First time ice fishing
 

Hi all
I'm heading up to the lake next Friday. My 12 year old son wants to go ice fishing. As of now I don't have any gear I'm going to try to borrow some.
Any suggestions would be very helpful. My son did say we need a bob house to hang out in Ha
Thanks Mike

Hi Mike,

If I were you I would head on over to AJ's bait and tackle in Meredith. He can set you up with everything you need including bait and send you out to an area of the lake where the ice is safe and fish can be caught. Much of the lake is still very unsafe or open water but there are plenty of fishable coves where safe ice can be found and fish can be caught. AJ will send you in the right direction...

Have a great time and good luck!

Dan

And PLEASE Mike, do not drive your car/vehicle onto the lake!

AJs Bait. Be careful on the ice, especially near docks with bubblers.

Hi Mike,

I am sure that there is someone that would love to take you and your son out for a day on the ice. I would do it myself only I have no idea where I will be or what I will be doing next weekend. This way you do not have to invest in any equipment for your first trip out.

I would recommend that you reach out on www.iceshanty.com under the NH section and I am sure you will find someone willing to have you and your son tag along.

Also I do not know your plans this weekend but I know the guys from BIP outdoors are putting on a day tomorrow for kids and adults who want to learn to ice fish. They will have everything that you need to make it happen. They will be fishing on Big Island Pond in Atkinson, NH. Contact Tom Thibeault. Tomorrow is free fishing day in NH so no license is required for adults over 16.

Also one other thought is that Tim Moore and Chuck Fritz offer guided ice fishing trips on Lake Winnipesaukee. I do not know your budget but they will get you out there with almost guaranteed success.

If I end up heading up that way next weekend I will let you know.

Waukewaun is safe! Just behind Meredith Center.

Meredith Bay
 

Is it looking possible the Pond Hockey tournament will take place in Meredith Bay, or still too early to call?

Fish & Game
 

I took my kids for our first ice fishing (my first time too) by taking a NH Fish & Game sponsored day long class on ice fishing. Classroom time dragged on but then we walked out onto a nearby pond with pre-drilled holes, baited tip ups with shiners, and froze our rear ends off. My son caught one pickerel and we learned enough to be able to go on our own.

I saw a large contingent of snowblowers clearing the ice in Meredith, so I would say it's on.

Ice In
 

Do you think we'll have ice in this year? I see a lot of open water on webcams. What happened to winter? It's been a very mild January here in the Boston area. I love snow!

Don't make this newbie mistake...
 

Hi MFitz---

I remember well when my father took me ice fishing for the first time in January, 1974. In fact, it was the first time for both of us. I was around 11....We went to Waldron's bait shop in Meredith, (long gone now), bought some smelt and 1 or 2 tip-ups. We went out on the ice near my parents' place. We used an axe and a long crow bar to chop the hole in the ice, (we had NO clue what the heck we were doing...):laugh:

My father put the smelt on the hook and started feeding it into the hole. We were close to shore....maybe 4' of water. Suddenly, BAM....something grabbed the smelt and was off. My father set the hook and pulled it in. It was huge...25"....several pounds. "What is it, Dad?", I asked, "a trout?". "Yah, I think it's a rainbow...look how shiny it is and how it reflects the light...", he said. My father was a very experienced salt-water fisherman, but had never been fresh-water fishing.

Not too long after the excitement died down, a "real" ice-fisherman was coming to shore to go home from further out on the lake. We said hi, and he asked if we had any luck. Proud as peacocks, we said, "yah, look at this big rainbow trout". The guy got a look of horror and said, "JESUS....that's no rainbow, that's a salmon...get it off the lake or you'll be hung"

By this time, Mr or Ms Salmon had long expired, so fearing for our lives, we packed up our axe, crowbar, tip-ups, and of course the salmon, and got back to the house as fast as we could. That was our lesson learning that you cannot take salmon through the ice.

40+ years later, I can still remember the taste of that lesson! :eek:

With highs over 32 degrees for the next 10 days at least according to NECN.

Hi all this is our first winter on Winni. We took Dan's advice and hit AJ's on Saturday before we hit the ice. AJ himself gave us some great advice that lead us to catching a few Perch. It was a great first ice fishing experience with my boys. A big thanks to everyone's advice!


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statue of limitation
 

Hate to say it MMan, but I think the statute of limitations for taking salmon through the ice is 50 years. Expect a knock on your door any day now.:)