Ice Fishing around the corner.

[Mink Islander]

For me, the official change in seasons happens over Thanksgiving weekend when I pull out the ice fishing tackle and get everything prepped for my return to the island in late January.

Built some new cusk lines this year following a design on the NH fish & game site. I painted mine orange for visibility and added rubber tubing over the carriage bolts to protect the line from the bolt threads. Liked the idea of adding jingle bells between the sinker and the hook. My wife laughed at me! We'll see. After hooking an 8pounder 2 yrs ago, i'll try anything to raise my game! Old ones are still serviceable but with at least a dozen Boy Scouts coming out again this winter, the more lines, the better. Replaced the mono and hooks on all my tip-ups. Fired up the ice auger just for giggles.

Derby ticket? Check!

Time to start watching the water temps....

[riverat]

I have Bobhouse on the trailer and tipups ready, have not fired up the auger yet but will soon. I have been a fixture on Alton bay by the bandstand for almost 8 years now, but I am thinking of trying a different spot on the bay this season. Love cusk but they have been pretty smal for years now and that is a main reason for the move.
Now if I can just get some venison for the annual stew.

[riverat]

Auger ready inner bay skimmed over, and having second thoughts about moving to peggy's cove. love the socializing on the bay, and the planes. See you out there. stop by for some hot cocoa!

[martbri7]

Will be out on Leavitt Beach again this year....best views on the water without the taxes....:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I'm also a Cusk man...anyone have a idea on how to keep the hole from freezing over.....Happy Happy Derby day Feb 11 and 12th....also if in the area Pond Hockey in Meredith 3rd annual Feb 3-5....last year 77 teams, this year over 200 teams wooo hoooo!!!!!!

[Mink Islander]

A few thoughts:

1) If there is ample snow on the lake, then after you set your line, simply fill the hole with snow and mound it up a foot or more all the way around. The snow insulates well and in the morning just clear the snow pile and pull up your line. Works great. Also lets me get a little more elevation on my cusk sticks (orange with reflectors) to make them easier for snomos to see. Haven't lost one yet.

2) Much more challenging if there is no snow cover to work with. Ice chips provide no insulation value to speak of so mounding that up alone just creates a hard ice dome in no time. But, I saw elsewhere online (Iceshanty.com perhaps) a clever idea using squares of plywood with a small hole drilled in the center and a slit cut to it. After you set the line, you slide the line to the center of the board and set the board flat on the ice over the hole. Even 1/2-3/4" of plywood will provide enough insulation to keep the hole from freezing over (or that's the theory anyway) if it's flush with the ice surface. I think they were cut 2'X2'. I'm thinking about making some of these, but with a piece of rigid foam insulation glued on top for good measure. Only worry is that in windy conditions they might just fly away. Would probably use the ice chips to "glue" the edges down so that wouldn't happen. Also think I'll add some handles on the top.

Just need some ice now.... Gonna be a little late this year, it seems.

[ishoot308]

Will be out on Leavitt Beach again this year....best views on the water without the taxes....:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I'm also a Cusk man...anyone have a idea on how to keep the hole from freezing over.....Happy Happy Derby day Feb 11 and 12th....also if in the area Pond Hockey in Meredith 3rd annual Feb 3-5....last year 77 teams, this year over 200 teams wooo hoooo!!!!!!\

You can buy insulated hole covers that fit right in the hole and have a slot to allow your line to go through the center. I have used them for the past few years and they work great! I bought mine here at the Sportsman's guide http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/search/eSearch.aspx?SearchTerms=ice%20hole%20covers&eMode=

You can also make them out of rigid blue or pink insulation but they won't last very long, one or two uses tops.

Good Luck!

Dan

[RailroadJoe]

Riverat -- stay where you normally put your bob house. Maybe I can make it out there again, if not to slippery or windy.

[HomeWood]

A few weeks ago I rebuilt the carb and put a new plug in my 20 year old Jiffy. Runs like new! Now I'm thinking that chased off old man winter.

[Mink Islander]

Lakeport water temp is 38 degrees today. That's still about 2 weeks behind last year, but with the sustained overnight cold over the coming week, I'd expect that we'll see a lot of ice forming very soon. May be the 3rd or 4th week of January before we have "safe ice" -- for me that's at least 7 inches of black ice but sustained cold temps with no snow cover could catch us up to last year over a couple of weeks. Doesn't look like any material snow for a while either which is good for ice-making, not so good for snowmo's.

[jbreault]

Has there ever been a winter when the lake didn't freeze over entirely?

[Bear Island South]

THE BLONDE GOES ICE FISHING

A blonde wanted to go ice fishing. She'd seen many books on the subject,
and finally getting all the necessary tools together, she made for the ice.

After positioning her comfy footstool, she started to make a circular
cut in the ice. Suddenly, from the sky, a voice boomed,

"THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"

Startled, the blonde moved further down the ice, poured a thermos of
cappuccino, and began to cut yet another hole. Again from the heavens
the voice bellowed,

"THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"

The blonde, now worried, moved away, clear down to the opposite end of
the ice. She set up her stool once more and tried again to cut her hole.

The voice came once more,

"THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"

She stopped, looked skyward! and said,

"IS THAT YOU LORD?"

The voice replied,

"NO, THIS IS THE MANAGER OF THE HOCKEY RINK!"
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Belmont Resident]

Web cam from Rockwood
http://www.rockwoodonmoosehead.org/images/ftp/

Web cam from Grenville
http://www.sebectec.com/greenville/

[bclaker]

New Hampshire Fish and Game reports that several bob houses have been broken into and equipment stolen. Click below:

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/newsroom.htm