March 30, 2008 01:11 am
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Winter seems to be leaving us just as it came — an inch at a time.
Two weeks ago on an ice fishing trip to Mountain Lake, we drove the pickup onto the lake without a second thought.
Once at our fishing spot, the gas auger labored as it chewed through nearly a yard of good, solid ice.
But spring always gains the upper hand. Even after a brisk 12 degree low last Monday morning and most subsequent evenings of below freezing weather, winter is clearly losing the battle of the seasons.
The other evening on Madison Lake’s East Bay, driving a pickup out onto the ice shouldn’t have even been a consideration for the two dozen or so anglers who congregated over a perennial last-ice hotspot for panfish.
I say “shouldn’t have” because in spite of the ice that grows darker by the day, one adventuresome (some might say imprudent) angler steered his truck past all the vehicles parked in the access parking lot and drove several hundred yards out onto the lake.
There, he stopped to drill a few holes.
Perhaps he didn’t like what he found; he gathered his gear from his pickup and began hoofing it across the ice, inexplicably still leaving his truck parked on the lake.
One axiom in ice fishing is that the very first ice and the very last ice can be the time of the best panfish bites of the season.
That means die-hard ice anglers are tempted to practice a little brinkmanship at either end of the fishing season.
In the first days, they tread lightly, traveling lightly. And now, into the last days of the season, they once again tread lightly, travel lightly.
The beauty of it at this end of the season is that in the sunshine of a March day, there is little need for heavy propane tanks or shelters anyway.
Even the gas auger I hauled out in my sled turned out to be an unnecessary burden. Though nearly three feet of ice remains, the auger effortlessly chewed through the top half that had grown honey-combed by the growing power of the sun.
It was only in the last foot or so that the sharp blades finally found the firm, cold weather ice. And besides, in 40 degree temperatures, plenty of holes drilled by earlier anglers remained open and free for the fishing.
Soaking up a dose of bright sunshine the other day was pleasant and reward enough as geese coursed overhead. The crappies and sunfish that were in an obliging mood were a bonus.
They weren’t the slabs Madison Lake can regularly produce. But had I been in the mood for a meal of fresh panfish, the nine-inch crappies would have provided an ample pile of fillets.
Instead, I released them as I caught them, watching them linger in the hole before the disappeared with the flip of their tail.
Nearby, other anglers, including their young children trundled from hole to hole, occasionally pulling out a silvery crappie or a scrappy bluegill, as well.
As the sun dropped a little lower, the action heated up a bit as the crappies bit with a little more enthusiasm.
But as the bite heated up, the temperature began to fall. As the sun finally touched the horizon, it was time to pack up.
With my springer spaniel stretching his legs and sprinting ahead of me, we made our way back to the access and the pickup truck as the last traces of sunshine melted away into cool, blue hues of twilight.
A pleasant forecast for this weekend probably bodes well for last-gasp ice anglers to squeeze in a few more ice fishing outings.
But beyond that, given the rapidly deteriorating ice conditions, it is only a matter of time before the risks taken for a fresh meal of fish begin to outweigh the rewards.
Back at the truck and with my gear loaded, I paused to admire the pair of geese that winged past treetop high, honking softly, air rustling through their wings.
With a full docket of household chores and honey-do’s scheduled for me this weekend, they were singing my ice-fishing season swan song.
John Cross is a Free Press staff writer. Contact him at 344-6376 or by e-mail at jcross@mankato freepress.com.
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