Ice Fishing in New England: An Age Old Tradition
A Thrilling, Invigorating, and Fun Way to Put Fresh Fish on the Table this Winter
“I wanted to catch a fish [on the ice] and bring it home so that my daughter wouldn’t peer over the top of her Wonder Woman comic and say ‘You didn’t catch any!’ and my wife wouldn’t ponder, ‘Did he go to a bar and play pool or did he really go [ice] fishing?’” — Jim Harrison [on ice fishing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan]
Ice Has Returned
As I mentioned in my last essay, my passion for the winter season has thus been reborn. This is only because I forgot what it was like to have a real winter — and if you live in New England, you understand. Unfortunately, due to factors beyond our control, the past couple of years we have had very mild winters, and could not participate in normal winter recreation (i.e., ice fishing, skating, sledding, etc.) and were instead stuck with a season of muddy landscapes filled with dulled hues of brown and gray.
But — finally — big bright blue solid ice has finally returned to Southeastern Massachusetts, as well as the greater New England region — please, heed my advice and take full advantage of it while you can, as the forecast for the next couple of weeks is predicting warmer temperatures on the horizon.
Jim Harrison and Ice Fishing
The famous writer and poet (and one of my personal favorites) Jim Harrison in the essays “Just Before Dark” calls ice fishing the “moronic sport” because at times he has claimed it had been “boring” and “unexciting” coupled with the ever-present cache of lazy drunkards staring at holes and malcontents puttering around the ice.
I agree with Jim on almost everything, but I have to disagree with him on this score, because I truly believe ice fishing is great — and that anyone can have a great time participating in this wonderful tradition.
Personal Musings on Ice Fishing
As I mentioned, I have come to love ice fishing.
Because of the aforementioned weather patterns in recent years, I have only been ice fishing a few times, but can now say with the utmost confidence that it is some of the most fun I’ve had fishing. This is probably because ice fishing isn’t simply fishing; there’s also a deep feeling of community, of taking part in local tradition, and of deep socialization, which is desperately needed this time of year. For example, one of our friends brought camp chairs, a charcuterie board with fresh venison sausage, various meats, several cheeses, and an assortment of vegetables which was perfect, and plenty of snacks and sandwiches for the kids. In the past we’ve also brought charcoal grills, ice fishing tents (also known as “shanties”), portable heaters, kegs of local beer, thermoses of fresh coffee and hot chocolate, and complex fish finders.
Moreover, what’s great is it’s fishing at its most basic elements, which leads to fewer stress and expectations: there’s no boat you have to board at 4 am, no highly complex rigged rods needed, or really any super-deep-focus necessary, so it is a type of fishing that is truly relaxing for me, and is great for kids to experience. Even if you’re not catching anything, they enjoy exploring on the ice and being pulled around in the gear sleds.
And lastly, there is nothing more that puts a smile on my face than to watch the joy and excitement my son gets when the bright orange tip-up flag launches into the air and ripples softly in the wind; as all of the kids race to see what species they have caught, while simultaneously quickly reminded by the ever-present ice to maybe bring the run to a brisk walk as a few slip and fall in their snow pants.
Ice fishing can be simple or luxurious — you’ll have fun either way!
Beginner Ice Fishing Gear
All you really need to do is put on some crampons, drag any type of sled onto the ice (we use the same one the kids go sledding on in the snow), drill some holes in the ice with a hand auger or battery operated drill-bit auger, and set-up a few hand-line tip-ups with live bait (e.g., creek chubs, shiners, worms) and wait to see a bright orange flag flapping in the wind indicating a fish is on!
To take it even a step simpler, a hand auger and small fishing rod (you may already have) with a small jig is all you really need to get out there and have some fun — don’t complicate the process.
Parting Thoughts
Once we packed up and headed toward the old game trail, as I was dragging all of our gear in front of my son I was admittedly tired, cold, and worn-out — and ready for a nap — out-of-the-blue he exclaimed: “I love ice fishing Dada — I want to go again, that was really fun!” I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around and saw that he had a bright big smile on his face — it made everything worthwhile for that small beautiful moment. Frankly, there is no better feeling than being able to share experiences and the excitement of ice fishing that you once had with your son or daughter — it is a sensation that is hard to describe.
*Always remember ice is never one-hundred-percent safe and the recommended thickness for ice fishing is four inches of thick ice.
See you next week — if possible, try to get on one of your local ponds — the warm weather is going to be here soon and this winter season will simply be a memory — if you can’t get on a pond simply go for a hike in the woods and embrace the final weeks of beauty this winter season.
"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after"— Henry David Thoreau
—Brendan, Modern Renaissance Man
Brendan Martin Coyne is an award-winning writer, voracious reader, avid outdoorsman, artisan woodcarver, amateur stargazer, hack gardener, and scratch cook. In his spare time, he is a novice hunter, mediocre fisherman, bourbon enthusiast, and loves anything to do with a beach or being immersed in nature with his family.