alleyyooper
Pinnacle OPE Member
- Local time
- 10:14 AM
- User ID
- 8210
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2018
- Messages
- 640
- Reaction score
- 1,666
- Location
- Michigan.
I was 15 winter of 1961 my little brother was 13. he had been listening to class mates telling of going ice fishing over the week end and catching a lot of fish.
He said we should go and try it in the lake that was only a mile and a half across the neighbours field but the shonj was close to 3 feet deep and drifts way more. So we walked the plowed road the 4 miles to the lake. We get to the Lake and spud a hole thru about a foot of ice we had made up the simple ice fishing set up for the day. A handle about a inch in dia two angled holes for pegs to wrap the line on and a short 18 inch or so dowel rod with a hole drilled in it to run the line thru.
We had went out and collected a bunch of bulbs from golden road to ge the tiny worms inside and some of the tiny worms we found shucking some of the ear corn in our corn crib.
some tiny hooks and we are set to catch a bucket of fish.
We were there about 3 hours had not caught a thing even though we were near old holes people had spudded before. I finally was frozen nearly stiff and say to my brother have you had enough of this fun yet thru chattering teeth and blue lips.
He chattered out ya he had also had enough fun so we gather our meager bit of gear and walk off the lake. once on the clear road we pick up the pace as much as we are able to try to build body heat.
I am here to tell you by that time it was just to late to work up any meaningful body heat.
We made it home and fully clothed stood by side our old Warm morning wood burning stove as it got red hot, I believe for at least 2 hours. Our mom made us warm milk with ginger in it to drink to try to warm our insides up also.
I vowed then and there I would never set foot on a frozen lake to try to catch a fish unless we had a roaring bonfire close by.
Fast forward to 1974 I was 28 then and We had been fishing beaver ponds for years in the near by area in the summers. My hunting partner and brother decided we should try ice fishing this one where we had caught several pike over 15 pounds in the summer and a lot in the 5 pound range.
As luck would have it we could ride our snowmobiles back to the pond and ride on it.
My hunting partner had several tip ups and we had gotten some newer fancy ice fishing jiging roda and tear drops.
Two hours siting on the snowmobiles not catching any thing I had all I wanted of that. I pull in all my gear and go for a ride to some of the other ponds we could ride to and finally got back about a hour later. My brother and hunting partner decided they also had enough.
I have never attemped or had any disire to ever go ice fishing again.
My brother how ever after retireing bought a clam shell type sled shanty and a buddy heater and power auger and went all the time with friends from the local VFW post.
I think it has been over 15 year since he last went, after the last of the friends had passed away.
Today he is not in any kind of shape to do much of any thing. Had chemo in November for cancer and radation for the bone cancer an dof the esophagus. I got a E mail from him this morning and He had a MIR Monday and has cancer on his brain now in several places.
Al
He said we should go and try it in the lake that was only a mile and a half across the neighbours field but the shonj was close to 3 feet deep and drifts way more. So we walked the plowed road the 4 miles to the lake. We get to the Lake and spud a hole thru about a foot of ice we had made up the simple ice fishing set up for the day. A handle about a inch in dia two angled holes for pegs to wrap the line on and a short 18 inch or so dowel rod with a hole drilled in it to run the line thru.
We had went out and collected a bunch of bulbs from golden road to ge the tiny worms inside and some of the tiny worms we found shucking some of the ear corn in our corn crib.
some tiny hooks and we are set to catch a bucket of fish.
We were there about 3 hours had not caught a thing even though we were near old holes people had spudded before. I finally was frozen nearly stiff and say to my brother have you had enough of this fun yet thru chattering teeth and blue lips.
He chattered out ya he had also had enough fun so we gather our meager bit of gear and walk off the lake. once on the clear road we pick up the pace as much as we are able to try to build body heat.
I am here to tell you by that time it was just to late to work up any meaningful body heat.
We made it home and fully clothed stood by side our old Warm morning wood burning stove as it got red hot, I believe for at least 2 hours. Our mom made us warm milk with ginger in it to drink to try to warm our insides up also.
I vowed then and there I would never set foot on a frozen lake to try to catch a fish unless we had a roaring bonfire close by.
Fast forward to 1974 I was 28 then and We had been fishing beaver ponds for years in the near by area in the summers. My hunting partner and brother decided we should try ice fishing this one where we had caught several pike over 15 pounds in the summer and a lot in the 5 pound range.
As luck would have it we could ride our snowmobiles back to the pond and ride on it.
My hunting partner had several tip ups and we had gotten some newer fancy ice fishing jiging roda and tear drops.
Two hours siting on the snowmobiles not catching any thing I had all I wanted of that. I pull in all my gear and go for a ride to some of the other ponds we could ride to and finally got back about a hour later. My brother and hunting partner decided they also had enough.
I have never attemped or had any disire to ever go ice fishing again.
My brother how ever after retireing bought a clam shell type sled shanty and a buddy heater and power auger and went all the time with friends from the local VFW post.
I think it has been over 15 year since he last went, after the last of the friends had passed away.
Today he is not in any kind of shape to do much of any thing. Had chemo in November for cancer and radation for the bone cancer an dof the esophagus. I got a E mail from him this morning and He had a MIR Monday and has cancer on his brain now in several places.
Al
