Congratulations on your first muskie! Many fish a lifetime without ever landing one of these great fish, more or less through the ice. I am an avid Musky-Hunter spring through fall, and I know how hard (and frustrating) it can be to pursue these fish. Although it is rare for muskies to be very active and feeding during the hardwater season, I have two friends who also caught their first muskies through the ice. One was by himself but was able to snap a few quick pics with his cell-phone before release and the other was fishing with me at the time. All we caught was his 25" muskie and an eelpout! lol. This was in february in about ten feet of water. This year, I was also lucky enough to land a 34" muskie through the ice. It was Dec. 6 and there was about 5" of ice and it struck my shiner in about 4 feet of water. Crazy things happen outdoors. Best of luck to all of you who are dedicated to the thrill!