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Spearing/clarity report 2010

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
These days I'm using a Panasonic TS-1 with an Inon W/A 28 lens in a panasonic housing.
 
Wow the pictures look like DSLR quality but with a camera for 1/3 of the price. Thanks.
 
The weather is fantastic, so I got out for a bike ride today to check out all the normal haunts. The outlet is still frozen over solid with no chance of opening in the next few days. I rode all along the river and it's pretty much the color of brown tea from one end to the other. There's no chance of renting out the beach house this weekend and I've spent way too much time driving back and forth to Milwaukee the past few weeks to even think about hitting Lake Michigan- so it looks like a dry weekend for me.

At least winter fest is on and the weather will be great for skiing with the family.

Anyone else getting out diving this weekend?

Jon
 
Your dive spots are my dive spots - so thats a Big NO for me. AND I happen to have the weekend off. go Figure! oh, side note: My bro is moving to Madison (Monona) and is Renting a HOUSE on Lake Monona with Boat dock, we will have another spot to access this lake- I think it is on the other End of where the outlet is though, not totally sure on the location YET
 
The other end drops off faster and has less pressure. There's some nice topography over there for diving and spearing. I've only dove it by boat, but it would be nice to have a shore entry. Oh, and that's where Otis Retting's plane is sunk- or at least what's left of it.

Jon
 
Hello everyone
Reading all that is going on sure makes me jealous of your access to so much diveable waters. I like ILdiver have a very long drive for most stuff other then a small pond with I think 12 fish in it. What mil suit are you using for winter diving as it looks like an unexplored adventure and I would like to try scheming for next winter. I have heard of divers putting vaseline on exposed skin of the face when winter diving but that was info from an old timer who hasn't dove for years and years. How are you protecting exposed skin of do you just not worry about the little that is exposed around the face??
 
I wear a 5mm custom cut Elios suit. It's not the thickness as much as the type of suit that makes the biggest difference. A true freediving suit only needs to be 5mm thick, where a normal Scuba wetsuit would leave me freezing even if it were 7mm thick.

there's no worry about freezing your face off. I've (scuba) dove with full face masks and used a Henderson Ice Cap under my wetsuit hood, but the truth is, if you have a decent hood you don't need anything else when it comes to warmth. Your cheeks are pretty fatty and numb out after a minute or two and you don't notice it after that. the better the cut of the hood the less skin that's left exposed.

I would NOT use Vaseline on your face as it is petroleum based and will eat away at both your mask and hood.

Jon
 
HMM I was not aware that the difference was that big between scuba and free dive suits. When I bought mine I did not know very much about the sport as a friend said bring this much money cause we are going diving. So now I am trying to upgrade to proper equipment little by little. Each time I am ready to buy I start doing intensive research on the stuff I am going to buy.

My current suit is 5 mill but very stretchy and has no hood so I have a beany cap and a shawl hood depending on how cold. As my screen name says I have no natural insulation. Have considered just getting a hooded top that would fit over my 5 mil for real cold water. Any imput on that idea. I think my suit is a Henderson but not sure as it is currently in a box headed for Key west I will follow it down on Thursday. Was going to buy freedive fins to replace my others but ended up having to buy a bigger gun to hunt the waters down there. I am hoping to go bluewater next year for really really big stuff. Would be cool to get a bunch of the WI hunters to go together.

I will be wearing out, with pride, my WI spearhunters sweatshirt and tshirt. Hope to do you guys proud!
 
Reactions: foxfish
You could try to find a vest with hood attatched, I used to have one for winter surfing.
 
As of yesterday:

- The Outlet was still frozen over solid
- The Yahara river was flowing a nice brown color
- There was openwater at the southern end of Lake Kegonsa, but it was brown
- The was clear openwater at the very north end of Lake Waubesa, but it was very shallow and at least a 1/2 mile from the closest parking lot- I had to XC-ski to reach it.

Rain is coming tonight, and tomorrow, so the ice and snow should start melting- and making a royal mess of the lakes for the next few weeks. Ted (unirdna) thinks that they should go clear early this year, but I haven't found an easy place to gain access right now.

We could still ice dive on Lake Nagawicka, but I'm not sure how long the ice will last.

Anyone been down to check out Lake Michigan lately? When I lived in Milwaukee we used to dive the harbors all winter, as that was the only time we could. Never a lot of fish, but always lots of interesting junk that the boaters lost during the previous season.

Jon
 
but I haven't found an easy place to gain access right now
Click to expand...

where? there are a ton of acess points just call me ill help you out.

jim
 
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To get to the open spot on Waubesa I needed to XC ski 1/2 mile from the parking lot to enter. The water was clear, but shallow. Give it another week or two and I'm sure it will melt a hole all the way to the parking lot.

Jon
 
hello all
The key west trip was definetly educational. I also became part of the art snob group (typed with a french accent) as I bought a piece of Bill Mack art called Elusive in the virtual relief form. Anyway I was hoping someone could tell me the approximate dates that Lake Mendota turns over as I have been told the crappie hunting is phenomenal at this time. I can't remember if it is end of May or when.
Thanks
 
It's Generally the Last 2 weeks of May - I would recommend checking out the north end - by Governors Island.
 
The lake turns over in early November.

But, yes, crappie hunting is at it's best in mid/late May.
 
Reactions: Jon
If my new wetsuit was here, I would love to go. My 3/2 scuba suit would not do the trick this early in the season. Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dan
 
I was supposed to be scuba diving in Lake Michigan today to scrub the hull of the high speed car ferry, but the crazy winds blew us out of the water and I ended up pulling docks with my father-in-law instead. I guess the lake is 49F degrees and there was some vis earlier int he week, but today blew away anything that they had.

Jon
 
I finally got out to dive in Rock Lake today for a few hours today.

The winds have died down quite a bit and the whole north shore was flat calm. Since the air was still a little cool there were hardly any boats out on the lake. Water was 53F degrees and the vis was over 20'.

I saw lots of small northern pike, walleye, large and small mouth bass, and only a single carp the whole time I was diving. There were crappie and bluegill, but not the huge ones we get in Mendota or Monona. I did manage to spear a few for dinner, but I had to really work for them.

Madison lakes are still crap, but should clear in the next few weeks.

Jon
 

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