With the wind howling and sending chills down your spine, it’s time to suck it up and put on layers of clothing until beads of sweat form on you brow. It’s time to head for ice, (preferably solid ice) drill a hole and jig up some walleye, gills or perch.
In years past, going out on Anchor Bay was like moving into a new neighborhood. Shanties of all kinds – everything from hi-tech to home made – dotted the open space on the bay and stayed until their mandatory removal in March. Truly a town, “shanty town” springs up almost overnight and shares the ice with iceboat races and dads teaching their kids how to handle a car on an icy surface. (Chains were the in thing way back when.)
The bay has changed somewhat since the introduction of zebra mussels and perch aren’t as plentiful anymore …of course, there are exceptions, but once you’re on the ice, a strange thing happens; you’re not as cold as you were when you thought about going ice fishing. Just being with the crowd of ice fishing enthusiasts transforms the mind to a pleasurable state that doesn’t look for excuses to hide from winter …Ok, a flask helps.
TD