Ice fishing derbies are often frowned upon because of the large number of fish that are killed in order to be weighed in, regardless of whether they have a chance to win a top prize.  While this isn’t always an issue, sometimes it can have negative effects on a lake’s fishery.  Luckily, many anglers, derby organizers and fish biologists are recognizing the need for additional conservation measures to reduce unneccesary harvest.

For instance, this from Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife fisheries biologist Gordon Kramer:

The annual Schoodic Lake Ice Fishing Derby is coming up on the weekend of Feb. 16 and 17. This year there will be a change in the way lake trout and salmon are entered in the derby. At our request, the Milo Fire Department will not register any lake trout or salmon less than 22 inches. It is still legal to keep those fish, but in the interest of maintaining a high quality cold-water fishery at Schoodic, fish less than 22 inches will not be eligible for a prize. Kudos to the Milo Fire Department for their conservation minded change in the derby rules. More information can be obtained at: http://www.trcmaine.org/fishingderby/

And this from a Massachusetts bass fishing derby:

Anyone who catches a bass weighing 2 pounds or more and brings it live to the derby weighing table wins a $10 gift certificate to Taft’s Tackle Shop. Once weighed in, the bass must be released live into a nearby hole which has been cut into the ice. If the bass cannot be released alive, then the deal is off.

This is a win-win situation for all. The angler receives the $10 certificate even though he may not have won the contest; the contest winner who caught the largest bass gets the certificate, the first place prize and bragging rights; and the fish is allowed to live and free to spawn in June and maybe fight a lucky fisherman next summer.

These are just a couple of ideas that can be implemented to reduce the potential negative affects of fishing derbies and keep them going without hurting the fishery.

Worried about unsafe ice conditions this winter? Check out this video.

Happy New Year, everyone!  Yesterday marked the ice fishing opener for most lakes and ponds in northern Maine, and it was the first time in many years that I wasn’t out drilling holes before daylight on St. Froid Lake.  Instead, I was 3,000 miles away in northern Utah, thinking back on memories of opening day ice fishing over the years. 

In the spirit of opening day, I took the time to dig out a few old ice fishing pics from a past opener and post them here.

Now it’s off to see if I can’t scare up a few trout around here!

It’s ice fishing time, and for many in the state of Maine, that means hook-and-lining it for smelts in the ice shack.  The rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is native to many coastal waters in Maine, and has been extensively introduced to inland lakes.  The smelt is a thin, silvery fish that ranges in size between a couple of inches and nearly a foot in some areas.  Smelts are an important forage fish in both inland and coastal waters in the state.  In fact, smelts can often constitute over 90% of the diet of landlocked salmon in Maine lakes. 

Aside from being forage for other game fishes, though, smelts also directly provide an important sport fishery for many Maine anglers.  Fishermen set up fishing cabins, or ‘ice shacks’ on lakes to provide shelter while they jig for smelts, using small hooks tipped with little chunks of bait.  The bite can be fast and furious at times, and smelt fishing typically provides steadier action than targeting other species.  There’s nothing quite like spending a quiet day out at the cabin pulling in smelt after smelt.    

Many of Maine’s coastal rivers experience vast runs of smelts, which ascend into freshwater in preparation for spawning.  When the ice is thick enough, some establishments place dozens of shacks out on the ice for fishermen to rent.  I’ve spent my fair share of time in some of those shacks, and the fishing can be incredible.  It’s not rare to come home with a few hundred smelts, and a ’smelting’ trip with friends or family is always worth the few bucks paid to rent a shack.       

In addition to the direct recreational benefit smelts provide, smelts are a very popular food item, and are absolutely essential to the baitfishing market.  Many anglers will fry up a mess of battered smelts, but others save their catch to use as bait.  The vast majority of Maine ice fishermen use tip-ups rigged with live bait to catch salmon and trout, and smelts are far and away their top choice of bait.  These baitfish can cost upwards of $10/dozen, so it’s no surprise that many anglers take the opportunity to catch their own bait!

Smelts play a vital role in Maine’s fisheries.  They provide a crucial forage base for gamefish and are popular sportfish in their own right.  Smelts are also excellent table fare and are a very important part of Maine’s live bait industry.  If you haven’t been out smelt fishing, you may be missing out on one heck of a time! 

Here’s a great article about smelt fishing Maine’s coastal rivers

Click here for places to rent smelt shacks.  I’ve been to James Eddy’s and Jim Worthing’s smelt shacks.  Both provide good cabins for a decent price.

Here’s an article on smelts in Maine written by fisheries biologist Jim Pellerin, who is considered the smelt expert within the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.