Early ice or Late ice?

Which do you prefer?

By the time late ice rolls in, the temps are getting warmer and we are yearning for spring, I still prefer late ice.

Good call macho. Looks like you might be right. Unfortunately, there’s a significant warm up and every day it’s looking warmer and warmer. They keep upping the temps.  This will affect southern Wisconsin ice significantly and that Ice season might not last as far to the end of March as I would’ve thought just a few weeks ago. Here in northern Wisconsin, we’re still fine. Temps aren't nearly as bad. Plus there’s a lot of ice out there. Maybe the first two weeks of March will give way to cooler weather towards the end of March and solidify our ice well into April. At least I hope so. 

All ice lol but I catch lot's of fish during both early and late ice but there's definitely something to be said about icing big crappie and perch while sitting on the ice In your blue jeans and  50 degree temps 

Early by far, access is good, the bite is hot, the later it gets into late jan-feb the bite slows down drastically. Access is really tough up here with all the snow we get. Some times it snows heavy during deer season and doesnt let up, you have to start making trails out to the spots then they get snowed in and you have to start over. I couldnt even fish the last two years, and finally got out this year with the low snow

Early ice walleyes, late ice perch.

Late ice for sure.

Fishlovme, this year in southern Wisconsin we will probably have an even shorter late ice due to the amount of snow on the ice creating a ton of slush on top of the ice as it melts   

Late ice by a landslide.  Only problem is here in Southern Wisconsin late ice doesn't last long!  We generally go from pretty good ice to not having safe ice in about two weeks or less.  It never gets old, almost every year around now I think we're going to have ice until late March then we get a thaw and it just gets warmer.  Then, as soon as the ice melts it never fails to get cold again so shore fishing then sucks too!

The last few years fishing has been much better for me early ice, hopefully this year is different. I still prefer late ice, something special about those last few days on the ice knowing it'll be 8-9 months before its back again. 

I love perchin' for Jumbos late ice, in a long sleeve t-shirt those 60 degrees days.  And now you can fish for bass too, because of the year round bass season

Late ice for sure. Early ice is fun. Lots of adrenaline like someone said. But I don’t do very well. It does get better around Christmas. I typically lay low in January and February. Get out from time to time. But not so much. But I love late ice. Spring is in the air. Nice temps. Everything smells like spring, even the wind. You hear certain birds that are coming back…Easy to get around. Not a lot of people are still out there. And the bite is generally good.

Late for big perch and crappie.  They just bite harder.  

Late ice for sure! 

I'd say the adrenaline and motivation is a little higher during early ice just because it's the first time out in months. But fishing is way better late ice for me. 

Late ice for sure.

Started end of December this year and didn't get a bite the first five trips. Haven't been skunked since then. Had my best fishing in March last year.

Late ice for me. I fish pike and I can get more fish early ice but the big girls usually come late ice just before the spawn. Caught this today. I wouldn’t call this late ice but it’s getting close. This fish was in deep water adjacent to marshy spawning area. Like live bait early ice, the livelier the better. Late ice dead bait is better for me.