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So good that Fly Rod & Reel magazine recently named it one of the
country's "12 Top Fly-Fishing Retirement Towns," while Life magazine
named it the country's "Best Place to Catch a Fish." So good that
even in winter, die-hard anglers can still be found standing in
near-frozen streams or crowding their boats out around the mouth of
the Boardman River in hopes of landing some of the tasty but elusive
jumbo perch that frequent Grand Traverse Bay.
But when the region's lakes and bays are finally locked under a
thick layer of ice, it's time to try an entirely different kind of
fishing. In fact, for those hardy souls who are willing to venture
out on the ice, the months between December and April can be the
most enticing of the year.
"There are a lot of lakes here that are very productive in
winter," says retired fisheries biologist Stan Lievense, who still
goes out on the ice every winter. "And there's always the bay, once
it gets cold enough."
To be sure, ice fishing lacks the glamour and style of casting
for trout on the nearby Boardman or heading out to the deep blue
Lake Michigan waters where those big lakers and salmon lurk. A
properly dressed ice fisherman -- known hereabouts as a
"cold-footer" -- bears a closer resemblance to the Stay-Puft
Marshmallow Man than to Brad Pitt.
Nor is ice fishing a pastime that requires large amounts of
skill, strength or cleverness. What it requires, more than anything
else, is patience.
Mind you, that's no small thing. In fact, there is something
positively Zenlike about the ice fishing experience. There you are,
sitting on a little folding stool in the middle of a frozen lake --
a stark and minimalist landscape if ever there was one -- staring
down into a small, dark hole in the ice. You know there are fish
down there -- but you also know that nothing you do or say will
persuade them to bite; the decision is entirely up to them. You can
only wait.
Fortunately, there are lots of winter fish in these rich,
clear waters. Big toothy pike, tasty walleye and perch, plenty of
bluegills, and even the occasional foolhardy bass are active under
the ice in Grand Traverse Bay, Boardman Lake and the dozens of other
inland lakes that surround Traverse City. And somehow, a fish tastes
even better when you've waited all day in the cold to make its
acquaintance.
"There's really quite a large variety of fish waiting to be
caught around here in the winter," says fishing guide Dave Rose.
"You can even find lake trout and whitefish in some of the larger
lakes, and I know guys who go for brown trout on Duck Lake through
the ice."
During the warm-weather months, Rose can usually be found in his
boat, taking customers out to his favorite spots on Lake Leelanau,
Elk Lake and other local fishing grounds. But although he's been
known to anchor out in Grand Traverse Bay in February just to fish
along the edge of the ice, winter is his ice fishing season.
He's not alone. Almost as soon as the ice will bear their weight
-- and sometimes a wee bit sooner -- enthusiastic ice fishermen head
out to their favorite spots in the small forest lakes in the hills
above Traverse City, where bluegill and crappie are the predominant
species. As the season progresses, they'll begin congregating on
larger bodies of water like Boardman Lake and the long,
glacier-gouged lakes to the east and west of the city -- Leelanau,
Elk and Torch -- where walleye, whitefish, lake trout and herring
can be found. Finally, when the temperatures dip low enough, they'll
venture out onto the ice of the bay.
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 Like fishermen everywhere, ice fishing enthusiasts conduct lively
arguments about the best gear, lures, bait and technique for
catching different fish. Some prefer deep water, while others
contend that fish are livelier in shallow lakes. Some wait endlessly
at places like Lake Dubonnet for a massive northern pike, while
others gladly gather on nearby Green Lake to catch tiny smelt, one
by one, just for the enjoyment of getting a strike every couple of
seconds.
"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it," says Rose. "It's a lot of
fun. Some nights you'll see a hundred people out on that lake
filling their buckets."
But there are several basic things every ice fisherman needs: an
auger, spud or drill for getting through the ice and a skimmer for
keeping the hole ice-free; jigs and minnows for bait; a short,
sturdy fishing rod -- 18 to 24 inches is best, preferably with a
sensitive tip -- or a tip-up rig to warn when a fish is on the line,
for anglers who prefer to fish more than one hole at a time. And, of
course, plenty of refreshments, a comfortable seat and a sled to
carry it all out onto the ice.
Some ice fishermen prefer to fish in the comfort of their own
portable shanties, and there are times when so many of these little
structures cluster together over a particularly rich fishing spot
that it looks like a small village on the ice. For Dave Rose, a
shanty is the most rewarding way to enjoy the ice fishing
experience. Not only are you protected from the cold, but under the
right conditions -- on a bright sunlit day, with the crystal-clear
water glowing gently up at you -- you can watch the fish swimming
back and forth far, far below your feet.
On the other hand, purists like Stan Lievense would rather lug
their worldly possessions out to a lonely spot in the middle of the
ice, where they can wage their cold and silent battle of wills
without the distraction of an audience. This approach also possesses
its own austere beauty -- on a windless evening, when the dying sun
turns the sky to lilac and every shadow to a deep rich blue, or
trudging back to shore under a fleet of impossibly bright stars,
listening to the deep notes of the groaning ice as it expands and
contracts beneath you.
And there are no mosquitoes to deal with, either.
For more information about ice fishing, skiing, snowmobiling and
other winter fun in the Traverse City area, as well as a
comprehensive listing of local dining and lodging options, contact
the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1 (800) TRAVERSE
[1 (800) 872-8377] or visit
www.mytraversecity.com.
[Traverse City Convention
& Visitors Bureau news release]
A russet winter sunset illuminates a fishing shanty "village" on the
ice of Green Lake, just south of Traverse City, Mich., near the
Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Photo by Dennis Buchner,
www.bucsfishingreport.com |
