The Shield (NFL) adds another way to make it pay to play

[rkymtnman]

so if Amazon thursday nite games weren't enough, now we have to pay Peacock to watch tonite (and tomorrow I think)

how much $ does Goodell need?

this site(s) worked for me last year. NFL and NHL.

nflbite dot com might have to mess with your adblockers etc to get it to work but there are generally at least 2 free feeds for every game

 

[rkymtnman]

I ended up watching the game on Telemundo. learned some Spanish while drinking beer.

and Telemundo here is an ABC affiliate so not sure how they got the NBC/peacock feed.

at least I can watch the Eagles tonite! for free...

 

[Amarok]

I stream hockey and usually find something here, they have a variety of sports:

Spoiler: f u, bots

v2.sportsurge.net/home4/#/groups/0

 

[rkymtnman]

I stream hockey and usually find something here, they have a variety of sports:

Spoiler: f u, bots

v2.sportsurge.net/home4/#/groups/0

if you change from nflbite to nhlbite, same thing. every game. you can get the home and the away feed which is pretty cool too.

who is your "team"? i've been a flyers fan since 79 which is almost as long since they won their last Cup.

 

[Amarok]

who is your "team"?

I followed the Oilers since the WHA, but my fandom has waned big-time. The greed just disgusts me. The ridiculous cost of everything from food and drink, to merch, to tickets, parking, etc is exploitation of their fans. Then they release a new "third jersey" every few years that all real fans have to buy(for $250).
Add the slapping of ads on every surface and I tend to last half a period before turning it off.

I'm as likely to keep an eye on Toronto and Calgary out of hate as I am to follow "my" team these days.

My winter sport is ice-fishin'.

 

[rkymtnman]

My winter sport is ice-fishin

I need to try again this season. I've tried to fish on the cheap (no shelter) and just a powered auger. and the fact that the only thing i've caught is crayfish is also pissing me off. i'll have to ask for some pointers once we get ice on around here.

 

[Amarok]

I've tried to fish on the cheap (no shelter)

I know some guys are masochists, but I'd much rather be in a warm tent, drinking tea and getting high than being "tough" outside. Cabelas has 6'x6' insulated and uninsulated tents(I have both) that are cheap, tough, and perfect for one guy and his gear. An 8x8 works great for two people or makes a one man palace(more space to heat though).
You can fit 2 in a 6x6 and 3 or 4 in an 8x8, but you are always tripping over each other and the gear. I like to stretch out a bit.

Warm days on the ice are great. Ice fishing in a tee-shirt in March is one of my favorite things, but when it's below -15C or breezy I want to be comfortable. That's probably the first priority: being comfortable out there. Proper clothing and shelter make it a pleasure to put in those long days, and putting in the long days is how you learn all the subtle shit.

 

[rkymtnman]

I know some guys are masochists, but I'd much rather be in a warm tent, drinking tea and getting high than being "tough" outside. Cabelas has 6'x6' insulated and uninsulated tents(I have both) that are cheap, tough, and perfect for one guy and his gear. An 8x8 works great for two people or makes a one man palace(more space to heat though).
You can fit 2 in a 6x6 and 3 or 4 in an 8x8, but you are always tripping over each other and the gear. I like to stretch out a bit.

Warm days on the ice are great. Ice fishing in a tee-shirt in March is one of my favorite things, but when it's below -15C or breezy I want to be comfortable. That's probably the first priority: being comfortable out there. Proper clothing and shelter make it a pleasure to put in those long days, and putting in the long days is how you learn all the subtle shit.

a friend took me in his tent the first time I tried it. that seemed so boring being in the dark and staring down a hole for hours. and we were drinking and smoking too. lol

do you use sonar/vexlar/ etc?? I guess I need a good topo map of the lake too?

 

[Amarok]

i'll have to ask for some pointers once we get ice on around here.

Sorry to go off on a ramble, but you got me thinking ice-fishing now.

An important pointer would be to start doing your homework now. Bathymetric maps are important any time of year but especially in the winter due to our limited mobility. Going around drilling random holes will get you fish on occasion but you're far better off with some pre-planning and having a strategy.

I see YT guys who fish big water doing a lot of moving around, as the fish are far more mobile when the lake is huge and can have great variance in conditions. That's a different thing.
I mostly fish smaller lakes, usually less than 8 miles long, and there are fewer options. Even on a new lake, a quick study of the bathemetry and I can generally pick out spots that will hold fish. It isn't that complicated, find the area holding fish food, find the fish.

do you use sonar/vexlar/ etc?? I guess I need a good topo map of the lake too?

Yup, I use a sonar and an u/w camera(lots of pics in the fishing threads). A Garmin Striker 4 is a fantastic unit for ice fishing and is cheap. Get the model that has built in mapping and it will build you real-time maps of the bottom. You will catch a lot of fish high in the water column if you watch the sonar and reel up to suspended marks. The u/w camera will teach you so much about fish behaviour as you watch exactly how they react to your presentations.
I rarely get bored in the tent. I'm constantly changing lures and presentations until I find what is wortking.

 

[rkymtnman]

Sorry to go off on a ramble

hardly rambling! tons of good info. thanks.

I also want to do some duck hunting this season. the good thing is both lakes that I would fish at I can also duck hunt at.

 

[Amarok]

hardly rambling! tons of good info. thanks.

You are very welcome.

Just popped back to say I was on cabelas website and if you are looking at an ice tent, especially the cabelas house brand, don't pay full price. They go on sale a few times a season and it's worth waiting for. For example, (your prices will be lower by a fair bit) the 6x6 without insulation is currently $329CAD. I paid $200. (they also have a smaller model, but it is too cramped and the door is too small unless you are 4' tall)

Also, while the insulated one is nice, the difference in weight and bulk is huge. I think one is about 30# while the other is 50#. IMO, you are better off getting something for a floor to keep your feet off the ice. There are interlocking 2'x2' foam pads that are commonly used, but thicker yoga mats can also do the trick and roll up for easy storage and deployment.

 

[rkymtnman]

if you are looking at an ice tent

there was a guy in our 'hood earlier this summer that put up for sale a really nice Clam tent with all the gear to go with it. I would have bought it but he wouldn't break it up, had to buy all of it. and I didn't need a 2nd gas auger.

I'll start keeping my out for sales at bass pro/cabelas too.

 

[rkymtnman]

@Amarok grabbed a Eskimo QuickFish 2 from Walmart for $92 bucks. seemed like a helluva deal.

 

[Amarok]

@Amarok grabbed a Eskimo QuickFish 2 from Walmart for $92 bucks. seemed like a helluva deal.

Nice! That's a great deal. It's only a 5x5, so definitely a 1 man, but light and easy. With that small footprint it would also be easy to build a little floor out of plywood and be snug as a bug in a rug.

I've been modding my sled and getting ready. Built a little table that straddles the sled and holds a bunch of gear. Added mount points for the auger and shovel. Did some painting.

I also grabbed a cheap little wood stove for overnighting in the big tent. I'm fabbing a tent jack out of fire blanket that will replace one of the windows. I also am adapting a pair of 90 degree bend exhaust pipes as part of the chimney. I'm always scared of CO when sleeping with a propane heater, so I usually turn the heater off. At -25 it gets a little chilly, and I'd rather not do that again.

 

[Amarok]

A Garmin Striker 4 is a fantastic unit for ice fishing and is cheap.

I just wanted to mention that if you pick one of these up, don't get the "ice bundle". It's the sonar unit with a plastic shuttle and a padded bag, and it more than doubles the price. Get the base unit. It's easy to design and make a shuttle if you are at all DIY inclined(I can post a pic of my wooden one if you'd like), or I'm sure it would be simple to 3d print one.

The ice transducer is definitely nice, but isn't needed. The summer one works fine, just need to make sure it hangs straight.
I did buy the ice 'ducer when it was on sale, which is a way better deal than the "ice bundle", but used the summer one for a couple ice seasons without issue.

 

[rkymtnman]

I'm always scared of CO when sleeping with a propane heater,

i've got one of those Mr buddy heaters for my truck camper. first thing I bought was a a smoke detector and the "best" CO alarm. I have that same fear too of not waking up. lol.

that little heater will run me out of my sleeping berth but when you hop down, the floor of the camper is still chilly. I need to work on a little exhaust fan on a temp probe to help regulate heat better