The History of Ice Fishing

Mornin' to everyone delayed by the river of melted butter that spilled out onto a roadway after a dairy plant caught on fire. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

What we're hooking into this week:

• Wisconsin's ice fishing history 🎣

• Where's the snow? ❄️

• Rare Mandarin duck sighting 🦆

Our Age-Old Pastime: Wisconsin's Ice Fishing History

The only thing worse than hearing that the garage refrigerator is empty (where us 'Scons keep all our beer), is that the garage freezer is empty (where we keep all our wild game and fish).

Alas, when the freezer looks a bit sparse, Sconnies don their snowmobile suits (we think Aunt Kelly use to wear this when she was a kid), grab a bucket to sit on, and dig out that lucky ice fishing rod for, well, ice fishing.

While it may seem a bit mental to the rest of the world, ice fishing has a deep history here in the cheese state, full of culture and tradition... One of which being losing to Dad at cribbage.

Doesn't seem to matter how cold it is, you can find 'Scons on frozen lakes all winter long trying their luck at pulling some beauties through the ice.

History of ice fishing

• Indigenous tribes taught first European settlers this ancient art

• Most popular fish to catch in Wisconsin is panfish (great for eatin' too)

• Over 14 million fish are caught through the ice in Wisconsin each year

The ice fishing 'tail'

Centuries ago, when the first European settlers began populating Wisconsin, someone *probably* had the thought "What the hey, why can't we have fish frys in the winter time?"

The indigenous tribes of Menominee and Ojibwe, thankfully, took these fledgling 'Sconnies under their wing, showing them the art of spearfishing.

Chopping out a hole in the ice, these spearfishermen would wait for a giant sturgeon to swim underneath, unaware to the sharp spears poised above.

With a thrust, these spearfishermen would skewer the tasty sturgeon and haul them onto the ice. This tradition lives on to today, with native americans still creating sturgeon decoys from wood.

Alas, each year thousands of folks flock to Lake Winnebago for the annual sturgeon spearing season.

Swapping spears for spinner rods

Though sturgeon spearing definitely got us hooked, the invention of tip-ups and jigging rods solidified our obsession with ice fishing here in Wisconsin.

The proliferation of railroads and roadways made accessing frozen water much easier here in Wisco, and by the 1920's fishing derbies were as common as spots on a cow. At such spectacles, men, women and children would all compete for various categories such as heaviest fish, most fish, etc.

Soon, "shanty towns" popped up on every local lake, full of quite literal small towns of ice fisherman in shanties. With safe enough ice (and beer), fishermen could stay on the ice for days or weeks at a time.

Ice fishing today

Every year, over 14 million fish are caught through ice on the many different fishing lakes in Wisconsin, with the top three being panfish (11.7 million), Northern Pike (866,000) and Walleye (750,000).

Which lakes can you fish on? Well criminy, we have plenty being 4th in the nation for bodies of water. Whichever lake you choose to fish, make sure you follow all regulations and safety guidelines, else you'll end up on thin ice (literally).

Never been? Well, as we reported last week, Wisconsin's fishing scene has been growing year-over-year. AKA - you likely know a neighbor, friend, or cousin who likes to fish.

So go grab some bait, load up some snacks, and get out der! That freezer ain't gonna fill itself!

Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Well shucks, apparently zero 'Scampsonites have had a cannibal/raw beef sandwich. My oma would be ashamed...

NEW: Wisconsin Events

Butt glued to the couch? Here are some great Wisconsin events to get you out 'der:

ICE FISHING ADVENTURE on Saturday, January 21, 2023, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Kettle Moraine State Forest - Pike Lake Unit (on the beach)): Join the Ranger at Kettle Moraine State Forest - Pike Lake Unit for insight into the world of ice fishing on free fishing weekend!

Learn to Ice Fish with WI DNR on Saturday, January 21, 2023 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Brittingham Park829 West Washington Ave.Madison, WI): Learn to Ice Fish with Madison Parks and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources! Participants will learn ice fishing techniques and how to properly, and safely, ice fish.

CANDLELIGHT SKI on Saturday, January 21, 2023, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. (Point Beach State Forest): The Friends of Point Beach State Forest invite you for a magical evening of candlelit recreation. The Forest and trails will be glowing with hundreds of candle luminaries. Skiers and hikers can take an easy 1-mile loop candlelit trail groomed for both classic skiing and hiking.

Know a WI Outdoors-related event happening? Reply to this email with the details and we will share the week before the event!

Nuts and Seeds 🌰

❄️ Hunting for snow?: We're not talking Jon Snow, but we all wish that Winter was coming, because Milwaukee is 50% below average snowfalls so far. So where is all that white gold? Up nort. Yup, they're still getting hammered with snow up 'der. Check out this link for updated snow reports.

🗳 Policy changes have entered the chat: Environmentalists and conservationists are crossing their fingers that changing the makeup of the DNR board will yield positive results in issues like regulations for PFAS and nitrates in groundwater. Uh, ya, we hope so too!

🦆 Mandarin chicken duck: Birders got quite the show when a Mandarin duck showed up on the shore of Lake Michigan. DNR officials believe the duck was not from the wild (it originates in Asia and not native to the US), but from someone's private collection. Still can't hold a light to our Mallards though...

Meme of the Week 😂

A review from the Trail... Oh hey we hope so too, be sure to tell 'em bout us with your referral link above