Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Welcome to hard water!

I was ice fishing on 3" good clear ice on November 17th last year - was a record early freeze, in my memory at least. This year it's been open water all Fall with unseasonably temps, but starting this weekend it's turning frosty. I am publicly making a bold prediction I'll be ice fishing Tuesday, December 29th - mark my words! Will keep everyone apprised and take the normal precautions.

I'm pulling for you TJ. This winter doesn't appear to hold much promise for my area, but we'll see.

Watch your step on that new ice, and post some photos for those of us still casting with the long rods.

Your normal, or the real normal? Never mind.

I have no doubt you'll be out there Tuesday.

TJ, if the hard water don't happen and ya have a pier ya can do like Cecil does and put a shanty at the end of it.

My normal, you know, a 10' length of moldy ski rope I forget to tie onto something stationary before I venture onto the ice....alone. I can afford to be a little careless on my pond as I know the location of all springs and can read the ice very well. If ice around my dock can support me, the rest of the pond is safe. I always have my cell phone in my bib pocket so if I fall in I can call someone for help. It's really a foolproof plan.

Got out today - 3/4 - 1" of good first ice on all ponds, little pockets of open water near the dock due to the thermal radiation of the black dock floats - otherwise we're locked up for the first time this season. Dropped the Aqua Vu Mini in few pockets, clarity is in excess of 100". Should be a great season for underwater optics, but I'll have to re rig with lower test floro leaders on everything. Forecast calls for 5-10"+ snow and 20 mph winds all day tomorrow. Hoping the winds blow the snow off the ice, or we're looking at a long waiting game building thicker ice.

Uh-oh, hoping you don't get a bunch of snow on the new ice!

I'm more worried that he's going to try and get out on the ice on the 29th! The cell phone in the pocket....good to go after it gets wet?!!

Yep. I love your plan. Better add me to the top of your speed dial list! I'm only 9 hours away, could there in a jiffy!

If the snow blows off, we'll have 3-4" by Tuesday easily with temps averaging in the upper teens. If snow sticks, different story.

I took this picture on DEC. 12. Any other winter I am walking on the ice.

I used to spend a lot of time ice skating and for safety I carried two big spike nails in my pocket to spike into the ice and pull myself out if I fell through.

Couldn't you shovel the snow to help your ice grow? Hehe

But on a serious note, could you flood the top of the snow covered ice to get it to thicken up? Under 5 inches of snow it might be possible. Another thought I've had, the chemical they add to high end snowmaking equipment, could they,you sprinkle some on the top of your lake prefreeze to help get things started?

Pseudomonas syringe for one, and I have heard of others but can't Fing the notes.

Find*

We only received a dusting today, probably 1" - forecast called for anywhere from 5-12"+. Dodged a bullet, temps are below freezing since Saturday and won't see the 30s until Saturday. Imagine I'll have 3-4" tomorrow, will check in. Might have to do my conference calls from the frozen office.

I would pump water on top of the ice to melt the snow and have the snow add to the ice if the nights are cold enough.

Hit my ponds today - the snow insulated the ice just enough to affect the integrity of the ice. Clear spots of ice was 2.5-2.75 in shallow water, but enough areas of snow prevented me from exploring and fishing for fear of finding some thin spots. Had I not been solo, probably could have fished it just fine, but made me a little nervous. If we don't get snow tonight, will be 3-3.5" by tomorrow and fine to fish.

Glad to hear you didn't chance it. I still have probably 25% open water here.

Really no ice to speak of up here. I know a lot of people are bummed by this weather up here, but I'm OK with it

Glad you didn't risk it TJ. There will always be another day to safely enjoy.

100% open water here.

Go micro fishing. Use ice fishing lures/bobbers on 2# test line.