I spent a lot of time ice fishing in Wisconsin and I never fished in one of those heated ice shacks either. What I learned is that if the temperature gets below zero F, it is virtually impossible to keep ahead of the ice forming in the hole and on your line. Once you learn to dress for the weather though, it isn't a problem to stay warm. All those dorky-looking, extremely bulky, boots, gloves, jackets, snow pants, etc... really come into there own when it is below zero and you are sitting on a bucket in the middle of a frozen lake with the wind howling.

One of the most unnerving cold weather fishing experiences for me was sitting out on the ice on Lake Mendota in Madison, WI in February. As we all know, water expands when it turns to ice. As this happens pressure builds up in the ice until it cracks and heaves up along a fault line. You can hear the crack start on one end of the lake and race all the way across. The sound is indescribable. A mixture of a bullet shot and a mini earthquake and although you know you are safe(the ice is often a couple feet thick), you can't help but pucker up a bit. I once had a crack come right through the hole in which I was fishing. I nearly soiled myself.

If you are getting cold while you are out steelheading, you just aren't wearing the right clothes. Of course you won't look very fashionable when you are!