Ice Fishing's ups and downs

[DanielJRioux]

I guess I will have to say the biggest "up" ice fishing has for the angler here in West Virginia is the size of the fish in our lakes and rivers.We truly have some "Giants". But we have far more "downs" than "ups".Here is the reason I say this.

West Virginia does not experience the cold that some of the northern states do,so therefore, the ice does not get as thick on our waterways.Then, due to the vast size of our fish, we have to cut such a huge hole in the ice that it weakens the rest of the ice.When we pull one of the huge fish out of the lake, the water level drops so much that a great air chamber forms between the water and bottom of the ice, thus weakening the ice even more.This means we can only fish our lakes once a week if we catch one of these monsters.It takes that long for the water level to rise to the bottom of the ice,thus making it again safe enough to walk on.

We who live in an area of huge fish still have our problems.

[ALAN]

Wouldn't be streaching the truth just a little bit would you?
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[DanielJRioux]

Na, not at all! If you think the fish are big you should see the cast iron frying pan![]
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[davetclown]

they used to make an ice boat for just that reason.

it looked like a regular row boat only the bottom is compleatly flat, (nope, not a john boat)

the oars would have spikes in them to cut in to the ice, they would take them out till they found thin ice or open water.

I used to have on years ago, they make new ones now with big propellers like those boats of the everglades only they look like giant flat bottom aluminum row boats with a fan on the back. they run about 60 G's....

they go from water to ice to water no problem...
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