With as fast as the sport of ice fishing is growing, it’s no surprise to me that high schools now have ice fishing teams and they compete in tournaments. This year I was asked if I would like to help coach a team that was just getting started. I jumped at the opportunity.
The first tournament I helped coach was on Chequamegan Bay in Ashland. The kids had a great time, they not only got to fish in a place they normally wouldn’t get to fish, but they got a chance to fish for species they never have before, and the backdrop of Lake Superior was amazing!
Unfortunately, that was about it-they got to “fish for” (not catch) other species, but to spite the tough fishing and lack of catching, all the students had fun. Many of them had never seen a Marcum camera at work. The clear water of the bay made it a perfect opportunity to show them what a great tool the camera can be. It also gave them a chance to see how quickly the fish can come and go under your hole.
This past weekend the team competed in a local high school tournament. I think we all felt like it was a chance at redemption knowing the tournament was basically in our back yard.
I was looking forward to teaching the kids more about ice fishing, finding fish, cutting holes, using electronics, how to properly set tip ups, how to jig and ultimately witnessing some fish being caught.
With all the snow, we knew we weren’t going to be able to move around much if any after we got set up. We also realized we wouldn’t be able to get to the spot we were wanting to get to, even with all the extra help to push the wheeler through the snow drifts. So, with our options limited and points based off of length and different species, we decided to make big spreads of tip ups and tip downs and then jig for panfish. We planned to keep as many lines in the water as we legally could.
The bite was tough. They did end up having quite a few flags which was great to keep the kids busy, but they didn’t catch many fish on them. Fortunately, they caught just enough as it turned out.
One story that comes to mind was when I decided I needed to try and show them how to find some fish to catch on jig rods. First, I drilled a long string of holes until the Strikemaster finally ran out of gas, then I grabbed the lx5 and started checking holes. I was about three holes in and I found something that resembled a crib, and after jigging above it for a bit I realized there were fish there. I gave up the hole to the first volunteer who wanted it and I kept moving down the line. Two holes later I found more fish I was quick to get a volunteer to take my rod and try their best to ice some fish. It wasn’t long and there was a fish heading topside, but it never did make it all the way up. Luckily there were still fish around and a short time later there was a 9 inch rock bass on the ice. Now I don’t think I have ever seen anyone so excited to catch a rock bass but as he ran around and showed it off to his buddies I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
I know over the last two tourneys the kids had fun and I hope they all took something away from it because that is what it’s all about. After this experience, I can honestly say that I might have taken more away from it than they did. To me, there is nothing like teaching someone something that they can use over and over again on the water to help them catch more fish and have more fun. I can’t thank them enough for letting me tag along and I hope they all learned something they can use again the next time they hit the ice.
