This has been an unusual winter to say the least, especially if you are an ice fishermen.
Up and down the Champlain Valley, anglers have been teased with iced-over bays in recent weeks only to have open water remain in the middle of the bigger lakes or warm weather take it away.
In some cases, ice anglers have fished on as little as two inches of ice. While the standards of ice safety may say that is a sufficient amount to hold a man, to me, that's pushing the envelope. I prefer to have four or six inches. But, to each their own.
Still, there has been some action on Lake Champlain, especially on the Vermont side, where the 32nd-annual Lake Champlain Islands Ice Fishing Derby is going on this weekend in Swanton. I know it's late, but if you are interested in this one, call 802-868-4459.
Down in Bulwagga Bay, ice anglers have been targeting perch this past week with open in view. Normally a true ice shanty town in the winter, only the hardiest of anglers are making the trip. In fact, open-water fishing by boat is still the norm on both Lake Champlain and Lake George.
Lake George has two tournaments coming up that are in jeopardy. The Chinga-Classic, and its partner event, the Frozen Point Tournament, are supposed to take place next weekend, Feb. 18 and 19. The following weekend (Feb. 25 and 26) is the Hague Fish and Game Club's Northern Lake George Derby. Again, up to this point, only the shallow bays have had ice, with much open water just beyond. We'll see if things change by next weekend. It would be a shame to see these tournaments canceled, because they benefit great causes.
Meanwhile, anglers are more than making due in the Adirondacks, which literally is a different world than locations that sit at lower elevations. Lakes like Paradox, Eagle and Schroon off the Northway have been seeing plenty of action, with ice thickness being reported anywhere from four to 10 inches. Of course, that depends on the day and the location on the ice.
Further into the mountains, Tupper, Lake Eaton, Blue Mountain Lake and Raquette Lake also have better ice conditions awaiting those willing to make the drive. Two friends of mine have both done well on lake trout in Raquette, while another picked up only a few lakers and a salmon while fishing Blue last weekend. And yet another has nailed the northern pike in South Bay of Lake Champlain.
One of the best stories I've heard this season came from a retired friend of mine who fishes nearly every day. He and some other anglers were on Schroon Lake and he pulled a four pound lake trout through the ice that had been attacked by another fish and nearly bitten in half. Awhile later, his buddy hauled in a monster northern pike that weighed more than 26 pounds. The kicker is that he brought it in on six-pound test line. That's intense fishing!
I finally got on the ice myself last weekend, and Schroon Lake was my choice. Two buddies and I decided to hit the southern end of the lake. We had a few flags, pulled up a few perch and I nabbed a keeper laker on a tip-up which made for a fine dinner with a bottle of Riesling. There was about eight inches of ice out there, and I marked plenty of smelt on my fish finder. A few anglers I talked to that day were after smelt but couldn't get them to cooperate.
Fish or no fish, it just felt good to finally get on the ice. Last season I was out there just a few weeks after deer season, but this year it took nearly two months. That's just the type of winter we're having. Some would like to blame it on global warming, but I think the folks in Europe would argue that point.
If you go ice fishing, be safe. Watch the weather, the open water and check ice conditions.
Dan Ladd is the author of "Deer Hunting in the Adirondacks," outdoors editor for the Glens Falls Chronicle, columnist for Outdoors Magazine and contributor to New York Outdoor News. Contact him at www.adkhunter.com.
