OCR Text |
Show .'''' ' ' ' z- ''":"" . " . . "f : ' ' 3 - ' "X X ? V """"wis t.--"- , '' " , , V ? " , t i ' ' ' K " " ' " - ,: --f -,!;.!'?, i . .-. ''4(li -'.. iS.fl": 4?' V.. ''V It may be cold and snowy, but these two sportsmen don't mind because of the excellent catches they have made through the ice. Ice fishing is one of area's most popular sports. Panguitch Lake Road Link To Ice Fishing With the Panguitch Lake Road the vital link between 1-15, Brian Head, Panguitch Lake and U.S. 89 now open year 'round, local lo-cal residents and tourists alike are able to enjoy both resorts all year. The Utah Wildlife Board officially offi-cially opened Panguitch Lake to a ten-week ice fishing season, running run-ning from Jan. 1 through March 15 in 1982 and the sport has caught on like wildfire. For those taking up the sport for the first time, they should be aware that all normal fishing regulations are also in effect during the ice fishing season. Fishermen should use common sense about ice conditions on the lake but, generally, ice less than three inches thick should be avoided. Conditions at most of the popular ice fishing spots range from 14 to 18 inches thick. Although there are no regulations regula-tions about the size of the ice fishing fish-ing hole, wise anglers will keep the hole 12 inches or less. Larger holes may pose a danger to unwary fishermen fish-ermen as they thinly freeze over for a day or two. Experienced ice fishermen have found that ice holes can be made quickly and effectively with chain saws or special ice augers. It is recommended rec-ommended that older saws and chains be used since the ice and water can be wearing on the chain saws. Ice picks and axes work best for repairing holes following a night's freeze. Shovels are also handy for clearing free ice from the ice hole during the fishing day. The best fishing has been experienced in areas of 10 to 15 feet of water. As the bottom is warm, most fish will congregate near the bottom. Most baits, jigs and ice flies, if used properly, produce good results. The past season, both salmon eggs and cheese have been extremely effective. ef-fective. Fishermen are encouraged to dress warmly, preferably in layered clothing for the typical day of ice fishing. Early mornings may be cool with fog, but as the fog lifts and the sun begins to bum bright, fishermen may be seen in just shirt sleeves. It is advisable also to bring changes of clothing as a safety precaution pre-caution to replace clothing that might get wet during the day. Ex- j-treme j-treme caution should be used in the most popular ice fishing area, since ice holes barely iced over can pose a serious problem and hazard for the unwary angler. Hypothermia can also be a severe hazard to winter recreationists. Conservation officers with the DWR are very interested in the results re-sults of the little more than two month long ice fishing season and they regularly make license checks and creel consensus at various points on the lake. |