I live in central Illinois and drove around all day looking for worms and finally found them at a local bait store I didn't want to go to because its a far drive from me and I knew that one of my favorite fishing spots would still be frozen over. I can't ice fish on it because I don't trust the ice and all of the other spots around me are the same way or maybe 1/3 unfrozen. I don't know were to fish and don't have the time to drive 2 hours to find a place to catch small sunfish.

Is anybody else hurting like this and can't find a place to get there line wet? And not looking to catch any target fish I just want to get something!!

Wish I had your problem.
Burntside Lake near Ely still has a ton of snow with 25+ inches of ice on it.
That's a lot of ice to auger through, phew!!! :)

Fished last weekend in the Metro and had 24 inches of ice and another 12 inches of snow insulation packed on top the small lake I go to.

Once it starts warming and raining it will go quick, but it is pretty late in the year to still have that much ice on this Metro lake.

T

I would offer up crappie and sandies, but, apparently I live in a desert!!(N.E. Okla)...no stream flow, no fish

Hey Rich....from one central Illinoisian to another, try one of the many reservoirs having a hot water discharge from a power plant. Sangchris, Clinton, and Lake Springfield in my area have lots of open water.

Rich-
Contrary to popular belief, all ice is safe ice.
When the ice gets rotten in the spring is usually the best fishing of the year. Here in the Twin Cities there is still a lot of ice; it hasn't pulled from shore at all yet.
BTW, I was joking in the first line. Be careful out there. (but really give it a try)

Not trying to rub it in. I am leaving Wednesday afternoon to spend four days on Lake Amistad canoeing and fishing. TGO’s statement does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about my May 5 entry into Seagull.

quote Mickeal: "Not trying to rub it in. I am leaving Wednesday afternoon to spend four days on Lake Amistad canoeing and fishing. TGO’s statement does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling about my May 5 entry into Seagull."

Been on a lake when half was still ice before,the wind came up and the ice shifted,had to portage and haul the canoe around,we got cornered with its movement. But that makes things very interesting. Just don't get pinched between two pieces of ice in the middle of the lake,that would be scary.

Pinetree, if your talking about May then that is great advice. If your taking about Amistad, well that is on the Mexico boarder. Will post some pics when I return.

Hit the rivers near dams, good time for them eyes to be moving up to feed with the high flow we have now. Northern il here

Here in northern Illinois the feeling is the same. It hurts to see all the ice on your favorite fishing spots. I tried to do some light casting on some of the big lakes that had a little open shore but that did not last long. It is a far cry from last year and the 8o degree temps that we had in March. Oh well, It has to change sooner than later.