Ice Fishing Booms thanks to New Products

Wayne K., Mason, and Graham a few years back at Bowdish

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Jack Polachek, Lakafish, Lake

Best and Brightest New Ice Fishing Items Extend Your Season

2″ or less – STAY OFF
4″ May allow Ice fishing or other activities on foot
5″ often allows for Snowmobile or ATV travel
8″ – 12″ of good ice with supports most Cars or small pickups
12″ – 15″ will likely hold a Medium sized truck.

Remember that these thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe.

Pascoag,RI – Maybe it's no wonder folks living south of the Mason-Dixon line view ice fishing as slightly senseless; the Arizona Senator McCain once called "moronic." Who in their right mind, after all, would stare through a hole in the ice for eight hours straight? Or drive a full-size truck onto a frozen lake? Or risk frostbite for a fish bite?

The answer, according to data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is well over 2 million people — that's who. In 2006, outdoors folks spent about $105-million on ice fishing tackle and equipment, a figure that had ballooned to $178-million by 2011 and is expected to easily exceed $200-million when 2016 data is unveiled. That's nearly a 100-percent expansion in sales of ice fishing gear in a single decade.

So why all the excitement for a sport that's conducted in the cold? For one, becoming a first-time ice angler is simple and relatively affordable, even for families. And even while innovation among other segments of the sport fishing industry, in some cases, has plateaued, creativity in new ice fishing tackle and equipment continues soaring to new levels of awesome.

Stroll the jam-packed aisles at events such as the New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo with ice fishing shows and you meet as many young anglers as you do hard water veterans. Each and every one of these folks flock to the show floor for the same simple reason: to see the new stuff — amazing lures, rods, electronics, apparel, shelters and other equipment that promises to make their time on the ice more exciting, comfortable and efficient.

To celebrate the approaching, eminent ice fishing season, we've handpicked some of the most attended Ice Fishing Derby's in New England .

RI, Between the Cracks, Annual Kevin Thatcher Memorial Derby at Crystal Lake, Jan. 28, 2018 7 till 2 pm and the Burrillville Grid Iron Hebert Memorial Derby with a Free Dynamite Sub at Wilson's Reservoir, Pascoag, RI and the New Hampshire Meridith Rotary Lake Wiini. Derby on Feb 10, 11th 2018
Crystal Lake Derby, Gray Me. Last week end of January, 2018 and the Sebago Lake Rotary Derby, ME