When is it enough?

Sandy & I went fishing today. As I set in the shack, I was looking around at the things I use to fish with. I rode out on a Can Am 2 Up ATV,using a Garmin GPS to find last years hot spot. Behind it a Shapell 2 person fish shack. Then I was looking at my Vexilar FL 18, and then at the underwater camera that Crappie2 was fishing with. We both have the latest ice rods & reels, $100's of dollars in tackle, tip ups, etc. A gas auger, and hand auger. A bucket of tip up minnows, can of spikes, another of wax worms. And I started remembering how this ice fishing all started for me . I had a spud my Dad made, a piece of brass welding rod with some 50lb test black line, a hook, red & white plastic bobber. For bait I cut golden rods and cut the worm out of the center. I had a 10qut. galvanized pail for my fish. I walked from home to the lake. Then started spudding holes till I could get some bites and catch some fish. If I went 10 times, I came home with fish 9 out of the 10. Today, with all this equipment? Came home empty handed laughing at myself.

I know the feeling. Of course, back when i was younger i always envyed the guys that had the cool stuff. Now im the guy with the cool stuff. Atleast i dont have to walk to spud a hole, to get cold, to come back emty handed. Now i can do it in style and comfort

I here what your saying, the game has changed for ever

There was a guy on the ice today that caught many fish and he didn't even have a ff so it goes to show it can still be simple

I remember when my ff use to be a lead weight that you clipped on your line

Life's like that, eh? Kinda like huntin with a crossbow compared to a long bow,

I still have several of the old wood poles my dad had when I was a kid. I hit it lucky a few years back at a garage sale in Monroe. The guy was so sick of the lack of ice down here that he sold out. I bought everything he had for $30.00 (his price) I had to laugh about the clip on depth finder. I still use one. Thanks for the laugh. Happy New Year to all.

I'll let you know when I have enough.:biggrin

Don't we all remember the rod that had the two "L" shaped pieces of metal that you wraped the line around as a reel? The line always kinked when you took it off. LoL When you caught a fish, in deeper water, you either held the rod high and backed up or grabbed the line with your hand then the rod then your hand then the rod again etc. Back then we used a treble hook for a fish finder. Lowering the treble to the bottom and bringing it back up again to see if there were weeds down there. Ah...the good ole days!

Bilieve it or not I still have several of those rods with the L hooks for reels. Wow what a memory. I remember pounding a spud through 18" of ice 2 miles out (walking) on Lake Erie - those days are gone. The warm water discharges from the power plants have ended the ice. Back then there were two guys in a van that had a farmers gas post hole digger that would drive around the lake and punch holes in the ice for 25 cents per hole while selling chili dogs out of the side door of the van. We had stiff poles, no shanty, no windbreak, just a wooden sled with a bucket of poles and a bucket of minnows and come home with a 100+ perch. I also remember the ice shifting while we were out and having to jump off the edge by shore in 4-5 FOW and pulling the sled into shore. COLD!!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by mmaveal

Bilieve it or not I still have several of those rods with the L hooks for reels. Wow what a memory. I remember pounding a spud through 18" of ice 2 miles out (walking) on Lake Erie - those days are gone. The warm water discharges from the power plants have ended the ice. Back then there were two guys in a van that had a farmers gas post hole digger that would drive around the lake and punch holes in the ice for 25 cents per hole while selling chili dogs out of the side door of the van. We had stiff poles, no shanty, no windbreak, just a wooden sled with a bucket of poles and a bucket of minnows and come home with a 100+ perch. I also remember the ice shifting while we were out and having to jump off the edge by shore in 4-5 FOW and pulling the sled into shore. COLD!!!!!!!!!

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Great story. Really like the part about the post hole digger & chili dogs. lol

Yep....I also remember the wooden ice fishing box/sled. There was a place in the front to put a lantern and you sat with the lantern between your legs. When you caught a fish you put it in the slot on the side of the box. Rods went in the back. Not sure they were produced. I know I made mine and every one I knew did also. And you're right, we didn't know what an auger was back then.