It was the second weekend of February, and I went ice fishing. The location was northwest Michigan, about 2 hours north of Grand Rapids. The temperatures ranged between lows around zero to highs in the mid 20s. It was not only a fishing trip but also a test of endurance. The accommodations consisted of an early 70’s camper/trailer and a wooden tool shed. The only sources of heat were a propane stove and a small portable electric heater. At its warmest the camper was probably 5 or 10 degrees warmer than the outside. It was cold! There were two little private lakes close at hand. Our camp was situated on the banks of Strawberry Lake while Horsehead Lake was a brisk half mile hike west. We started out on Horse head. Being a quarter of the size of Strawberry, we figured that our chances of locating fish were greater there.

We spent the first two days exploring Horse head scoring a meager 3 Bluegill. I suggested that we drill holes about 30 yards in front of the camp on Strawberry and try to connect with some Rock Bass. The Rock Bass were heavy in that area when we were there in October. The other members of the expedition agreed to try since we weren’t getting anything on Horse head anyway.

It was just after sunset when we arrived back on Strawberry. The temperature had fallen into the low teens. There was two feet of snow covering everything and the cold blue glow was somewhat eerie. The lake was hard at work making ice as well. If you have never had the chilling pleasure of being on a frozen lake when it is making ice, let me tell you it is a strange sensation. As you know, as water freezes, it expands and during this expansion the ice compresses against itself. When there is no more room to expand, the ice cracks and shifts, much like the tectonic plates that cause earthquakes. The resultant effect is loud cracking sounds that race about the lake followed by the deep sounds of the water underneath being pushed away. If you can, try to imagine what a rolling thunderstorm might sound if it was entirely underwater. Coupled with the growing darkness, it made for some mysterious vibes.

Anyway, we put in a few holes where I thought the Rock Bass were several months earlier and within minutes, we were all catching Rock Bass. Scott and Aric seemed surprised to find fish here in the shallows after dark. Of course, this was a lucky guess on my part but I had to play it off as some kind of instinctual prowess.

Alex had the the sweet spot. This was his first trip to Strawberry and he was pulling fish out of that hole in the ice like he was born to do it. I had a hole about 3 and half feet away and I wasn’t getting anywhere near the hits he was. I wish that we had thought to drop Scott’s Aqua-view down their to see what they were dialed in on.

We have this rule that whenever anybody gets a fish on, they say “Fish On” so that we may all vicariously enjoy the moment. Alex was saying “Fish On” so much that he was beginning to worry about us less fortunate and quietly began to sneak fish out of the hole. We all managed a couple of fish, but we had Alex to thank for our dinner that night. Scott bought a Vexilar unit on this trip. If you never have used a Vexilar, it is really incredible. If you have used a Vexilar, Yeah baby!

We brought our frozen dinner inside and warmed them in pots of melted snow in order to soften them up enough to filet. I made some seasoned pork chops on the grill. We ate well and watched “Saving Private Ryan.”

After the movie, it was around 2:00am Scott and I got a second wind. We went out on the ice again. I quickly snagged Alex’s ex-spot and quckly pulled out 4 or 5 more. It was even colder now, right around zero degrees. To further demonstrate the extreme cold, consider the following. Upon catching a fish, we tossed them onto a pile on the ice. In a matter of minutes, the fish would be frozen solid. Exhibit B. I opened a bottle of Moosehead Beer and was only able to get two sips out of the bottle before the entire contents had turned to ice. After a an hour or so, I was done. Scott decided to stay out a little longer. He almost fell asleep out there. He commented that when he nodded off his thoughts were of Bon Scott, the late AC/DC guy or Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining. Yes it was cold, inside and out. It was hard to get used to the idea that going inside didn’t help. The snow and ice on our boots was still there in the morning even after being inside all night. It was this test of endurance that made this trip so meaningful.