Omahayanks 1st attempt at Ice-fishing!

[Omahayank]

Well, after a couple of attempts and chickening out. February 9, 2007 My good friend Bob and I FINALLY got ourselves out on the ice of Lake Zorinski in west Omaha. We’d had over 3 weeks of below freezing temps, so we were confident the ice would hold us.(over 6”is considered safe) There was a good 14”(35.5cm) of ice.

Being the 1st attempt at ice fishing for both of us, it was definitely a learning experience. It wasn’t nearly as frigid as we were expecting. Bob brought a turkey blind to use as a hut. It was warm enough in the hut that we didn’t need the propane heater we’d brought nor even Gloves. I was worried, how on earth; I was going to tie 2lb. Ice line w/heavy gloves?

I was expecting the 2 of us would work up a terrible sweat then freeze solid using a 6” hand auger. I’d bought the auger, years ago anticipating this day. It zipped through the 14” in less than a minute. I even drilled a hole to make sure Bob wasn’t showing off.

We put the tent over the hole, piled snow around the bottom edges to block the light and poked our heads in. The WHOLE floor glowed a bright green... no big mystery, but didn’t expect it. We could see 10’(3m) down the hole. The water is NOT that clear in the summer!

We had forgotten a bunch of our kit, but remembered enough to give it a go. Forgotten was Bait. All we had was luncheon meat Ham... worked a charm!

i i i 2 rainbow trout ! ! !

Me w/the 2 troutcicles and the hut behind.

The green hole and floor


Nebraska does a really neat thing. They stock local lakes, all over the state, w/hatchery raised trout, so they’re Very Easy to catch. Expecting them All to be taken before summer heat kills them.

This pic is my 2nd attempt, Bob’s 3rd. March 5, 2007 Bob got 1 R.B.Trout and 1 small L.M.Bass. I got skunked(blanked).

[wellyfish]

well done mate ,great pics and it looks bloody freezing

[Norfolkboy]

Great pics mate and thanks for sharing. Looks a nice couple of trips out.

[John Marshall]

Nelson, great pics and I'm sure you had fun, but it looks too cold for me.
Well done!

[fishypaul]

bloody hell omaha that looks freezing,
great pics mate

[mithrandir]

looks like a real adventure way of fishing, i wonder if we will ever get to do that over here?

Well done for braving it out.

[baitmaster]

great pics i,de love to have ago at that mind you it does look cold .

tightlines
kevin

[Twiddler]

Well done Omaha, nice pics......too cold for my liking though brrrrrrh lol

[..::Pike Pirate::..]

well done mate! your rainbows must be a bit different to ours, because ours dojnt die from heat in summer lol

[Omahayank]

Thanx folks

Originally Posted by ..::Pike Pirate::..

well done mate! your rainbows must be a bit different to ours, because ours dojnt die from heat in summer lol

I have to add, IF the water is deep/cooold enough....the Rainbow Trout don't die. Just most of the city and town lakes they Stock them in are too shallow.
They do it because the hatchery raised trout are SOOOO easy to catch, they hope to catch lil'fishers for a lifetime of our sport. Pretty cool I think.


It was cold, but it didn't Feel near as bad as we were expecting. It was prob. 9 deg, -4 windchill, 14" of ice, 3"snow.
4 layers on the bottom, 3 layers on top, my thighs didn't recognize each other when I got home.

look here: http://flickr.com/photos/14014047@N0...058363/detail/

ps. I'd like to add, that this is Nebraska....9 days later, March 14th we broke a 50 year old high temperature record with 80F (27C)