Good weather and rapidly improving ice conditions lent to a successful ice fishing day hosted by Tettegouche State Park. Eight attendees were introduced to the basic equipment of ice fishing.
Since December 2014, ice fishing has been an annual program offered at Tettegouche. The park borders Lax Lake, providing easy access to the ice. The park loans out ice fishing equipment and provides bait, allowing participants to come and enjoy the activity without worrying about acquiring needed equipment.
Interpretive Naturalist Kurt Mead says that a major highlight of the program is when “a kid or someone new to this sport catches a fish. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. Pulling your first fish out through the ice can be a really fun experience. Are the fish always biting?” Mead asks, answering himself with an “of course not. But sharing a beautiful winter day on the ice with good people has its own rewards.”
Kurt Mead went on to say, “Our hope is to help folks and families to experience a new ‘winter thing’. We live in a cold, snowy, icy climate, and if you don’t find ways to enjoy winter, you will be unhappy for about half of the year. Maybe ice fishing is your new ‘winter thing’ and you just don’t know it!”
