In ancient Israel, somebody walking across a body of water constituted a miracle. In Minnesota, it just means that it is ice fishing season. On a late January afternoon at a bend in the St Croix river, which divides the state from Wisconsin, half a dozen tents are visible, spread evenly across the ice. Inside each one sits one or two people, fishing rods (and perhaps a beer) in hand. Every now and then somebody new arrives, pulls a sled across from the car park, and starts drilling, briefly disturbing the quiet with the sound of an electric motor. All across the surface of the river, the ice is pockmarked with holes about six inches wide. Overhead, a bald eagle circles, perhaps wondering what on earth these people are doing.
When bars, restaurants and other indoor activities closed in 2020 as the coronavirus raged, outdoor activities boomed. Skiing, golf, hiking, tennis, cycling: all attracted new adherents. Yet ice fishing has grown particularly fast. Even before the pandemic, the sport was defying a decline in fishing in general. In 2020, the Minnesota department of natural resources sold just over 1.2m fishing licences, or roughly one for every five residents of the state, the highest number in at least two decades. Though those licences cover summer fishing too, many adherents say that the winter season is now actually more important. The reason why is that it has become a lot easier, thanks to new technology. It is oddly revealing of what Americans want when they venture into the great outdoors: isolation, peace and quiet, but with a good degree of comfort and the chance to buy a lot of expensive paraphernalia.
Standing outside his tent on the ice, with his dog, Justin Fodor, a heating and air conditioning technician who lives in St Paul, explains that he started ice fishing a few years ago, at first with little more than his summer rods and lines. “I came out just with a drill, a table and a chair,…
2023-02-02 09:18:13
Source from www.economist.com
Ice Fishing: A Sport Transforming with Technology
Ice fishing is a unique and ancient sport that has been enjoyed for centuries. It involves drilling holes in the ice of a frozen lake or river before waiting for fish to take the bait. Although it seems simple, finding success in this form of fishing requires substantial knowledge and skill. What makes ice fishing even more interesting is that, in recent years, technology has been transforming the sport in remarkable ways.
There are now many tools available that make ice fishing more accessible, interactive and efficient than ever before. Ice augers allow anglers to create a hole in the ice much more quickly and efficiently than with traditional, manual drills. Electrically-powered augers, such as the Strikemaster Ice Auger, allow fishermen to drill up to six inches of ice in under a minute. The convenience of these devices makes them especially popular among ice fishermen.
In addition to ice augers, there is also technology available to make the fishing experience much more user-friendly. The recent advent of ‘Fish Finders’ has revolutionized the way in which anglers detect and locate fish through the ice. These devices use sonar imaging to create an image of the lake or river bottom, allowing anglers to locate fish in the area.
Of course, sometimes even the most experienced ice fisherman can’t generate results on their own. To help in these situations, there are several apps available that can provide invaluable information about the weather conditions and ice depth. This allows fishermen to exercise more control over their environment, which can be essential in fishing success.
Ultimately, technology has changed the way that ice fishermen approach their craft. With the introduction of these modern tools, experienced anglers and novices alike can find success out on the ice. As technology continues to evolve and become more advanced, ice fishermen should have even more resources to help them in their pursuit.