NAW

Yikes.!

I wish I could have made it out with you guys!! The weekend turned out to be a gong show. I was watching that crack all week. Was wondering if it was going to cause issues. Should be locked up tight by next weekend eh? I have the weekend off and will be out both mornings!

I have developed this very odd reaction to cold in the past 4 or 5 years. And it's getting worse and worse. I get a really nasty rash that swells up and get all blotchy and puffy. I started noticing it while out winter running. Then it started happening running the boat in early and late seasons with cold water splashing my face... Now if I swim in cold water, my entire body gets this rash and it's quite nasty. I think if I fell through, I would puff up and explode inside my floater suite. Joking about the ladder obviously, but not about the rash. I would literally be a huge amount of pain for hours after going through for the rash alone.

I like to compare my ice fishing shenanigans to the guys trying triple back flips on dirtbikes.... I don't do it for a fish. I would never risk my life for a fish. If a fish where to be held a gunpoint during a bank robbery, I would not jump in front of a bullet for it.

Ppphhhhffft. can't you just lift the bravo out with one hand bud?

Looks like a great time Man! Glad your posting some pics!

What an ignorant reply. Brutal.

Maybe that is what you meant. But that is NOT how it came off... Lots of early ice anglers here that go out on sketchy ice and play very safe in doing so. If you where just asking an honest question then why word it as " I have to ask a question that seems to have no reasonable answer:"...

I'm a Canadian 83 guy myself!! And I head ya about being our fished by the lady.. mine kids my butt usually as well! I like to think it's because she has a good guide!!

When I built my sleigh, I made the runners match my exact centers of my skis on my snowmobile. I think it helps.. But im towing with a yamy bravo, and not an SUV with tracks!! So every little bit helps me, when it comes to getting through slush pits!

Thanks Chris!!

Are you going to match the ski centers to the same centers are your truck tires/tracks..? First few pics I thought your trailer deck was welded to the ski's already. I couldn't figure out how you where going to steer the sleigh! But now I see that you just had it sitting on the ski's! I no longer doubt your ingenuity!

Pretty much nailed it Rizzo. I went a little overboard with the Dan Maloney comments. But I know staff at RVH who have been pounded by him. Can't get in to the details. But playing hockey and fighting the way he did really messed up his brain. It's sad. I don't know anyone who ended up with a life long brain injury from ice fishing.. I love this community. Even though it's getting a lot less traffic then I used to back in the day. It's a spot you can share stories and opinions and not get pounded by all these arm chair warriors.

I tell people that I'm wearing my Jesus boots!

Bang on!!!

My old Salus banana suite was coast guard approved. And my new(used) nautilus jacket is coast guard approved. But my pants are snowmobile pants that have flotation, but not approved. if I went through I would be drenched to the bone... But I would float! WAY more comfy in the hut to be able to take my jacket off though. So to me it's worth it. I never seem to go through when I am wearing my floater anyway!

Could no agree more!! I start camping may 24 and don't stop until after thanksgiving. I think I spent about 40+ nights in a tent this past camping season. Somewhere around there anyways. It't not just the fire. But when your backwoods camping, having to collect all of your wood, and the feeling a accomplishment when you have a big enough pile that you know will last you the entire night! Camped a few nights on the west coast this summer. Right on the beach. Drift wood piled high as far as the eye could see! Had enough dry wood in about 6 minutes to last the entire night!!

With Simcoe not freezing, Gull is going to get pounded this year. There are a lot of people asking a lot of questions about it online right now. I've never fished there so I can't answer your questions.

Well man, we all make mistakes. Thanks for sharing yours! I was hiking in the bush with my .22 hunting grouse one year when we had some good early ice. And I accidentally walked over a partly frozen stream. Turns out it was about 3' deep in the middle where I broke through. But the way the ice broke, it end up on a 45° angle, which caused me to slip fall on my butt in the water, which was now up to my neck. I was able to break the ice up and stand up straight,. but then I need to reach back down under the water to get my rifle.... Then break my way back to the shore and climb out! Same deal, about 5 minute light jog home. Except I was in a cheap insulated coveralls. So I was absolutely drenched to the bone and boot full of water. You described it perfectly..... The ice has been F'd up this year. I was on 8" Sunday morning, but I was spudding. I always spud, even on thick ice. I use it as a walking stick. And you can tell just by the sound and the "pong" if the ice is changing. Sure as poop, I smacked ice and could tell it had changed. Pop a quick hole, 2" of ice..... Stay safe man.

my 06 needs a timing belt at 200k... Are the new ones different? I have 225 on mine and still haven't done it. But I'm selling mine at the end of this winter, so I am kind of rolling the dice.. Sketchy, I know..

It's not so much the FB mob that gets to me. I know how to filter through most of the garbage. Although i do get tangled up from time to time. Appreciate the comments though folks!

My x didn't mind all the fishing. Just got mad when I showed up late.. The new Old Lady LOVES ice fishing. Only time sh gets upset is when she has to work and can't come!! Fomo

I love my Honda Pilot. But it's an '06, and so Ive been looking for a direct replacement. At your price point, look in to a used Pilot. Also the Chevy Traverse are a comfy 7 seater. Those would be my top 2 in that price range. If you want to go new and finance is, i'd look at the Hyundia Palicade. Love the look and feel of them. Mazda C8 are cramped in the 3rd row. Mitzubishi Outander feel sheep and are also cramped in the back. Those are the ones I test drove... Good luck!

I'll be heading up for crappie Saturday to the musoka. But looking at the weather this week, she's going to dicey....

As some of you know. I am kinda, sorta ADDICTED to ice fishing. Before I got divorced.. I used to fish every weekend, usually both days. 🙃 Now a days, I get out 2 times every 2 weeks if I am lucky. I have my kids half the time, and that works out to every other weekend keeping me very busy with my family. My son has hockey Saturday and Sunday. My daughters have indoor soccer and dance. Life is just very very busy right now. Which makes each ice outing way more meaningful to me! I often catch flack from people for ice fishing, sometimes my X-Wife, sometime coworkers, random people I chat with, those pesky haters on the FB pages who won't fish on anything you couldn't drive a freight liner on first. So I had a few whiskeys the other night and wrote up a rant and was going to post in on one of the FB pages. But before I hit send, I thought I should best just save it and read it again in the morning. I never ended up posting my rant, because there are WAY to many people on these FB pages that are not actually passionate about ice fishing. Like the hunters who call themselves hunters, but only go moose hunting once every 3 years and never actually get out and hunt on a regular basis (I hunt waterfowl every other weekend and bow hunt deer when I can... I'm out 20+ times a season) In my head, when people are giving me flack about ice fishing, I tent to compare it to more "acceptable" sports in my rebuttal. Hockey is often the first thing that comes to mind. Everyone loves hockey right... It also involves ice, and is a winter sport that many people are extremely passionate about. So my rant that I typed up was how my twisted mind compares hockey and ice fishing. Pasted below for your reading pleasure.. Comment if you like (please..) Happy new years to everyone!!!! """"""Random thought for the day... feel free to chime in. Fare warning though, it's a bit of a long read. I don't play hockey. I ice fish. That's my winter sport. Opening/closing day is like a silver stick tournament. No hockey player has ever missed one. Ever. Each ice fishing trip is like a hockey game. Each time I go to Cabalas or bass pro it's like hockey practice, or a trip to Hockey Life to get new gear.. Nobody ever gives a hockey player crap for going and playing their sport.. for loving it with everything they have. It's the opposite, its encouraged! Some people need to realize that ice fishing is some people's life. Their extreme passion. Early ice is dangerous. But I know the risks. Ice in general is never truly safe. BUT..More people get seriously hurt playing hockey than ice fishing. Broken bones. Concussions. Serious cuts. Long term serious mental health issues. Abusive coaches..sexually, racially and physically. I know it might seem odd to be comparing the two. But I often catch flack from people for my desire to ice fish. Specially early ice. And you see it in these FB pages constantly. Ice Anglers getting ripped on for doing what they love. "Not worth a measly perch"... "why risk your life and the rescuer's life for a fish"... It's not about a fish. It's about the passion to be jigging on the ice. Walking on the water. It's euphoric. I don't need to be rescued. I have more money invested in ice fishing and safety gear then the average hockey player has in gear.. more tax payer money is spent on ambulance rides from the arena to the hospital and all the other issues people fail to see related to a career in hockey. The ongoing health issues of high level hockey players in their later years... crap, I'm from Barrie and I know lots of health care workers. Dan Malone (former leaf player) has spent thousands of hours at the hospital in Barrie. Beating the crap out of nurses just like he beat people on the ice. Google the cost to keep a person in a hospital for a day... one NHL player alone is worth many many many ice rescues if you look at their medical bills during and after their career. And in Dan's particular case he severely injured many health care workers during his stays. Many feel his behavior is directly related to his concussions he sustained from hockey. It's ok that he kicks the crap out of nurses though.. because he was a famous hockey player. I just hope some people out there will some day understand why guys get out and ice fish, particularly early ice anglers such as myself. This is 100% a whiskey rant. Feel free to rip apart the particulars, but it's the general idea of it that I felt like puking out there for everyone to stew on. I love hockey. And am not trying to put hockey players down. Even though it comes across that way. I'm at the rink sat/sun every weekend I have my son.. BUT I love ice fishing as much as a high level hockey player loves the game. And you rarely hear of someone being publicly flamed for loving hockey. Cheers everyone! Tight lines, and a crappie new years, cuz we ain't got ice for white fish opener!"""""""