When it comes to being outside for an extended period of time in the winter months, we usually find any excuse in the book to avoid it.
But the reality is that some people out there really enjoy it – like the ones who find a frozen lake, drill a hole and try to catch fish.
If you live in New Hampshire, you have to experience ice fishing at least once and it turns out that around these parts there are some prime locations to drop a line in the water.
And right now just so happens to be smack dab in the middle of the prime ice fishing season – at least that’s what we learned from Kyle Glencross, the Let’s Go Fishing coordinator for N.H. Fish and Game.
Not only does Glencross teach people how to fish, but he also enjoys the activity himself, which explains why he drives around with just about anything you’d need to fish in the back of his truck.
“Some of the best fishing of the year happens when ice fishing,” Glencross said.
We met Glencross at Turtle Pond (which is also known to some as Turtletown Pond) off Oak Hill Road last week to get the low down on what makes ice fishing so popular. And we couldn’t have scripted it any better because that’s where we found Stefanie Giallongo and Craig Rennie about to embark on an afternoon of fishing with some friends.
“I enjoy being outside, and I love the strategy,” Giallongo said.
Apparently Turtle Pond is a hot spot for ice fishing. Since it’s a warm water pond, you can have six traps per person as you try to catch species like bass, pickerel, perch and black crappie.
“In the warm water ponds, the action tends to be more fast and furious,” Glencross said.
Ice fishing enthusiasts all have their own ways of picking out the right spot to set up shop and get all their gear out there. At a place like Turtle Pond, Giallongo and Rennie just used pull sleds to bring everything out on the ice, which was of more than a foot thick, but at some of the bigger bodies of water around the state, an ATV is a better option for lugging all the supplies.
“Turtletown Pond is a go to spot for a lot of people,” Rennie said.
There’s a little bit of setup time, you have to pick the locations for your holes, and put your tip-ups in said holes with some bait, but then it’s just a waiting game.
“You want to spread them out to maximize your ability to intercept the fish,” Giallongo said.
Just remember you have to actually be tending your lines – which means you can’t go sit in your car and wait for the flag to pop up. That’s why people look for fun ways to pass the time. Rennie brought his portable shelter with a heater to keep warm when the wind starts whipping, while others will play football, grill food and sit in lawn chairs to catch some rays.
“Ice fishing is a pretty social thing,” Glencross said. “It’s a fun way to spend the day.”
You can really make a day of it – if you like spending that much time outdoors when the temperature doesn’t get much over freezing.
In addition to Turtle Pond, other local hot spots are Turkey Pond, and Turee Pond in Bow.
“They all have popular access points,” Glencross said.
And we don’t want to forget about the safety aspects of it. You need to make sure you dress warm enough to brave the elements. It might be calm and sunny on shore, but get in the middle of a pond and it can get pretty windy – as we quickly found out.
Fish and Game warns people about the dangers of driving their vehicles on the ice, which is not advisable. Before venturing onto the ice carefully assess the ice safety by using an ice chisel or auger to determine ice thickness and condition. There should be a minimum six inches of hard ice for foot travel, and eight to 10 inches for snow machines or all-terrain vehicles. For a complete list of safety measures, visit wildlife.state.nh.us/outdoor-recreation/ice-safety.html.
So if you’ve never been ice fishing, you still have time. The prime season runs through March 31, depending on ice conditions.
Just remember to be safe – and make sure you get a fishing license.
