# Ice fishing then and now. Long Read



## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

I started replying to a thread in the LP sub thread but it started looking like more like a hijack. I also started to reflect on when I grew up in the 70`s and the level of success , gear we used and no qty limits on panfish , that I was aware of. Family of 7 , not much $$ and Dad wouldn't take any charity. Fished and hunted for most of our protein. When the bite was good we kept everything. Scaled , stuffed into a bread bag and into the freezer. We only had the freezer above the fridge but can't recall it ever too full to close. Freezer burn was non existent .
20 lb test with great memory on diddle rods small bobber and a container that held a hundred or so of goldenrod grubs we cut from the pods we picked and stuffed into a paper bag. A light spud that kept you from hole hopping. My Dad, brother and I would fish near each other at different depths until we located and adjusted. Only a few times did we bring back a bucket full. Most of the time it was 12-20 between the 3 of us. Rubber boots lined with a bread bags , three layers of socks and no feeling in my toes or fingers by the time we left the ice. Opening the car door was challenge. I wasn't the one that was ready to go home. It`s amazing that I never got frostbite. Fast forward 40 years Power Auger , Vexilar , In line Reels , Tungsten Jigs , and more jigs than I can count. It took a lot of effort to stop keeping the smaller gills. I only fillet now. I catch limits of good size fish now , returning the fish I would have readily kept and a getting a limit is no longer a measure of my success. I am fortunate to fish with guys that catch on holes I vacate. Still eat fish as often as the wife can handle. I live near some remarkable water and have good friends that humor me when I show off the big one I just pulled up like I did when I was 10. My boys grew up fishing with me and those memories are locked up for a time when I may only be able to look out the window. Thank god that time is nowhere in sight so my butt will be on a bucket Friday night spec fishing under the stars and Saturday am chasing flags and drilling more holes than I need. Enjoy !


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

I agree! I and a guy I fish often marvel how good we have it and the fish we can catch. We ride around on 4wheel drive fuel injected atvs, try several different spots covering a few miles in an hour. Mark the fish on the flasher, jig them up with finesse gear and then mark the spot on our cell phone navionics. We stay warm and safe in our striker floating suits and I even have a Milwaukee electric hoodie. Our flip over shanties are warm and easy to pull or haul on the back of an atv.


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

I remember those green rubber boots that had insulated on them, cane poles, hoop nets, gill nets, fishing abandoned holes, with my schoolie and bait that came out of an old flour sack


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## Fishsmith85 (Mar 4, 2015)

The part about the bread bags reminds me of good times fishing with my grandpa. I was with him to experience my first heart stopping pressure crack, the coldest I have ever been, biggest catfish and many other unforgettable fishing excursions. He was one of the best fisherman I have ever known and all with minimal equipment. We really do have it good now.


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## leadbelly (Dec 29, 2010)

Yeah fishing with Gramps was so fun!!!! How else would I have learned that you put that big frozen waxie between you're cheak and gum to thaw it out.


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## fishon1219 (Mar 14, 2005)

Great read. How about the old thermos bottle with the glass lining and the plad colored paint job on the outside.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Most of our poles had pegs to hold the line. You would just back up when you hooked a fish to get it out of the hole if it was deeper than you could loop the line over the pole and lift. We used 10 cent bobbers that the Orvis guys now use and pay $4 to call indicators. The were no electronics. We chiseled through 16 or more inches of ice with homemade spuds. We used corn borers that we cut from the corn stalks. We did build a few shanties, but they were so heavy, we seldom moved them until it was time to chip them out at the end of the season. 

One thing that has not changed...still addicted to ice fishing. I lived in South Texas for 5 years. I could not wait to get back to the cold.


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## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

TK81 said:


> Most of our poles had pegs to hold the line. You would just back up when you hooked a fish to get it out of the hole if it was deeper than you could loop the line over the pole and lift. We used 10 cent bobbers that the Orvis guys now use and pay $4 to call indicators. The were no electronics. We chiseled through 16 or more inches of ice with homemade spuds. We used corn borers that we cut from the corn stalks. We did build a few shanties, but they were so heavy, we seldom moved them until it was time to chip them out at the end of the season.
> 
> One thing that has not changed...still addicted to ice fishing. I lived in South Texas for 5 years. I could not wait to get back to the cold.


I had my boys and teach the neighbor kids that I take out to walk em back as I did when I was a kid. No knots, easy to feed jig into the hole and fun to watch the fish pop out since they walk a little too fast most of the time.


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## MISTURN3 (Jan 3, 2012)

Great read and makes one think of the old times - thanks for sharing.


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

I remember it seeming easier to catch a limit. (and it was still 25)
5 ft rod with 2lb line, wrapped around line pegs.
the old scoop auger, having to stop half way thru the ice & kick out the center core & start again.
I still have & use a couple of my dads rods & his auger. ( I only use it about once every other yr).

still say, my old man was the best ice fisherman I've ever know. I swear he could catch a fish in a frozen mud puddle.


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## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

jimbo said:


> I remember it seeming easier to catch a limit. (and it was still 25)
> 5 ft rod with 2lb line, wrapped around line pegs.
> the old scoop auger, having to stop half way thru the ice & kick out the center core & start again.
> I still have & use a couple of my dads rods & his auger. ( I only use it about once every other yr).
> ...





jimbo said:


> I remember it seeming easier to catch a limit. (and it was still 25)
> 5 ft rod with 2lb line, wrapped around line pegs.
> the old scoop auger, having to stop half way thru the ice & kick out the center core & start again.
> I still have & use a couple of my dads rods & his auger. ( I only use it about once every other yr).
> ...


I remember this 1st time I saw a scoop auger being used. All I could think of was "wish we had one of them " My brother chopped a long narrow hole cause he wanted to troll.


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

That's to funny. The crew I fish Saginaw Bay with is old school. All run snowmobiles, a needle bar (none of them use power augers), no electronics ( they tease me for cheating with electronics and call me "Vexilar"), a couple lures and simple fishing poles. Wind blocks or no shanty at all. The funny thing is, they can out fish me with electronics 9/10 times. There's a lot more to jigging than you think, it can really make the difference between catching and not catching. I'd put a couple of those old school guys against Mark Martin any day of the week!


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## scooter_trasher (Sep 19, 2005)

Fishsmith85 said:


> The part about the bread bags reminds me of good times fishing with my grandpa. I was with him to experience my first heart stopping pressure crack, the coldest I have ever been, biggest catfish and many other unforgettable fishing excursions. He was one of the best fisherman I have ever known and all with minimal equipment. We really do have it good now.


I love the boom of ice thunder, from an insulated tent, with someone who has never heard it,clean underwear in the glove box keeps mom happy, YE HAAA


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## RichP (Jan 13, 2003)

The only fond memories I have of ice fishing in my youth was catching the final spurt of "smeltania" in some permanents on lake charlevoix in the early 80s. Outside of that it was usually just observing the snot running down my nose freezing and wearing poorly insulated clothing hoping for a flag while sitting on that bucket, all the while asking every 10 minutes "how much longer do we have to stay out here?" Fast forward a few decades and add in a lot of comfort and the answer is all day!


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## xhoosiericeman (Dec 13, 2016)

I remember knocking holes in the ice and fishing with those spring rods. I learned how to jig from my vexilar. I feel blind without it. The only place I woukd feel comfortable fishing without it woukd be lsc. I might go back to a spud my shoulders killing me from drilling. I can't seem to bring myself to buy a gas auger I'm always short on money when I want one


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Great read.

I remember the bread bags well.

I actually refused a free cup auger a year or two ago, not because I didn't think it was cool, because I wouldn't do anything with it.

I have a blue 6" Mora that I can wrestle a walleye thru - I have a 8.25" StrikeMaster MagIII that's teetering on 25 years old and I don't see a cup coming into play.

I gave all my "squeaky reels" away to some kids that would use them, and Schooley's still get it done...

Thanks for the grin!


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Wow.
Dad said we were going ice fishing next time he picked me up.
How do you catch fish under ice I asked. Through a hole he said.
My young mind could only see the hole in a cartoon with the thin ice sign in it.
Worried myself for days until figuring out that if I nailed a board near the edge of the hole it might brace my feet when I hooked a big fish trying to pull me in.....

What a relief to see little solid holes in the ice!
Froze and walked em back too.
Eventually it was all nighters for specs with peg and 2 lb.. lowering line forever after a catch and hand over handing fish up without snarling the piled line or ( ooops!) touching it on the lantern.

A lantern became my lifes heat source in time. A coleman 200 destined for parts and nursed back to life ,including way too much vasaline on the pump leather squiting out each pump up cycle.

My first solo trip was before the proud ownership of a lantern ,or spud.
But like all youth should (if not related) I had a hatchet.
A couple mile walk and about twenty minutes after arrival a funnel shaped hole about three feet across at the top and three inches at the bottom was ready!
Clipped on my depth finder ,dropped it in the hole and the water was about a foot deep.
So I went home.

Still have the old lantern working and parts of the wood ice box that holds it are from the original some one abandon when the top broke back in the early seventies.

Good times. Some cold ones though , and a kid that seemed to have to fill at least one boot with cold water each new season.


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## JoeLansing (Oct 30, 2005)

Good thread here. I grew up ice fishing. I'm 58 now. I'm slowly upgrading my ice fishing gear, but I'm still using old squeaky poles, and a Swedish Pimple hunk of wood jig rod for pike, that my dad bought me when I was 7 or so. I just got my first fish finder, and a drill/auger thing. I haven't tried either of them out yet, but hopefully this weekend. The only shanty I've had is an old Shappel 3000 that is in my garage now. I used it a couple times, but it's easier to just put my back to the wind and dress warm. I read about tungsten jigs, but I've got 150 or so old ones that work fine. The new laws are interesting. I was shocked a year or 2 ago when I found out I wasn't limited to 2 poles anymore. But I was sad when I found out the keeper pike size went up. My kids don't like to ice fish. 9yo girl doesn't like to fish. 10 year old boy can't deal with cold at all. He's half Filipino, so I cut him slack on it. He can run around in 90+ degrees and not break a sweat though.

- Joe


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## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

I spent many a night with a lantern and my old man, catching specks. Most the rods had a nail or screw to wind line on, did have a couple plastic reels later on.
Had a permanent shack, but it didn't see the ice every year. 
Dad stopped sitting on the ice a while ago and I had life happen and I missed some time too. 

Since then I snagged an old Clam portable at an auction for $10 not knowing what I bought. 15 years later im still using it.
Still have some of dads old gear, my father in law passed 10 years ago and I got all of his gear. It hadn't been used in a long time, but it gets a lot of use now. The other half used the stuff as a kid, so her and mom get a good laugh at me using it now. I'm headed out in morning and 5 of 8 rigged rods are from both dads.

I now have 4 little but not so little ones who all want to be on the ice. 
Daughters both have figured out to read my Vex, and ask what gramps used when we fished. I show the weight clipped on my coat and tell them is what he used.
While my daughter's sit in the shanty with the electronics and the heater buddy, my boys sit on buckets asking when they get their own shanty.

My father is still around and doesn't get around much, but I got him on some specks last winter in one of his old honey holes. 
Was first time he was on ice in 25 years, but like riding a bike, somethings, you just don't forget how to do. 

Great thread you guys and thanks for sharing.

GIM


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## Lazy K (Jul 28, 2004)

Yeah man....I remember those days. A whole pile of corn stalks in the basement whittling corn bores out for hours. I still have my first ice rod that dad bought me at a local bait shop. Despite 45 years of abuse it is still original and I still keep it rigged for nite fishing crappie. I can remember when I picked it out. Wood handle with a bright yellow glass blank and a yellow Schoolie reel. I thought that was the sharpest looking rig I ever saw! lol I don't hardly remember Grandpa throwing back a gill. He kept the smallest fish I ever saw anyone keep and clean. We didn't fillet anything back then.

Dad is still old school and fishes a float bobber. But he doesn't mind me checking holes with the Marcum and putting him on a hole with fish in it !


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## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

I wanted to go Ice fishing with my Dad when I was in the 3rd grade and all he would say is i wouldn't be able to sit for 2 hrs on the ice without wanting to go home so I decided to sit on a hay bale in the front yard in 20 degree weather to prove him wrong. After that my ice fishing became real. I was the kid who could catch fish in a mud puddle with nothing for gear. You tend to hold on to things you fought for over things given to you. I am enjoying the read and shared experiences.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

I do recall corn borers and goldenrod grubs.
Golderod grubs were little return for all the time and knife blade wiggling just to pop when impaled.
Cutbait often followed.
Acorn grubs became a favorite.

A certain W.P. was an associate of Dad' s and was often met at the bar at midnight to prep for a night of fishing.
If not at the bar( don' t recall him having a vehicle) we would pick him up at his little old clapboard house with the single bare 60 watt back porch light.
W. had a shanty though!
Smelled like pee but cut the wind , and on occassion Dads girlfriends boy came along and I would have compitition.
We were checked on every couple few hours and decades later discussing the lake with a co- worker he said guys just went out there to stand around and get drunk.
In an era where riding in the bed of the truck was more common than being in the cab ,I never asked Dad what he was doing out there. .Must have gone and found him to plead my case for another hook at one time or another though.

Learned to not leave a rod unattended when stepping out of the shanty too. Yikes!

I knew the bucket of specs were getting filleted around daylight though and just how they would smell and taste..So anytime a run in the dark to fish was in order I was that itchy hound seeing a gun heading towards the door and be headed for the truck.
I skin fish today but that crispy skin kinda made them specs. Or how Dad fried em did with an appitite from a near all nighter to boot..


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## 7mmsendero (Dec 2, 2010)

It's funny, I've simplified my program the past 5 years. Ditched the quad, just walk. No gas auger, but I do have a drill adapter. Just use a couple different lures. Salt my minnows. 

My focus shifted to finding good structure, and the fishing is better than ever. I think the guys with quads and snow mobiles assume you can't walk to good fishing.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

7mmsendero said:


> It's funny, I've simplified my program the past 5 years. Ditched the quad, just walk. No gas auger, but I do have a drill adapter. Just use a couple different lures. Salt my minnows.
> 
> My focus shifted to finding good structure, and the fishing is better than ever. I think the guys with quads and snow mobiles assume you can't walk to good fishing.


Well said!


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

7mmsendero said:


> It's funny, I've simplified my program the past 5 years. Ditched the quad, just walk. No gas auger, but I do have a drill adapter. Just use a couple different lures. Salt my minnows.
> 
> My focus shifted to finding good structure, and the fishing is better than ever. I think the guys with quads and snow mobiles assume you can't walk to good fishing.


Lol, I can catch fish shallow, but I like to catch limits of big fish and the big fish are deep untill spring.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

hawgeye said:


> Lol, I can catch fish shallow, but I like to catch limits of big fish and the big fish are deep untill spring.


Not necessarily 100% true - depends on _conditions_ (as always).

I have gotten some dandy eyes shallow plenty - but that was_ lights out_, under the black cloak of night.


That rule's still the same! :lol:


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

sfw1960 said:


> Not necessarily 100% true - depends on _conditions_ (as always).
> 
> I have gotten some dandy eyes shallow plenty - but that was_ lights out_, under the black cloak of night.
> 
> ...


If you can consistently catch limits of big fish in shallow water, in February, your doing better than my crew. The other main reason to go deep is to get away from the people as much as possible. There is always a some yo-yos that follow our trail out.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Lazy K said:


> Yeah man....I remember those days. A whole pile of corn stalks in the basement whittling corn bores out for hours. I still have my first ice rod that dad bought me at a local bait shop. Despite 45 years of abuse it is still original and I still keep it rigged for nite fishing crappie. I can remember when I picked it out. Wood handle with a bright yellow glass blank and a yellow Schoolie reel. I thought that was the sharpest looking rig I ever saw! lol I don't hardly remember Grandpa throwing back a gill. He kept the smallest fish I ever saw anyone keep and clean. We didn't fillet anything back then.
> 
> Dad is still old school and fishes a float bobber. But he doesn't mind me checking holes with the Marcum and putting him on a hole with fish in it !


My FIL is 79. He is the best outdoorsman I ever met. He grew up fishing the Egypt Valley area streams and lakes as well as the Baldwin and Big Jackson areas where his Grandpa had a huge farm and property.. He guided in Canada for 10 years and has seen it all. I bought him a hand held fish finder about ten years ago and he loves it...but he still fishes with a bobber....







and he catches lots!


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

I did say depends on _conditions_ (as always).

A simple program is pretty much what this thread is about - and that rule applies as all the prior posts have stated; that was all I was referring to.


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## On Target (Jun 10, 2007)

Brings back some great memories. My first ice fishing was in the mid seventies with the peg rods and walking backwards. My dad was old school to, and the best fisherman I know. In the 90's I bought a portable eagle fish finder and I remember how mad he got at me. He asked why and bought it, and told me that I didn't need it. Floating the river in his old 8' pram and watching him catch big pike on daredevil's and mepps were also memories I'll never forget.


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## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

TK81 said:


> My FIL is 79. He is the best outdoorsman I ever met. He grew up fishing the Egypt Valley area streams and lakes as well as the Baldwin and Big Jackson areas where his Grandpa had a huge farm and property.. He guided in Canada for 10 years and has seen it all. I bought him a hand held fish finder about ten years ago and he loves it...but he still fishes with a bobber....
> View attachment 239645
> and he catches lots!


I still use a bobber on rod 2 when spec fishing at night or when they are hugging bottom and they lift up slightly which is tough to read on a spring.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Anita Dwink said:


> I still use a bobber on rod 2 when spec fishing at night or when they are hugging bottom and they lift up slightly which is tough to read on a spring.


Same here. I usually have a dead stick or two with minnows and either a bobber or a loose drag and long spring on these







. My jigging rod is a spring.


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## 7mmsendero (Dec 2, 2010)

hawgeye said:


> Lol, I can catch fish shallow, but I like to catch limits of big fish and the big fish are deep untill spring.


Overall it's true, we're after eaters. The bigger fish tend to be poorer table fare. However, we're also getting some pretty nice fish up close. That 16 lb pike I caught last year was under 100 yards from the truck, and I didn't drive on the ice.


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## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

A few over 10" . Ended up keeping 17 and a 25 " pike. All hugging the bottom. Thank you Vexilar and Strikemaster since most came from the 20th + hole drilled.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Nice !


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

Anita Dwink said:


> A few over 10" . Ended up keeping 17 and a 25 " pike. All hugging the bottom. Thank you Vexilar and Strikemaster since most came from the 20th + hole drilled.
> View attachment 239824


Nice slabs!


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## rz6x59 (Nov 9, 2008)

I recall bread bags as a kid. We used to put them over our socks before putting on our boots to keep our feet dry. For you youngins this did not work and our feet were soaked anyway.
How times have changed.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

rz6x59 said:


> I recall bread bags as a kid. We used to put them over our socks before putting on our boots to make them waterproof.
> How times have changed.


I remember doing that. I have also used this trick while hiking after I got an accidental soaker in my boot. Just put on a new sock and a baggie over that.

BTW how did we ever ice fish before flashers/sonar?


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## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

Steve said:


> I remember doing that. I have also used this trick while hiking after I got an accidental soaker in my boot. Just put on a new sock and a baggie over that.
> 
> BTW how did we ever ice fish before flashers/sonar?


We did, we just didn't catch.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

growninmi said:


> We did, we just didn't catch.


Now and then we caught. 
Took more time is all.
Start out six inches off the bottom and move up six inches at a time till near the ice if no bites anywhere.
Sounds crazy , compared to now when fish are marked before dropping an offering and watching their response.


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