This past weekend in Minnesota there was a Ice Fishing Contest in Alexandra MN, on Lake Agnes. Over 2,000 folks slapped down their $35.00 for this Ice Fishing Contest…Not a singe fish was caught!
During the winter fish metabolism slows down, and they conserve their energy, waiting for Spring…
That is why I don’t ice fish, I rather stay indoors and wait for the lakes and streams to melt and go fly fishing when the ice is gone and the fish are hungry. ~Parnelli 
THAT is awesome!!! Its unusual to have a tournament with so many, but NO fish caught!
Fish do slow down during the winter, but its amazing just how active they really are…even under thick ice. Watch them on an undewater camera sometime. Weather patterns still have an affect on the fish…some times they’ll bite aggressively, other days they won’t.
this is why i dont
and you thought you favorite stream was crowded! ha!
I wonder how much of the that $70,000.00 was paid to the owner of the city pools they were fishing on?:mrgreen:
As for norm’s picture, I have to wonder what thousands of holes drilled that close together do to the integrity of the ice? a few thousand people could mean a half million pounds easy of human flesh on on top of that? Um…no thank you, I’ll get my frozen fish from Mrs. Paul.
I believe Norms photos were taken in Japan. Really.
That’s a bad day of fishing for sure. I understand your point, Parnelli, but I regularly catch fish through the ice. Not my favorite way to fish, but it kills some long winter days. Fly fishing for trout will always be my passion.
The Best,
Bruce
And this is why I do. 
14 1/2" - I put her back so I can catch her on the 3 weight. Can’t catch a 16 if you eat her at 14… :mrgreen:
HideHunter, nice fish! I caught the ice fishing bug a little last year, it got me GOOD this winter.
Don’t tell these fish they weren’t supposed to eat much…
That was half of the day’s catch. The two other guys took their fish home before we got a picture.
I’ve really gotten into tying jigs this fall/winter, and have been playing with stuff that’s specifically for ice fishing.
It beats the heck outta sitting at home all winter when I can’t fly fish!!
top one is Korea, bottom one is Brainard, Minn. Really!
Nice batch of specks Quivira… I’m wih you. I ain’t no flyfishing “snob”. I’ll fish for anything that pulls back with about anything they’ll pull back on.
Two things I’ve found to be true… you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning…
and …
If you want to fish 200 days a year in Iowa, you can’t do it all with the flyrod.
I still say that my #1 first choice for a dream fishing vacation would be a week or more in an ice shanty with a few buddies, lots of food & beer and some creature comforts. I’d gladly choose that over Patagonia, Belize or Hampshire.
I don’t know why having the ability to open a beer and a trap door in a hut @ 2:00 am and fish for half an hour seems so dang appealing to me!
It must be because of Grumpy Old Men!
Another reason…double click on the photo
Our fishing club (Central Iowa Anglers) had an ice-fishing “outing” this past weekend. The guys all know I switched to mostly fly-fishing several years back…and so naturally I got teased that they saw me out there standing 40’ from an ice hole, trying to cast flies into it. Not true, of course, but its good-natured ribbing. I DO ice fish during the winter.
HideHunter, you are exactly right about the 16" crappie! Sadly, its tough to sell folks on keeping the 10"-12" fish, and releasing the 13"+ crappies. They ARE good eating!
Zac…those look like some dandy crappies in that mess o’ fish. How big are some of your bigger ones?
And a favorite bait is a leech. How sweet is that?
FishnDave - man you are right on promoting “selective harvest” in panfish. I really try to push putting back the big bull bluegill - and even with an explanation of “The Joy of Sex Among Bluegills” I get the “What are you - nutz?” look quite often.
I LOVE ice fishing. Haven’t gotten out much this past season, but I still managed to get some perch for the freezer. I went to college in Alexandria, don’t remember any ice fishing contest like that. Although I could be found almost 7 days a week wading among the bullrushes with my 3wt and a popper catching gills for the frying pan…brings back some fond memories.
TT.
Dave, everything on the table is over 10". The fish in front were 13" and CHUNKY!
I don’t fish through the ice, because it’s just too dang hard to hit that little hole with my fly! Not much risin’ either.
Have never done ice fising. We don’t get that much over here on the wet side of Washington. Have done some plunkin’ which seems a bit like ice fishing. I would like to try it sometime but I want one of those cool little huts you guys use. I am not into sitting out in the open on a frozen lake when its 10 below zero.
Used to in High School but I’ve made a little trip through the ice one time!!! Never go out again, but man those panfish from ice cold water sure are tasty!!!