head count, who’s ready for spring?

We had good ice early on, then it warmed up and melted, from there it was rain, snow, cold, wind keeping the water open, more rain and last week we finally had a good cold snap.
In the interim I bought a windrider ice suit,, ( crap, that reminds me, I still owe bearcat for a shelter ) got the right auger for the one I bought from EPG, my helix 7 and dakota 18 bazillion amp battery, ( thanks Grouse for the IDO input ) and I was all set to go ice fishing finally!!!
Well, today it got to 52 here and its so sloppy on top I cant get to any ponds, not only that its way too warm for the new ice suit and I am sick of the weather and ready for open water, I could care less about ice fishing now.

I talked to Mike M today and I know he is ready to get his boat out in two weeks after his recovery from knee replacement.
Anyone else ready for spring??

Iowaboy1 wrote:

Anyone else ready for spring??

Oh yes. Gonna be a while before we can melt all this snow up here but it looks unseasonably warm through at least the middle of the month.

Until this past week, January was very mild.

No sh!t gimruis, yesterday morning when I opened the shop it was 18, when I headed home it was 10 at five PM, overnight it warmed up to 20,WTH!!
Friggin windy yesterday and today, I have seen some extremes in my life but this is getting old in a hurry, that reminds me, so am I, sigh.

The snow will help with the drought as long as it doesn’t all melt at once in one big warm up.

long way to go boys. its only February but yes this is the first year in a decade that i kind of miss my boat. i got 5 days off in April for the spring run on P4 so looking forward to that.

If you make house calls on Cub lawnmowers and Honda generators I have a nice house and LOTS of ice. Call me when you get 1/2 way through Minnesota and I’ll guide you in.

eyeguy, I am supposed to meet Craig and Mike M there this spring on pool 9, I can only hope we get on them!! I dont care if its a perch, redhorse, whatever, I want to be out in a boat!!
I hope the river is up enough we dont bottom out when I get in!!

3rdtryguy, will do!! send me a pm with your phone #

I screamed at the little white bustardo’s to “Get Off My Lawn!”
Guess my gruff voice was scaring it a bit as it was wetting itself.

I’m ready for spring. The kid and I are headed out tip up fishing some walleye now. But I am over ice fishing already

Kids on the board

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This guy is more than ready . Forecast for La crosse area is 30’s and 40’s so should open up some landings on pool 9 & 10.

I was ready about the last part of last November.

Count me ready also- one bright spot is with relatively little ice we may at least get an earlier ice out…I’m hopeful anyway.

Don’t think we’ll have another St Pats Day from 2012….80 degrees..

But we can wish..

I’m not.

Matt Sayer wrote:

Count me ready also- one bright spot is with relatively little ice we may at least get an earlier ice out…I’m hopeful anyway.

Earlier ice out means earlier nets in.

stout93 wrote:

Don’t think we’ll have another St Pats Day from 2012….80 degrees..

But we can wish..

That was the best day I ever had on rainy river

I am ready also! Can’t wait to get the boat in the water.

Matt Sayer wrote:

Count me ready also- one bright spot is with relatively little ice we may at least get an earlier ice out…I’m hopeful anyway.

Once the snow melts, it definitely won’t take as long to melt the ice because there simply isn’t as much of it.

Last winter went by so much faster because I was out fishing regularly. I’ve only been out once so far in 2023. So ready for Spring to arrive. I am guardedly optimistic that I’ll be fishing open water before the end of March.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Kids on the board

Dad of the Month Club!

I dunno,
A couple things

1) that auger still may spin in the wrong direction.

2) the Belle will ice fishing for her first time ever the weekend of Feb 17 so I need good ice.
Prolly a good guide also.

Yep then Im moving south!

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I dunno,
A couple things

1) that auger still may spin in the wrong direction.

2) the Belle will ice fishing for her first time ever the weekend of Feb 17 so I need good ice.
Prolly a good guide also.

Come on out and join us. I’m no guide but we stumble across a fair amount of fish

this is the first year I have been ready for spring this early ever. Its been a less than average ice fishing season for me and I want to get the wife and our dogs up to our camp as soon as we can. We have no indoor plumbing and the well is winterized until we dont have to worry about the pump/tank freezing so it may be a while yet.

Granted we have heat, but sitting inside the whole time is not ideal either.

Even though I haven’t been ice fishing much this winter, so far my mental health is a lot better than last winter. Last winter drug on into April. We’ve got a lot of winter to get through still so here’s hoping for an easier one this year.

Rochester ice fishing sucks , Pepin and the backwaters have handed my ass to me in a paper sack everyweekend I’ve tried it through the ice . Should have taken the boat out today and fished P4 .

I was never ready for winter.:???:

If there was a way for it to be Spring in MN but stay winter in NW Ontario then yes, I’m ready! One more winter fishing trip left, gotta chase some monster pike through the ice in April up in Ontario, after that I’m ready!