My Buddy in Montana fishes the ice quite a bit, and is in Havre, Mt. at the moment, and is doing well on the ice there also, caught some nice sized walleyes, and some pike. He caught a nice 40 inch one in Thompson Falls, and when I went ice fishing with him, we only caught about four medium pike, but the day before, some guy caught a 48, or fifty some inch pike! I can't remember the exact length, but it was the talk of the town! I managed to miss a couple, and then when one of the tip ups went up, I stood up from my chair, and I was no longer standing, but landed on my side hard, and jammed my hip somehow. I was ok, till the next day, and it still gives me some problems, not as bad as it was, but I still can't fully cross my leg, and relax it. But I am doing it a bit more and more, I have been doing some exercises the Chiropractor told me to do, and it is helping quite a bit. Up to that slip, I was enjoying ice fishing. Didn't have my Yak Trax then, but I do now, and then I found out after buying them, I could have just used a pair of panty hose wrapped around my feet, or some hemp rope wrapped around my feet, and they work as well or better than the Yak Trax, and MUCH cheaper! The fall, which gave me no time catch my self, or try to correct the fall, I was just on the ice! I stood up, and BAM, I was on the ice. Ice do be a tad bit hard! But that was last year, and I wish I could be there this year. It wasn't till after, I was out there, and fishing that I realized why my Buddy never said how thick the ice was. It was only about 3-4 inches thick! He said it was plenty thick. Uh..... uh huh. Well I was next to the little boat like sled that was used to carry the tip ups, and chairs, and the bait. Just in case I suddenly stood up and suddenly went through the ice. It probably wouldn't do any good anyway, because if i went through the ice into that COLD water, I'd be done for! Not so much form being weighted down with heavy clothes, and drowning, but from choking to death from two lumps in my throat!
But I did enjoy it, and wish I was out there now. But next year! Look out fish! Some mighty fine eating there guys.
Wayne
