# last time there was no ice?



## stormfront (Feb 18, 2016)

I quit ice fishing years ago but I remember the years when we were on hard water before Christmas. I seem to remember seasons later that there was only a short ice season. Does anyone remember the last time we had no safe ice? It's weird going across the local lakes and seeing open water. (FWIW, my wife and I were walking two weeks ago and saw a robin. I'm not sure if he forget to trip south or if he had returned already....lol).

Hope you bucket sitters get some favorable weather soon.


----------



## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

I think 2012 was a crummy year for ice I dont remember for sure though


----------



## Workingman (Jan 21, 2016)

I've ice fished (central ohio) every year since I started. Now, some years it's only been once at Knox lake which freezes pretty quickly. But I've been at least once every year. The first winter I went was the year of that horrible space shuttle crash (dont know year but I remember it was on the radio on my trip home).


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

bumpus said:


> I think 2012 was a crummy year for ice I dont remember for sure though


Youre right. The 2011/2012 winter. Check it out:

https://www.ohiogamefishing.com/threads/busted-season.193234/#post-1358885


----------



## Bluegillin' (Jan 28, 2009)

stormfront said:


> I quit ice fishing years ago but I remember the years when we were on hard water before Christmas. I seem to remember seasons later that there was only a short ice season. Does anyone remember the last time we had no safe ice? It's weird going across the local lakes and seeing open water. (FWIW, my wife and I were walking two weeks ago and saw a robin. I'm not sure if he forget to trip south or if he had returned already....lol).
> 
> Just as a note, not all Robins migrate south. Some stay all winter.


----------



## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)

Its not uncommon for Robins to roost in Ohio during the winter months.


----------



## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

Today is kind of a crappy one for me, a year ago today was my first ice trip the season today I could of taken the boat out what a bummer


----------



## tsw (Sep 28, 2014)

bumpus said:


> Today is kind of a crappy one for me, a year ago today was my first ice trip the season today I could of taken the boat out what a bummer


Put my ice fishing gear in the corner of my garage, and got my golf clubs back out. This weather blows big baby chunks!


----------



## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

2 years on, 2 years off... seems to have been that way for the last 12 anyway around here. FYI, this is year 1 of off, doesn’t mean no ice fishing, but bet it will be less.
Kind of goes in line with that El Niño, La Niña chart someone posted.


----------



## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

We had good ice last year but the year before was kinda weak


----------



## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Yeah . I thought 2016/2017 ice seaase wasn't good


----------



## stormfront (Feb 18, 2016)

I'm 65 and the robin we saw was the first ever this late in the season. Then again, I live in a suburb. Sigh. I can remember ice being over 2 feet thick (?) back in the early 70s. I can remember stripping down to a tee shirt while using a dull bladed auger back then. Ice gear sure has come a long way.


----------



## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

As for the ice...Ohio is just not a dependable state For quality icefishing. I remember three or four years ago we had a great season and there was nearly a foot of ice everywhere you went... last year was only 5 inches at best, and that only lasted a week or two .

As for the Robbins, whether they migrate or not, I don't know… But I see them all winter long every year in southern Ohio, no matter how cold it gets


----------



## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Yep., 2011-2012 Season was a total bust with No Ice


----------



## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

The one that really sticks out for me is 97'-98. Was a major El nino year. I do HVAC. That Feb I had 2 no heat service calls, the whole month! No fishing and darn near starved to death too!

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


----------



## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

stormfront said:


> I quit ice fishing years ago but I remember the years when we were on hard water before Christmas. I seem to remember seasons later that there was only a short ice season. Does anyone remember the last time we had no safe ice? It's weird going across the local lakes and seeing open water. (FWIW, my wife and I were walking two weeks ago and saw a robin. I'm not sure if he forget to trip south or if he had returned already....lol).
> 
> Hope you bucket sitters get some favorable weather soon.


I did the same thing when I started. for some yrs I was fishing during our Christmas break from work. had good ice from Christmas until it started warming up. then we had several yrs of little or no ice. it seemed like some yrs by the time I could go fishing we'd get warm weather usually with rain and I wouldnt get to go. there was yrs that the old diehards would go but I had to have 4" of good ice before I would go. thats when I quit going ice fishing and just never got the itch to start back.
sherman


----------



## BFG (Mar 29, 2006)

2012 we fished with the Wharf on March 20th. They had been killing fish for three weeks before we went with them. No ice. 80 degrees that week. It was also very dry and hot that summer. 

We aren't getting on the big pond this year boys and girls. Hell, I doubt we get on Charlie's farm pond either. Sucks bigtime...I'm going NORTH..


----------



## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

BFG said:


> 2012 we fished with the Wharf on March 20th. They had been killing fish for three weeks before we went with them. No ice. 80 degrees that week. It was also very dry and hot that summer.
> 
> We aren't getting on the big pond this year boys and girls. Hell, I doubt we get on Charlie's farm pond either. Sucks bigtime...I'm going NORTH..


My wife and I fished 2012 saint Patrick's day it to was 80 that day. We were on West Branch, crushed the crappie, but caught 8 different species that day, pretty much all the kinds of fish in the lake! 

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


----------



## stampman60 (Jan 12, 2015)

No ice last new years. Had to drink my whiskey with NO ICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

stampman60 said:


> No ice last new years. Had to drink my whiskey with NO ICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'll bet it tasted better...


----------



## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

tsw said:


> Put my ice fishing gear in the corner of my garage, and got my golf clubs back out. This weather blows big baby chunks![/QUO


----------



## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

th


hardwaterfan said:


> Youre right. The 2011/2012 winter. Check it out:
> 
> https://www.ohiogamefishing.com/threads/busted-season.193234/#post-1358885


then the following year we were standing on 18 inches on Erie


----------



## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

We had 2 amazing seasons in a row after the crap 2011-12 season


odell daniel said:


> th
> 
> then the following year we were standing on 18 inches on Erie


----------

