Game over for me here in CT.  Heavy rain and 50 plus degrees today will eat up lots of our ice.  The jigging has been tough here lately.  I only got 1 decent bluegill and 7 small yellow perch in 4 hours yesterday.  Nevertheless, it was a great ice season with lots of quality fish. 

Wont be long now guys!

Hey John...doesn't look good for safe ice anytime soon in the Mason Dixon area. We have had a great late fall/early winter bite on crappies this year though, and the yellow perch and bluegills are starting to show up as well. 

Who needs ice with fishing like that?

Sounds great Jim I havent caught a fish since early December .Needless to say I'm anxious for any type of fishing I can get in on!

Been dieing here ! Today was the first ice I've seen on the lake but not safe yet and it's gonna get warm again. I've been organizing tackle, tieing jigs,reading ice fishing articles, everything but fishin'? Where's  the ice in this group?

Anxious to get on the ice and use this machine: This vid was very helpful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkpJTtNMOS8

WHO has ICE!!!

We don't have any safe ice here in CT yet.  I am hoping to get out on Monday, however. 

Good Luck if you do Mike and be safe .No safe ice here in NENJ yet.

No ice in PA...have to travel north to be safe.

I finally got out on the ice this afternoon.  Ice was only 2-3" thick.  VERY slow.  Only jigged up one Chain Pickerel in 2 1/2 hours.  At least it was nice to spend some time outdoors. 

Mike -Dont you be pushing it!!!  2-3 " isnt  thick at all .Guess you were shallow.Hey ,you caught a Pickerel and I would have been happy to do that today!

I stayed fairly shallow and within about 50 yards of the boat launch.  I used my auger to drill out in front of me and made sure the ice was safe.  I really wanted to get out further, but that can wait for another day. 

Were you alone?

Three guys on the ice today at Monksville.Gonna have to get out there soon!

Three inches thick according to one of the fisherman.

Got skunked 1st time out on the ice .Fished Monskvile Reservoir (known as Skunksville by many)Saw dink Bluegill being caught and one nice Yellow Perch about 13" and fat .Yp was caught on a tipup /big shiner.

Hi hope we have some safe ice this year. Sleepy

Hi thanks for the welcome  Sleepy

You bet Sleepy ,I hope to have a real fruitful and safe ice fishing season this year .Last season was a washout!

It's nice to be aboard just hope the ice cooperates for us this year.

I hear ya Dick .Last year was non existent .Thanks for joining!If ya feel like posting gear and lure pics I'd be happy to see what you use!

Ice Lures :

When I dig my equipment out I'll have a few pictures. There is so much high tech equipment these days. I purchase all I have while working knowing when I retired lots of the toys would be out of my reach. I'm hoping we have the ice to support my big frame this year last year there was no way I was venturing out on the ice..

Yes Dick last year was a great dissapointment .I have hopes for this year being a good productive one. I enjoy jigging and deadsticking for all species and I'm in the process of retiring my old less effective tip ups or Traps as some New Englanders refer to them as .I plan on just using better quality Tipu ups that have smoother spools on them. I feel I've  lost too many light biters in the past on poorly maintained old equipment.

Patrick "Bullworm" Olsen is catching Crappie through the ice already up in Bemidji Minnesota !!  

Looks nice. Let us know how it fishes.

Bruce

Alright John looks like your ready but not the ice yet. I do think we will have ice this year thick enough to get on.

I sure hope so Dick !

Anyone use these Jigger rods ? http://extacklestore.com/winter/HT%20Little%20Jigger%20Rod%20&%...

Also who uses these foam floats ice jigging and whats the benefit?

I used to use the old "Schooley" rods John. Caught fish with em' too. But they came equipped with a spring bobber so I never used the foam float. Their design makes them easy to drop back to the same depth, which is helpful for an ice fisherman without electronics. They work well.

Once I started using sonar, I switched to spinning ice combos.

Most og my panfish rods have spring bobbers .I have two other jigging rods meant for Bass and heavier lures and the Straightline seems like it wont need a spring bobber but we'll see about that.I am curious about those reels on the jigger rods .Schooley rods used open faced spinning reels didnt they Tony?

My Schooley's didn't John..they had a flat reel, or spool, that held the line. A thumbnut and a spring allowed you to tighten a crude "drag", and there was a peg that you used to limit the amount of line that would come off the reel. Once you found your depth, (using a plumb), you would insert the peg.

The reel would take up line normally, but once pinned they will only allow a certain amount out. Very quick back down the hole.

http://www.fishusa.com/Schooleys-Spring-Bobber-Pole-Reel-and-Access...

Oh yea thats right I heard about those pegged reels .Thanks for that link Tony!

Tony - Schooley is still a good cheap ice rod, I took the spring bobber off the pole and add a spring from a BIC lighter and painted the tip orange - just strech it out to the amout you want... it more sensitive than a noodle rod.

Neat John

I still think the home made spring bobbers I use from guitar strings  (.018 to .024 ) are the best, most sensitive and durable spring bobbers I have ever used. I wrap them right on to the rod tip and lacquer the threading with 3 coats of Crazy Glue.

Still haven't tried that great idea of yours with B and G strings off a Light gauge set Jim! I should get on it and give it a try!

Yea Dick the Rod Lodge is a good idea!