Ice fishing for me....well, lets see.
Its fishing, which I do all the time, just because its winter you don't stop fishing.
Fishing in this neck of the woods is getting away from people, not going to visit.
One or 2 good friends that you regularly fish with. Up at 4:30 have a coffee, wake up a little, toss your bag in the truck and go pick up your partner, or sit at the front door and wait for him to show up.
heading out in the dark (you have seen the Dr's vids). Everything packed the night before. Head down the highway..its 20 freaking below out there and getting colder the further you get into the bush.
2 hour drive down a plowed gravel road to the spot where you park. Dam..this road ain't plowed this year...now we have a 30km snowmobile ride. Unload the snowmobiles...get em started...freaking cold pulling em over this morning...must be 25 below now...oh well, no clouds so it will be a sunny day.
Hook up the sleigh and load that (yes...I remembered the minnows, I got a new cooler jug so they don't freeze this time). Head down the trail to the lake...winding hilly road but others have been here so the trail is well broken...
45 minutes later we are at the turnoff to the lake. The trail gets tight but this is what we do. Been here before..get through the woods and out onto the lake. We both know where we fish this one and head across.
Pull into the bay and stop at shore. Untarp the sleigh, one gut grabs the auger, the other grabs the lines, minnows and hole scoop. Darn...we forgot to grab some gads on the way in ...head up the bank and into the bush through 5' of snow to get some suitable sticks. I hate forgetting gads...the ones you get at the lake are crap.
We have the lake to ourselves.
The rest of the day is spent getting a fire going (yes, we bring a chainsaw and gas for fires)
toasting sandwiches, brewing coffee and catching a few fish. specs in close, lakers out a bit deeper.
There are no crowds nobody else around.
No radio because we like the quiet.
End of the day pack up and head home. We get home somewhere between 8 and 10 at night. last thing we say is..how bout Walker lake next weekend? Sure, haven't been there in a while