I also love to fish and am so lucky to be close to lots of opportunties.
Being a lifelong Southernor I've never ice fished, but know some northernors who have, and I've heard it's great fun. I'd like to try it some time.
You ought to make a point to head down south once in awhile and fish at one of Tennessee's state parks. You can rent a small jonboat for a few dollars a day and the fishing is great.
We have a lot of transplanted Tennesseans in Michigan, went there after WWII to work in car factories. The guy who owns the lake house next to mine is from Michigan, and he comes here to fish and hunt in the winter.