Ice?

A year ago now, I was already on the ice!  Over the Thanksgiving weekend last year, spent a bit of time with family pulling some fish through an ice hole!

We caught some bluegills and largemouth bass that day, nothing big, but you can see we had fun!  A week or two earlier, my son had already dried off some nice pike through the ice!

I am not a meteorologist and even if I was, I could not tell you when we will have safe ice this year.  All I can tell you right now is it is time to start getting ready!

Time to change line on the ice rods, check auger blades, make sure your depth-finder battery will hold a charge.  Check the jig box, replace the old favorites you are low on, and pick up a dozen of the newest, latest and greatest (I have already!).  Sharpen hooks, try the ice bibs and parka on to make sure they still fit (especially after the Thanksgiving feasting).  Put new laces on the boots.  You can always use a couple, three more pairs of gloves, and another box of hand-warmers would not hurt.  Now is the time to start getting ready!  Your favorite sporting goods store has the ice fishing gear on the shelves, now!

Here are some gear ideas you might want to try:

https://www.facebook.com/iceteamrevolution/videos/728577110975741/

By the way, the panfish toothpicks are really nice.  They are cheap too.  Check ’em out, Cold Snap Outdoors.

Yes, I still use my forceps, but what is nice about the toothpicks is that they are made of plastic and they do not chip the paint off of your jigs!

While you are getting stuff ready, you might as well hum along to a song:

Sorry, now that is stuck in your head.  Just like ice fishing is stuck in mine!