This column was supposed to be written about a fun day of ice fishing this past Wednesday. My brother Chris had been talking to me about getting out on the ice for a while, but the conditions had discouraged us. My only ice fishing outing was a trip to Lake Mattawa when the cold and wind were so severe that after drilling five holes and attempting to set tackles, the trip was aborted when my hands lost feeling.
Today’s ice fishing has become so involved in gear that it is a far cry from the ice fishing undertaken in my youth. The tackles were sticks with a release and flag and holes were chopped with a chisel. Everything you needed you could transport in a bucket.
Today, we have progressed from hand augers to gas and now electric augers. Tackles have undergone generational changes and gone from tip-ups to many different styles of tackles with specializations, including some that cover the hole to prevent freezing and others with innovative spools and flag releases.
Jigging was once a Swedish pimple and the eye of the first perch you caught using a short stick that held the line. Now, specialized, smaller rods are used, and small spinning reels have given way to specialized reels with free spool and drag. The marketplace offers hundreds, if not thousands, of jigging lures that are guaranteed to have fish fighting over who can inhale them first.
Electronics are mandatory and some fishermen utilize both a flasher and an underwater camera. This writer’s favorite gizmo is the JawJacker. This device holds a jigging rod with the rod bent over and set just over the hole. It is equipped with a trigger that releases the rod when the line is tugged, hooking the fish! And if that is not enough, JawJacker also has a battery-powered base that you attach which will move the jig in one of three patterns. So cool!
Don’t like wind and cold? There are insulated jackets and suits and some also offer flotation in case you fall through the ice. Clothing from head to toe is “hi-tech,” and if that does not keep you warm enough, there are dozens of shelters that range from a one-man windbreaker to insulated tents that you can have a party under waiting for a flag while your catalytic heater warms everybody up! There are also self-propelled and towable “vehicles” that become your home on the ice and most can be had for $20,000 to $30,000.
Chris joined me on Wednesday afternoon, as we waited for the single-digit temperatures to rise. Upon arriving at a local pond, we soon found over a foot of snow that was hiding six inches of frozen slush. We headed out, pulling the Otter Pro snow sled (now mandatory to haul all that stuff!) one miserable step at a time.
Arriving at a spot near shore, where my experience told me a trout might cruise by, the job of digging down to expose enough space to rig a JawJacker was undertaken. Then it was time for the Ion electric auger. Unfortunately, this writer had left the auger in the sled after the first aborted trip, and ice and melting snow had frozen the auger’s controls. We debated possible ways to get the problem solved on ice but ultimately, we just turned around and headed back to the truck. Once we got home, it ended up taking over an hour to thaw out the auger. We will be back out there, but rest assured it will not be until we see a little more moderate weather!
MassWildlife just concluded public comment sessions to gather input on three proposals for legislative changes that would increase hunting opportunities in the Commonwealth. Allowing hunting on Sundays, legalizing the use of crossbows for all hunters, and reducing setback requirements for hunting were the topics of both Zoom and in-person sessions to allow interested parties to weigh in on the measures.
Massachusetts and Maine are the only two states that do not allow hunting on Sundays, one of the few “Blue Laws” that remain after being put into place to maintain Sunday as a day of worship with no work during colonial times. Crossbows are presently only allowed for use by those with a disability which keeps them from drawing a bow. Setbacks for discharge of a firearm or releasing an arrow are 500 feet from an occupied dwelling and 150 feet from a state or paved road.
There was considerable input, with both support and resistance being voiced. Many of those opposed felt that one day of not having hunters afield would be better for hikers, horseback riders, and other recreation users who share the outdoors. Supporters felt that increased time would both benefit the wildlife management efforts to keep populations in balance and also provide opportunities for those who have limited time to hunt due to work commitments.
MassWildlife will now take the input and categorize it and provide the results to the Legislature, who will ultimately be the ones deciding on what, if any, action should be taken on these issues.
It is obvious that deer are venturing out and targeting alternative food sources while the deep snow keeps them from accessing acorns and other common winter foods. Word has it that more than a few shrubs have been targeted by deer locally.
Saturday the Silverado headed east to Marlborough to check out the New England Fishing Exposition. Arriving late morning was not a great idea. Pickup trucks and cars were backed up onto the highway and there was not enough parking on site. Fortunately, a nearby office complex had spaces and yours truly joined the mob to see what the show held.
There was a booth from Ireland and a conversation educated me that there is both excellent flyfishing in the spring and European woodcock hunting in December. Another booth held a Maine hunting guide whose location in central coastal Maine and proximity to some extensive agricultural habitat piqued my interest as well. Food for thought on a cold winter day.
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.