At Home on the Ice
My Clam Expedition Ice Fishing Shelter Meets her Big Sister
Jan 27th
Well I finally got to use my new ice fishing shelter last Thursday! During the recent warm spell the top layer of snow melted and re-froze to create a beautiful new shiny ice surface. My fishing buddy was to show up that afternoon, so I decided to get an early start by myself.
I brought my new just-out-of-the-box Clam Expedition ice shelter along with me thinking that I’d easily set up the small ice fishing house by myself. After all, I’d watch the advertising video made by Clam that demonstrated how a fisherman could quickly set up the Clam Expedition by himself.
Well that was a bit of a mistake as the ice shelter had never been stretched before. With the wind blowing and the ice slick I finally gave up until my buddy arrived. At the same time he got there four other guys showed up carrying a Cabelas version of a larger four-person shelter. They obviously had more experience setting up my shelters and had theirs up in no time.
Following their lead my buddy and I set up my Clam ice fishing shelter. I took a couple of pictures and here they are.
My Clam Ice Shelter and John Q.
Here’s a short video I took after the shelters were up and we were ready to fish.
A Killzone Igloo-XL 4 Person Ice Shelter for a Bargain Price
Jan 27th
Man, I saw this and had to show it to you. I paid almost as much for my 3 person Clam Expedition I told you about in an earlier post.
| KillZone Igloo-XL© 4 Person Ice Fishing Shelter/Ice Fishing tent/Ice Shanty 5L |
 |
|
Overall Rating:
|
| Retail Price: $239.99 |
| Amazon Price: $169.99 |
Merry Christmas to me From a Big Walleye
Dec 29th
Well it’s Christmas Day and what a fine Christmas it turned out to be! We enjoyed the usual morning festivities with just a small family gathering this year. My wife, son and myself opened our presents to each other and we enjoyed a delicious family breakfast.
Since all the stores were closed and there wasn’t a whole lot to do I decided I would try my first day on the ice. The lakes here in Connecticut had just frozen over and the ice fishing conditions were marginal. There was only about 2 1/2″ of solid ice and the air temperature was 40°, but I decided to give it a go anyway.
To all you new ice fishermen I must warn you about being extremely cautious when the ice is this thin. I carried an ice spud with me and constantly tested the thickness of the ice every 10 feet or so as I walked out to deeper water. When the spud breaks through the ice after only three punches it’s time to turn tail and skedaddle. Lucky for me that wasn’t the case so I slowly and carefully set up my six tip ups.
I had gotten out on the ice about 2:30 p.m. and therefore had only about two hours for fishing before dark. Around 4:30 I decided I would start picking up because I’d gotten no strikes. It was beginning to get dark and as I was removing the first of my 6 tip ups I heard the sound of a flag popping up behind me. I turned to see the waving flag and the top of the tip up jiggling wildly as the fish ran with the bait. Carefully and slowly, I pulled the tip up out of the ice hole without alerting the fish to my actions. I watched the line continue to spool out until it began to slow down. I then grabbed the line with both hands and gave it a tug to set the hook.
Feeling the sting of the hook the fish ran off for another 20 feet of line with a vengeance. It felt strong and heavy so I didn’t horse it in because I was using a 10 pound mono-filament leader, and even a 5 pound fish can produce 20 pounds of pull at a dead run. I pulled the fish back toward the hole three times and it ran out again each time. Finally it began to tire and I was able to haul the fish through the hole and onto the ice. It was a nice fat 23 inch walleye probably weighing a good 5 pounds! Here’s a picture.
BTW… Before I went out for the first time this year I re-rigged my equipment. I put new Polar Ice Lines on all my tip-ups.
I also put new Stren FluoroCarbon Leaders. Some ice fishermen think that clear line is the best choice. I believe that a tinted line which matches a natural color such as Gunsmoke or low visibility Green may be a better choice to not spook the BIG fish.
Happy New Year and Happy Icefishing!
I Bought My New Clam Expedition Ice Fishing Shelter!
Dec 17th
Well I mentioned in my last blog that I was going shopping for a new portable ice fishing shelter. And I finally found one that I like. It’s made by Clam Corporation, a well-known long time manufacturer of ice fishing related gear and clothing. I consider them a market leader in terms of innovation and quality. Cabela’s, the world’s foremost outfitter, has commissioned them to manufacture a line of ice fishing shelters under their brand name.
I chose the new Clam Expedition pop-up ice shelter model for a number of reasons. The major reason was portability. This ice fishing house weighs only 24 pounds yet it is made of super-tough 600 denier IceArmor fabric. It comes with clear plastic draft-sealed windows on all four walls so that you can keep a good eye on all your tip ups. The window plastic is a soft and flexible yet strong material that bends easily in cold weather but doesn’t tear. Plus it has 2 zippered doors for quick and easy access when you see a flag pop up. It measures 5′ x 6′ with a 72 inch center height. It also comes with a carry bag, 4 ice anchors and tie-down ropes.
The beauty of this ice fishing house is how easy it is to set up and take down. You just take it out of the bag, unfold it, pull on the top loop and the four side loops, and it pops into shape. Just don’t forget to anchor it down or you might find yourself chasing it around the lake. I’ve got to say that I’m pleased with my choice. Yep, I’m happy as a Clam! LOL
Now all we need is some good solid ice. It’s cold and blowing outside and the temperature will drop to zero tonight, so it won’t be long before I’ll be setting up my new ice shelter. Here’s what it looks like. Check it out.
Clam Expedition Ice Shelter
Have You Ever Seen a Flying Ice Shelter?
Dec 17th
You know, it can get pretty windy on a frozen lake. I remember one time in the middle of January when three fishing buddies and I went out to fish on a day when the winds were really strong. Since we all work during the week, we were not about to miss a Sunday on the ice.
By about 10 o’clock in the morning the wind began to howl at 30 mph. From the other side of the lake we heard a ruckus of loud clanking noises coming in our direction. As it turns out another group of guys were drinking lots of beer and the bag with their empty cans blew over. At least 30 empty beer cans came flying toward us at high speed. We did our best to catch as many as possible. One of our buddies, Johnny Q, was blown right off his feet. We laughed our butts off.
Right after that, a canvas ice fishing house also went flying by. The inebriated owners of the ice shelter came tumbling and stumbling after it. They just barely managed to save the ice shelter from reaching an area of open water. Thank goodness none of them fell through the ice!
The moral of the story is, when you shop for an ice fishing house make sure that it is properly weighted or can be securely fastened in place. At the very least, secure your ice shelter BEFORE you start drinking.
A Nice Daytime Walleye
Going Shopping for an Ice Fishing Shelter
Dec 8th
Well finally it’s going to be getting nice and cold the next few days. I just drove down to the local Tire Shop to change over to snow tires for the winter. It took me 15 minutes to get five miles down a winding stretch of road because some dingbat up ahead didn’t know how to drive in New England winters and spun out down the road somewhere.
Anyway, I think I’ll be looking for a small portable ice fishing house for easy transport between different lakes. I am thinking it should be a sled-mounted rig. I’m going to do some research to see if I can come up with one that will hold my gear and accommodate 2 people if such a thing exists. I’ll let you know how I make out.
Some of the canvas and synthetic fabrics they have now hold up really well. I read a review recently about an ice shelter that looked really good but a guy who bought one said it didn’t stay in place in a meager 15 mph wind. That’s just what I don’t need…trying to fish while chasing my ice fishing house around the lake! LOL.
Since I can’t get out to ice fish yet, I was thinking of last year’s early-ice luck. I and Mike went out to one of our favorite spots and the first flag turned out to have hooked a real monster Largemouth Bass. I got my camera out and filmed Mike as he was bringing the fish in. He got it up to the ice and it barely fit through the 8 inch wide hole he had dug.
Unfortunately as he was pulling the fish through the hole the hook pulled loose and the bass fell back down the hole, but still hadn’t turned and swam away. Mike had fallen backward onto his ass while swearing. So I dropped the camera and grabbed the fish by the lip and tried to pull it back up. But my thumb slipped out and “bye bye Bass”.
Anyway, I hope you can view the movie and watch the mayhem!
See you next time and I’ll tell you about my ice fishing house shopping.
I Can’t Wait to Put my Shelter on the Ice
Dec 6th
Well we finally got our first good snow of the season here in Southern New England…only about 2 to 3 inches but it feels like Winter and it’s getting cold enough at night so the lakes are thinking about freezing. I can’t wait to get out there set up my new ice fishing house, cut some holes and start fishing.
First ice is my favorite time of the ice fishing season. It seems like the fish are really active when the new ice is only a few inches thick and clear. It’s almost as if the fish themselves have been waiting for this to happen.
My buddy Mike and I have had some good luck from shore this fall pulling in some nice 2-3 pound bass. Last time out Mike got a 19” brown trout in full spawning colors, and we were fishing in only 3 feet of water. We were using live shiners as is typical, suspended about 2 feet below weighted bobbers.
Not a single fish was hurt by live-bait fishing, as some “experts” would lead you to believe is a common occurrence. Almost every fish was hooked in the corner of the mouth. I have recently learned a way to remove a deep set hook without harming the fish, instead of cutting the line with the hook still in the fish’s throat, as some fishermen do. I think more fish are harmed by swallowing soft plastic baits that get stuck in the digestive track. But that’s another topic that I might cover at another time.
We haven’t gotten any Walleyes from shore this year (yet) and certainly none like the 8 pounder I got through the ice last year.
My 8 lb Walleye
It’s best to fish for Walleye at night and that’s where a good ice fishing house comes in handy when it’s really cold and dark. Just set up your tip-ups in view of the ice shelter so you can sit comfortably and wait for a monster fish to pop the flag!
Your Ice Fishing House can be a Home
Nov 19th
Whoever said a”A House is not a Home” was definitely not a hard-core hard-water fisherman! The time you spend on a frozen lake fishing for trophy Trout, Walleyes, Bass or Perch should be enjoyable. Your ice fishing shelter should make your fishing experience as comfortable as sitting in your living room but Much More Fun!
I’ve seen my fellow fishermen using all different types of shelters. They can run from the low-end of a small tent mounted on a sled to an actual small camper-trailer that is towed out onto the ice and left there for the season. This latter large version of an “ice shack” is more often seen in colder northern climates where the ice regularly grows to a foot or more in depth, such that driving cars or trucks onto the lake is not dangerous.
I fish in New England and upper New York state so the climate and ice-thickness varies quite a bit, depending on my choice of location. For example on Lake Bomoseen in Vermont, once the ice reaches 8 inches a veritable “city” appears and stays for the duration.
There are roads plowed to the best spots for the trucks and most of the locals have home-made ice fishing houses on wooden skids that they drag out early-season with their trucks.
Then there are the hardy souls, mostly there for the weekend from out of state, that will simply put up a winter tent and use arctic sleeping bags as their ice fishing house.
So, ice fishing houses houses vary in style, size, price, convenience and durability. In this blog I will post articles about all aspects of ice fishing houses and the comfort they provide. I will also post tips and techniques drawn from my 50 years of fishing experience.