Ice Fishing

During the Christmas break at our country school, my dad, two brothers and I went ice fishing everyday, no matter what the weather. When we finished the morning chores, we packed the tip-ups, ice chisel, and minnows into the back of our 1936 Plymouth and we were off to the lake. Usually Mt. Morris Lake in Waushara County in those days.

After we cut holes in the ice and set up our tip-ups (used to hook a northern pike if we were lucky) we trudged off to shore and built a small fire where we sat staring through the smoke at our tip-up flags, and where we heard our Uncle's stories and the stories of others who ice fished with us. I have warm memories of those cold days. Oh, we also caught some fish.


The Old Timer says: Don't make too small a hole in the ice when ice fishing. Nothing is more embarrassing or perplexing than to hook a fish too large for the hole. Same with life. Be prepared for the big opportunities; they often come along when you least expect them.