Wisconsin in January: Ice Fishing

You can either complain about winter, or embrace it.  One of the ways to embrace it is to go fishing, ice fishing that is.  My buddy Dave and I decided to spend Friday afternoon ice fishing on nearby Skunk Lake.  Skunk Lake is a cold, clear,  glacial kettle lake.

The good news is that we didn't get "skunked."  :-))    We caught one nice largemouth bass, which we released.  The bad news is that conditions were not ideal.  A minor January thaw was occurring and it had rained the night before.  While the ice was still thick enough to be safe, the rain had nowhere to go, and thus there was a good two to three inches of wet slush on top of the ice.  That did not deter us from having a good time.

I have to confess, I have never ice fished before.  Once the holes are drilled, the lines baited, and the tip ups in place, you sit and wait.  And wait, and wait, and wait.  Had it not been for the beer, passing the time would have been right up there with watching paint dry.  Dave and I decided that fishing is a lot like being addicted to the lottery or attending casinos.  You hate to quit, because the very next minute might bring in the big one.  As the catch line in the New York State lottery commercials goes, "You never know."  We did had one diversion.   Zoey was with us, and she provided constant entertainment with her antics, such as watching the tip up flutter.

We were the only ones on the lake that day.  I'm not sure if that makes us tough, or dumb.  As we left later in the afternoon, the fog started to roll in, creating a mystical mood.  It was a great day!

More to follow...........