Ice fishing is a popular winter sport in northern U.S. states, requiring a minimum of four inches of clear ice and sustained sub-freezing temperatures to ensure safety. Anglers target a variety of fish species such as perch, trout, walleye, pike, and bass, which are known to be active in cold waters.
One particular angler made headlines after catching a massive lake sturgeon in the St. Croix River, Minnesota. After enduring three hours of chilly waiting and drilling through two feet of solid ice, the angler’s perseverance paid off with a colossal 120-pound fish measuring 78 inches long with a 29.5-inch girth. This catch set a new state record for catch-and-release fishing.
Ice fishing involves cutting or drilling holes in frozen bodies of water to catch fish using techniques like jigging and tip-ups. Jigging, a vertical fishing method, mimics the movement of prey to attract fish, while tip-ups use traps to signal when a fish takes the bait. This unique fishing experience requires specialized equipment such as shorter rods, specific lures, ice chisels, and sonar devices to locate fish under the ice.
Unlike traditional fishing, ice fishing demands additional layers of clothing, safety gear like ice picks, and precautions against slips on icy surfaces. Understanding fish behavior in cold temperatures is also crucial, as fish tend to be more sedentary during winter months, conserving energy and slowing their metabolism.
In conclusion, ice fishing offers anglers a thrilling and challenging experience, requiring unique skills and equipment to navigate the winter environment and catch prized fish species lurking beneath the frozen surface.
Stay relatively active and can even become more aggressive. The Record-Breaking Catch Although fish may expend less energy chasing prey in the winter, hungry fish will take a chance on the right bait. Live bait is often recommended because fish are more easily enticed with live prey. In the video above, the fisherman used fathead minnows and nightcrawlers, or earthworms, to attract the record-breaking lake sturgeon. Lake sturgeon are large fish with long lifespans. The average adult measures 4-6 feet in length and weighs between 30-80 pounds. They typically live 50-100 years, but experts believe they can live as long as 150 years. Particularly old individuals can reach seven feet and weigh up to 300 pounds. At 6.5 feet and 120 pounds, the record breaker is likely to be an old fish. So it was released back into the water for the next generation of fishermen to appreciate. Watch the Video Click here to watch the video. The post Minnesota Man Pulls Record-Breaking Fish from Two Feet of Ice appeared first on A-Z Animals.
