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Minnesota Ice Fishing
Ice Fishing, Minnesota Fishing Articles, Regional Fishing, United States Fishing Articles | Minnesota theangler PM
The folks in Minnesota take their ice fishing seriously as well as their ice fishing comforts. They dress warmly, build innovative ice fishing shacks complete with stoves and all of the comforts of home. While some bucket sitters may be spotted fishing alone, many enjoy the camaraderie of friends gathering inside a shack (or shanty) for warmth, food and a day of ice fishing.
The Art of Ice Fishing
For southerners that don’t know, ice fishing is a bit of an art. The sport begins by bundling up in several layers of clothes and walking out on a frozen lake in the dead of winter. Hopefully, weather conditions will be a clear and crisp day with no wind. After selecting the ideal fishing spot, the fisherman drills a hole usually over weeds and chisels it to make it wider. The next step is to unpack the sled, set up the shack, and find the lures and jiggling rods. The fisherman also unpacks his portable seat and skimming cup for keeping the hole clear of ice. After setting the line, the fisherman will keep a vigilant eye on the tip up’s red flag signaling that a fish has been caught. The rest of the time is spent sipping on thermos hot chocolate, snacking on deer sausage sticks and frying up fish on the portable grill. Young people are often nearby engaging in ice skating or a game of ice hockey. What a wonderful day of fishing it has been.
Ice fishing with grumpy old men
One favorite spot for ice fishing is Wabasha, Minnesota on the Mississippi River. Wabasha is located about 70 miles southeast of St Paul and is a five and half hour drive from Chicago. Perhaps this small town of only 2,400 is best known for its Grumpy Old Men Festival. The festival is based on the 1993 hit film “Grumpy Old Men,” which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margaret. Screenwriter Mark Steven Johnson based the script on the life of his grandfather, who lived in Wabasha, but none of the films was actually shot in Wabasha because there were not enough hotels for the crew to stay in.
After the film was released, people from the southern USA and as far away as Japan called to ask the Wabasha Chamber of Commerce if ice fishing was for real. Now, people like to go there to the festival and ice fish just for the experience
In the film, Max (Matthau) and John (Lemmon) go ice fishing a lot; they wear those silly, ear-flapped plaid caps and spend a lot of time glowering at each other. It’s the same look you get from a New York cab driver.
Among the festival, events are contests for ice fishing and the most colorful ice fishing shanty. Other events include sleigh and wagon rides around Wabasha, a pushcart store full of “Grumpy Old Men” buttons, T-shirts, hats, spaghetti dinner at Slippery’s and live music from a top 40/country band.
Ice fishing shacks in Minnesota
The ice fishing shacks or as they call them in Minnesota “shanties”, come in all sizes and colors. However, most structures are just small 6 X 6 shelters designed for escaping the blowing snow and wind. Shanties are mostly made from plywood, plastic or canvas. Some are simple and some are quite elaborate. Many of these shelters remain there on the ice until spring, while others are designed to be portable. Portable shanties are often made from canvas and must be removed daily. Shanties can also be rented for around $100 a day.
A lot of ice fishermen bring along small stoves to keep their hands warm and for cooking up a meal. They also like to bring along a grill for cooking up hamburgers. Minnesota ice fishermen like to group their shanties together into what is called a shantytown. Buddies fishing nearby can help attract small schools of perch.
Many areas in Minnesota have ice fishing outfitters that offer complete packages, excluding your food. Ice fishing does have its rules so you want to read up on that. Fish caught are mainly yellow perch, pumpkinseeds, and panfish such as bluegills. The limit is usually 25. It is necessary to carry your fishing license with you at all times.
Yellow perch taste wonderful cooked by any method. Here is a good recipe:
Dip 1 lb. of fillets in egg batter (4 eggs beaten with 1/4 c milk).
Coat them with flour mixture (2 c flour, 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper, I tbsp paprika).
Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown, less than 5 minutes (do not overcook). You will enjoy these bite-size, shrimp-like morsels!