Just hadda get my tube in da watta. Believed the reports. Headed for Willard ready to rumble with some crappies, wipers, wallies or whatever. No pride, just anxious.
TubeBabe and I rolled up to the North Marina about 9 AM. Air temp 23. Still major ice on the eastern 2/3 of the marina. Walked out on the docks on the south side. Evidence of fishing through holes drilled around the docks, but the ice looked about 2". No thank you.
There had been open water from the ramp out into the lake. Skim ice for about 50 yards out from the ramp this morning. Having broken through my share of skim ice before, we launched the tubes and started rocking our way towards the open water channel.
**Made good progress for the first few feet. Then the skim ice turned into 1/4" ice and then 1/2" ice. It finally became about an inch thick within a few yards of the open water in the channel. Both TubeBabe and I were kicking and rocking and rolling, side by side, trying to break the ice up. **
We were stopped dead by the thicker ice. Then, I developed major muscle spasms in the hamstring areas of both legs. Game over. I managed to thrash my way back to the ramp, stood up and worked out the knots and decided to bag it. The breeze coming in from the lake looked like it was going to finish the job we started before we left.
We did meter some fish at all depths out to about 16 feet, where our forward progress ended. We vertical jigged with a few different jigs and baits but no bites.
There were a few folks that came and went over on the docks while we were playing icebreakers. Nobody stayed long.
**Water temp was 36 and the air temp just the same as we drove off to Taco Bell. Got a lot of exercise, but no fishing. Make that a LOT of exercise. Shoulda launched off the point in open water but that wouldnāt have been half as much fun. **
It was a pretty morning and we got to watch a couple of bald eagles flying around.
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Thatās okay, my brother. We know you well enough by now to grant those little dispensations of overlooking your penchant for failing to log back in after ādumping your cookiesā.
No, it will not be long. In fact, that whole area was open water two days ago. But, the nighttime temps dropped low enough to refreeze it.
**āDESPERATE TUBERSā? Now, there is an idea. Not a good one, but still an idea. I donāt know how many other wackos there are out there in ātubervilleā, but I could certainly contribute some doozy stories. **
Ice breaking is something I have done before, so that ātwernāt nuttinā. I have tubed heavy surf in the ocean, floated down nasty rapids, launched and beached off big ragged rocks, rapelled down the sides of rock quarry walls to fish the ponds below, dragged my tube across hundreds of yards of deep snow to be able to launch in open water, fought my way out of raging tidal currents in Mexico, fended off amorous sea turtles and sea lions, etc. Oh yeah, I have also been towed around by big catfish, sturgeon, salmon, stripers, stingrays and sharks.
Desperate? NO. Fishing without all the lures in my tacklebox? MAYBE.
Just when I thought that I had it bad. I was getting ready to complain about our temps in the mid to upper 80s. (Supposed to be 90 sumpthing today.) But I did hold back because I know that somewhere else it is always hotter and in other parts it is always cooler.
I had an idea for Uncle Z. The next time he dumps his cookies, save them and mail em out to the extreme tubers. You just paste them on the side of your tube and they work just like ice cutters.
**I had always heard that the definition of heredity is āWhat the parent of a gifted child believes inā. **
I know you inherited some of my finer qualities (fishing) but I gotta suspect that some of your other (thinking) traits must have come from the other side of the gene pool. Then again, you are somewhat creative so I guess I gotta own that.
Letās all be kind to Uncle Z and his cookies. He fishes good and posts purty pitchers fur us to gawk at. Weāll keep him in the fambly.
Glad Iām not disinherited for having a senior moment.
Glad Iām not disinherited for having a senior moment.
Oh, am I repeating myself again? Sorry.
Iām goinā to the Sportsmanās Expo tomorrow so there wonāt be any fishing this week. Thatās really too bad ācause right now weāre having a little mini false spring. Temps yesterday were about 60 plus. Sun is smiling in the sky. Gently breeze. The trout are probably cruisinā and jumpinā. My timing really stinks.
**You know Pat if you started eating a lot more cheese burgers in the fall you can bulk up and get enough extra weight on to break that extra thick ice. Now all you need is a double hulled tube and a little more slope on the bow of your tube to get you up on the ice. [;)] **
I love to float but Iām afraind my floating gear is hung up till the bears start to wander out again in the spring. This is auger seasonā¦ although itās been a pretty lousy ice season so far!! I think someone forgot to tell the fish they can bite when itās cold too. No skunk yet but itās been close a couple of times.
Your logic is good, in theory. Bulking up for extra winter insulation seems like a good idea. However, when I had to fight that extra padding, to get that tube arockinā, it plumb wore me out.
What I need is more common sense, not a retrofitted icebreaker float tube.
Looking forward to some carp killinā and cat smackinā with you guys this year. I have a pontoon now too. Gonna get it tricked out soon and post up the pics.
We need to hook up sometime on a couple of tubing trips. Fresh and Salt. I am in the West end of SFV and about 25 to 200minutes from the ocean depending on traffic.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER. IāM SELF EMPLOYED SO I CAN FISH WEEKENDS OR WEEKDAYS WITH ENOUGH NOTICE (3 DAYS) LET ME KNOW. I LIKE TO TUBE CHERRY, PERRIS, PUDDINGSTONE, SARL, CABRILLO, HAVE NOT DONE NPH YET BUT IāM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. PM ME
Recently saw a special on a new breed of icebreaker. I believe itās atomic powered. The bow design has been changed from a design done in the 60ās.
Surely you could check it out on the web and modify one of your tubes accordingly for those ice flows!?
Sawā¦ heh heh hehā¦ an ice auger that used super-heated water to melt ice too! All youād hav ā¦ well I guess I shouldnāt go there!
**Thanks fer your kindly concerns, Ron san, but I donāt plan to take up icebreaking as a career. Not even a hobby. If I did, mind you, I would go properly fitted the next time. **
Hmmmm. Methane powered gas auger. 2 dozen bean burritos. That should about do it.
Just hadda get my tube in da watta. Believed the reports. Headed for Willard ready to rumble with some crappies, wipers, wallies or whatever. No pride, just anxious.