Too Early to Be Thinking About Ice?

[joatmon]

Well, I got a little taste of it this week, minus the ice and cold.  See my Yuba Reservoir post.

I saw that post. Interesting. I haven't tried to see my jig from my boat fish finder, like you do ice fishing. Could you do that when you were at Yuba? 
I can't wait for the ice. I have a new Life Saver fishing coat to try out. Well I hope I don't have to officially try it to see if it floats me. But it feels nice and warm and has lots of pockets. I will be the first on Henry's again this year. Last couple years I've been on in October. But it normally doesn't freeze until Thanksgiving. I love that first ice bite. I hope we have some places to fish this year. 
I sharpen my own Nils angers using a Work Sharp knife sharpening tool.

I could see both jigs with my flasher, just like through the ice (although I found my transducer "wandered" around a bit - really probably the canoe drifting a little against the anchor).  I could even see the knots where I went from a heavy line to a leader on one rig.  I tried using the flasher with a slow paddle, but the transducer just streamed out behind and I'm not sure what I was seeing.  I did row around a little to find a spot that seemed to have a few more fish.

I've looked at those coats, but decided I could just wear my life jacket over everything else.  It is a fishing life jacket (not self-inflating) and has a couple of pockets that are handy for holding my bait pucks.  Biggest help is confidence to get out on early ice.

I'd like to get up to Henry's sometime.  One of my neighbors goes a couple times a winter (his in-laws have a cabin up there).  Sounds like its better early (like most lakes).