink gills between the sheets of ice here and there.

Great Crappie Jim ! I'll have to give blade baits a try!

I just started using blades...try the Damiki Vault at 1/2 oz for those big ice out pickerel and bass. Rip em up off the bottom and keep a tight line on the fall back. Most strikes are on the fall. If in a boat just vertical jig them.

Sounds great ,thanks Jim!

I don't know how to begin a new topic, although this one is a sad one. My ice is done for the year. At least I got in 5 trips this year. I'm going to invest in an ice power drill conversion kit so I can go when I have the time.

Bruce! Good to hear from you .5 times huh ,good Man! I only got out twice. How'd you do ?Any pics and tips? 

If you want to add a Topic click the 'Add Discussion ' button .It's below the discussion Forum headings and above 'Comment Wall' on the left.

Oh I see you've done that in the past

PB ICE Bass 20.1/2"

Took a 1/5th 0z. Orange Swedish Pimple/ Fathead Minnow in 14 fow. Greg got 1st Fish on a tip up, a decent Pickerel took a fathead. Then I got jigged up a tiny pickerel on a small slim fin spoon
/fathead ....next fish was this Bass and then same hole I lost a decent Pickerel unpinned at the hole . Spoons/Fatheads hooked three . One on plain fathead under a tip up.. Jigging mobility was the order,

Gregs 13.5" Yellow Perch took a tiny Squirreltail Jig tipped with a Fathead Minnow.

Anyone here using Schooley Reels and Rods . I want to try this if I can find my old cheap Eagle Claw schooley reel I bought and never used years ago. I'd like to see how folks mount them on the Rods they use.

Do you have ice in your area?

No Bruce , thinking way ahead to January. Earliest I've ever ice fished is Christmas Eve.

Starting to get the itch!

above normal temps coming in for us

Ice Fishing Perch in 2023: Tips and Techniques (usangler.com)

Sister-in -Law gave me these ice spoons and Tungsten Jigs I hope to use if New Jersey gets safe ice in 2024. 

Another sad ice Fishing year after no ice last Year . Ice out now and Greg and I only got out once in 2023/2024.Only one Pickerel was caught. Swedish Pimple saved the skunk. 

Who'll be the first one on the Ice this Year? Hope to see a good report! Merry Christmas friends!

We started out looking like ice then we hit a warm spell all is gone.

Is that so Dick! I am hoping it'll get to 4" here. It's close to 3" in other areas nearby if reports are accurate. Might be a short window possible.

We don't have good ice anywhere in PA yet, do we?

Hope you get some ice, Bruce! Saw some guys fishing on 3" of ice while scouting yesterday. They didn't venture far from shore and were not catching that I could see. The rain today and warmer temps are making it even less safe than 3". I feel good with 4". Checking the weather report in NENJ I am hopeful for a possible January 7th outing.

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We really don't get much winter and ice making temperatures in my area any more. You could count on a few months of ice fishing. We haven't had any safe ice the past 3 years in Western, PA.

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Bruce-Only got on the ice once last year. Last time i was on the ice before new years was 2010!

Speedo Beads - Bluegill - Big Bluegill 

Last day of high winds are preventing proper freeze up. Lord knows it's been cold enough for ice. Good chance of getting on the ice next week!

I hoping this cold weather will get me back on the ice. It's been very windy here, too.

Hope to see some action for both of us, Bruce!