ice fishing for survival

[skunkkiller]

would any of you ice fish in a survival sitution?I know we all say we carry fishing kits . but can you caugth a fish in the winter and know how to get bait?

[Sourdough]

I have used a gill net under the ice on Lake Clark.

[skunkkiller]

OK I carry my hawk with me so I would have a way to make a hole in the ice how about you how do you get trought the ice and what about bait?

[skunkkiller]

around here you can get bait from golden rods the round ball on the stem will have a small grub in it if it does not have a hole in it an it doesn't take long to collect alot of bait

[trax]

skunkkiller, I've mentioned before and a few others have as well, the question of energy expended over energy gained in a survival situation. (1000 calories burned making hole in ice versus 250 calories gained from fish...) It might be well worth your while to ice fish, but where I've lived and had most of my outdoors experience, you're going to be a long time making a hole in the ice if it's dead of winter using a 'hawk. Having said that, once you've got a hole, the hardest part is over and you can use the hole repeatedly. Hopefully, you've got some kind of line, if not, there are tree barks that you can skin down to make cordage out of...it's all situation dependant. I'd wrap my line around a stick that's just a bit too big to pull into the hole and drop my hook in. A dead leaf will work as bait if it doesn't crumble off and drift away like toilet paper when it hits the cold water. Fish will be attracted to the extra light your hole makes. Are you a smoker? A bit of tinfoil off a cigarette package will work as bait. My advice is, if you think you're going to stuck where you are, make the hole asap, while you still have the energy, but take your time at it. Put a small stick straight up on your stick that the lines dangling from, then you can stay back in the bush where it will be about 5 to 7 degrees warmer and if the little stick drops...you've got a fish.

Snaring is your best bet in the conditions you're describing, at least the environment that I'm imagining from your post.

[Sourdough]

WOW Trax, you'all sure got sissy'fish. Now in the GREAT state of ALASKA, we have minnows that field dress at 12 to14 pounds. Really I think people miss think survival locations as in "live off the land". Poo on the land. The good size lakes and sea is where the easy survival food is. A big Lake Clark Lake Trout will go 45 plus pounds, and the average is 6 to 9 pounds, with 17 to 24 pounders once per week.

I think I talked in another thread how to operate the gill net under the ice.

[Sourdough]

Hey Trax, Alaskan's have bigger poles....... Not little sticks and hide in the bushes......

[trax]

Au contraire my friend. In the GREAT province of Manitoba, them there yer talkin about are sissy fish. We'd be using them for bait. No seriously, I just think people need to bear in mind that they're going to have to do some work to get fed in a survival situation and they should put some thought into how hard they're going to work.

And SK...since I had to come back and re-post to educate hope anyway.......here's something that sometimes helps, if you want to hang around your fishing hole, stir the water once in awhile. It'll attract fish that are looking for other fish to eat. Just stir it carefully, you don't want to be splashing around in those temperatures.

[trax]

Hey Trax, Alaskan's have bigger poles.......

And will use 40 pound test line.

that's not what Alaskan women have been telling me

[skunkkiller]

Takes about five minutes to cut a hole with a hawk alwas carry fishing kit because it can be used for more then fishing like snare or bird trap but when done making shelter, fire and some snares time to go fishing !

[trax]

you must live way south of me, man if you're cutting a hole in lake ice in five minutes with a hawk...

[crashdive123]

Ice fishing around where I live? Sure - the cubes help keep my drinks cold.

[skunkkiller]

right now the ice here in wisconsin is about 5inches thick .I don't cut a round hole I always make mine square it doesn't take as long .I have been ice for 40 years .crappies and bluegills are biting like crazey right now walleye and norterns at the end of the month.

[Ole WV Coot]

Sounds like a lot of trouble for minnows, don't have any decent bass up there?

[skunkkiller]

minnows are bait dont use them till end of dec.for walleye and northern

[RBB]

Getting through three or four feet of ice with an axe - let alone a tomahawk - would be a problem where I live.

[skunkkiller]

ice don't get that thick here .I used a hawk because I didn't when to spend the money on a auger made my own shantey and poles.

[rebel]

My rig. Ya gotta fool 'em.

[Sourdough]

We use a Husky Chainsaw with a 42" bar. Now we cut a 30" X 30" hole to get the minnows out. The "BIG" Lunkers we open the hole to 4' By 6' feet and use the cherry picker boom on the Military 6X6 to get them pulled to shore. Few years ago we had a whooper almost pulled the 6X6 into the lake, but we got lucky and the 1/2" steel cable snapped and the truck was saved.........

Do you know how to tell if a fishing guide is telling a tale'.....look and see if his lips are moving......

[doug1980]

We use a Husky Chainsaw with a 42" bar. Now we cut a 30" X 30" hole to get the minnows out. The "BIG" Lunkers we open the hole to 4' By 6' feet and use the cherry picker boom on the Military 6X6 to get them pulled to shore. Few years ago we had a whooper almost pulled the 6X6 into the lake, but we got lucky and the 1/2" steel cable snapped and the truck was saved.........

Do you know how to tell if a fishing guide is telling a tale'.....look and see if his lips are moving......

What were you fishing for? Whales.