It takes quite a bit
of effort for my father and me to get to our favorite Minnesota ice
fishing spot. Every year, we trudge past the same small cluster of
shanties, and meticulously check the depth every 50 yards until we
know we’re in the right place.
By the time we finally settle in, we’re at least a half-mile
from the nearest fisherman. And that’s the way we like it. For us,
solitude is as important as catching fish.
Not all ice fishermen value solitude, however, and within an
hour of setting up last year, we watched as another fisherman made
his way across the lake to our position. |
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Mike Mulligan checks a tip-up
that was placed at least 100 yards from other fishermen. To
place it any closer to other fishermen would be bad
etiquette. |
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Ice fishermen are notorious for fishing on top of each other,
but this interloper was like none other we had ever encountered.
With only three other fishermen on the two-mile-long lake, we
wondered why he headed our way.
He nodded his head as he approached, then made
a quick glance at the couple bluegills we had on the ice. Then
without saying a word, he scooted to within 10 feet of my father,
and started drilling a hole.
My dad looked at me in disbelief until I finally commented.
“Are you kidding me?” was all I said.
Without looking up, the guy responded. “It’s a public lake. I
can fish wherever I want!”
Since we didn’t want a fight with the stranger, I told him what
I thought of him, we picked up our stuff and moved to a new spot.
Though I am aware of no laws governing ice fishing etiquette,
there are several courtesy rules that every fisherman should abide
by.
First, never spud a hole closer than twice the depth of the water
being fished. If for no other reason, this prevents lines from
crossing and becoming entangled.
If a tip-up is in place, the distance should be even greater.
They are designed to allow big fish to run with the bait, sometimes
50 yards or more.
Some western states list
very specific distances ice anglers must be from permanent ice
houses to avoid conflict, but not all.
It is also rude to drill a hole close to another fisherman
during prime time. Good fishermen are in place before daylight and
at least an hour before dark. Drilling during the best bite of the
day spooks fish, especially in shallow or clear water.
There are common sense rules for fishermen or beach owners with
dogs as well. Dogs should not be allowed to run around unattended on
the ice. It’s dangerous for the dog, and many of them learn to steal
fish from anglers when they aren’t looking. It’s also gross and bad
for the lake when pets poop on the ice.
Fishermen with kids should keep tabs on their young anglers.
Kids get bored when the fish aren’t biting, but should be reined-in
during prime time. It’s not only their best chance to catch some
fish, but also helpful to other fishermen who don’t want anyone
thundering around the ice, spooking fish.
Modern ice drills make it easy to cut lots of holes with little
effort. Those holes can be dangerous, however, especially if large
in diameter and covered with snow. Remedy this problem by marking
large holes with a branch when abandoned.
This one should go without saying, but is a problem everywhere I
fish. Do not leave garbage on the ice. Cigarette butts, bait
containers, lure packages and sandwich bags all eventually end up at
the bottom of the lake in the spring.
Along the same line, it is selfish to leave unwanted fish on the
ice. Don’t release little bluegills back into the lake, but don’t
make the next guy sit amongst a bunch of half-baked, rotting fish
either. Take them off the lake and throw them in the garden.
It’s also never advisable to dump leftover minnows into any
lake. Some of the minnows might be carp, gar, or dogfish — fish that
will eventually hurt the game fish population of the lake.
And here’s one for non-fishermen. Snowmobile drivers have a
right to use the ice as much as fishermen, but some of them also
need to be more polite. It’s rude, and borders on harassment to
drive within 100 yards of someone fishing.
Besides rattling the ice, snowmobiles spook the fish and smell.
If a lake is big enough to ride a snowmobile on, it’s probably big
enough to give fishermen a wider berth.
The silly thing about the guy who crossed an entire lake to fish
on top of my father and me was that once the evening bite started in
earnest, fish were hitting everywhere. Had he stayed where he was,
he would have caught just as many fish, avoided a conflict and not
been forever labeled a jerk by two fellow fishermen. |
