This has been an icy winter — ice on rivers and roads and icicles hanging off cars and homes.
For some, ice might be a nuisance. But for others seeing frozen water brings joy and the chance to snag a fish from the depths of one of the many Pennsylvania waterways.
At the end of January, the lake at Frances Slocum State Park was frozen solid. From the shore, little figures shuffled across a barren white landscape.
In the parking lot, Lenny Kelly and Daniel Meuser dragged a sled to a truck. It’s just after 10 a.m. They were packed up for the day.
"The cold could be miserable, and if you have the right gear, you stay warm out there and you have an activity to do in the winter time,” said Kelly, who was able to ice fish only once last year.
"Northeast Pennsylvania, you got to adapt and to continue doing what you like to do. So yeah, it was fun," Meuser said.
Kyle Rissell drove two hours from Denver in Lancaster County to fish at the state park in Luzerne County.
"Yesterday, I caught a 47-inch muskie here, so I came back today,” he said. Rissell pulled his phone out of his thick camouflage coat pocket to show off a picture of himself holding the green-speckled fish over his head the day before.
The muskie just fit through the 8-inch hole he drilled.
Ice anglers must follow the state’s ice fishing laws, which include how wide to drill into the ice. Holes can be no bigger than 10 inches between the farthest points as measured in any direction, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).
The PFBC says “never assume ice is safe.”
“Check with local authorities or ice safety experts for information on thickness,” according to the commission's website.
The commission says ice must be at least 4 inches thick for one person to fish. Group activities start at 7 inches thick.
The anglers at Frances Slocum were spread across the lake, nowhere near each other.
"It is pretty crazy stuff ... A lot of people say the fish bite better through the ice," said Rissell.
Anglers are allowed to drill up to five holes in the ice. They can sit next to the hole with a pole — sometimes covered by a small pop-up tent or a shanty — they use tip-ups or do both.
A fishing line with a hook is attached to the tip-ups. The contraption is hooked on top of a hole in the ice so anglers can passively fish.
A little flag “tips up” when a fish chomps the bate on the hook.
That's how Rissell got his muskie.
Eric Daughtry has been ice fishing for over 25 years. He was out with Rissell.
"I just like being out here, really. I mean, it's, I work in construction. So when it's this cold, it's almost too cold to work. So might as well go fishing," he said.
Daughtry said he's had a lot of hobbies over the years but the one he always sticks with is fishing, no matter the season or how busy he is.
"It's different experience, like having your flags, seeing a, you know, a flag pop up, knowing you have a fish, pulling it in by hand,” he said.
Winter's end
Spring is upon us. Meteorologist Ben Lott from the National Weather Service says the weather will be "quiet" over the weekend and into next week.
"We will actually see temperatures trend a little bit warmer as well," he said.
Lott said however there is not a huge indication of a significant warm up. He expects the cold air to hang on heading into March.
"I think the, you know, the 40s are probably the warmest we're going to see at least in the foreseeable future," he said.
Those heading out onto the ice should check conditions.
The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources's State Parks Winter Report can be found at: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/winter-report.html
The report allows winter outdoor recreation enthusiasts to monitor snow and ice conditions with state parks.
The PFBC also has an interactive map to find ice fishing locations: https://pfbc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=26e279a238434d1e991465574072b72b
KEEPING UP WITH KAT: There's a joke in the WVIA newsroom that I find stories that involve some sort of adventure -- hiking, biking, kayaking, driving to Wellsboro. Stories that take me out of the office for hours, sometimes the whole day (or two). There are many trails to climb, outdoor enthusiasts to talk to and history to uncover in our NEPA Neck of Penn's Woods. So keep up with me as I explore the region.
