Cottonwood Area Sportsmen’s Club president offers ice fishing tips
MARSHALL – Even though the Cottonwood Area Sportsmen’s Club doesn’t normally sponsor ice fishing events, that does not mean its members do not go ice fishing.
“Get out and do it!” club president Paul Geihl of Cottonwood said. “It’s a good sport.”
It just takes a line with a hook and a minnow, items which can be purchased are the local sporting goods stores, and a sufficient amount of ice on a lake on which to fish.
The ice isn’t here, yet, but that gives sportsmen enough time to brush up on safety tips.
“Your best bet is to go to the DNR website for ice safety tips,” Geihl said.
While he may go out on a certain depth of ice does not mean everyone should try it.
The DNR recommends 12-15 inches if the fisherman wants to drive his pickup out onto the ice.
Club member Ray Pederson of Cottonwood said he wouldn’t drive his truck out there until it was at least 16 inches.
“No ice is safe,” Geihl said, “especially if there’s an aerator on the lake. Ice thickness varies when there’s an aerator.”
The Cottonwood Area Sportsmen’s Club maintains aerators on three of the five area lakes between Cottonwood and Wood Lake in order to help keep the fish from freezing out. The Cottonwood club maintains aerators on Lady Slipper and Cottonwood Lakes. The Southwest Prairie Outdoors Club (Wood Lake area) maintains the other two. The fifth fishing source is the Minnesota River.
These are great water sources to fish on year-round, Geihl said. There are good-size populations of perch, walleye and northern pike. A couple of them even have crappies.
The DNR website points out that new ice is stronger than old ice.
The DNR also recommends being prepared with a survival plan in case the ice breaks. There are other ice-related tips on their website to take into consideration. Check out their tips at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html.
On a lighter, more historical note, Geihl and Pederson remember a lure-making business that had flourished in Cottonwood several years ago. Lures are used in trolling or casting more so than ice fishing. Lil John Lures was made in the home of John VanHeuveln, who has since died, but his business lived on in a young apprentice, Braden French, who has since moved on to even bigger things in life. However, It was noted that there were still a few Lil John Lures being sold at the Cottonwood Hardware Store and also floating around in the tackle boxes of members of the Cottonwood Area Sportsmen’s Club — used more as keepsakes than in actual service.