Ice Out - Open Water

went out for a ride last night...air ~75, water maybe 50ish (i don't have a lake temp gauge.)
idle temp was basically same story ~120-130.
cruising temp (disclaimer: i was at the end of the rope, explained the story to the wife and asked her to keep an eye on it) "around 160" which after discussion was probably 150-170. i fell three times and each time she reported the temp was 160.
we stopped for a beer and then idled back to the dock. temp at start up was 160 and dropped to around 130 by the time I got back to the dock.
strainer is fine. '88 is up north so no pump swapping. i don't think there is anything wrong here.
again, i'll continue to monitor.

A full ten days ahead of last year... very nice. We still have ice fishermen complaining about needing to put extensions on their Augers. I am seeing a definite pattern here as it is my second year living on this lake and those are the only two years in the last 25 where it has fully frozen over.   

Looking forward the pictures of the dock Quinner - I am considering adding a section to each dock myself.

Open water fishing opens in Maine today. There isn't any open water anywhere, except maybe on a fast moving stream. The newspaper reports Sebago Lake has 2'-3' of ice on it. It's been cold enough at night where the lake is still making ice. Our season is going to start very late. The mountains haven't been losing much base yet. Plenty of spring skiing ahead if they stay open.   

Funny how you guys warm up so fast when your winters seem as harsh as ours.

We had our coldest February on record this year, lake ice was 22"-24" range, last year ice was 36".

Historically over the past 17 years I have been here, lake opens up on St Patty's Day +/- a couple days.

Joe, Built 100' of dock last year, going to build another (8) 10' sections to enlarge the platform and also get out a little deeper. Will update my dock build thread as I get rolling.

Larry, HW is only about 25 mins away now and even when he did help, ya know kids these days, it felt like I was carrying both sides from one end anyways

Rough here today too. Only supposed to hit 78!

Been offered to ski definitely need a suit, but spring snow skiing is in its prime. One of these days I'm going snow skiing in the morning and water in the afternoon !

Way to early for boats still having to much fun doing this...

I'm traveling the last week of the month. Thanks for the offer hopefully I can fit a run in? Is that water always on the cold side?

Paul I got to go sledding in the mountains this winter wow that was fun now I have a sled added to the list.

gun-driver wrote: Mont Valin Quebec

Even better, saw the power line and that reminded me the top of the hill on "the shortcut" on trail #2.

Winter snow storm up to 3 feet. I was just getting use to the warming weather. My Daughter went on a field trip today, the bus had to stop to put chains on, they were over 4 hours late due to the snow. The winter skis are coming back out.

That BLOOOOOWWWSSSSSSS!!!!

Paul - what you going to order???

Gary,
It looks pretty quiet on the river. Great time of the year for a cruise.

Nice ride! Best of all worlds right there, nice track length to bridge the bumps and enough to float on the powder and a good size lug to drive you through the deep stuff, and that E-tec engine is snappy, quick and long on the power curve. Jealous - really missed riding this year, ahhh this too shall pass.

Yea when the snow gets this deep the big lug is a must



Here's my current sled its a Skidoo Backcountry X 800 E-tec on a 137 x 1.75 track. Its for sale by the way