Ice fishing brings up an image of good old boys just having a good time, like Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1993 movie, Grumpy Old Men.
Well, actually in the case of those two, they didn't appear to be having all that much fun, but the film did conjure up a snapshot of ice fishing culture. The ice shack is a kingpin of the culture and can range anywhere from a flimsy tent to a space big enough to house a whole passel of good old boys.
Jackfish and Murray lakes are both popular destinations for the ice fishing crowd, and every February thousands flock to the annual Battlefords North Stars ice fishing derby.
So what in the world am I doing talking about ice fishing when the ice is finally off the lake and we're thinking about going to the beach for a dip any day?
Sadly, the reason is one that seems to come up frequently in this space. Garbage. Boating enthusiasts, enjoying their first outing on Murray Lake recently, were dismayed at the amount of trash, much of it Styrofoam, littering the shores.
They say a vicious windstorm destroyed a number of ice shacks in the area of the debris last winter, and apparently the shack owners didn't feel it necessary to deal with the aftermath.
It seems like a no brainer - what stays on the lake, goes in the lake. I'm sure most ice fishers are conscientious about making sure their activity isn't harming the environment. But just like any other activity, a few bad apples spoil the reputation of all.
So we can only hope some of those good old boys also like fishing from boats and will do a little shore patrol while they're dipping their lures in the lakes this summer.
