Bite the Ice goes over the top
By Jerry W. Kram
After a couple of challenging years, the Bite the Ice on the Hook finally caught a lucky break.
Last year the thermometer dropped very low and even the hardiest ice fisherman scarcely braved sticking his nose out of their ice house. The year before a ground blizzard forced organizers to lead vehicles back to shore when the fishing was finished. However, anglers are a hardy lot and a record setting 520 anglers were on the ice last year. But 2015 has that topped.
The day dawned crisp and clear with temperatures in the mid 20s with very little wind. The February sun actually pushed the thermometer over freezing before the fishing was done at 2 p.m. There was absolutely no reason for anyone not to be on the ice Saturday, and anglers responded. There were 649 officially registered anglers in this year’s tournament, including 84 kids under 12. Where in past years anglers stayed in their shacks or vehicles, this year was almost party like as neighbors on the ice chatted to see where they were biting and what baits were working.
