By Jessianne Castle EBS ENVIRONMENTAL & OUTDOORS EDITOR
BOZEMAN –
With winter heavy on the landscape in Montana, it can be daunting to find ways
to spend time outdoors. But frigid temps mean frozen waters and the perfect
time for ice fishing.
On Feb. 7,
Montana’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman program hosted a course on ice fishing in
Bozeman geared toward helping women spend time outside. Ranging in age from
college students to retirees, approximately half of the BOW course’s 16
attendees had never been ice fishing. Some drove all the way from Great Falls
to attend the classroom session at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Region 3
headquarters, and one woman flew in from Seattle to participate with her
Livingston friend.
Dave
Hagengruber, educator for MT FWP’s Hooked on Fishing program for school kids,
and BOW coordinator Sara Smith who grew up ice fishing in her hometown of
Sheridan, Montana, co-taught the class, covering topics like ice safety, how to
fish, and the ins and outs of clothing and gear.
On Feb. 8,
the class was scheduled to ice fish at Glen Lake Rotary Park, but heavy snow
the night before and warm nighttime temps made the ice conditions unsafe—it was
impossible to see holes previously drilled by ice fishermen. Typically drilled
holes freeze overnight, but warm temps kept them open. Another ice fishing
course scheduled the same weekend in Billings was also canceled due to poor ice
conditions, and Smith said that with warm temps so far this winter, ice safety
is top of mind.
While BOW
participants didn’t get to wet a line, they did learn about ice safety,
equipment and fish identification, thanks to the classroom session. Ice fishing
is a popular winter activity that is relatively inexpensive, social and can
yield great results, Hagengruber said, noting that it is often easier to catch
more fish under the ice than on open water.
Ice is never
100 percent safe and must be a minimum of 4 inches thick to withstand the
weight of one person, Hagengruber added. Groups should look for 8 or 9 inches.
To check ice depth, he suggested drilling a hole with a hand-crank or
electric-drill-powered auger and measuring the thickness at intervals as you
move out onto the ice. Awareness of the ice conditions becomes increasingly
precarious during warmer temperatures as the water-body thaws and refreezes.
Hagengruber
said lake ice is safer than river ice, as river currents can erode and thin the
ice. Signs that ice may not be safe include water pooling on the surface,
unusual patterns in the ice, and visible open water. The best ice is either
clear or black, while white ice means it has air and is less strong.
In addition
to conditions awareness, safety equipment can help, Smith said. Cleats can
provide traction on glazed ice, commercial ice picks can be used to self-rescue
and pull yourself out of the water if you fall in, and some anglers use life
jackets or invest in coats and bibs with built-in flotation.
Montana
waters are home to a variety of fish species. Common fish caught during the
winter include yellow perch, rainbow trout, kokanee salmon, smallmouth bass and
northern pike.
Montana BOW,
which is administered through MT FWP, is a part of national BOW network. In
addition to ice fishing, Montana BOW teaches snowshoeing, archery, gun
handling, Dutch oven cooking and kayaking, with courses are offered year-round
throughout the state. Smith said MT FWP is working with REI in Bozeman to offer
additional BOW programming this spring.
Visit fwp.mt.gov/education/bow for more information.