That’s right the US managed to keep their lead on day one to complete the two-day World Ice Fishing Championships. This is the first time the USA has managed to snag the victory and it couldn’t have come at a better time or on a better lake.
Team Results
1. Team USA
2. Team Poland
3. Team Russia
Individual Results
1. USA – Mike Boedeker
2. Sweden – Folke Andersson
3. Poland – Tomasz Nysztal
Obviously, the USA contingent had the home advantage as some members fished Boom Lake last year in the North American Ice Fishing Circuit (NAIFC) competition. They all knew how crappies, perch and bluegills bite. The European contestants had never seen these species until this weekend.
After Sunday’s weigh-in, Mike Boedeker of Lansing, Mich., figured he was in contention for the bronze in individual honors. He had eight fish, all crappies, on Sunday. He used a Fiska glow jig both days. He fished with the USA team last year in WIFC competition held in Poland. The typical target fish were golden shiner- and smelt-type species, he said.
Myron Gilbert, a USA team member from Brooklyn Mich., was understandably ecstatic about the win. No matter where the other teams finished, he said, they will all remember the warm reception Rhinelander gave them. “They were big-eyed” after participating in the downtown parade and seeing the thousands of well-wishers, he noted.
His key to scoring fish was to keep moving when there was no bite for a time. It’s not unusual for him to drill hundreds of holes during other tournaments where power augers are allowed. USA team members shared information gained from pre-tournament fishing the areas immediately around the zones when power augers and graphs were allowed
I wasn’t even aware of the World Ice Fishing Championship until recently, but this year it’s being hosted in Wisconsin and the rules are quite interesting. For instance competitors are not allowed to use electronics such as cameras, GPS, even powered augers. 11 countries are competing with some of the strongest being- Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Latvia. The US hasn’t ranked so well in the previous years, but this year on Day 1 of the tournament the US is in first place!
Technique, skill and equipment play big roles, as well as a bit of luck. “Out stuff is excellent, but their equipment is extremely sensitive,” says Michalak, NAIFC media rep and long-time Rhinelander area resident and businessman. “Our strike indicators typically are spring bobbers. They use a piece of X-ray film which is slivered and extremely sensitive. This is truly a science. They use half-pound or quarter-pound test line, special little rods, jigs up to 1/80th of an ounce, 24 karat, poles that are, no pun intended, completely foreign to us. It’s tremendous the way it works. We have technology on this side of the pond and the expertise with power augers, GPS, depth finders and fish finders. But you can’t use any of them here.”
Lake St Clair is known for having an impressive muskie population, but most of the fish aren’t as big as muskie found in other areas like the St Lawrence and Ottawa River. This past weekend the two massive muskie over 50 inches were caught, including a frightening 56 incher that was registered as 39 pounds!
It’s not often I read anything positive about pro bass fishermen Mike Iaconelli. My fellow fishing bloggers seem to really hate the guy for some reason. Now I haven’t seen much of him, but what I have seen, I like. The man has an absolute passion for the sport of fishing and shows. Sure he hams it up for the camera and is loud, but I think he’s good for fishing and his antics will be sure to attract new people to the sport. Just check this out…
While getting ready to publish this story I realized that we haven’t had any original Fishing Fury editorial for 2009 which makes this the first! What an amazing start to the year!
Kim Bain-Moore has been called the First Lady of Fishing after securing her name in history as the first woman to fish the Bassmaster Classic. We recently had the opportunity to have a short interview with Kim and ask her a few questions about her love of fishing, her experience fishing competitively and what it was like to be the first woman to fish the Classic.
Kim Bain-Moore shows off her catch during weigh-in at last years Women's Bassmaster Tour event in Lewisville, Texas.
Fishing Fury: Hey Kim, let us start by saying it’s a great pleasure to speak with you. You’ve broken a lot of barriers in the world of fishing and it’s great to see the sport grow and evolve with women competing in big tournaments.
Who would you credit with building your love for fishing from a young age?
Kim Bain-Moore: Without a doubt, my Mum (Lynn) and Dad (Steve). They were always proactive in creating opportunities for me to get outdoors and enjoy nature. My fondest memories are spending time with my family fishing and hunting on my weekends and vacations. I was also a member of many sportfishing clubs in Australia, so I have been very privileged to have grown up around many diverse and talented anglers.
Like all flatfish, the flounder are cut into four fillets, rather than two as for normal fish. Then the fish pieces are skinned, and the 'wings' separated from the meat. The best part of the flounder are the fatty wings which are delicious as sashimi, and the fact that they comprise so little of the total meat of the fish makes them a rare treat. The skin is also tasty deep-fried or parboiled. But the fillets themselves are also quite delicious in their own right, here I have salted and pressed them between konbu kelp leaves, and then cut and served them just like sashimi. The flesh of the flounder is quite sweet and firm, and is complemented perfectly by the perfumed flavour of the kelp.
