I won't lie, this isn't one of my favorite posts. I know very little about ice fishing except that they use Sea Worms to catch Sea Smelts which are only about 7"-9" long. Apparently the Smelts (I want to say Schmelts) are running the river right now, heading upstream to spawn. Why anyone wants to go sit in one of these little huts, for hours on end though, is beyond me.
Look at this girl. Isn't she sweet? She and her friend came down to visit the boys. Awww ... that's love.
(looking left)
As you can see some of the photo's were taken on different days. I went to this spot at least 4 times trying to see some freshly caught Sea Smelts. Each time I went, no Smelts.
"If you come back tomorrow morning around 7:30 am when the tide is high the guys should have some Smelts" so I was told by an elderly man the last time I showed up. Eh, I don't think so.
(looking right) I was also told to be careful where I walked because the ice was a little thin in places and I could go through. Oh great! Why did no one tell me this before I went out walking around on the ice the last time I was here?
The creme da la creme of New England Bob Houses. ha haa!
You can see what the flow of the river does to the walkway after a week or so compared to the top photo. The next time I went down someone had straightened it back out.
This guy even has a little woodstove in his hut! lol! I got there just as the Amtrack Downeaster train was going through headed south towards Boston. My friend Nancy always takes this train when she visits me : )
I thought this gentleman really personified a true New Englander. "Excuse me sir, what's in your bucket?" No smelts? Dang!
Here is a view from the distance. I think there were around 70 Bob Houses altogether when I counted them. I will say one thing, they are all quite unique! And you'll never catch me inside one! 
26 comments:
ha! that's cute. I've been ice fishing with my dad many times. he's always had a heated house too lol
its really not that bad
I used to see ice fishermen on Lake St. Catherine in Vermont. I could never warm up to the sport. At least the ice was stablile there. You couldn't pay me enough to go out on tidal river ice!
hee hee, do you have any pictures of the Smelts, Anabelle?
I suppose if I had been raised by a dad who went ice fishing I would think nothing of it. Instead I was raised on mini-bikes, motorcycles, and snowmobiles! Not the typical girl thing either.
Hi Steve,
I don't think this part was too deep but some of the guys are right out on the bay and a big portion of it opened up a couple weeks ago on those warm days. How they get their Bob Houses off at that point I'm not sure.
LOVED the pictures....but I'm fairly certain it's not about the fishing...I think they are all just hiding from their wive's "honey-do lists"!
I love this as much as I love the movie "Grumpy Old Men"!
Yikes! Would not catch me on that ice... nor in a little bitty house like that.. if someone farts the whole place may blow up.. lol
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
You wouldn't catch me anywhere near one of those huts! And do you eat smelts? Sounds dreadful!
I don't get the high ice fisherman get out there fishing. I see them in my area too and you can tell they are passionate about their hobby. I guess they have the same passion for theirs as we do with ours.
I can't get over the get ups they have in your photos though. Talk about fancy!
Interesting Post! I didn't know that Smelt ran in the tidal rivers. Ice fishing is popular here on Lake Champlain (between NY & VT). The shanties are put on the ice in little villages, and over time they develop names for the shanty towns on the lake. Smelt are very popular here for "fish fries"... I like to eat Smelt, fried crisp, eat the smaller ones as finger food, munching them down tails and all! Yummy!
Great photos and documentary Sharon...but I'm with you...no ice walking or fishing for me!
I used to ice fish with my Dad on a huge, beautiful lake in Northern Idaho. I would not go out on tidal ice! Yikes!
Hi,
I love to fish, but have never been ice fishing. Some fishermen here had to be rescued a few weeks ago because of ice being too thin to support them.They were out there on snowmobiles.
As for smelt, it is one of my favorite fish to eat.My hubby fished Lake Mich. in Chicago and caught them. I coated them in a cornmeal mixture and dipped in an egg batter. Fried and served with coleslaw, potato, and lots of lemon. Delicious little fish.We would have a platter piled high in the middle of the table and ate them like popcorn.
Great pictures! Aren't all the colors fun?!
An ice fishing derby was held on Sebago Lake here in Maine last weekend. The winner caught an 18 1/2 pound Pike. His prize was a fishing boat, motor, and trailer.
Multiple gift certificates were given out as well. Now there is an incentive to sit and watch a hole all weekend!
Oh, this was very interesting...nothing like this in Ohio...your photos are great...very colorful...Love your header shot...
Sharon, another great post and you RISKED your life for this one. Did you get any pictures of the long worms? Did anybody fall through, gosh that ice looked thin. What does a smelt taste like is it yummy?
xxooo
What puts the fishermen out on the
ice is what won the west.
testosterone!
I don't think I would want to try that. I am not real big on regular fishing in nice weather. :)
Glenda
Hehe... I'm with Nikki. Hiding, they are! Seriously? Sit in a house on ice that might just crack through the ice just on the off chance you might catch some little Smelts? Uh-huh.
Nancy, thank you for letting everyone know what a dangerous job blogging is. I hope all my viewers appreciate my dare devil moves just for their entertainment ; )
I've never had Smelts and I'm a seafood lover! Who know they were so yummy?
Di, you nut! lol!
Looks like most of us ladies (and Steve) agree, ice fishing is for the birds!
Come on SPRING!!!
You wouldn't catch me out there on that ice, even if lobsters were jumping into my bucket! Loved the photos though!
Living in the south, I have no experience with ice fishing. I do love to fish for bass, trout, catfish, etc. Putting a little house on the ice and then lighting a fire inside it seems a little dangerous to me. I did love the photo of the fisherman. That's great. This is why I love you site so much. Youa re giving me an insight into a part of the country I long to visit but know so littloe about.
Looks like fun! Great shot of the guy in the New England Plaid jacket! I have never been ice fishing myself, but we were up in Laconia when they had the ice fishing derby a few weeks back. Did you get a nice fresh fish dinner out of it?
I love the photography and especially love the hut with the Red Sox Logo! I hope the ice melts before I head up for our Northern Vermont fishing trip in the beginning of May.
Nope not for me I so agree with Nikki and the Blue Ridge Gal...
Great photos Sharon,
Kathy :)
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