As the cold winds sweep across Michigan, many might retreat indoors, waiting for the warmer days of spring to return. But for those with a deep appreciation for the outdoors, winter opens up a whole new world of adventures. The snow-capped forests, frozen lakes, and expansive trails offer a unique playground for winter sports and activities. From snowmobiling through the beautiful forests of the Upper Peninsula to ice fishing on the frozen waters of Saginaw Bay, Michigan's winter season provides plenty of opportunities for those willing to embrace the chill!
This winter, I had the chance to dive into a number of outdoor pursuits, each offering a different experience, but all underscored by a shared connection to conservation. As a self-proclaimed conservation enthusiast, I always find myself reflecting on the importance of protecting and funding these pure Michigan landscapes, wildlife populations, and recreational opportunities, plus the vital role we all play in doing so.
Ice Fishing
It’s been years since I’ve gone ice fishing. A big part of that is simply a lack of time, but a larger factor is the lack of good ice over the past few years. Ice fishing is about more than just the catch, it's the whole experience: riding out over several miles of frozen water (often blindly or in the dark), drilling holes in a foot or more of solid ice, setting up the shanty, and waiting for a bite, all in the quiet (or loud winds) of winter, is something you can’t replicate in any other setting. There’s something special about it, even if you come up empty-handed.
This winter, I finally found the time to get out on the ice twice, and both trips were with my dad—who has decades of fishing experience under his belt—and a friend who had never tried ice fishing on big water before. Both trips were a mixed bag. My dad, as expected, landed his limit both times, while my friend and I only managed to catch five fish between us on the first trip and zero on the second. While my friend and I struggled, we would consistently hear my dad unzip the door of his shanty, tossing another keeper onto the ice. The contrast between the two shanties was hard to ignore.
To make matters more frustrating, my dad was generous enough to let us borrow his live scope, a high-tech fish-finding tool that gave us a detailed look at what was happening below the ice. We could see our lures, the minnows on the hooks, and the fish swimming right up to them before swimming away. Meanwhile, my dad was using a simpler fish finder in his shanty, and every so often, we’d hear him shout across the ice, asking if we were marking any fish (even though he was likely pulling one through the ice as he asked). Almost every time, we’d confirm that yes, there were fish on the screen—or at least, there had recently been one or two—but no matter what we did, they just wouldn’t bite.
Over the course of nearly 15 hours on the ice between the two trips, we laughed, sometimes through gritted teeth, unsure whether the live scope was making things better or worse. On one hand, it was exciting to know there were fish 30 feet below us. On the other hand, it was incredibly frustrating to watch them circle our lures and then swim away, seemingly uninterested no matter what lure or size of minnow we tried.
That lack of interest from the fish led us to a lengthy conversation about fair chase (what else were we going to do if we weren't reeling in any fish?). Fair chase regarding fishing is certainly a topic that doesn’t come up as often as it does in hunting. There are a lot of opinions about whether or not tools like the live scope make fishing too easy, taking away the “sporting chance” from the fish. Before I used the live scope myself, I probably would have somewhat agreed with that argument. But after spending all those hours on the ice and landing just two fish, I started to rethink that position.
It’s not that the technology gives me some magical power to make the fish bite; if anything, it fuels a sense of false hope. Despite seeing the fish right below us on the screen, we couldn’t force them to bite and it's crystal clear that the fish have their own will. The fish are in control of the situation much more than I am, and that’s what makes the chase so exciting. While the live scope didn’t make the fishing any easier, it did give me a deeper understanding of the fish below and the effort involved in catching them.
Fishing on big water can be nerve-wracking, especially for beginners. The winds and snow, the cracking sounds of the ice, the fact that you’re driving a snowmobile across miles of frozen water with nothing but white in every direction- it can feel overwhelming! But even in those moments, there’s a peace to the process. When you do manage to catch a few fish, it feels like a reward not just for your patience, but for your respect of the Saginaw Bay ecosystem and the fish populations you’re helping to manage. And, of course, if you’re lucky enough to land a few keepers, there’s nothing quite like the taste of a fresh fish dinner.
If you’ve never tried ice fishing, I highly encourage you to give it a shot. Just make sure you’re aware of ice thickness, have a GPS or know your location (it’s easy to get turned around on big water/ice, especially in bad visibility), and dress warmly, though a heater in the shanty does wonders for keeping you comfortable!
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