By Bill Anderson

Old Man Winter tightened his grip on Thursday & Friday, January 6 & 7, providing those who love ice with some morning temperatures in the mid-20’s below Zero range, and not getting above Zero all day. Saturday’s high of +24 felt almost tropical, but it was only temporary, as the mercury plunged into sub-Zero territory again on Sunday & Monday. Warmer temps are predicted for mid-week, to be followed by a return of more frigid conditions. Well, it’s January in North Dakota, so what else is new? This information is provided just so those who are reading it while lounging on their patios at their winter residences in Arizona, Texas, Florida or some other warm & sunny location can be satisfied with their decision to head south for the winter. 

A brief “January Thaw” was experienced on Tuesday & Wednesday, January 11 & 12. The mercury soared all the way up to 37 above on Tuesday, with the warmer weather propelled by a 20-mph wind out of the south. Wednesday’s high only made it to +32, but that’s a lot better than -32. January weather is predicted to return by the weekend.

Snow, cold and Ice may be reasons for frowns and complaints from some, but snowmobile fans and ice fishing enthusiasts are grinning from ear to ear. With about 2½ feet of snow on the ground, and more where the wind has done its artistry, the entire countryside appears to be open to snowmobilers. After a couple of winters with little or no snow, though, some are still digging their snow cats out of the back of the shop or garage. The recent spell of sub-zero temperatures has given a great deal of depth and strength to the ice on area lakes, giving ice anglers the confidence to haul their insulated and heated ice castles out on local lakes and sloughs. Two fishermen trying their luck on one of the larger sloughs near Rutland reported that the ice was 18” thick, plenty of ice to hold the weight of a fishing house or a pickup truck. Anglers should still be cautious where the ice is covered by snow, though, as the insulating effect of the snow may have kept the ice a lot thinner. Just remember, even though it’s frozen, it’s still only water.

One ice angler reports that he was planning to relax in his fishing house with a mixed drink while waiting for the fish to bite when he realized that he had forgotten to bring ice cubes. Well, when you’re sitting on top of acres of ice, that’s no problem. So, he chipped out some ice cube sized chunks of ice and prepared to make his drink. Then he thought, “It’s still slough water, even if it’s frozen,” and he decided that the ice should be sterilized before using. He fired up his stove, filled a pot with water and heated it up to boiling temperature to get rid of any offensive germs and viruses. The sub-Zero chunks of ice were then dropped into the bubbling water. He states that the ice was so cold when he started that it was still frozen hard when he removed it from the pot. This fellow is currently looking for a job with a national political organization. For a fisherman, the “Big Lie” is small potatoes.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – Jan. 14, 2022” →