Unwritten Ice Fishing Rules

[Neal]

With ice approaching I thought it would be a good idea to go over some suggestions that may make for a better, safer season. Being a recent born again ice fisherman, I can think of a few suggestions.

#1 Don't discard you unused minnows back into the water.

#2 Mark any large holes. If a block is removed, don't leave it on the ice where a snowmobole/ATV could hit.

#3 Leave a crack in the window or door of your shanty, if you are using a heater.

Please list any more

[falcon captain]

Don't forget to pick up all your trash on the ice, nothing like walking out through a bunch of beer cans or McDonalds wrappers. Also, be nice to your fellow anglers, just like a gentleman did to me last year after I found out my auger blades were junk, he let me use his auger. Thanks.

Good fishing

[deepwoods]

Neal,

Why not dumping minnows back into the water? I don't understand. Do you mean dead one's?

Don't punch a hole right next to another fishermen.

[Neal]

Neal,

Why not dumping minnows back into the water? I don't understand. Do you mean dead one's?

Don't punch a hole right next to another fishermen.

From what I understand the minnows come from other locations and we may be transplanting, unfriendly species from one body of water to another. That what was posted last year, I'm sure some of the regular ice guys can elaborate.

[GVSUKUSH]

#4 When coming out to Reeds Lake around 9am, make sure to bring me a McGriddle and large Coffee, thank you.

#5 PICK UP CIGERETTE BUTTS!!!!!

[tommytubular]

This goes along with taking your garbage off the ice with ya....

Put a baggy in your pocket and put your cigarette butts in it instead of leaving then on the ice

Lets leave it better then we found it

Dang GVSUKUSH......ya beat me to the cigarette butt issue

[booktens]

When going out on early season ice, always check it with a spud as you walk along.

[wally-eye]

Minnow dumping is brought up every winter on this site and it is against the law to dump live minnows into a lake or river.

Main cause of disease and introduction of exotic species. Believe it is written in both the DNR and Natural Resource rules.

Leave them for the gulls or dump in trash bin............

[patcheroo]

I second deepwoods, don't punch a hole right next to another fisherman! Scotty and Chad, remember Houghton Lake? Man!................Patch

[five more casts]

unfortunately, trash doesn't sink for ice fishermen. this makes the sport look bad. PLEASE remove your gas tanks. to me, nothing's worse than seeing all those green gas tanks left on the ice when the snow melts. I know of alot of places that are no longer fishable because of the trash.
as for dumping minnows, if they're shinners or mud minnows in lake st. clair, they're native fish fish

[scottyhoover]

Ask to borrow an auger before using your spud at 7:30am on a nice quiet morning IN SHALLOW WATER. Spuds make a lot more noise than augers to the fish, I think.

[DaveW731]

I second deepwoods, don't punch a hole right next to another fisherman! Scotty and Chad, remember Houghton Lake? Man!................Patch
:yeahthat:
...unless other fisherman is me, and you are bringing me some Irish Coffee! ;)

Seriously: First ice: wear a PFD the first time out take a pair of ice picks and a rope. The first two may save you, the last one may save someone else.

[live2fishdjs]

:yeahthat: Scotty. One of my pet peeves for sure!

[fishin'magician']

I am on the same page with most of you so far.

Don't be a hole hoping whore ie. if someone comes out drills 10 sets of statigic holes to try and pattern the fish stay out of them they are not yours.


As for KUSH I prefer the new big breakfast sandwich from BK :woohoo1: :woohoo1: :woohoo1:

[RichP]

Yup, lots of strong opinions on both sides of the fence re: hole hopping whore scenario :lol:

[scottyhoover]

Don't put your stick in another man's hole.

[Neal]

Yup, lots of strong opinions on both sides of the fence re: hole hopping whore scenario :lol:

Yes there is. That would be a good discussion for another thread ;)

[Burksee]

Don't put your stick in another man's hole. :yikes: Now that can be interpreted "several" different ways! :whistle: :lol:

To add to Neal's List:

4) Pick up your trash when you leave!

5) Dont be punchin holes to close to someone you dont know!

6) Cigarette butts! I'm a smoker and I'll be the first to tell you to pick'em up!

7) Be friendly! Offer me a beer or some coffee when I come by! :D

[double trouble]

make sure you blast by in your atv at least 20 feet from my shanty at dusk ,then have the nerve to come back 2 minutes later and ask if the fishing is any good cause, " over by me their not hitting."

also remember to spin your tires at the edge of the boat ramp so it gets all slushy.

try to offer your extra bait to someone else when you leave the ice if they are going to waste.some bait stores will take them back and give you a discount on the next trip.

take someone new ice fishing . especially a kid.

if you get a hot spot , don't be a hog .let someone else in on it. they still have to catch'em.

[Hoosier_Steelheader]

I agree with the posts(I usually have a 30 gallon trashbag handy if anybody needs one) and I can totally relate to the being Friendly part, a couple of years ago we came up to Higgins for the first time ever to try the ice for smelt perch whitefish and whatever else we could find. ( Its a fricken big lake!)

We were completely clueless until we hooked up with some other guys who befriended us and invited us to fish with them, and as I recall had a couple extra "Blue-Glow" Halis they let us borrow, actually the "Doctor" let me keep one as a good luck piece (since we were'nt catching anything before..)

We often fish from sun-up till way after dark and if you see us grilling on the Ice, stop on over, we've always got extra, and enjoy the company (tips, lies, and especially smelt are also appreciated :cwm27: )

Actually looking to land some burbout this year, need all the help I can get....

[TheApprentice]

There are a lot of good ones so far keep em coming.

1. Do not set up your shop 5' from a guys tip-up.
2. Been said many times, but I want it to sink in PICK UP CIGARETTE BUTTS!
3. When a guy has a flag up on his tip-up don't run right up to it before he even gets there.
4. When the ice is thin do not get too close to other guys.
5. Do not hit people with your cane while ice fishing.
6. Do not brutally beat someone until there is blood all over the ice. Of course do not assault anyone period.
7. When you see a guy catching fish, don't overcrowd him or move next to him without asking if he minds if you fish near him. I am the type of guy who does not mind sharing a hot spot, but I at least like to be asked before getting crowded.
8. Don't take a mess of crappies home with you throw them in a pile outside and never clean them.
9. Last but not least on my list is when a guy catches a monster pike, don't let it go because you are jealous of him. This could really make someone very irate.

If you follow these rules you should be good to go.
Ryan

[Ed Michrina]

Put a compass in your pocket

Its a good idea to get in the habit of putting your cell phone in a zip lock bag. you can talk through the bag, even the flip type phones. If you go through or get wet the phone will still work. Plus I have dropped it in the hole. It floats :)

don't' throw the dinks on the ice and anything your going to release, do it quickly. The freeze on a cold fish, in the elements only takes seconds to ruin the eyes and fins.

Watch early ice prior to the whole lake freezing up. Early season (Dec.) We get freak winds/storms.

Don't kill the mud-puppies. put them back or in another hole away from yours - they are protected.

Carry an extra pair of gloves in a zip lock bag. Cold/wet hands and a long walk back, need I say more.


Optional- I carry a small first aid kit. (darn razor augers) with it is my compass, boat flares, GPS, small strobe and flashlight.

[Robert Hoover]

deepwoods you said it right no hole popin nxt to someon who is catchin fish last year i had this happen to me evry trip for two weeks strait at south river rd lsc im tellin you if you no how to fish youll catch them its not because ten feet away they didnt see your baits its cause they didnt want them larn what youre doin or just ask im friendly but nxt time someone puts a hole in the ice a foot away from me thir gettin stuffed in it :evilsmile

[scottyhoover]

RULE: when you're packing the sleds up in the morning you must Play one of these 2 songs. Lynard Skynard - Simple Man..... or Blues Traveler - The mountains win again.

that goes for any fishin trip I guess.

[JJ Mac]

1. Don't dump minnows.
2. Don't leave trash.
3. Don't throw mudpuppies, Burbot, or small fish on the ice to die.
4. Space...probably the biggest etiquette issue.

A. Don't set up right next to someone else.

B. And if you must, it doesn't hurt to go over to them and ask "Do you
mind if I set up here?" before just going ahead and punching holes.
This makes all the difference in making a friend vs. an enemy.

C. Fifty feet is probably an acceptable amount of space. Personally, if
I didn't know the other person, I would never start punching holes
unless I was at least 100 ft away. This can vary depending on the
size of the lake and limited structure vs. amount of fishermen.

D. If you are on a sled, atv, when possible and practical, go around
shantys and fishermen already set-up. You have mobility, you do
not have to go in a straight line to your destination. If you drive
between their shanty and their tip-ups, you are an *****. If you run
over their tip-ups, you are a real *****! If you are on foot it's
understandable and foot traffic makes a lot less noise.
E. Try to punch most of your holes when you first set up. The
guys that drill a new hole, every 20 minutes
just drive me nuts, usually after they've just violated a,b,c, and d.
F. Just because you see a group of shantys, it does not mean you have
to fish there.
G. Don't take a break to go joyriding around other fishermen.
H. Conversely, If you are close to the "main road" don't be
surprised if all the above happens. Get off the beaten path if you
expect to have some privacy.

5. Help someone if they need it.

6. Come prepared so that someone isn't always having to help you.

7. Understand your species and when to fish. For example, if you are
fishing walleye on a walleye lake generally (with some exceptions) first
light and last light are the most productive times. But as usually is the
case, most anglers are setting up or tearing down and travelling during
this time. Folks, this is the best time to be fishing. I guess some are
just afraid of the dark. They fish from 9 to 5 and can't understand why
they don't catch many eyes. Then they make a bunch of noise when the
bite is on. Hey, sometimes that's the only time you can go, but if you're
travelling and make noise during prime time, show good etiquette and
give those fishing some space.

8. When parking, duhhh....don't pull up right behind a vehicle with a
trailer. Give them enough space to load back up. It's surprising how
often this happens.

9. Safety etiquette and your responsibilities for yourself...you need to be
able to pull yourself from the ice, unassissted, in most situations. This
means ice picks, proper clothing, and what ever else you might need.
I may get some flak about this but here's how I see it. The matter is
physical fitness. If you are unable to pull yourself out of a swimming
pool without a ladder or get back in the boat after being in the water
without someone pulling you in, how the hell are you gonna get out if
you break though the ice? You better make special provisions and also
consider always fishing with someone. My biggest fear about ice fishing
is losing my own life trying to rescue someone else. I don't think I could
sit there and watch them drown. Because of this, I never go out
without taking a throwable floatation cushion and rope.

10. Don't fart in the shanty unless you are going to light it.

Have a great season, and as a MI-Sportsman, make sure to represent by having good etiquette.

[RichP]

If you enjoy driving your Ford F350 on the ice, please keep a reasonable distance away from my shanty....like a mile...

[chamookman]

#10 - VERY TRUE :lol: :lol: :yikes: ! Or avoid the Triple Bean Burrito special at the Stop & Rob on the way to the Lake :fish2: ! Bob

[MiketheElder]

As I posted last year, FIELD STRIP YOUR BUTTS!!!, you don't have to take the paper and tobacco with you, just the filter.

Keep the parking lots clean. The guy that owns Gino's said that was the thing that disappointed him the most about the icefishermen. All the trash left behind.

Don't park in an obvious walkway. "Hey Look! Someone must have just left!" No dummy, that's where everyone has been draging their shanties to get to the ice.

If I'm catching perch on minnows, don't plunk your butt down 5 feet away and start fishing with waxworms (mousies, spikes, etc). Had a guy do that to me near Metro when I was catching nice 9's and 10's. He brought in all the 5's and 6's and then started bitching about all the dinks.

Be nice to old guys like me and offer a ride if you can. Right Shadow!!!!!!! :D

Big Mike

[lawnboy]

.





Throw dinks back in the water not in the trashcan at the parking lot like I have seen a million times.





.

[shadow7663]

Be nice to old guys like me and offer a ride if you can. Right Shadow!!!!!!! :D

Big Mike

Shadow who???????:evil: Mike, When are you going to get one? You want it so bad I know...Time to pony up you old fart......:lol: Any yes I will still give you a ride anytime. Just think though if you get your own we can ride next to each other and play CHiP's I will be john and you can be poncherelo.........:yikes:

I biggest pet pieve is people leaving unwanted fish on the ice. Throw them back and let them grow up!!!!!!!

[ih772]

Don't come up and fish right on top of me. I you don't have an auger just ask me and I'll let you use mine to drill some holes far away from me.

[Houghton laker]

When the walleye bite starts at 4:30pm and ends at 6:00pm....do not come out at 5:00pm and auger 10 holes.....then sit there and fish out of one hole after spooking all the fish....then leave at 5:45 because nothings bitting!! :rant: :rant: :rant: :bash:

[MiketheElder]

Before I buy one Smiley, I have to:

Clean out the garage so I can put it in there next to my car. I make my wife park outside all year. I can just hear it now! "You move all that stuff so you can have room for your toys but I have to park in the driveway!" OR

Rebuild part of my privacy fence to make it removeable so I can get it into my backyard. That means that I'll need some cheap cement ;) so you and HL can make me a pad to park on. And widen my driveway.

All that to catch 4" dinks again like last year. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Houghton laker]

Just think though if you get your own we can ride next to each other and play CHiP's I will be john and you can be poncherelo.........:yikes:




You two are starting to worry me!!! :yikes:

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Don't eat yellow snow or ice. :yikes:

[TrailFndr]

It all boils down to a simple thing...its called RESPECT. Respect for your fellow fisherperson, respect for the fish you are after, and respect for the resource, and personal property of others. Respecting nature and all her bounty avoids most of the pitfalls that give all of us a bad name.

[MiketheElder]

CAUTION! TEMPORARILY HIJACKED THREAD!

Don't look at me! I'm not playing CHIPS with nobody!

I just want to be able to find Ming Ming every Saturday and Sunday. Set up a video camera and record every movement he makes, all his secret stuff. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Big Mike

[Ed Michrina]

Don't eat yellow snow or ice. :yikes:

Thanx Mike. Phew I almost forgot that one. Watch out where those Huskies go!

[Ed Michrina]

CAUTION! TEMPORARILY HIJACKED THREAD!

Don't look at me! I'm not playing CHIPS with nobody!

I just want to be able to find Ming Ming every Saturday and Sunday. Set up a video camera and record every movement he makes, all his secret stuff. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Big Mike

Awwh to bad Mike I was going to lend you a pair of my Official poncherelo sunglasses.

Go ahead and follow Min Ming, I'm not sure you can capture MO JO on video. Can you film the wind? No, can you film the sound of a perch? NO. Good luck. Ming Ming's secrets can only be achieved by climbing that mountain and asking the question. ***** ** ***** ***** ***! Top secret.

[PITBULL]

Dont enter, fish from, trash or vandalize some one elses shanty.
its not yours.
If you see some one catching fish dont come up and start punching holes 20' from them.

If some one needs help, give them a hand.

How can we get the snowmobile races moved from the front of the fairhaven access site?
everyone walks or rides from the launch onto the lake and the people that race plow a track right in front of the launch. Someone is going to get killed or injured there.

[Melon]

:idea: Dont let kbkrause in your shanty. He is bound to drop or knock something of yours into the hole. :eek: ;) :lol:

[Ed Michrina]

Don't give GPS #'s out over the open net :hide:

[Anita Dwink]

The loud and frequent use of the F-Bomb . Nothing like spending 3 hours listening to that fine word inserted into every sentence every other word , With or without kids around .

I`m *&$%## done now.:yikes:

[Ed Stringer]

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: Even if the fishing is bad :rant: Try not to rip on on each other this season. I'm taking responsibility for myself. Bring it on.

[MiketheElder]

F%^&*!

That's a harder habit to break than smoking or drinking. I've tried and tried to stop using some of that language but.............

i just kaint @#$%*() help it. Seriously. It's like earwax. It's just there.


Oh yeah. One more. Please no more chainsaws on the ice!

[double trouble]

lock the thread. i met mike last season and he is the *&$# most polite #*&% you ever %&*# met . can't stand a lying fisherman

[wild bill]

remember water and digital cameras dont mix. right chad. :lol:

[mpatmcg]

If you're near a guy who brought his kids out fishing and they're running around the ice like maniacs, understand that he's probably been cooped up in the house with them all winter and this is the most peace he is going to have until spring!

Conversly, if you take your kids out fishing with you and they get too far out of control, threaten to plug some of these holes in the ice you're making with THEM if they don't calm down!!!! :rant: ("Dad, you gonna fill that back in" was a common question last year)

My kids just seem to love to check out what everyone else seems to be catching when Dad isn't catching a thing. Everyone on the ice is their friend. :rolleyes:

Mike

[Salami]

PLEASE i do not want to hear your tunes on the ice,keep it down ,THANKS

[dinoday]

If you're near a guy who brought his kids out fishing and they're running around the ice like maniacs, understand that he's probably been cooped up in the house with them all winter and this is the most peace he is going to have until spring!



I agree as I often AM the guy with the kids...BUT...this rule doesn't apply to the guy that brought his kids out and let them ice skate around the tip-ups me and my kids had set up(setting them off multiple times :rant: )

Please let guys know if they are headed towards thin ice!! They are usually the guy with no spud ;)

[TheApprentice]

There are a lot of good ones so far keep em coming.

1. Do not set up your shop 5' from a guys tip-up.
2. Been said many times, but I want it to sink in PICK UP CIGARETTE BUTTS!
3. When a guy has a flag up on his tip-up don't run right up to it before he even gets there.
4. When the ice is thin do not get too close to other guys.
5. Do not hit people with your cane while ice fishing.
6. Do not brutally beat someone until there is blood all over the ice. Of course do not assault anyone period.
7. When you see a guy catching fish, don't overcrowd him or move next to him without asking if he minds if you fish near him. I am the type of guy who does not mind sharing a hot spot, but I at least like to be asked before getting crowded.
8. Don't take a mess of crappies home with you throw them in a pile outside and never clean them.
9. Last but not least on my list is when a guy catches a monster pike, don't let it go because you are jealous of him. This could really make someone very irate.

If you follow these rules you should be good to go.
Ryan

Some of you guys may have looked at some of my unwritten rules and thought that I was a nutcase, but all of these are things that my family or families friends have done on the ice. Needless to say I don't really associate with any of them. My uncle beat the crap out of his dad out on the ice after his dad pepper sprayed him and hit him in the stomach with his cane. There was blood all over the ice. I was not there, but my grandpa called me right after it happened and told me to come right over. I did and when I walked into his house there was my grandpa with his eyes and head all swelled up with knots on it. He tried to get me to go whip my uncle, but I was staying out of a family feud and pretty much laughed at my grandpa. What does he expect someone is going to do after he maces them and hits them with his cane. Then my grandpa was mad at his woman, because she did not shoot my uncle. She had the pistol in her pocket. Man all I can say is alcohol and tempers don't mix, especially with a nutty old timer like my gramps. I just thought I would share this crazy but true story with you all, so you didn't think I was a lunatic for posting these unwritten rules.

COME ON ICE!

Ryan

[ESOX]

Rule #1, Stay ON the ice.
No fish is worth getting wet over.

#2 Blue Fox Pixie Spoons kick butt.

[buddhabelly]

One more....Invite me over for a perch dinner since I can't catch my own!

[cp_will]

Ask to borrow an auger before using your spud at 7:30am on a nice quiet morning IN SHALLOW WATER. Spuds make a lot more noise than augers to the fish, I think.

You think right. About fifteen years ago Babe Winkleman aired a show monitoring fish with underwater cameras while testing a spud, a hand auger, and a power auger making holes. The results of the test was simply, the spud horrified the fish (bluegills and crappie in less than ten feet of water), scattering them without returning for something like 20-30 minutes. Contrasting that was the hand auger, which only pushed the fish a few feet away and they returned within minutes. The power auger was somewhere in the middle the fish scattered but a few stayed within camera view and returned slowly starting after a few minutes. This should be a topic in itself because it plays a huge role in your success as a ice angler. I know it impressed me so much that I have always remembered it well and I allways use a hand auger because of it.

[Still Wait'n]

I saw the same piece about spuds vs. augers. I cringe when someone comes out and starts beating on the ice.

[Joeker51]

Never fish next to fasteight on thin ice. :yikes:

At first ice let ficious go first ( but make sure you get some of his jigs first). :D

[StumpJumper]

Ask to borrow an auger before using your spud at 7:30am on a nice quiet morning IN SHALLOW WATER. Spuds make a lot more noise than augers to the fish, I think.


Spuds dont scare fish. I have proven it hundreds of times.

[StumpJumper]

I am on the same page with most of you so far.

Don't be a hole hoping whore ie. if someone comes out drills 10 sets of statigic holes to try and pattern the fish stay out of them they are not yours.


As for KUSH I prefer the new big breakfast sandwich from BK :woohoo1: :woohoo1: :woohoo1:


If you're in the general area I plan on fishing and you drill a bunch of holes all over and think you own every hole in the vicinity your in for a suprise.

[bigsid]

RULE: when you're packing the sleds up in the morning you must Play one of these 2 songs. Lynard Skynard - Simple Man..... or Blues Traveler - The mountains win again.

that goes for any fishin trip I guess.
Is that to say "Never hit the ice without heading for the mountains first."?? :lol:

My big three have been beaten to death here, but they are: (in no particular order)

Pick up trash

Throw the dinks back

And please, (especially on a big lake like Reeds) do not "sit on my lap" when you come out. There's more than enough room for everybody out there!

BRING ON THE ICE, PLEASE!!!!.....SID

[bigsid]

9. Safety etiquette and your responsibilities for yourself...you need to be
able to pull yourself from the ice, unassissted, in most situations. This
means ice picks, proper clothing, and what ever else you might need.
I may get some flak about this but here's how I see it. The matter is
physical fitness. If you are unable to pull yourself out of a swimming
pool without a ladder or get back in the boat after being in the water
without someone pulling you in, how the hell are you gonna get out if
you break though the ice? You better make special provisions and also
consider always fishing with someone. My biggest fear about ice fishing
is losing my own life trying to rescue someone else. I don't think I could
sit there and watch them drown. Because of this, I never go out
without taking a throwable floatation cushion and rope.

10. Don't fart in the shanty unless you are going to light it.

Have a great season, and as a MI-Sportsman, make sure to represent by having good etiquette.
#9 is a great point. Trudging across a lake through a bunch of snow while pulling a sled with a ton of stuff in it is a lot of exercise for frankly, quite a few people that I see out there who obviously don't get a lot of exercise! Not to mention people who risk it all on unsafe ice. Let's understand our limitations out there!

As for #10, this only applies to the 30% of us who actually produce methane in our flatus! Sorry, I had to add that since we just finished up the digestive system in school!!

Sid

[BIG TIM]

If you guys want to catch a mess load of fish, take me fishing and we will bring home some venison and a few dings in a truck or to!! Right.. LT...Sir

[MiketheElder]

FLATUS???????????

My chiropractor calls that "a message from Garcia".

Flatus doesn't have lumps does it? :one_eye:

Big Mike

One evening when my son was about 12 I picked him up from the roller rink along with one of his buddies. They were trying to be cute, cutting these little baby farts. I let one rip and his friend tried to open a little window in my old Cordoba that doesn't open. "I WIN!!!!!!!!" I cried.

[ArrowFlinger]

I am on the same page with most of you so far.

Don't be a hole hoping whore ie. if someone comes out drills 10 sets of statigic holes to try and pattern the fish stay out of them they are not yours.


As for KUSH I prefer the new big breakfast sandwich from BK :woohoo1: :woohoo1: :woohoo1:


Interesting. Does the same rule apply to softwater? If I drop 10 tackle boxes on the shoreline, can I eliminate shoulder to shoulder fishing? Can you clarify how close or far your 10 holes are. I think the proximity of your holes would determine if this is a reasonable request.

This will be my first year on the ice. I don't plan on using someone elses hole, but if I come across one and noone is withing a baseball throws distance of it, I might take seconds look at it.

[skulldugary]

If you take your dog with you,please keep an eye on it and keep it with you.

Don't allow your dog to hike it's leg and piss on my tip-up.

Don't allow your dog to be a fish thief,catch your own.

A small peanut can with baking soda can be use for cigarette butts,that way we'll know if the brown spots in the snow are nicotine stains or dog pooh.

[FishDaddy09]

In most of the places where I ice fish there are almost always some other people around. If you are catching fish they WILL move closer to you. There is no reason to get upset about this. Most of the time these guy's could not catch fish if you handed them your pole and let them fish your hole. If you drill 10 holes in an area where there are already 30 other holes and you think those 10 holes are YOURS you will probable have a bad day! LOL. I think the most important thing is to pick up your trash and any other trash you see laying around. Do not dump your bait on the ice or in the parking area (this is how we lose access to our icefishing spots) Try to be courtetous to other anglers and try to not make to much noise coming on or going off the ice and while you are setting up. If you don't want anyone fishing near you then go off by yourself, if you are fishing an area that get's a lot of people don't get jacked out of shape when those other people show up and fish near you ( people seem to assume that if you are already there you are on the fish and catching them) so they will usually come out to where you are. Worry more about what you are doing to catch your fish and less about what some yahoo is doing and you will have a much better time on the ice.

[Cherokee]

Don't "violate" near me ; I will call RAP - violators of any kind will not be tolerated this year! One verbal warning(maybe) and then the cell phone will fire up.

After having to endure the darelicts on Reeds Lake last year nearly every time out, I will not have my enjoyment diminished this season by a few lousy slobs....

Cig butts, trash, too many lines, creels too full.....culls on ice the list goes on...and , if, by rare chance, you clowns have internet and our reading this ...I would really appreciate it, too, if you guys set-up down wind from me - or at least take a bath and wash your clothes before the season starts!!!

[GoneFishin]

Cigarette butts - if your a lousy fisherman and don't catch anything take 'em with you. If your a good fisherman and have a hot hole leave 'em there. For years I've been fishing those holes with at least a pack of butts around 'em with good success, always figured if they stayed there that long they was catching something. Keep markin' those hotspots for me smokers. :lol: :lol:

Don't send your kids out on the ice unsupervised, it is not "Tot Lot" and I am not a day care worker.

I'm a freindly fellow, you may fish within talkin' distance of me, just not in the hole with all my gear around it or the one with my vex still in it. :rant:

Stop your ATV 10 yds from me and walk over to talk to me, I don't need your exhuast blowin' in my face.

And youngsters when ya come over and ask me a question about fishin' and I give you an honest answer, don't exclaim while walking away that your dad always told you to pay attention to the "Oldtimers". I may look my 62 yrs. but I'm still a yougster inside and it hurts my feelings. ;) :lol:

[Banditto]

Call me odd, but I really don't mind people fishing near me. It really doesn't bother me. Up north we prefer it as it seems to improve the action.

But I guess certain specie dictate that sort of thing--walleye? But pike, panfish and perch don't mind a bit if somebody is 5' from you.

[William H Bonney]

Call me odd, but I really don't mind people fishing near me. It really doesn't bother me. Up north we prefer it as it seems to improve the action.

But I guess certain specie dictate that sort of thing--walleye? But pike, panfish and perch don't mind a bit if somebody is 5' from you.

Me neither.


Except one year out at Metro we were slammin' 'em and some goofball pulls up to my shanty on his ATV, he was so close I couldn't get out of my shanty, I had to use the other side. Of course, after that we didn't catch another fish for 2 hours.

[Neal]

Just think though if you get your own we can ride next to each other and play CHiP's I will be john and you can be poncherelo.........:yikes:

http://p9.xanga.com/95/73/9573f3631a2a3840e4728899f99cd92a4372334.jpg

[shadow7663]

http://p9.xanga.com/95/73/9573f3631a2a3840e4728899f99cd92a4372334.jpg
LMAO!!!!!!:lol:

Neal, I hope to see you at the m-n-g. I am bringing a few friends with me vito,sam, and hoffa jr. We are gonna give you some new "shoes" so you can sleep with the fishes......:lol:

[Kevin]

One occurs to me from the White Lake outing last year:
If a guy is discretely taking one knee, a distance away from the crowd, to relieve himself of a pot of coffee and a couple beers, it is not necesssary and not funny to try to knock him over, throw a snowball at him, or yell "Hey what's that guy doing" to draw attention to him. :help: :p