last weekend

FinsnFur · March 16, 2014, 10:14:45 PM

Forgot I had pics on the phone yet from last weekend.
The fishing around here has sucked the last several weeks. But it usually does die off in the middle of the sub zero temps and remain that way until we get a little thaw.

My brother caught wind there was a hot spot out in the middle of the river near the main channel. The Mississippi River is a big river

if we walked it from our side we might be able to get to this hot spot in 15 minutes. But that meant crossing the channel

not happenin.
We drove across the bridge into Iowa, Got ourselves parallel to where we need to be on the WI side and started heading out across the ice. Several islands later, and several little cuts later, a lil help from GPS, and 35 minutes of walking out onto the river, landed us where we needed to be. Boy did people look at us funny.

We apparently were the only ones who had trekked out on foot that day. Everyone else came out via hovercraft.

hey we didnt know how far it was

We did pretty good though once we got out there. Made it worth the trip. The walk back sucked but the crazy scenery you dont typically see from a boat, kept things interesting.

Not the biggest Crappie...but some nice fillets for sure.

coyote101 · March 16, 2014, 10:47:47 PM

Looks like a nice haul.

Pat

nastygunz · March 16, 2014, 11:56:44 PM

not bad atall.

slagmaker · March 17, 2014, 02:59:18 AM

Nice on the ice!

question... hovercraft? Please, tell us more.

FinsnFur · March 17, 2014, 05:27:24 AM

Its basically a boat built from heavy non porous foam Slag, that travels on a cushion of air which allows it to navigate on land or water.
One small Briggs and Stratton motor with a fan near the hull that blows down to give the craft lift. A skirt around the outside of the boat parameter holds the air under the craft giving it the lift.
Then theres another motor with a fan on the rear, much like an air boat which provides the propulsion.

Dave · March 17, 2014, 05:45:43 AM

I'm hungry for a fish dinner now.
Looks like it was fun

slagmaker · March 17, 2014, 07:05:15 AM

oh i know what a hover craft is. just wondering about the ones there and why an ice fisherman such as yourself is lacking one. seems like it would make traversing all that possibly thin ice a lot safer

Okanagan · March 17, 2014, 08:05:12 AM

Fascinating post and story. Never heard of a hovercraft that small. Thanx!

Hawks Feather · March 17, 2014, 08:28:25 AM

I always thought that it would be fun to have a hovercraft. But that wasn't ever going to happen so I just kept my thoughts to myself.

Jerry

slagmaker · March 17, 2014, 02:51:39 PM

i have seen a pair of personal hovercraft as prizes on the price is right. but pointing out there use on ice really peaks my intrest

HaMeR · March 17, 2014, 03:44:28 PM

Quoteseems like it would make traversing all that possibly thin ice a lot safer

Til ya stopped to fish anyhow!!

FinsnFur · March 17, 2014, 05:43:32 PM

Well I'd love to have one Slag. But it's one of those things that people like me dream about. Kinda like that big Ford King cab XLT Lariat full length box pick up truck.

Not happening

slagmaker · March 17, 2014, 07:28:11 PM

Quote from: FinsnFur on March 17, 2014, 05:43:32 PM
Well I'd love to have one Slag. But it's one of those things that people like me dream about. Kinda like that big Ford King cab XLT Lariat full length box pick up truck. Not happening

yeah but that would fall through the ice a lot easier.

Okanagan · March 18, 2014, 06:16:32 AM

Quote from: FinsnFur on March 17, 2014, 05:43:32 PM
Well I'd love to have one Slag. But it's one of those things that people like me dream about. Kinda like that big Ford King cab XLT Lariat full length box pick up truck. Not happening

Any idea what one of those smaller one engine hovercraft cost? Their web site doesn't give prices.

slagmaker · March 18, 2014, 06:45:58 AM

looks like the smaller ones run about seven grand.

way more than i thought

FinsnFur · March 18, 2014, 08:02:45 PM

I've never priced em Okanagan, but I got an uncle that builds them for hire. I think he told me once that the only real expense is the two engines. I dont know that there is a single engine one...I thought they needed one for the lift and one for the push.

The body...of the ones he was building, are nothing more then fiber glass resin poured over foam and then painted to look nice. 500lb capacity if I remember right

I've never really considered owning one. I mean it would be nice but definitely not going to prevent me from anything by not having one. And the people around here that do own them all say the same thing....they are nice until you have a problem. And when you have a problem out on the ice, you are soooo S.O.L. You cant paddle back, and you cant get towed back...you are screwed.

KySongDog · March 19, 2014, 05:18:38 AM

I would be more interested in having a snow machine in your area, Jim. Looks like you have enough snow to get some use out of one.

FinsnFur · March 19, 2014, 05:23:28 AM

I agree with ya Semp. Heck one of the schools the girls went to when they was younger was snomobile safety as a phy ed class. lol