Very Interesting bit of Minnesota Ice fishing Lore !

[surflizard]

I was Surfing around the web [Pun Intended !] searching for all things icefishing related, gotta feed the Affliction ya know and ran across this little forgotten tidbit of Minnesota Ice fishing History ! 


The History of Ice Fishing in Minnesota
For the avid angler, ice fishing is a way to extend our favorite sport beyond the summer months. Minnesota lakes are frozen over, on average, 10 months out of the year, and if it weren't for ice fishing we'd have to go a long time without fishing. It's bad enough we have to go that long without golfing. Ice fishing in Minnesota is a sub-culture and there is a strong camaraderie among the anglers.

Ice fishing was completely unheard of in Minnesota until the late 1800s. In 1888, Sven Stevenson built a cabin on a hill overlooking Lake Minnewaska. It was a very wet fall and the hill had suffered a few mud slides. The details are sketchy, but it appears after a heavy January snowfall, Sven's outhouse and a sizable chunk of frozen dirt slid down the hill and out onto Lake Minnewaska - all while Sven was inside doing his business. The friction from all that frozen dirt sliding across the ice created enough heat to open up a small hole in the ice. Amazingly, the outhouse ended up right over the top of it. Sven, of course, wasn't sure what was going on but when things settled down, he stood up, looked through the hole and saw fish swimming below the outhouse. Being a fanatic angler, Sven ran to the cabin, grabbed his fishing pole, ran back to the outhouse and lowered some bait into the hole. It wasn't long before a crowd gathered to see what Sven was up to.

A few days later, other area residents pushed outhouses onto the lake and a small community was born. In the 1800s, most anglers were men. The men found that they enjoyed being "out on the ice away from our nagging wives" as one man wrote in his journal.

In fact, many ice fishing pioneers built additions onto their outhouses and even put in wood stoves and a week's worth of food so they could enjoy extended periods away from home. This tradition is still practiced today.

Finally spring arrived and the community of outhouses was pulled away by horses (equipped with special ice-gripping horse shoes). Sven's outhouse was not removed in time and plunged through the thinning ice on April 12, 1889. The Minnesota Historical Society attempted to recover the structure in 1975 but, despite weeks of searching with a one-man submarine, failed.

Ice fishing is different than regular open-water fishing in several ways. The equipment used is probably the largest difference. Ice fishing poles are short so that an angler can (a) get his line through a small hole in the ice, (b) fight a fish and look down the hole simultaneously, (c) fit within the confined spaces of the ice fishing house or shelter.

The use of an ice fishing house or shelter is optional. Many anglers simply make a hole in the ice and sit on an overturned pickle bucket. I've tried this, but with the typical Minnesota wind it gets cold in a hurry. Incidentally, used five-gallon pickle buckets go for about $5 in Minnesota, the highest price in the nation. Most people notice that every restaurant in Minnesota uses a pickle to garnish your meal - sometimes two pickles. That makes sense since the restaurants derive a huge source of tax-free income selling the empty pickle buckets.

Ice fishing tournaments, and there are a lot of them, do not allow the use of ice fishing houses. The demand for pickle buckets in the towns that host those contests is so huge, local stores actually stock them. These are luxury pickle buckets though, with a cushioned seat and aerated live well for bait.

Anglers create a six to eight inch diameter hole in the ice with an ice auger (some are gas powered). However, many people find that a small explosive detonation does the job quicker and for less money. Sometimes though, people get carried away and the next thing you know, half the lake ice is vaporized and all the windows on lake shore property are blown out. And of course, fish die needlessly by the thousands because of the shock effect.

This type of overkill is frowned upon, unless the demolition is part of the traditional Finnish celebration called "Festival of Destruction." During Festival of Destruction, just about anything goes.

Even aside from that, ice fishing is inherently dangerous but there are several things you can do to increase your odds of survival:

Dress warm. The wind always blows during the Minnesota winter and hypothermia is always a concern.
Carry a long nail or spike in your pocket. If you do fall through the ice, you can use the spike to dig in and pull yourself out.
Try to avoid driving your car on the ice. For most lakes, you can walk or snowmobile to your fishing spot. Also, make sure the ice is thick and clear. I never go on the ice until it's at least a foot thick.
Never operate a heater that generates dangerous fumes inside of a fishing house. Always have adequate ventilation. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Things have come a long way since Sven's first Minnesota ice fishing house. Today, most have a heat source, television, satellite dish, reclining chairs, bunk beds, rustic dining table and chairs, carpet, paneling, and in a few rare cases, mortgage. The ice house must have the owner's name and phone number clearly displayed on the outside. There may be some other laws regarding ice houses and anglers should check out the latest regulations. I do know that it is illegal to burn down an ice house just to avoid having to get it off the ice in the spring.

It's not too tough to find where the fish are. There are parts of a lake where fish tend to congregate and their human pursuers will congregate directly above them. You can see these little villages out on the ice as you drive past most Minnesota lakes. My advice is to look for these little villages and then go ahead and squeeze into their territory. You may get beer cans thrown at you, but Minnesotans are pretty forgiving over time - especially if you buy them more beer.

[minger1]

good article surf

[Iceassin]

...and Sven eventually changed his name to Rebelss...

[surflizard]

Come on Ice, Surely he's not that old, is he ?? 

[Iceassin]

Come on Ice, Surely he's not that old, is he ?? 

We'll let him answer that

[mushroom_capd_1]

WOW!!! On average, 10 months out of the year we have ice on the lakes huh? Well point me in the direction of said frozen lakes so I can get some ice time in!!!

[rickl1968]

...and Sven eventually changed his name to Rebelss...

Lmao, I think I remember seeing a picture of someone else using a flasher in a toilet.....anyone? 

[Rebelss]

Thank you, Rick. I believe that person was trying to locate the missing outhouse....   

Although I may be *creak*groan* a little older than some, I am far from a senior *crackle* citizen, as of *oww* yet. "With age, comes wisdom". I can still do a mean walleye "yank and crank" outta the hole, deftly landing it upside the scraggly-bearded, apple- jacked breath buffoon peering intently over my shoulder. I find it interesting an out of the woods semi-flatlander perusing Minnesota history... must be the "If ya can't be the best, try and join the rest....the Minnesotans". 
PS...he did do a pretty fair job for onna dem eastun fawk....

[surflizard]

good article surf

Thank you for those kind words Minger1, I do appreciate them ! But alas, I see one Lop Eared, Knock Kneed, Biscuit Sniffin, Stump Jumpin, Bingo Hall Queen Botherin, Goat Ropin, Krispy Kreme Donut Chompin, Individual who is not as interested in exploring Minnesota Vast and Storied History, instead seems bent on making Disbaraging Assaults on an Innocent thread author's Character, who was only trying to share with his Fellow icefishing Brethren, an Interesting look into Minnesota's Extensive Icefishing History ! 

[Idahogator]

Good one Surf. Thanks for sharin' with the Brethren.   

[Rebelss]

As I suspect you are pointing your gnarly, minnow smeared finger at me, I would NEVER attempt to make a disbaraging assault on your character!!! I extoll the virtues of the interesting, informative, yet whimsical snapshot of my great states historical ice fishing history, brought to life by your thorough research. I am certain everyone enjoyed it, and I adhere to "give credit where credit is due".
I even learned a thing or two...
However, as far as your painful retaliation as to MY character, she was NOT a Bingo Hall Queen!!!! I'll have you know I don't gamble.   

[surflizard]

I accept your Humble Apology my friend and I offer you my Sincerest Apologies in return ! As the slowly decreasing wait for the up coming ice fishing season marches on, I find myself at wits end ! I fear that if I don't figure out a way to counteract the growing anxiety at the inability to quench the never ending desire to ice fish, I am afraid that a result of this Ever Worsening Condition will be a Horrifying Downward Spiral into Madness, in other words, I could possibly become Nuttier than a Fresh Pinched Squirrel Turd !

P.S. Old Friend, Please answer me this, If she was not a Bingo hall queen, Then why in Gods name was that Rotund woman swinging from your Chandelier, wearing nothing but a Tiara and waving her false teeth around ?

[rickl1968]

Nuttier than a Fresh Pinched Squirrel Turd !

LMAO, you guys are killin me. 

By the way Surf whats up with your weather bar...Is the temp wrong? your 56 and im 77.

[pipeboy98]

P.S. Old Friend, Please answer me this, If she was not a Bingo hall queen, Then why in Gods name was that Rotund woman swinging from your Chandelier, wearing nothing but a Tiara and waving her false teeth around ?

i've never met any of you....but if she really was a bingo hall queen....there is a dauber joke in there somewhere

[surflizard]

If we can make just one person laugh with our Comical Chaos and Mayhem, then we can call it a Successful day !!


No Rick the weather bar is correct, it is the remnants of the weather system that came up out of the gulf a few day ago. It has been Raw and Rainy here for 3 days straight, Good thing too, after having the Hurricane come thru a little over a week ago, I was worried that we wouldn't have enough rain to float the Ark ! 

[Rebelss]

I was checking the strength of the cross brace chandelier outlet, you lop-eared lemming!! ! How ELSE didja expect me to do it?! Rotund squared x rate of spin + weight in lbs. + capacity=tensile strength.
I'll second everything said here...if I can give someone a good laugh, it makes ME happy.
Not much can do that these days. I'm back up in the mid 70's again, after mid 50-60's last week. Hopefully some good Fall fishing comin', and I can FINALLY get the red rocket out of the garage and on the water. 

[wallydiven]

Reb we really don't wanna know where your redrocket is or even why it is there for that matter!    Please just leave it at that. 

[Rebelss]

HAHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Now THAT made me laugh!!!! Thanks, wally!!!

[wallydiven]

I think you know you had that one comming.

[Rebelss]

I do now!!!

[wallydiven]

My better half could try to keep it locked in the garage all she wants, but as soon as she comes in heat, it never lasts.

[Iceassin]

Yeah...all of this good natured banter is fun and games until someone loses an eye then it's not so humorous anymore!.............

[surflizard]

AYE Matey !! 

[wallydiven]

Not that I really wanna know, But what are you doing with that redrocket of yours that someone loses an eye?? 

[Rebelss]

Don't EVEN get him started, Wally.....he has enough on his plate....

[Iceassin]

Don't EVEN get him started, Wally.....he has enough on his plate....

 

[wallydiven]

I don't make candles out of sex wax.

[surflizard]

Well Wally, It all started innocently enough, there we were sitting at The VIP table at Mabel's Grab it and Growl Grill and Burlesque Parlor, Oops Can't use that one ! Another time when we were at Ruby Reds Rhodesian Rubdown Ranch, Whoa baby, I Forgot about that incident there, can't use that one either ! What I'm to say is that you never really can tell whats gonna happen around Reb from one minute to the next !!

[Iceassin]

I thought it was at Rhodas Rhubarb and Roadside  Apple Stand on our way to Rhode Island...oops...don't wanna go down that road either. There is just nothing sacred anymore........

[Mainedog]

The little bit of  Minnesota ice fishing history gives whole new meaning to fishing for brown trout....oh, wait a minute.
No brown trout up thar, just small mouths, northern and walleyes.

MD