Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Mobile Ice Pack:

The average high temperature in our area for February 5th through 12th was 40F degrees. This caused considerable melting of snow. The runoff caused the Rock River to open and rise.

The ground water table (with a time delay) roughly tracks the level of the river. Since the pond surface is at the ground water level the pond has risen12 inches in the past week. This caused the ice pack (all 25 inches of it) to float loose from the shoreline. The open water around the ice pack varies from very little on the south and east shoreline of the pond to 2 feet from the shore on the north and west. Ground water flow (SSE) and a prevailing northwesterly wind have contributed to the current location of the ice pack.

Even though the ice pack is probably still around 25 inches thick I am back to wearing ice spikes around my neck, just in case. Later today after taking my weekly DO and Temperature readings, I will report back with photos and observations on ice quality, etc.

Stay tuned for more extremely intense icy excitement!

Darlene is going to be stressed!

"Darlene is going to be stressed!" So is Dwight, that's why he does it. Waiting for the update.

Dwight:

Don't the Polar Bears head for solid ground to have their cubs on after the pack ice breaks up? You'd better tell Tan to be on the lookout.

During the week of 40 degree temperatures the ice thickness dropped form 25 inches to 22 inches. It is is still good strong clear ice. As you can see from the photos getting from the shore to the good ice is a bit of a challenge. I expect this will improve since we are back to more normal February temperatures.









I found a place to drive the Mule on to the good ice.



This is a photo down the hole where I took today's DO readings. It is a look at 22 inches of clear ice for those of you that have never seen such a thing.

Dwight from the looks of it you should be growing Arctic Char! Looks to me like 6 months of the year you have perfect temps!

I figured this thread would be of limited interest to most on the forum.

I am happy to see that nearly 100 have looked at it. Most thinking; "Strange but weird, man"

This thread has little practical information for me, but I'm fascinated by ice, ice fishing, and the other wintertime conditions for northern pondmeisters. It's all so foreign to me.

Keep up the pics.

I think my icefishing is done for the year. There has been a skim of ice the past couple of mornings. Yesterday evening I saw several dozen 1-3" bluegills swimming near the bank where the ice had melted.

I looked at this thread and told myself..Thats why I dont live up there anymore.Id like to come up and visit,cause its so beautiful in the winter,but I think Ive been cold enough for one lifetime

I have that same thought every February.

You have to enjoy wearing heavy clothes rather than sweating while wearing very little to enjoy living up north. Also, if you don't like seeing definite seasons and temperature swings of 100 degrees through out the year, southern living is a better choice as well. If you aren't into riding snowmobiles or perhaps playing football in the snow, well, you get the picture??

Up where Dwight lives I am going to guess you had beter get used to black flies in your teeth or consider moving as well. I have seen ice that thick before, I drilled a hole on Lake Simcoe once by hand and had the auger buried to the bend with no water in the hole and none showing, had to move to deeper water and drill, finally found water at 26 feet depth with over 30 inches of ice on top, that was ice I will never forget.

I don't want this to get political but...winter helped the Union win the war..........

Yes the winters are milder in the south but there are of course drawbacks to everything. Where I'm at we don't deal with droughts as much, have fewer tornadoes, and no hurricanes. And the summers are not as blistering hot. I'll take the north myself. I also like the changes of the seasons.

Oh yeah we don't have fire ants, scorpions, killer bees, and venemous snakes are almost nonexistant up here.

My bloods way too thin to live in that level of cold. I like fishing but I gotta tell you that there's no dang way I'd drill a hole in ice and fish through it. Out west at the elevation that DIED and I are, we don't get quite the extremes that you have in the east. No fire ants, yes to scorpions (I killed one last year near the trailer but don't tell JWHAP), no to killer bees, yes to venomous snakes (in addition to huge GSF, DIED also grows huge Snattle Rakes). We do get fires and there are more fruits, nuts and flakes here than in the cereal that you ate for breakfast. I guess everyplace has a downside.

Venomous snakes? Check. (Rattlers, moccasins, copperheads, corals). Scorpions? Check. Fire ants? Check. Killer bees? Check. Tornadoes? Check. Hurricanes? Check. Blistering hot? Check.

Man, South Texas stinks.

At least we have world-class fishing, hunting, and beautiful women! Maybe it ain't so bad after all...

Local casino is sponsoring an ice fishing contest this Saturday to raise money for a child-care group.

Don't think that's gonna happen...not nearly enough ice left. Oh well...payout ($5000 total!) was just in free slot plays. Wife would've loved that, but some other folks frowned on it.

I'd have fished it...

We have world-class fishing, hunting, and beautiful women up here too without all those negatives you mentioned.

You just need to dress for it. Take today for instance: Air temp is 17 F. at noon with lots of winds and show showers. Windchill is -9 F. On days like today I wear long johns when I go outside and I wear my airforce parka and Mickey Mouse (Air Force) boots. Don't get cold even when the dog doesn't know when to come in. My new dog loves the snow and cold. She eats snow and looks for the deepest snow she can find to rump through it. It's hysterical. LOL

PICNIC WEATHER!!!

I'm glad more people don't like to live up here where it gets cold, I don't like my neighbors too close. It takes all kinds anyway.

Now that's a picnic.

Update - two weeks later.

The water level has dropped back about three inches.


With cold weather returning and the water leveling dropping, the ice pack has frozen back against the banks.


Due to the stress the ice pack went through when it was free floating and then as it settled back to the banks, it has the look of broken glass. It is still 22 inches thick and solid.