Recovering from one of the worst sinus/ear infections I've ever had, I'm sitting here watching the snow melt in my backyard. Checking the calendar, and yep it's still January. My infection induced coma didn't result in me sleeping through to spring. Watching this mid winter heat wave destroy our snow pack I can't help but think of how dependent outdoorsmen are on the weather.
To hot: nothing moves
To cold: nothing moves
Precipitation falling: nothing moves
Catch the weather just right... Wow! You will see action like you won't believe.
January on the Great Lakes is ice fishing season. Streams are mostly clear, but at these water temps getting steelhead to take your bait is about as difficult as keeping my 2 year old from demolishing his toys. Technically archery season remains open, but this far north only the hardiest of souls venture to their treestands. Small game is in, and this is actually the best time of year if you're looking for a large bushytail for a trophy mount, but again mid January weather leaves a lot to be desired.
So what's an outdoorsman to do? Ice fishing season will be heating up, if you'll pardon the pun. I personally had a hard time understanding the attraction that hard water fisherman have to the sport. After all in order for the sport to be productive you need the weather to really turn to a proper cold spell. However, a few years back my best friend and I scrounged up some equipment, dumped it into a bucket, and headed out onto the now frozen waters of Presque Isle Bay. "Scrounged up" In all honesty I bought my Schooley's Spring Bobber on my way to the bay. That plus a couple 1/2 ounce jigheads in fuchsia and chartreuse, and a dozen minnows. Our very first trip we didn't even have an auger. The game plan was to find holes that others had abandoned early that day or last night, then chip them back open with an assortment of flathead screwdrivers we had brought. What a sight we must have been!
Several hours later we actually had each hooked into 2 dozen sun fish, and a handful of perch. The sun fish weren't big enough to bother with, so back down the hole they went, but the perch made for a couple of fine sandwiches.
Since that trip we have gone out a couple times, and each upgraded our gear several times as well.
The bay never froze last year, and up until the last several day, it looked like it would freeze up this year. In fact a few brave souls have already ventured out. For my taste I prefer 5 inches of ice or better. I'm not starving to death without that fish, so no reason to get crazy about rushing onto thin ice.
With some simple gear any outdoorsman can find hours of entertainment and sport during any time of year. Even in the depth of winter
Happy Fishing
Scott M
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