"I'm glad it's you, not me," I often hear from friends when I talk about upcoming ice plans, and I always agree that I'm glad it's me, not them. Although I cannot argue true that conditions sometimes get brutal, I really enjoy fishing through little holes in the ice. In fact, it's one of my favorite ways to fish.
In truth the extreme conditions add appeal. There's something oddly exciting about bundling up and braving the elements when it's stupidly cold. Long traditions, the beauty of frozen lakes and the whole ice culture also play into the appeal, and maybe there's even an element of a draw to my roots. I consider the Georgia mountains home and have lived most of my life in warm climates, but I was born in Minnesota, as were both of my parents.
The number one appeal to me, though, is the game of watching a flasher, spotting fish, reading their responses based on movements in the water column, band width and color, and figuring out how to make them bite. It's so fun fun to work a fish and finally do just the right lift, jiggle or bait switch. The fish's mark suddenly rises, merges with the lure's mark and turns thick and red, and you can almost set the hook before you feel the strike. The whole game is so visual and interactive that I suspect it's appeal is somewhat similar to that of trying to call wild turkeys into gun range.
My first ice trip of this winter is now in the books, and no others are planned yet. Only time will tell whether I'll do more, with much depending on the timing of any possible trip and the material I think I could get from it. From a fishing fun standpoint, I definitely hope to hit the ice again a time or two more this winter.
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