Arctic Armor Ice Fishing suit tested in a swimming pool.
Monday, December 15, 2008
March Women's Ice Challenge
Well folks here is the deal. There had been lots of interest in the Women’s Ice Challenge and some women want some specific information about the event.
One of the best fishing days of my life was on the Chequamegon Bay in Ashland WI. There were two of us and over the course of the day we caught ten different species of fish. I couldn’t believe it. I have fished here many times and not all days were like that but I have never been skunked.
We decided to have the Women’s Ice Challenge in Ashland so we could invite some women from MN over. The City of Ashland offers some very reasonable motel rates and we found clean comfortable lodging at the Crest Hotel. For approx. $35 a night you can’t go wrong. Its basic but clean and right across the street from the lake. If you try to make a reservation and they are full email me because I have some extra rooms set aside. There are other places to stay that have swimming pools and more amenities. I suggest you make a reservation somewhere as soon as possible because there are several other events going on in Ashland that weekend. There are also other attractions including the Ice Caves if they are open. The Ashland Chamber of Commerce is a great resource.
As far as the fishing if you have gear bring it. WI allows three lines in the water per person and I usually set two tip ups and jig with the third line. If its nice out I’ll set one tip up, one tip down and jig with the third. As far as jigging, you can catch smelt and any number of different game fish. The small mouth bass in there look like footballs and are really fun to catch on a jig pole. I usually use a med-light rod with a six pound braided line. One particular jig that is productive is the Hali jig. The one that is about an inch and one half long and has a small chain that hangs down with a small single hook on it. That can be tipped with a wax worm and you can catch smelt off the bottom. Once you caught some smelt you can use them on a tip up or the smelt head on a bigger lure such as the buck shot rattle spoon. Usually anything with some flash will draw the fish in . The Coho and other fish come in schools and follow the smelt around . Its common to have a flood of activity and the best techniques is to get the fish off quick and get your line back down while the school is still there. As you can imagine this flurry of activity sure creates some action. On the prior trip I mentioned, at one point we didn’t have one line in the water because all the flags were up and the jig rods had fish on them as well.
We will have demos of how to set a tip up, a tip down and there are a number of experienced women signed up that are willing to give you a hand. We will also have some new products showcased including the Jiffy Stx Auger, Eskimo Ice Shacks, Beaver Dam tip ups, Tip up lights by lighthouse tip up light company and others.
Even if you don’t have any gear we encourage you to sign up. Even if you have never ice fished before. This is a great opportunity to learn what its all about. There is another fisheree held in Ashland that weekend sponsored by the Rod and Gun club. If you are married bring your husband and send him over there while you fish with the Women. Sounds like a perfect plan.
Please email me if you have any specific questions. This event is funded by donations and the biggest expense we have incurred is the liability insurance. My goal was to provide low or no cost outings to get more women interested in the sport but the reality of the insurance world limits us. Please save us advertising costs by spreading the word to other women who may be interested. Hopefully Wi Women Fish will be a resource for women anglers for years to come.
One of the best fishing days of my life was on the Chequamegon Bay in Ashland WI. There were two of us and over the course of the day we caught ten different species of fish. I couldn’t believe it. I have fished here many times and not all days were like that but I have never been skunked.
We decided to have the Women’s Ice Challenge in Ashland so we could invite some women from MN over. The City of Ashland offers some very reasonable motel rates and we found clean comfortable lodging at the Crest Hotel. For approx. $35 a night you can’t go wrong. Its basic but clean and right across the street from the lake. If you try to make a reservation and they are full email me because I have some extra rooms set aside. There are other places to stay that have swimming pools and more amenities. I suggest you make a reservation somewhere as soon as possible because there are several other events going on in Ashland that weekend. There are also other attractions including the Ice Caves if they are open. The Ashland Chamber of Commerce is a great resource.
As far as the fishing if you have gear bring it. WI allows three lines in the water per person and I usually set two tip ups and jig with the third line. If its nice out I’ll set one tip up, one tip down and jig with the third. As far as jigging, you can catch smelt and any number of different game fish. The small mouth bass in there look like footballs and are really fun to catch on a jig pole. I usually use a med-light rod with a six pound braided line. One particular jig that is productive is the Hali jig. The one that is about an inch and one half long and has a small chain that hangs down with a small single hook on it. That can be tipped with a wax worm and you can catch smelt off the bottom. Once you caught some smelt you can use them on a tip up or the smelt head on a bigger lure such as the buck shot rattle spoon. Usually anything with some flash will draw the fish in . The Coho and other fish come in schools and follow the smelt around . Its common to have a flood of activity and the best techniques is to get the fish off quick and get your line back down while the school is still there. As you can imagine this flurry of activity sure creates some action. On the prior trip I mentioned, at one point we didn’t have one line in the water because all the flags were up and the jig rods had fish on them as well.
We will have demos of how to set a tip up, a tip down and there are a number of experienced women signed up that are willing to give you a hand. We will also have some new products showcased including the Jiffy Stx Auger, Eskimo Ice Shacks, Beaver Dam tip ups, Tip up lights by lighthouse tip up light company and others.
Even if you don’t have any gear we encourage you to sign up. Even if you have never ice fished before. This is a great opportunity to learn what its all about. There is another fisheree held in Ashland that weekend sponsored by the Rod and Gun club. If you are married bring your husband and send him over there while you fish with the Women. Sounds like a perfect plan.
Please email me if you have any specific questions. This event is funded by donations and the biggest expense we have incurred is the liability insurance. My goal was to provide low or no cost outings to get more women interested in the sport but the reality of the insurance world limits us. Please save us advertising costs by spreading the word to other women who may be interested. Hopefully Wi Women Fish will be a resource for women anglers for years to come.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Women on the Ice
I feel like a pioneer. Not because I’m aging and about to turn 50 but because I am one of few women I know that have a passion for ice fishing. As I began to become more involved in the sport I realized it isn’t to often that you run into other women on the ice. Once in awhile a Dad would have his daughters out. I always tried to pay attention to the girls to see if Dad had provided them with a pole or if they were playing in the snow. I always smiled when I saw a little girl holding her pole starring at the hole with anticipation. Or better yet when they run towards a flag as fast as they can. I hope Dad lets her take the flag.
Then there is the occasional husband and wife team. Usually the female half of the duo looks like she knows what she is doing. I have to admit I always look at what she is wearing. Not to judge the fashion but to she what she has found to wear that is warm and functional. You just don’t go to the Women’s Ice Fishing Clothing section and pick something out. Its more like hunting for the right thing but its just not available. I found these pants once that were great. It was like wearing pajamas, with nice pockets, warm, windproof and water proof. The fact that they were “wetland camo” didn’t deter me but I have to admit when ever I see myself in the photographs holding fish I cringe at the sight of them. They look terrible on me.
Another annual female visitor to the ice is the teenage male’s girlfriend. Now these women are obvious. This is the gal who walks to the shack with her short cropped pretty jacket and low rise jeans. Some times they wear boots but often times its just the tennis shoes. Lucky the shacks are close to shore but I often wonder if they are the ones spreading the rumor that you freeze your tail off if you go ice fishing.
Then there was the time that my friend and I were bundled up from head to toe. This was before the advent of the light weight high tech gear that we wear now. We had so many clothes on we could hardly walk and the only thing showing was our eyes. We started walking out onto the ice and passed a couple of older men who were just walking off the ice. They proceeded to tell us “ good luck ladies”. I was shocked. How did they know we were ladies. We were wearing men's Carhardt clothes and looked to be wearing the same outfits they were. Now I’m a big girl so it wasn’t because of my small frame or dainty boots. I don’t know how many times I have been in dress clothes in a business establishment and while going to the bathroom I get looks as my gender neutral look often confuses people. So these old ice fishing gentleman knew that we were ladies I will never know.
I must say I rarely see a women out ice fishing by herself. If fact I never have. I’m not saying it doesn’t occur, I know I do it, and I have friends that do, but I have never personally seem a women ice fishing by herself. I didn’t realize what a novelty it was. One day while fishing on Lake Petenwell, I was talking to some men who were also fishing. They asked me if I was “Keepers”. I admitted I was, That's actually my dogs name which I have been using as a screen name on Lake Links and other fishing reports. I thought it was funny and didn’t think to much of it until it happened again on Lake Superior. Now here I am 275 miles from home and the first time I am fishing these waters and some guy asks me if I’m “Keepers”. Suddenly I looked around and think “Am I the only women in the world that ice fishes?” What are the chances of seeing that one women on the ice in the middle of nowhere being me the same women who posts on a fishing web site. Sadly the odds were real good. I knew that day that I had to do something about that and let other women know what they are missing. And then WI Women Fish was born. So maybe someday when you Google women’s ice fishing, something other than the Bikini Ice Fishing Team will come up on the first page.
Then there is the occasional husband and wife team. Usually the female half of the duo looks like she knows what she is doing. I have to admit I always look at what she is wearing. Not to judge the fashion but to she what she has found to wear that is warm and functional. You just don’t go to the Women’s Ice Fishing Clothing section and pick something out. Its more like hunting for the right thing but its just not available. I found these pants once that were great. It was like wearing pajamas, with nice pockets, warm, windproof and water proof. The fact that they were “wetland camo” didn’t deter me but I have to admit when ever I see myself in the photographs holding fish I cringe at the sight of them. They look terrible on me.
Another annual female visitor to the ice is the teenage male’s girlfriend. Now these women are obvious. This is the gal who walks to the shack with her short cropped pretty jacket and low rise jeans. Some times they wear boots but often times its just the tennis shoes. Lucky the shacks are close to shore but I often wonder if they are the ones spreading the rumor that you freeze your tail off if you go ice fishing.
Then there was the time that my friend and I were bundled up from head to toe. This was before the advent of the light weight high tech gear that we wear now. We had so many clothes on we could hardly walk and the only thing showing was our eyes. We started walking out onto the ice and passed a couple of older men who were just walking off the ice. They proceeded to tell us “ good luck ladies”. I was shocked. How did they know we were ladies. We were wearing men's Carhardt clothes and looked to be wearing the same outfits they were. Now I’m a big girl so it wasn’t because of my small frame or dainty boots. I don’t know how many times I have been in dress clothes in a business establishment and while going to the bathroom I get looks as my gender neutral look often confuses people. So these old ice fishing gentleman knew that we were ladies I will never know.
I must say I rarely see a women out ice fishing by herself. If fact I never have. I’m not saying it doesn’t occur, I know I do it, and I have friends that do, but I have never personally seem a women ice fishing by herself. I didn’t realize what a novelty it was. One day while fishing on Lake Petenwell, I was talking to some men who were also fishing. They asked me if I was “Keepers”. I admitted I was, That's actually my dogs name which I have been using as a screen name on Lake Links and other fishing reports. I thought it was funny and didn’t think to much of it until it happened again on Lake Superior. Now here I am 275 miles from home and the first time I am fishing these waters and some guy asks me if I’m “Keepers”. Suddenly I looked around and think “Am I the only women in the world that ice fishes?” What are the chances of seeing that one women on the ice in the middle of nowhere being me the same women who posts on a fishing web site. Sadly the odds were real good. I knew that day that I had to do something about that and let other women know what they are missing. And then WI Women Fish was born. So maybe someday when you Google women’s ice fishing, something other than the Bikini Ice Fishing Team will come up on the first page.
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