There's an old saying about ice fishermen. We have been defined as: A jerk waiting on one end of the line for a jerk on the other end. If that is true, include me as an avid hard-water angler.
Many people share my dislike for warm, rainy November or December weather. If it's going to be winter, bring on the cold weather. We've got the cold, and all we need now is an absence of wind and snow for a night or two to set the ice up hard and tight.
Let's face it. There are perch waiting to bite in Crystal Lake near Beulah and Big Glen Lake at Glen Arbor. There are bluegills waiting for me on Arbutus and Spider lakes (and countless others), and smelt eager to hit on Crystal, Green and Higgins lakes. Houghton Lake is a good bet for bluegills and crappies, and Manistee Lake at Manistee is good for pike.
All we need now is ice. Barring a warm spell, and a heavy pile of snow, area lakes could freeze over and make safe ice in a hurry. That said, a word of caution: Check any inland lake before going out. First-ice can be treacherous.
The wait begins. In the meantime my ice auger has been checked, and it's still sharp from last year. My Ice Man boots are ready, and the ice creepers are positioned alongside the boots. My insulated coveralls are ready, and I want them to stop the wind from chilling me and making my bones ache.
I have a tackle box filled with ice lures. There are some wee ice flies and teardrops for bluegills, some larger jigs and Russian Spoons for perch and walleyes, some Halis, jigging Rapalas, Do-Jiggers, Little Cleos, Swedish Pimples, and a whole raft of other large and small lures.
There are four light-action 24-inch spinning rods with ultra-light reels stocked with two- and four-pound line. Four short baitcasting and spinning rods and reels with six-pound line and stiffer jigging rods are ready for the larger lures and bigger fish.
I know all about the newest tip-ups, and have seen them in action, but I seldom use tip-ups these days for pike and walleyes, and when I do, I use the old-fashioned wood models. They worked fine when I did more tip-up fishing, and they will work if I decide to fish that way this winter.
What else? Oh yeah, I have two pair of waterproofed leather mittens with wool liners for cold-weather fishing. I checked out my Coleman catalytic heater, and even though it is old, it still works great.
My collapsible fishing shanty is still in perfect shape, and sitting inside on a day when Arctic winds come rattling down from northern Canada, makes the shanty and heater a must. I checked the shanty runners and all parts of it, and it is ready to go when the conditions are right.
My metal ice strainer is old enough to vote and drink beer. I've used it for almost 25 years, and it still works fine, which is what counts. There is a small dip net for getting shiners out of the minnow bucket without getting my hands wet, and plenty of dry gloves.
Sixty years of bopping around fishing through the ice and doing other things outdoors in cold weather, I've frostbitten my hands several times. They are very sensitive to cold, as is my cheek where it got frostbit 30 years ago. A wool scarf can cover my big ears, long nose and white-haired cheeks.
I carry two coiled wire rod holders that set flat on the ice, and even the softest biting bluegill will make the rod tip sag. Set the hook and he's yours.
There are bobbers of all colors, shapes and sizes although I seldom use them anymore. My little tackle box of ice fishing gear is the same small box I've carried for years, and many lures were bought 50 years ago. Some have a sentimental value that far exceeds any monetary value.
I often carry a spare spool of six- and four-pound line in case a big fish is hooked, takes out line and then breaks off. Last, but not least, is my ice sled.
It pulls smoothly across the ice, and has a wind deflector on the back for those days when I fish without a shanty. I can load almost everything on that ice sled except a gas-powered ice auger.
OK, the gear is ready. So where's the ice? Well, there is about two inches on some local lakes but I wouldn't suggest going out just yet. A reality check tells me that there is seldom safe ice before New Years Day although that could change this year.
Wishful thinking has me hoping for some safe ice sometime this week. If it comes, me and my ice-fishing gear will be out the door.
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