Newbie Ice Question

Post by **Popps** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 9:22 am

Hi guys, this is my first year ice fishing...most times out I get skunked. I tried two locations this weekend and have questions about what I experienced:

Day 1 - I was on a river that has open sections and pools, the pool where I dug holes and have had success earlier in the year (so I figure fish winter there) was 8-10" thick but I could not clean a hole and get a minnow down no matter how much weight I added, it was like there was 3' of slush under the whole ice layer....I wonder if the heavy snow last week lands upstream (in open water) and gets flushed under the ice to make this mess? Anyone experience similar issues ever?

Day 2 - different river, different problem....ice was only 6" thick and easy to clear a clean hole, but I don't know if it was just the warm weather yesterday (Sunday) or what but under the snow it seemed like there was 2" of water on top of the ice everywhere. Ice was thick enough by the book I think, never seemed weak, but is this normal that it can be so wet? I needed rubber boots out there....no fish either days.

-Popps

Post by **|D4|** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:57 am

I won't be able to awnser your question 1 ! But can awnser question 2 = the water level went up so.... when you drill a hole the water will go out of it. I was out on Saturday on the river and when I drile two holes there was a pool of 2-3 inch of water around my shack.

Post by **Wallyboss** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:02 am

Not sure that I understand your Day 1. But day 2 is normal. If the water level on that river comes up it will usually end up on top of the ice under the snow.

And for your Day 1 I am not sure if I would trust that ice?? was it solid ice then that 3 ' of slush ???

Post by **bradford2** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:00 pm

I have seen that happen before on the Rideau, where under the ice is just a build up of slush and you can't get a lure through it. I 'think' the slush gets pushed under the ice somewhere up river........

Post by **wolfe** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:52 pm

There were a good 2-3" of soupy slush on top of the lake yesterday; all that snow was melting fast as we hit a sunny 43+F and made for a messy walk out to our spot. As for us, ice was about 5" thick below.

W.

Post by **Jimmy_1** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 1:01 pm

It is supposed to be +3 here on Sunday!!!!

Warm weather is supposed to be on its way!

But as we know its Monday and things change very fast weather wise!

We can expect 6-7 more solid weeks of winter type weather...

J

Post by **Crunchy** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 1:07 pm

Lake up north I was at Sunday, 6 inches of snow, 1 inch of ice, and then 4 inches of water, followed by 10 inches of ice black ice.

Everywhere you walk, you crunch through the little ice layer, and before long you have slush up to your knees.

Post by **Fish'n Buddy** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:14 pm

I've heard about problem 1 before..my old man was tellin me about it..its fairly common on rivers depending on the ice, weather, ect. I forget the name, but its the ice, not whats under it....he says you can scoop it all day and never get the hole clean. I'll ask him about it tonight and let you know.

Post by **Buckshot** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:15 pm

Question #2

One of the main reasons that you will experience water on the ice is the weight of the snow on top of the ice, this will usually cause slush, one would think this would go away in the real cold weather but you usualy require a warm spell to knock the snow down and remove the insulating properties that it has. Once this occurs and you get some cold weather it will tighten up the water and slush on the ice.

As for # 1 i am at a loss.

Good luck