Ice Fishing and the Outdoor Show

The winter months outdoors have been slow for me.  I am now ready for spring and the turkey hunting and fishing that comes with it.  The highlight this last month has been an ice fishing outing on Lake Wilhelm for crappie and bluegill.  I don’t consider myself a hardcore ice fisherman, however, I do enjoy getting out in the dead of winter and possibly catching a few fish.  Though I typically ice fish alone, the area I usually go has no shortage of anglers searching for the winter panfish.  The atmosphere is typically social and friendly.

All the equipment, packed up and ready to go.

My shelter and all the equipment

This entry actually began the day before my trip to the lake.  My first trip of the year on the ice usually involves trying to gather all my equipment scattered from one end of the garage to the other… heater, ice fishing rods, tackle, auger, lantern, ice scoop, fold up chairs, and finally the ice fishing shelter.  After re-spooling my rods, spending a couple hours gathering my equipment, and making sure everything is in working order, I was finally ready to hit the hard water.

The next afternoon I arrived at the lake ready to lay full assault on the panfish.  My spot would be a trench along an island, in the stumps on Lake Wilhelm.  After drilling a couple trial holes to find the right depth (9 – 10 foot), I was settled in, optimistic for an evening of action.  Within the first hour, a couple of gentlemen came to my shanty to chat.  They had been at the lake all day and their report of so far had been that the action was slow.  This didn’t bother me as my best luck on this lake, usually came within the last two hours of the day.  We talked for about ½ hr about hunting and past ice fishing trips.  During that time, I did not have a bite.  As “prime time” rolled around, I had only caught 1 tiny perch.  As day light was fading the bite started, but unfortunately the fish were small and the bites were few.  As the last light faded, I decided to throw the white flag up and call it a day.  The final tally was 5 small bluegill and 2 baby perch.  It was time to break down and make the long trek back to my truck.

As I arrived back at the parking area, I had the chance to talk with three other fishermen out that night.  It turns out they didn’t do very well either, so I checked the trip up as a slow days fishing.  I would love all of my entry’s to contain big fish, bucks and turkeys, but this is not reality in my outdoors.  Any trip outdoors is a rewarding experience and worth sharing.

The interior of my ice shelter

The first time out on the ice is a special day every year.  The experience is different than any other outdoor venture I take part in.  It is a time to slow down, relax, and enjoy the outdoors… anything else (fish) is an added bonus.  Though I didn’t catch many fish, I got the opportunity to get out and enjoy the outdoors when many people are cooped up inside.  Because of this, there is no such thing as a bad day on the ice.

An entry in the 2008 PSP Ice Fishing Contest

The 2nd part of my journal entry involves the opportunity to participate in the Eastern Outdoor Show.  One of the highlights of the show was meeting the people who make this site possible.  I had the opportunity to meet Andy and though I didn’t get a chance to talk to him at length, I can tell you he is very passionate about this site and the outdoors.  I’ve grown up with Jason and enjoy every chance I get to spend time with him.  I had a great time putting faces with many of the names on this site and would like to welcome the new members.  I also had the chance to meet John Bulgrin of Wisconsin Outdoor Adventures (check out the outfitter directory in the forums on this site).  He is a good guy, and it was nice to put a face with the name I’ve heard so much about. If you get a chance, look through the archives on this site and check out the PSP coverage on the Outdoor Show.  As always, good luck in your outdoor ventures and most important, be safe.