Joe

btw..those micro baits look amazing.......got to get me some when you are ready

Same boat as Shank with the smallest snaps. Unless I’m running a set line I know I won’t be switching up at all and I’ve got multiple rods with me.

The reason I suggested adding a swivel is that I find that sometimes, the swivels that come with the swivel snaps are not that great and/or too large (probably because they are not that great to begin with so the larger size for more strength is the compromise) making the hardware bulkier than need be. I have some tiny saltwater swivels that are much better quality and they are pretty easy to thread into the snaps too.

Heading to the cottage this weekend (south end area of Joe) I never thought I would be worried if I could get out fishing March 1st but this years been interesting...

I would be accessing through the cottage property, What are your guys thoughts after this warm spell and rain this week for the weekend . A slight freeze Thursday. I suspect ice will be solid still but a soupy mess. Thoughts?

Thanks for the updates on the swivels / knots and micros...

I'll be in Mactier this weekend. Still debating whether I should even bother with the icefishing gear. Will be fishing out of Foots Bay. Crazy this winter

I was just out on FootsBay yesterday.

Ice was 5” black 1” garbage white on top.

I would bet your going to lose a lot of ic quickly especially around the edges. I am positive it depends where your are and what size body of water. I would take a spud and check carefully every step. Years ago I was in Haliburton on 10” of ice that had refrozen late in the year. It was solid pre dawn. Temps hit double digits that day. By 2:00pm that same day the top 5” had turned to that crystal garbage ice just from run off of melt water.

This late in an early warm year I would be ultra cautious. Hard to say how much ice will be lost and how much will deteriorate so much that it is unsafe.

Ill be up Friday night for the weekend... the gear is coming. Might need the waders...lol

Just my opinion as a 69 year old fool that has fished since I was 10 years old.

If you are having second thoughts of going on the ice because there was very little to start with, warm weather coming, gets soft fast, then as I am doing...stay off and stay safe.
No need to chance being a statistic.

I have a grandson that I want to teach how to fish.
I do not need to chance my life just to be able to brag on how many one pound trout I caught or how I went out on good ice but went through five hours later.

Sorry for my rant.
Not worth it this year.

And for those wondering.
I am holding a 35 pound lake trout caught in Lake Joseph in 1998

Great advise! If you dont know dont go. Comfort levels vary with experience not only on ice but within locations. Be safe...not a statistic

We are hoping to Joe on Fri. We hope that the 2 nites of quit low temps will keep the ice solid but we will need to be careful with spud bars etc. Anybody have an informed opinion on this. Anybody been up that way, fishing or not, in the last couple of days? TIA

From Bill at Orchard...said it was the last week......take that for what it's worth....he sees everyone. I hope you get out ....please take precautions.

Arnie

I was out checking the access point for LOB (nearest where I live) around lunch time when it was raining pretty hard. I wanted to see how much was lost over the last couple of days and what it looked like at the access before I decide if I fish anymore. It was surprisingly quite solid and I would have no issues with heading out from there. No snow, all glare ice on top so cleats are needed for sure. Within about another hour since I checked, rain turned to hail and then turned to snow and it was sub-zero so no more ice should have been lost (maybe the hail and snow reduced the slippage factor on top too). The temp drop hasn't looked back since and we are at -13.5oC right now. For my location, Friday is almost certainly going to be pretty decent ice still and I suspect that it would be good into Saturday and maybe Sunday morning and beyond....but for my comfort zone, I think Sunday morning would be my last possible fishing opportunity before I call it quits for the season. I am just hoping to get out one more time during these last three days. Tomorrow would be possible too but not a fan of fighting the wind on a day with a high forecast temp of -10oC (and not having fished that much over the last few years, new less familiar equipment, etc., my comfort level has narrowed alot more than the past). Anyway, I suspect Joe would be similar but....

Well, 2 of us cancelled but 2 went. Let's hope they keep safe. Once worry about the ice got planted in my brain it would not have been any fun out there. I know some fishers suggest using a spud bar every few steps but, for me at least, if I need to do that I'd rather not go. We all have our own comfort level.

Thx for your comments re the ice.

I'm with you Knuguy, I really don't like standing on ice when I have to worry about falling through. I know we all have different tolerances, but mine is low as well. I'd rather be safe and not get any fish.

I guess my big concern was 'candle ice' which is quite treacherous. Even 8" of that stuff would no hold a man's weight. The high temps and rain that we had were the ideal conditions for its formation. That may not have happened but I was unwilling to risk it.

https://www.britannica.com/science/lake-ice/Ice-in-rivers

http://lakeice.squarespace.com/candled-ice...02559.v5-web020