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February 23, 2004 |
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Two Ice Fishing Trips
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The great thing about the frigid temperatures this winter has been the thick accumulation of ice on our streams, ponds, and lakes. While the winter ice on streams provides for interesting photo opportunities, the feature that we enjoy most is having the chance to go ice fishing on some of our lakes! In addition to our annual outing at Big Pond, we recently tried a new spot, Canadarago Lake near Cooperstown.
We were forced to buy bait at the Tremperskill general store the day before because we wanted to get an early start at Big Pond. Chris actually slept overnight there in the back of his truck, and Aaron woke him up at 5:00am to begin the fishing at first light. Five other friends joined us soon after, and we set up shop about 50 yards from shore on top of about 25’ of water. We began drilling holes in the 10" ice with our auger, which must be getting dull, as it seemed more difficult than last year.
We all placed minnows on the tip-ups and eventually tried everything from minnows to night crawlers to mealworms and lures on our jigging rods. As the morning passed, the temperatures rose into the upper teens, however the cold wind never seemed to die down. A few more people we knew showed up either joining our group or setting up another site nearby. We were surprised at the lack of other fisherman out on this usually popular and productive pond. It seemed as though the only people out were ones we knew, including the forest ranger and environmental conservation officer.
A few of our friends were successful, although the two of us were not. Four pickerel (one pictured) and one small trout comprised the day’s catch. Our friend Tom kept two of the pickerel, the largest being 27". Despite the cold wind and constant snow squalls, we were able to keep warm because we spent most of the time around a fire we made with split wood in a burning barrel.
After keeping the remaining minnows alive with a bubbler all week, we drove 90 miles on Route 28 to the northwest corner of the Catskill region to fish at Canadarago Lake the following Sunday. We arrived at the boat launch on the western shore with two other friends at 10:00am. After loading all of our gear, and of course the charcoal grill, onto the sleds, we walked out onto the vast expanse of white. We discovered that the top four inches must have begun to melt and then re-froze. Water and slush filled in each footprint in the snow. We found a nice place that was dry and began taking turns drilling the holes again - giving our arms another workout. Underneath the slushy ice was another 8-9" of solid ice and below that was 20’ of water.
Once again, not many other fishermen were out on this gorgeous day. A few locals stopped by to ask if we’d had any luck, including a reporter from the Richfield Springs weekly newspaper. We sat around on our buckets for nearly five hours debating issues, laughing at jokes, and smoking some fine cigars while jigging for perch and walleye. It was also interesting to watch a dozen snowmobiles racing around on the far side of the lake. After no luck fishing, it was finally time fire up the grill and cook hotdogs before packing up.
Despite the lack of fish, this day seemed more enjoyable. The air was not any warmer than last week though. It must have been a combination of abundant sunlight, weaker winds, and the new location that did it for us. Ice fishing is an activity that few people try because of the elements and the early mornings. We encourage you to try it, even just once. You’re sure to meet other fishermen that soon become your friends and enjoy recreating in the Catskills as much as you do, adding to your already gratifying experience.
- Aaron and Chris
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