U.S. ice fishing team catches gold
What a difference a year - and home-ice advantage - make.
Earlier this month, some of the best ice fishermen from North America and Europe assembled on Boom Lake in Rhinelander, Wis., for the 2010 World Ice Fishing Championship.
The USA Ice Team may have left last winter's event in Poland with a disappointing last-place performance, but the result was much different this time around.
Due in part to their chemistry, familiarity with Midwestern waters and the contributions of three suburban team members, the Americans beat out Poland and Russia to win gold.
"This was a dream come true for me," Palatine resident Bob Esbensen said. "I never thought I'd get to represent my country like this."
Those unfamiliar with competitive ice fishing may picture a scene out of the movie "Grumpy Old Men," but premiere events don't feature wood shanties stocked with portable TVs and other modern conveniences.
The competitors leave their power augers and electronic devices at home and instead drill holes by hand - up to 20 or 30 in a three-hour span - and use athleticism, fishing skill and instinct.
Mike Boedeker of Lansing, Mich., won the individual gold medal, catching 2.63 kilograms (about 5.8 pounds) of fish. Bluegill and white and black crappie were the most plentiful species.
Tony Boshold of Carol Stream competed on the six-man team and Mike McNett of Lombard was team captain. Others from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin made up the rest of the team, which was picked based on scores at a qualifying event.
Esbensen said he picked up ice fishing while at Prospect High School as a way to extend the fishing season. The veterinarian and cofounder of the Arlington Cat Clinic in Arlington Heights said he dedicated his experience to cancer survivors like himself.
"I had a stem cell transplant in 2006 and wasn't sure I'd ever get to do something like this," Esbensen said. "I hope someone can be inspired."
The other teams, which flew into O'Hare and enjoyed a trip to the Hoffman Estates Cabela's on their way to Rhinelander, came from Canada, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Sweden.
The city of Rhinelander, in northern Wisconsin, put on a festival, with a Parade of Nations, trade show, dog sled demonstration and an ice camp for kids.
McNett said most teams are tight-lipped when it comes to strategy such as the type of bait or jig color. Anglers even try to be discreet with their catch so competitors don't move to their spot. But they enjoy camaraderie off the ice.
He said the suburban influence on the U.S. team is due in part to the challenge of fishing in more populated areas.
"Guys from bigger cities and areas with less ice tend to be better because it's easy to fish in a place like North Dakota or Minnesota," he said.
McNett also thinks it's just a matter of time before ice fishing becomes an Olympic sport.
He said the U.S. will field a team again next year in Riga, Latvia. The team is putting in a bid to host the tournament again in 2014 or 2015.