Our Ice Fishing Blunders

[Vollmer]

We all have our stories.

We were out two years ago on Alice, and a buddy setup his Clam flip-over. A few minutes later we here this loud WOOOFFF, followed by a cloud of smoke rolling out of his shelter, and what looked like Diablo himself bumbling out of it.

He had the propane running, but it wouldn't light. Once it finally did light, there must have been a bit of gas in the shack.

No one was hurt, so we chalked it up as 'funny'.

 

[KDM]

Went out on early ice with a pop up 4X8 home made shak with 2 two trucks. Set up and everything was great until the shack moved a bit. When we tried to get out we realized the weight of two trucks pushed the ice down to the point the trucks slid on the ice, right to the door on the one side and almost to the wall on the other, and locked us in the shack. One man sized hole in the wall tarp later we were outside the shack. However, with one truck on each side of the shack we had a DEVIL of a time getting them apart on that slick, and now wet, ice. We ended up having to pull one truck out by hand with a tow rope and our own horsepower with cleats on our boots to get a handle on things. When we got the other truck backed up, the "Sucking" sound of water being pulled into the holes as the ice rose was something I will NEVER forget nor want to repeat. Like I've said before, early and late ice is fickle and when you add stupidity on top of it..........BAD things can happen. Be Safe out there fellas!!!!

 

[Kentucky Windage]

Had the same thing happen a few years back. The flame cut a few lines that were in the water. Scary at first, and then funny later on.

 

[Retired-Guy]

About 40 years ago, my younger brother and I drug my dad's stick-built ice house out on Cotton Lake north of DL, MN. Weather was mild but decided to assemble and fire up the wood stove anyway. Got a good flame going and the smoke drove us out on the ice. I went back in and drug the stove and chimney out on the ice and discovered that mice had built a nest at the damper. Beat on the pipe until it fell out, reassembled things, and had a great day of walleye fishing.

 

[guywhofishes]

I do not like this thread.

- - - Updated - - -

It just dawned on me that the last few years it seems that I spend more time trying to eliminate blunders than I do fishing/hunting.

Crap.

 

[Weekender]

Had a little bit too much brandy one night out on the ice when me and a few of my buddies had our wheel houses on Audubon. When I woke up on the bunk in the morning, I said to my wife: "Man, that was a fun night... sure wish we could have caught some fish though". She then informs me of the 25" walleye that I caught, and showed me a picture of the 29" walleye that my buddy caught. What a pleasant surprise. :;:cheers

 

[JayKay]

I don't ice fish a lot, but one brief story comes to mind. A few years back, was fishing (and drinking) on Fish Creek out west, with a couple of buddies. Razzing each other, not catching much fish, blasted cold out. Ice was smooth a slippery.

I had been dishing it out a while, and was on the receiving end for a bit. Was going to stomp off in a pretend huff, and said "fine, p!ss on you guys" and turned on my heel. Slipped. I'm pretty sure I did a complete back flip before landing. The only thing funnier would have been if my socks had been blown off.

 

[Lycanthrope]

dropped keys down the hole once when I was out with my snowmobile and gear on a sled, miles away from my truck, alone. Took a few hours to snag them with a daredevil off the bottom of the lake...

Also cell phones sink fast...

 

[Captain Ahab]

Plan your trips better...:;:

- - - Updated - - -

P.S. My stories aren’t much more than forgotten stuff and mismanaged intoxication.

 

[dblkluk]

Years ago, Very early ice on Lake Darling myself and a buddy (who just happens to now have his name on fishing rods and ice houses ) decided to walk from landing three to the pig farm.
The ice was completely free of snow and was slick but that made pretty easy going to slide our gear behind us.. Neither of us had ice cleats, but we didn't think much of it as the weather was warm and and the bite was on. We made our way across easily and after a couple hours of fishing the wind was picking up and we knew it was getting bad when we heard a faint thump! thump! thunk getting louder. We went outside the shack to see a 5 gallon bucket bouncing down the lake at about 25 mph from where we can only assume was Grano. We didnt want to admit that we knew what was coming, but decided to pack up and attempt the couple mile walk back.. I have no idea how long it took us to cross that lake walking into the wind, but we could barely make two or three steps without falling or going backwards. We ended up going a majority of the way on our hands and knees and finally made it back after several hours.
I have a ton of other stories of fishing/hunting with that guy that involve the same type of antics.. ;:;rofl

 

[jdfisherman]

Early ice and no snow on the lake - my brother and I had just set up a Clam suitcase with the plastic bottom. A gust of wind grabbed the house - it was almost half way across the lake before we caught up to it. Sold it the next spring.

 

[BrewCrew]

so back in the early '80's we built the warmest house on the ice - 2x4 construction full foam insulation, 12 v lights - it was a doozy. Weighed a bazillion pounds. got it to the lake, Lizzie, on New Years Eve. hooked up the propane and started to unload truck, coolers, gear etc. after about ten minutes go in to start the stove and the boom was so loud the dog ran to the other end of the lake - blew the door off, window out, took out my mustache and eye brows. Turns out the main pipe into the stove was cracked and all that gas settled in the floor cutouts. Also blew the house up about 6 inches. We survived and learned our lesson - got lucky.

 

[johnr]

Buddy ran the auger inside the flipover, tore the sidewall about 4 ft up. But the 25 mph wind didn’t blow out our little candle we used for heat, because the propane was out. I have never been so cold, and drunk in my entire life.

 

[Lungdeflator]

We've had some fun times and some not so fun times, also some times that can be chalked up to just plain stupidity.

My dad would take us out fishing when we were young. He had a 10" auger. Don't know how many times he told us not to fill in the holes, but we did it anyways (dang kids!), he ended up stepping in one and going in up to his knee. Looking back its crazy lucky he didn't break his leg. Looking back its crazy lucky he didn't leave us out on the ice for the birds.

I built an 8x6 permy skid house for our little lake back in MN in high school. Of course we thought it would be a great place to drink away from the parents. Turns out 13 people is about the max you can fit into an 8x6 fishouse when its -10 degrees. My buddy and I ended up making a fire outside the house and freezing our asses off.

A few years ago on Sak my wife and I were out fishing on Douglas. Beautiful afternoon and we were catching some eyes'. We could see a huge wall of clouds coming from the west, didn't think too much of it. Hardly any snow on the ice, really slick. Well that wall of clouds turned out to be a wall of 50mph wind. We had the flip over attached to the ATV and when the wind went from 5mph to 50mph in a matter of minutes, we got blown a couple hundred yards down the lake. Dragging transducers, lines, flip over, and ATV. Had to send the dog to retrieve the walleyes after they got blown away.

 

[ndfinfan]

Years ago, Very early ice on Lake Darling myself and a buddy (who just happens to now have his name on fishing rods and ice houses ) decided to walk from landing three to the pig farm.
The ice was completely free of snow and was slick but that made pretty easy going to slide our gear behind us.. Neither of us had ice cleats, but we didn't think much of it as the weather was warm and and the bite was on. We made our way across easily and after a couple hours of fishing the wind was picking up and we knew it was getting bad when we heard a faint thump! thump! thunk getting louder. We went outside the shack to see a 5 gallon bucket bouncing down the lake at about 25 mph from where we can only assume was Grano. We didnt want to admit that we knew what was coming, but decided to pack up and attempt the couple mile walk back.. I have no idea how long it took us to cross that lake walking into the wind, but we could barely make two or three steps without falling or going backwards. We ended up going a majority of the way on our hands and knees and finally made it back after several hours.
I have a ton of other stories of fishing/hunting with that guy that involve the same type of antics.. ;:;rofl

This made me laugh out loud!

 

[Retired Educator]

Didn't happen to me but quite a few years ago I was fishing on Black Tiger Bay east of DL. No snow on the ice and 20-30 mph wind. Heard some yelling and looked out of my flipper that i had tied to a tree. A homemade portable was blowing across the lake with 2 guys standing at the door yelling for help. House finally stopped a good quarter of a mile down the lake, maybe close to 1/2 mile. Nobody or thing worse for the wear.

For me, one Christmas Eve day I had decided to try a different lake in Canada. Drove up and saw lots of houses and vehicles spread in a ice shack city around the entrance to the lake. Decided to get a little ways away from the crown so went beyond about 200 yds. Got out, unloaded my flipper and drilled 2 holes. The first hole, the auger turned a couple times and through the ice. I thought maybe just a thin spot. Drilled another and same thing. I'm sitting on about 6-8 inches of ice with my full size pickup.No water coming up so decided to fish. Fished about 1/2 hour and heard another vehicle coming and when he got close noticed water coming up the holes, quite a bit water. Flipped my house open to have him not come any closer. He's close to 100 yds. away and just driving by. That was enough for me, loaded my stuff, backed out a ways on the trail I drove in on, and left. For sure the thinnest ice I've ever driven on and don't ever want to do it again. The bullsack was pretty tight on the way out.

 

[sig357]

i don't ice fish a lot, but one brief story comes to mind. A few years back, was fishing (and drinking) on fish creek out west, with a couple of buddies. Razzing each other, not catching much fish, blasted cold out. Ice was smooth a slippery.

I had been dishing it out a while, and was on the receiving end for a bit. Was going to stomp off in a pretend huff, and said "fine, p!ss on you guys" and turned on my heel. Slipped. I'm pretty sure i did a complete back flip before landing. The only thing funnier would have been if my socks had been blown off.

DAMN THAT FISH CREEK! This was maybe 20 years ago I was out there with a buddy. I went back to grab some tip ups the wind ones that jig themselves. Anyways I had a ice cleat break on the way to the car and just kept the other one on. on the way back a hit a spot with some loose snow on top and smashed my head so fn hard I though I cracked the ice or skull. I laid on my back till my buddy could regain his uncontrollable laughter to help me out. To make it worse I had 3 hooks stuck in my new jacket that had to be cut out. Needless to say I was pissed, my head hurt as well as the little bit of pride that I had left. But man did we catch the shit out of those rainbows and browns that day. ​

 

[Sluggo]

During the low water years, I and my son were looking for fishable water at Beaver Bay on Oahe. First hole had 2 feet of ice and 3 feet of water, we drove on the ice south looking for more depth. Stopped and drilled a couple times, always 2 feet of ice but shallow water. Got to the last spot and drilled and the ice was like 10 inches thick....we had unwittingly (stupidly) driven to where there was current. We packed up and made a B line for dry ground. I told my son "don't tell mom". We then went to a small lake and fished for pike the rest of the day. While fishing, the sunflower heater started whistling and before we knew what was going on, flames erupted near the top of the propane tank. We both bailed out of either side of the shack, looked at each other and then started scooping snow on the tank. The flames didn't go out until the entire tank and sunflower were buried. I just shook my head and my son said "we better not tell mom". We laugh about it now but wasn't so funny that day.

 

[guywhofishes]

maybe I’m not going to sink more money into ice fishing gear

maybe I need to start heading south every winter

 

[Sluggo]

maybe I’m not going to sink more money into ice fishing gear

maybe I need to start heading south every winter

Beaver bay is south...…….