26 below this morning.

Last year our crappie trip to Beaver Lake in Arkansas was cancelled because the lake was in abolute flood stage. No ramps open. Remained that way for over a month. A few years ago we had a trip planned for Mississippi river walleye early spring at Red Wing Minn. Turns out to be the only time in recent history (well,, sort of) that the river was frozen that late below the dam. The bottom drops out of Toledo Bend,, Stumps from h*ll. Northern Wisconsin,, 99 degrees and 5" of rain.

But for every wierd weather evnt there have been dozens of great trips.

I WILL NOT ice fish. It was a chore when I was younger. Now its a LITERAL pain in the,, well,, back. BUT,, i fish until the ice comes in and as soon as it goes out.

Up here bream and bass (LM and SM) as well as big pike bite right up to ice in. The water on the lake I live on is gin clear and late in the season you can see 20 feet deep.

Believe it or not, I use 11' BnM poles with 1/64 oz jigs and what we call spikes or wax worms for panfish and big "Roach" minnows which you need to condition overnight in cold water or the shock will kill them,, for bass and Pike. You can also cast for pike and I use Mepps Muskie Killers, swimbaits, cranks and big spinnerbaits.

So USUALLY I fish from early March until The end of December. This and last year my boat was put away in November. Once in a while I'll take the boat out onto the Illinois river for Sauger and white bass in Feb and March but not every year.

Still,, for living up here nearly 10 months of open water fishing at least shows dedication!