Way back in the early 50's ole jeep and I wanted to go fish'n. That wasn't anything outta the ordinary. We ALWAYS wanted to go fish'n. This happened to be in January tho. AFter temps in the sub zero range for about 3 weeks and everything was friz up tight'r than a bank'rs heart. We decided to try some ice fish'n. Borrowed paps ax, got our cane poles, bait [chicken livers] and headed across the field to a neighbors cow pond.After walk'n across that old corn field we made it in short order. By the time we got there it was really gett'n colder bythe minute. We decided after all the fuss and work might as well try our luck. We baited our hooks and got everything ready to fish. Ole jeep chopped the hole in the ice for the fishin line. Guess what! The pond was friz solid! Nowhere on that little pond was there any water that wasn't friz. OH we could see the fish and plenty of'm. Problem was they were friz in the ice. We decided to go on home--when the landowner showed up and run us off. HIs mean Herford bull was out roamin around too. We made the return trip home in record time and was even sweat'n a little by the time we made that quarter mile. That bull almost caught up with us and would have if we hadn't dropped our equipment and got serious about the task of runnin! We retrieved the stuff next day. Pap wondered why his ax was dull. We never told'm but I think he might've known. Just another day in the lives of ole jeep and me. Tis a wonder that we're still alive!

Check on your neighbors. It's still winter in most of the country and folks need look'n in on. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), February 07, 2001

Answers

Since moving to the desert, I do miss hard water fishing.

-- Lynn Goltz (lynngoltz@aol.com), February 08, 2001.

Say Hoot,

Come over to Lake Erie and try ice fishing in Sandusky Bay when the ice starts to thaw. When you hear a loud snap and everyone starts running to the OTHER side of the widening crack, it means they're on the land side and YOU'RE NOT. But don't worry. Fishermen are a tight group. They'll toss you beer and sanwiches to tide you over until the Coast Guard can pick you off your ice floe. They rescue ALMOST everybody. Honest.

(:raig

-- Craig (cmiller@ssd.com), February 08, 2001.

Oh how i love to ice fish. Jiggin' sitting on a upturned five gal bucket. Eating sandwiches and drinking cocoa or from a thermas. Thanks for the reminding me the best things in life are free.

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), February 09, 2001.

Old joke: These not too bright guys were out in the middle of the lake in summer fishing, but just couldn't get any bites. One said to the other, "You know, we were at almost this exact same spot last winter and caught a bunch of them through the hole." Other one agreed, so they chopped a hole in the bottom of their boat.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 10, 2001.