Notes: Official says right equipment helps ice fishing

Ice fishing can be a great way to beat cabin fever, and it can be one of the best times of the year to catch fish.

To take advantage of ice fishing opportunities, however, some gear is essential to make the experience comfortable and productive, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

First, safety. Never venture out onto the ice until it is certain that the ice is a safe thickness.

Daryl Bauer, fisheries outreach program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, recommends the following essential ice-fishing equipment:

• Clothing: There are a number of pac boots available that have removable liners and are rated for temperatures well below zero. Spend as much money as you can afford on a good pair of boots because you will be standing on the ice.

A variety of hats will keep your head and ears warm. Consider a fur hat. Nothing beats fur for warmth and style.

The key to staying warm is layering. Begin with a base layer of silk or synthetic underwear and add layers. Wool garments provide excellent insulation and will maintain warmth even when damp. Outer layers may include sweat shirts and jackets covered by heavy parkas, bibs or coveralls. Carry at least a couple of pairs of gloves or mittens. Remove layers during periods of activity to avoid sweating and add layers back on during periods of inactivity.

• Safety: The best tool for checking ice thickness is an ice chisel or spud bar to strike ice and evaluate its condition. Commercial or homemade ice picks should be worn around your neck in case the worst happens and you need something to grip the ice and pull yourself out of the water.

Try ice creepers or ice cleats. They are great for keeping you on your feet. Wearing a life jacket is a good idea until you are sure that the ice is safe. All ice anglers should have a long piece of rope in case of emergency.

• Ice holes: A spud bar may be used to make holes in the ice, but ice augers make the job easier. Hand augers are relatively inexpensive and would be the best investment for beginning ice anglers. The most important thing about ice augers is to keep the blades sharp. Purchase an extra set of blades to ensure that you have at least one set of sharp blades on every trip.

Once a person is ready to make a greater investment in ice-fishing equipment, gas-powered augers make the job even easier. An ice skimmer is essential for scooping ice chunks from holes.

• Rods and reels, hooks and bait: Beginners may use their open-water fishing rods and reels. Specialized, shorter, ice-fishing rods allow anglers to sit closer to their ice holes while they are fishing. There are a variety of ice-fishing rods on the market, or anglers can manufacture their own using broken open-water rods.

Think small and light for most ice-fishing tackle. Fish metabolism rates are slower during the winter so light lines with relatively small hooks, jigs or spoons tipped with wax worms or maggots are the best ice-fishing tools for most species of fish.

Borrow a child's sled to haul your equipment onto the ice. Use heavier lines and larger baits for pike and other large predator fish.

Landowners may enroll in 2010 program

The Open Fields and Waters program began offering hunting and fishing access opportunities this fall, and hunters are taking advantage of the new program.

“Our first big spike in use was especially noticeable during the November firearm deer season,” said Kirk Nelson, an assistant director with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “It seemed like there were always people using the sites.”

Enrollment is open to landowners who wish to enroll for 2010.

“We expect a lot more interest this year since landowners have had a chance to talk about the merits of the program,” Nelson said. “These kinds of programs always seem to gain traction in the second year.”

Open Fields and Waters pays landowners who allow walk-in hunting and fishing access to their enrolled property. The program complements Conservation Reserve Program-Management Access Program (CRP-MAP). While the focus of CRP-MAP is upland game, Open Fields and Waters targets habitat for deer and turkey hunting and also opens streams, ponds and lakes to public fishing access.

Open Fields and Waters began as a two-year pilot program this fall, with contracts providing access on enrolled acres from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31.

There are 37,242 acres available for public hunting and fishing access, including 371 acres of ponds and lakes and 38 miles of stream. Enrolled acres are published in the Nebraska Public Access Atlas, which also includes other public areas, including CRP-MAP. Enrollment in CRP-MAP is also open at this time through commission district offices.

Landowners interested in the program should contact their nearest commission district office at their earliest convenience to ensure a place in the program.

Celebrate ‘Christmas at the Codys'

Celebrate Christmas in the style of “Buffalo Bill” Cody with a visit to Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park for “Christmas at the Codys.”

The event at the North Platte park is Dec. 18 to 21 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, with children under age 12 admitted free. Each vehicle entering the park must have a park entry permit.

Lights and decorated Christmas trees adorn the mansion and horse barn built in the late 1880s. Visitors may create their own ornament to hang on the tree in the barn.

Children may visit Santa Claus and meet a Buffalo Bill impersonator. There will be roasted chestnuts, hot apple cider and cookies available and, weather permitting, draft horse-drawn hay rack rides.

CALENDAR

MONDAY

• District II deer meeting, Valentine, Niobrara Lodge, 803 E. U.S. Highway 20, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

• Bowring Christmas Open House and viewing of lights, Bowring Ranch SHP, 5 to 9 p.m., park entry permit required, 308-684-3428.

• Snipe hunting season closes.

• District I deer meeting, Alliance, Public Library, 1750 Sweetwater Ave., 7 p.m.

FRIDAY

• Three-day family muzzleloader deer hunt, Plattsmouth, 402-471-5662.

• Three-day Christmas at the Codys, Buffalo Bill Ranch SHP, 5:30 to 8 p.m., adults $5, children under 12 free, park entry permit required, 308-535-8035.

SUNDAY, DEC. 20

• The following hunting seasons close: white-fronted goose and duck season (first segment) in Low Plains Early Unit.

MONDAY, DEC. 21

• Antlerless elk hunting season (second half) closes.

TUESDAY, DEC. 22

• Bighorn sheep hunting season closes.

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