Ice Fishing - The Maine Winter Sports Series
In Maine, hundreds of lakes are frozen over for nearly half of the year, but that doesn’t stop the serious fishermen and women here. Maine’s cold winters help to make ice fishing a very popular activity throughout the state. Here, I’ll fill you in on ice fishing, also known as “hard-water angling,” and some of the greatest events for people who love to fish so much that they’ll suffer outside during the coldest months of the year.
Photo by Jaysspace.com
To try your hand at ice fishing, you’ll have to drill a hole in the icy surface of a lake. Don’t try this very early or very late in the season, as there’s a risk that the ice might crack under the pressure, taking you down with it. However, ice fishing can be perfectly safe through much of winter, typically all the way from January through March. Here’s a tip — if you see cars parked out on the ice (which I wouldn’t recommend, but people do it all the time), it’s probably safe for you to drill a hole for ice fishing.
Once you have your fishing hole, you can take the minimalist approach, and sit down on a stool in the open, or for a little more luxury, you can set up an ice fishing shed. For added warmth, you can set up a small fire nearby. After you’re all set up, you can hook your bait on the line, drop the line in the water, and then wait until you catch something — there’s not much more to it than that.
People in Maine take their ice fishing pretty seriously, however. Each February, the Derby Fest, held on Sebago Lake, includes a huge ice fishing competition. Over 5,000 contestants spread out over the lake’s 28,800 acres of ice, trying to land the biggest fish. The lucky winner gets to take home a $25,000 cash prize. Along with the ice fishing contest, the Derby features other fun winter activities like ice sculpting, a snowshoe race, and a snowmobile race across the ice. For more information about the annual event, visit www.icefishingderby.com.
Many of the state’s serious ice fishermen belong to the Maine Ice Anglers association, which provides regular news updates, monthly newsletters, and regular events for those who love the sport. On their website, www.maineiceanglers.org, you can find out about all the different ice derbies in Maine each winter, and see photos from past events. If you want to find the greatest spots for ice fishing, one of the members of this organization should be able to help you out. It won’t break the bank to join the club, either — individual yearly dues are a mere $5.
If you’re not quite ready to venture out on your own into the unfamiliar world of ice fishing, don’t worry. There are dozens of ice fishing guides located in various parts of the state, who will help you set up, learn ice fishing techniques, and show you the best spots for catching fish. No matter where you want to go, there’s probably a guide who’ll be able to show you the ropes and help you come home with a huge trout or bass. For more information please visit the great guide to Maine’s ice fishing.
Written by Kathy Hawkins on June 27, 2007
Filed Under Maine, Lakes, Wildlife, Sports, Recreation
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