Ice Fishing?
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29819)
Momence, Illinois
January 9, 2016 8:12am CST
I love to fish. I started fishing when I was dating my future husband. He is a fanatic about fishing, I had only fished once but I wanted to enjoy the things he did so I went with him. I soon discovered I liked to fish almost but not quite as much as he did.
A bit into our relationship he asked me if I would like to try ice fishing. That sounded pretty nuts me but he assured me that we would be safe. These days I love to ice fish but have to admit that the older I get I find I don't enjoy ice fishing as much as I once did. I have to have a tent and a heater if I'm going out on the ice. Just the walking out onto the ice alone is a tremendous amount of work. All the slipping and sliding really saps your energy.
This photo was taken 5 years ago of a bluegill I caught. One thing about fish caught through the ice is that the meat is firmer than fish caught during the summer months. I am not a huge fan of eating fish but would much rather eat ice caught fish than in the warmer months.
12 people like this
13 responses
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
9 Jan 16
I know that this is a popular activity, but seems very dangerous to me.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
10 Jan 16
@fishtiger58 Walking on the ice is dangerous, breathing the cold air is dangerous, falling into the hole is dangerous, falling through the ice is dangerous. I'll get my fish at the local restaurant. 
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
@ElizabethWallace I actually fell through once right at shore just as we were stepping out onto the ice. Brrrrrr was really cold, that ended that ice fishing trip before it got started.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
they say 4 inches thick is safe ice. Any thinner than that and I stay home.
2 people like this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
9 Jan 16
@fishtiger58 I was a child. I did feel sorry for the fish that the birds pluck out of the water here, multiple times a day, but not anymore. The birds have to eat, too, and I have my favorite here in Florida. We named him Orville, an osprey.
2 people like this
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
9 Jan 16
@fishtiger58 They are awesome birds, aren't they? Orville flew right up to my window (3rd floor) last year and hovered there to show me a fish he caught, right in my face! He did again a few days ago. Ospreys are so proud when they catch a fish. We always clap and cheer him and his sons. He comes to me when I call him. He circles, hovers (at the pool), or does a fly by and actually looks at me! He also peeks into our lanai. He is my Florida pet! I love him.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
you felt sorry for the fish? I love fishing but the ice fishing is getting to be to much these days for me.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
We mostly let them go we are basically catch and release.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
9 Jan 16
Since I'm not a fan of cold, snow or ice, standing on ice freezing my feet off is out of the question! Water doesn't free here anyway.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
Keeping my feet warm was my biggest problem, I found some really warm boots and that helped a ton.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
9 Jan 16
@fishtiger58 that and a flask and I'd still be too cold.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill Oh yes I forgot coffee in a thermos too. Even with the tent, heater and good boots I get cold. Some days however it's so warm in the tent I can take my coat off.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (91127)
• United States
10 Jan 16
I have a hard time these days walking on solid ground so ice fishing wouldn't be something for me. Slipping, sliding and falling are no longer words in my vocabulary 
However, I bet it was fun and quite the adventure for you
However, I bet it was fun and quite the adventure for you1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91127)
• United States
10 Jan 16
I should add to my comment here and say that I always enjoyed crabbing even though I lost many a net by letting go of the line
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
Now that I'm older I feel the same way, these old bones can't take a fall. We have a device you can strap onto your boot they grabs the ice so you don't fall. It is fun, but as I have gotten older I don't do it or enjoy it as much as when I was younger.
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
@Marilynda1225 I would love to try crabbing, as long as I didn't have to go to far out into the ocean. I live in the midwest and oceans are so big and scary to me.
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
9 Jan 16
i would enjoy fishing more often. i was hoping to get into that with my boys. my oldest son and i went ONCE his last summer alive (he was 12) and it wasn't a successful venture. so he didn't ask more. but i wanted to. i still have 4 other children and need to do this with them this summer. i'm not sure how i'd do with ice fishing. i enjoy winter weather, but not for fishing!
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
Fishing in the summer with your kids is a fantastic activity. So sorry for your loss.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
11 Jan 16
I have never went fishing. I don't like the slime and thought about killing the fish myself (but I do enjoy eating fish). I cannot imagine how cold it would be and the slipping! I will probably fall on my bum as I try to walk 
But sounds interesting to fish in ice!
But sounds interesting to fish in ice!1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
11 Jan 16
As we have gotten older we do it less. I love it but I'm getting old and don't want to nearly as much as I used to. It's a pretty fun way to fish.
@Raine38 (12387)
• United States
9 Jan 16
Nice! I have not tried ice fishing before, but during summer, we like taking the boat to the lake and fish. We catch walleyes, bass and catfish. Sometimes we even snag carps. They are not really good catch but they are fun to fish because they put up a fight.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
I fish a lot with my husband in our boat. As we age we don't enjoy ice fishing as much as we used to.
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
Our water here is not frozen yet either, and we probably won't get safe ice this year. We are not allowed to keep our huts or tents on the ice, they have to be removed every day, so many just have pop up ice tents as opposed to huts. I do know that Wisconsin and Minnesota allow fishermen to leave there structures out on the ice for weeks at a time. Because of that many of the structures are wood sided huts they tow out there with their trucks. Rarely does the ice in Illinois get thick enough for you to drive a vehicle out there.
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
11 Jan 16
We see a lot of ice fishing huts all over the area lakes. Never done it, hubby is a fisherman but prefers summer.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
11 Jan 16
I love to ice fish, but the older I less I want to
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
10 Jan 16
and I always wonder how a fish can live in the snowy areas.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
Only so many inches of the lake freeze so they go deeper and hey survive. Unless the whole lake freezes all the way down that rarely happens.
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
10 Jan 16
am the opposite of you. I love to eat fish. I never did like to go fishing. I went a few time when I was younger with my father and grandfather.
1 person likes this
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
11 Jan 16
@fishtiger58 Yes, I miss fresh caught fish.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
10 Jan 16
I will eat fish on occasion but not my favorite, and fresh caught fish are better tasting.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
No I'm sure not an activity you could enjoy in South Africa.
