The ice after the storm

February 1st brought the first snowstorm of the year to Iowa, and it was quite a storm.  We recieved about a foot of snow after quite a bit of rain and drizzle.  This followed a week of high temperatures and has all ice anglers a little on the edge.

I for one am not ready to even think about the end of the ice season.  However, with the warmer weather followed by the rain and foot of snow, you just never know what the condition of the ice may be.

Today, curiously got the best of me, so I decided to take a short trip to Hickory Grove Lake to see for myself.  I was totally shocked to see how well the ice looked.  I measured over ten inches in several places I checked.  The top 2 or 3 inches being melted snow, but the bottom layer of ice looked great and cut very hard with the auger, showing that it has a lot of strength left.  Although the couple hours of fishing was disappointing, the look and fell of the ice was a welcomed site.  Be careful out there the next few weeks, and good luck to you.

The recent snow storm has left some beautiful scenery