Why do you ice fish?

[Mayfly]

Just curious what everyone loves about ice fishing? What brings you out there onto a frozen lake in the middle of winter to sit over a hole or holes in the lake.

[thunderpout]

ummm....... to catch fish.   all kidding aside, I get good doses of quiet and solitude, that is hard these days to find.  depending what lakes you hit, and the areas you fish, sometimes its like being in a hyperbarrick(sp?) chamber.... with fish being a reeaaly nice bonus!   Yet you can go the other route, and make it an event... lots of friends & family grilling/partying at base camp.... hitting the fish on and off through the day in the portables, hitting base camp again to chow, watch a hockey game... what aint there to love? 

[Tyler Rother]

Love being outside. Period.

All said, I like being called crazy from the folks down south. 

[HD]

Cause it's there.......... 

But, it does pass the time while I'm waiting to go hunting again.
Plus the family likes to get out as a group, and see if we can catch a meal. 

It's just another facid (sp) of being an outdoorsmen. 

[Cody Gruchow]

something to do...to catch some fish, drink some  and have fun

[wildlifeminnesota]

It a home away from home,  ,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
It also the one place were I can get a little or big tail,,,,
                                           what done think,,,,,,,,,,, 
 FISH,,,,,In joying life,,,,,Making memoirs,,,,,So we can tell are friend here on MNO,,,,,
                                                    :fishing2:
                                                   

[The General]

To catch some fish and get the kids out to enjoy the outdoors.

P.S. I really enjoy finding Lee's fish house and doing about 10 donuts (amount of donuts varies, depends on how long it take Lee to get his boots on and suspenders pulled up) around his fish house with my wheeler.  It really gets him going and is fun to watch him yell and throw things.  One time he even through his beer at me as I drove away.  The look on his face was priceless......[Did I just throw that full beer  ].   

[Woody]

For me ice fishing means many things. 

Memories-

When I was a wee lil Woody dad and I went out to Mille Lacs to one of his 3 houses.  He'd stoke up the small woodstove and start warming a pot of water.  He'd pour out a cup of warm water that would later become my hot chocolate and then proceed to make coffee with the remaining water.  Then he'd get me set up to roast hot dogs over the stove.  While I cooked, he tended to the lines and got the fixin's ready for dinner.  Usually just hot dogs, chips and baked beans which he would set on the stove to warm up.  Nothing is better than food on the ice.  Must be all the clean air! 


Solitude-

Sitting on the ice starring down the hole gives a person their "me" time.  To think, reflect and simply relax.  I imagine it's much the same as sitting in the deerstand waiting for that big buck to come in view.  Here we're just waiting for the bobber to go down, unless your jigging.   


Quality Time-

Nothing  is more important than quality time with the family on the lake whether it be summer or winter.  The big difference other than the frigid temps is no one gets sea sick ice fishing.  Being out on the ice allows you to spread out some and find your own spot.  It's a whole different experience than fishing out of a boat in the summer where you're confined to a small area. 

I don't know if any of that made sense, but it's one of my favorite things to do other than summer fishing.  Besides what else are you going to do with your time in the cold of winter?  Might as well get out and get some fresh air and enjoy yourself! 

[beeker]

because when I drink at home the wife asks me to do things

[The General]

because when I drink at home the wife asks me to do things

 

[Desperado]

I ice fish because . . . well because the lake is frozen over. 

[lkerr75]

I am into ice fishing to get a meal for the family and hopefully get the big trophy walleye that we all wish for, but my sole part of ice fishing is to have some bonding time with friends and especially my family (mostly my son, but maybe the daughter if mom is okay with it). My little man is 6 years old and I want him to appreciate, respect and enjoy something my father never did with me because as a kid he was forced to hunt and fish otherwise if they didn't catch, shoot or trap they may not have had much of a meal; so he never bothered to teach or take his kids (me and my 2 brothers and sister) out hunting or fishing. I want my son to love the outdoors and love what it has to offer, like fresh caught fish. I also want my son to be able to pass down something like father son time to his kids when he grows up.

[guythathunts]

Have you ever tried to launce your boat in January?

[101PROOF]

I started ice fishing because I do not like winter! 
After thinking about what I can do to enjoy the winter month, skiing, snowmobile, watch TV all the good winter thing nothing was like ice fishing.

I do not get out fishing in the summer based on to many other things to do.
The last 9 years I have spent most too all weekends on the ice.
After purchasing the wheel house theirs nothing better than driving to some lake I never fished, setting the wheel house up for the weekend and taking the portable around the lake looking for the hot spot.

This year is going slow. Last Sunday went out to spend the day with a fiend’s kid who wanted to go out and could not believe the water on top of the ice and how hard it was to even get to a spot.
Showed the kid what not to do! (the lake had around 7 inches of ice, enough snow on top to keep the water from freezing, with about 3 inches of water on top of the ice) setting there talking we watch a full size truck drive  across the lake getting stock twice. I don't know about all you but, you will never see me drive a full size truck on 8 inche's of ice.
Did not school the fish but we had a great time catching small perch.

[kenhuntin]

 It is accomplishing something that most people cannot or will not do. Sometimes you even see deer crossing the lake ice. And as a bonus you might even find a shed when following a deer trail through the catts on your way out.

[MTCOMMER]

It is accomplishing something that most people cannot or will not do. Sometimes you even see deer crossing the lake ice. And as a bonus you might even find a shed when following a deer trail through the catts on your way out.

I fish because its fun to do and Its just another way to fish, cause I LOVE TO FISH!  Its fun to sit in the house and wait for a bite (either bell, tip up, bobber down, etc).  Plus to go along with the deer crossing, etc.  Last year when I was out on the lake, I bald eagle came onto the ice and took a fish that another fisherman threw out.  It was a sight to see, Ill never forget it!

PLUS I LOVE TO EAT FISH, SO IN THE WINTER I CAN CATCH IT, instead of buying it :)

[Fawkinnae]

because when I drink at home the wife asks me to do things

Priceless! Now I understand the why.

[thunderpout]

I gotta agree.... that one beats all!  But... Beeker, What happens when ya take your wife ice fishing?

[Randy Kaar]

Been a long time since the wife "asked me to do things" 

randy

[beeker]

thunderpout...one of the requirements for the replacement wife was that she had no interest in the out of doors..and that she enjoy my twisted sense of humor...  the one time I did take her ice fishing  I tossed the truck in neutral (going as slow as possible) and bailed out saying "we're going in"... she wasn't happy and hasn't asked to go back since, come to think of it she doesn't ask to "do things" anymore either????

[brandbll]

Because in the winter i fish for the meal and in the summer i fish for the fight.

[Mayfly]

Because in the winter i fish for the meal and in the summer i fish for the fight.

Thats pretty deep Brandon...... 

[Jdrummer]

I enjoy ice fishing because of the challenge of finding the fish then the sweet reward of hammering pannies all day and night long in jeans and a t-shirt in the perm!

[thunderpout]

Yeah, Jdrummer.... that is a really freakin cool aspect of the sport aint it?   Imagine... yankin in a nice walleye out on a lake in January.... -15 below out & the wind is a howlin ouside, its 2am, ya have an UN frozen beverage in your hand, and your wearing a t-shirt!

[22lex]

To be completely honest I thought ice-fishing was the stupidest thing around for many years. I am a caster when fishing, I cannot sit still and have to do something, so ice-fishing wasn't my cup of tea.

After getting talked into going a couple years ago with a friend who has all the gadgets, and know how to put me on fish while showing me a couple things, I had a change of heart and really enjoy spending time on the ice.

Mostly my ice-fishing is done for comraderie and the outdoors nowadays, the fish are just a bonus.