Ice Fishin

Got to go Ice Fishin today. For those that have not experienced this, it is in fact an ordeal. Especially with the group of guys I go with. All off the guys I fish with are retired military folks that I know. Usually about a week or two out the emails start up asking who is going to go. We have a sort of Roll Call of about 18 guys. Most often there is a positive response from all of them, all excited to go. Given a few more days, it dwindles to less than 4. Some of the stories/excuses are: My wife wont let me (not everyone comes out and says this but it is usually the underlying reason for everyone.) I have family in town, I have plans, etc...One guy ALWAYS has an excuse and has not shown up yet.

Other lies that are told before we even hit the ice is I've caught fish for money, I'm bringing the women, and David will show up this time....

Planning for these trips take some time. Someone is assigned the intel work, (Usually wrong) and someone is assigned camp cook (aka female dog). So put it all together and today 4 of us went out.

11 Mile lake is the lake of choice today, due to extra cold temps and high winds. Its about 1.5 hours from my house and always windy. This is our set up.

Its made for four people, but really it works best with two.

The other guys didnt really have a hut. BIG MISTAKE!



Looking over the Ice hole.



This is the preferred method of drilling for fish. The motorized ice auger. Ive tried hand powered augers and well they suck. Especially in 15+ inches of ice.



I'm happy cause I get to sit in the hut!



Today's temps outside were about 8 deg with the wind chill!

Life inside the hut is fun. Its usually warm, 32+ deg F, one time I saw 50 deg in the hut. Today it hovered around 30 deg. I got cold so I brought my stove in and used it for heat about every 30 mins or so. It doesnt take long for it to get up to 40+ deg in there.

This is "Ski" my fishin partner. We always fish together. I usually out fish him and he always tells me how he has caught fish for money. Somehow I dont think that is the only thing he has done for money, but who knows...



This is the view down the hole. I'd guess about 12 inches of ice today. The ice is spooky especially when it "grows". It sounds like some one hitting the side of a 55 gallon drum full of water. Today I actually felt it, and it was very unnerving. It felt like a mini earthquake.



Today we introduced a couple of new items to the hut. First is my new ice fishin bucket. This is my ice bucket, there are many like it but this one is mine. Without I am standing, with it I am sitting....



The other thing we rented from the marina, is called a vexilar. Its a flasher style of fish finder. It tells us where the fish aren't. Its cool though, once we figured out we were in 24 feet of water and not 12 feet of water. I think Ski is going to buy one. All the cool kids have them. I just use my instinct to catch trophy fish, but Ski is gettin old and his instinct aint so good anymore.



Last but not least was the camp cook. Ski was appointed these duties, but somehow claimed he was fishin, and pawned them off on one of the other guys. We had soup from a can over some honey biscuits.



Unfortunately today the Fish gods were not on our side. We got skunked. We have decided to fish in the Colorado Classic Ice fishin tournament. Its three tournys at the same lake between Jan-Mar. I think we will win it all, which is like $2,000.

Colorado Classic

BT