To all my fellow SE Wisconsin ice fisherman: Looking to start an on-line support group here on Lake Link to help us deal with the very high above average non ice forming tempertaures that we are experiencing in SE Wisconsin, not just now, but in the extended forecast as well. This will just be a place to express your feelings and emotions without being judged to others who understand and are going through the same thing. Let me start it off: This weather bites!
Ice Fishing
SE Wisconsin Ice Fisherman Support Group
Displaying 1 to 15 of 19 posts
Ice is finally here til seasons end in Kenosha co it seems can't wait to get out and bring my girls 11 yr old son for his first time, if any of you others have reports for Kenosha please put them up I have an idea where I'll take him but it's always nice.to hear the conditions around the county
It's not the first time and it won't be the last that temps in SE Wisconsin make ice conditions unfishable. I actually quit ice fishing for a while because I was tired of having to travel 2 hours just to get in some fishing. I used drastic measures....I moved from a Milwaukee suburb to Crawford County. I have been ice fishing since late November. I can fish every day if I want, and traveling to fish is a decision that I make, not a necessity. I'm afraid if want to get into good fishing every year, you might have to relocate.
Big ones? We didn't get on giants, we caught a lot of 9 to 11's. Probably a half dozen 12's...they were returned. Ty said they were "pretty neutral" that day, but we iced a ton and always had fish on our screen. Ty's amazing. He tipped us off to a different local lake for giants...we went there and found them....all were returned. Had tons of fun. It was a long drive, but well worth it.
I fell through the ice Dec 15th. My anniversary on top of it. Bruised my chest pretty bad. Wife wouldn't let me fish til the bruise was gone. Bruise is gone and the ice still sucks. Where I have been able to fish has been nothing but dinks. Whoda thought you could catch a 4" perch on a rippin rap....lol. Get cold already.
Getting sick of the warm fronts that keep happening. Cold for a couple days then warm for five. I guess that's what I get for getting excited back in November when we had some cold temps. I thought great, should be a good ice season and a early one at that. I'm heading North this weekend where the ice is safer. Hopefully soon, everything gets good and safe in the southern part of the state.
It’s been a bit dangerous if you don’t know where to go. I been sticking to small lakes under 150 acres in my area of Waukesha county. Been just barely safe. Had to back off from some spots that got down to 2.5 inch. Then with the rain, was afraid to even go on 3.5 inch. My rule of thumb is, if it was well below freezing the night or 2 before, 4 inch of ice is safe for a rain day. Just one day. The second day may be dangerous. Standing water on top usually means hard ice below. Have to check ice thickness at least every 20 feet tho. Can change quickly. This applies only to hard clear early season ice. 8 inch of late season honeycombed ice can be very dangerous, even if it’s NOT raining. Have your flotation vest and ice picks along. If you don’t have a lot of experience in these conditions, best to stay off the ice or only go with people who have a ton of experience on that particular body of water
I'm with ya. Used to live in SE Wisconsin. I would get so bugged when the weather forecaster would say, "It's going to be a great weekend" when it's sunny and 42 in January. I'm thinking, "NO, it's NOT!!!!"
I live up north now. Always lots of ice. I do remember some years in SE Wisconsin that were SO frustrating. One time it was above freezing for a high about 35 days in a row. It just never ended. It think the ice was on...then off...then finally on again in late Jan or FEBRUARY. Just awful.
Every time I would look at the 7 day forecast and the 6 and 7 day would look "better", with a cold front coming-but by the time those days got here, it would be just as warm and the cold front was so weak or never even made it. And, the warm weather would just continue. Or, a few days that were supposed to be partly sunny were sunny all day! UGH. Then, at night, instead of being clear and cold, it was cloudy!!! Thus warmer.
I'm with ya. I'll be in the support group. I will offer a suggestion. Head north! Plenty of ice up here. Was ZERO degrees earlier tonight. You could be on 11 inches of ice with 39 degrees and sun this weekend up here if you pick the right lake. But, I'm hoping the ice holds on for all of you.
Displaying 1 to 15 of 19 posts
