Ice fishing yesteryear

[Fishinfool]

The cold weather has brought back fond memories of occasional ice fishing on the Severn. Back in the late fifties and sixties, the creeks and coves in the mid-Severn would predictably freeze over every winter and I used to spend Saturdays catching yellow perch with my dog. No cooler needed, just plop 'em on the ice!

One cold Saturday I went down near Yantz Cove for a walk on the ice with Gus (my dalmation), and noticed some divers were out at an old schooner wreck by West Severna Park beach. I walked over to check 'em out, and they were coming up with BAG FULLS of fresh fat oysters! They had so many, they gave me a shopping bag full. Well, being the good kid that I was, (I went bad later), I took the bag home to my mom to make some oyster stew. Problem was, since the brown bag got wet from the oysters, about half of them came out of the bag walking home, and I was probably too cold at that point to notice. I can imagine the neighbors reactions when they saw the oysters in their lawns when they went to mow the following Spring.

"How the hell did they get up here?" Here's the funny ice fishing scene from Grumpy Old Men: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EwgvDvtqQs

[M_Duong60]

I have always wanted to go ice fishing but have no idea how and where to fish. Looks like a lot of fun.

[Fishinfool]

There's not much ice fishing left in these parts due to climate change. The last really cold winter was 1976 - 77. That was the winter when the Bay froze and they had to bring in Coast Guard ice breakers to clear the shipping lanes. Amazing. One year, in '69 I think, we skated from Severna Park all the way to the Naval Academy and back. Probably 10-12 miles round trip. There would be the occasional garage special home made ice boat out there too, boy they were fast!

But back then ice fishing was pretty simple. Trap some live minnows, or dig out some earth worms. Cut a hole in the ice with a hatchet. Bait the hook, and lower her down near the bottom. Nothin' to it. The yellow perch were actually pretty active and hungry back then, and if I could catch 'em anyone could. Not too many pickeral back then though. They were as scarce as yellow perch are now. Funny how different species run in cycles.

[J.A. Veil]

During Jan or Feb of 2009, we had a spell of very cold weather. The Magothy froze up enough that my pickerel mentor, Virgil Poe, invited me on my first ice-fishing outing. We fished a series of tip-ups. We had one bite and knockdown, but by the time we got to the hole, the fish was off.

The following Jan (2010), Virgil took me with him on a more productive trip to a lake in western MD. We caught a bunch of fish that day. The report was posted on Tidalfish at http://www.tidalfish.com/forums/show...hing+++magothy

[Fishinfool]

Great John! Love to see those pretty yellow perch laying out on the ice like that. What a good eating fish!

Heck, if it stays this cold for another week, we may be in business fishing that "hard" water around here! A friend of mine went out this afternoon to clear the ice off a pond near his home in Ellicott City. POND HOCKEY!!! Complete with roasted hot dogs and some cold adult beverages. Who says it's cold?

[M_Duong60]

Sadly I just checked the weather forecast and it looks like things are going to warm up.

[kevinfry]

As some of you know I have a cottage in Northern Ontario. They do some ice fishing there as u might imagine. They also use some tactics we might try here...take a look https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=Sc0TytlNDBg

[chimo]

Can't even imagine the bay being locked up! I enjoy ice fishing alot as well and am missing out this year. My brother keeps sending me pics from the ice to rub it in