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Ice Fishing Can be a Very Exciting Experience
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One
of the most popular recreational forms of fishing in Scandinavia,
Russia and Germany is Ice Fishing, a sport also practiced in Canada and
the United States, not only during winter, but also all year round in
Alaska. However the most popular place to enjoy this activity is in the
Great Lakes. Considered originally from Scandinavia, it was brought to
America by Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish settlers arriving to
Minnesota, a state where people from Nordic families is totally engaged
in this sport. Ice fishing was exported to Canada from Minnesota and
from here, it also arrived in Alaska.
Minnesotans found ice fishing an entertaining option, keeping in mind
that the Great Lakes are often totally frozen, with the only exception
being Lake Erie. When the bays of the Great Lakes freeze, yellow perch
and northern pike are the most common catches waiting for enthusiasts
of this sport. Ice fishing is practiced catching fish with lines and
spears or hooks by opening a hole in the frozen lake to fish through.
Depending on personal preferences, fishermen can sit in a heated cabin
on the ice or on a stool placed on the open expanse of the frozen lake.
Cabins are more popular indeed, because most of them have bunks and
diverse amenities.
From all the forms of fishing, ice fishing is perhaps the activity
requiring less effort and skill, just patience, good luck and the inner
conviction of enjoy doing nothing else that sitting on ice, if not
physical, at least exposed to low temperatures. For some people, this
condition may appear unappealing but in the northern states, ice
fishing is considered a serious entertaining activity with competitions
and contests offering good prizes to people with the largest fish
catches within a limited period of time.
One of the contests attracting more people every year is held at the
Houghton Lake in Michigan. The "Tip-Up Town, USA", an annual festival
celebrated the last 56 years ago during the second third of winter, and
enhanced with other snow related activities such as strolling,
snowmobiling, snow-sculpting and fireworks, in conjunction with Ice
fishing.
While in the United States, Ice fishing contests have a prevalent
carnival like atmosphere, full of camaraderie, in Finland, ice fishing
contests have been defaced after repeated scandals involving both
organizers and contestants, who have been caught cheating, making
people belief this is not a sport, but just a pastime. However, in the
United States there is an association supporting ice fishing
activities, the American Ice Fishing Association (AIFA), which says
that ice fishing contributes to managing the fish species population,
and the economic growth of the community, bringing calming and relaxing
effects of well being to all the participants.
Because ice fishing can be something more than a one-day experience,
there are shelters conveniently located for longer fishing expeditions.
Some others are mounted on-demand using simple structures, although the
larger heated structures are basic for the success of fishing trips
lasting several days.
There is a website that describes boat fishing, ice fishing, and has
info on numerous freshwater fish, baits, and lures, plus other great
freshwater fishing tips. The website is called: Fishing Stringer, and
may be found at this address:
www.fishingstringer.com
By Robert W. Benjamin
Copyright © 2006
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web
site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without
modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.
Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet
for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past
25+ years. He first released software on the AMIGA and C64 computer
systems in the late 1970's-80's.
RB59 Software
www.rb59.com/software
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