Happy Birthday Davetclown !

[lonehunter]

Happy Birthday Dave
Hope the ice fishing is going good for you
[signature]

[davetclown]

as you know we had some mighty cold days between snows,

the winter of 2015 was interesting to say the least.

finding time to get out between the snow falls and the just to plain to cold to fish made it hard for me to get out or on line.

I got though it but not with out scars. the worst is breaking my ice auger the last 2 weeks of ice season for south east michigan.

just prior to the last 2 weeks michigan was blessed with some cold nights, a dozen below zero and half of those were below -20 and 3 of those below -35

here is how I broke my auger, the last -20 degree night still -20 at sun rise I waited till the temp got above +15 degrees before heading out.

it wasnt till noon - one oclock before I was able to get out. as I got ready to go I thought to my self I should take the auger in the house to thaw it out before going out on the lake. and I said naaa, it 15 degrees it will be ok.

I get out on the ice the auger fires up first pull and purs like a kitten. I let it run for a couple minutes to make sure it is wormed up. I set the blade in to the ice, and cabluie, cla clink clunk clunk.... and nothing, the engine still running fine but the auger it self quit spinning.

I knew it dagnabits I knew it, I should have taken the auger in the house for an hour to thaw out. I got back home split open the gear box and there in the middle of the box not the side of box but in the middle of the box mixed in a smere of berring grease is my main drive gear busted in to a million peices.

so the moral of the story boys and girls is, do as I say and not as I do, when it gets -5 degrees and colder, take your auger in the house and thaw it out before taking it out on the ice. Many times have I seen steel and metal snap like glass at temps below -5

well on the up side I have at least 9 months before next season Pirate now its of to the parts store.

[davetclown]

its time to start looking in the rivers for suckers.