Anglers get ice-fishing lesson on Wheaton lake
Jason Kaple stood on frozen Herrick Lake, helping his two sons, Vince and Nicholas, get set up for a round of ice fishing on Sunday afternoon.
“This is the first time ever for us,” Kaple said. “It seemed like a great way to get two boys out of the house on a winter day.”
He paused and then said with a smile: “It sure beats the Wii.”
Kaple was one of about 15 people who attended Sunday's ice fishing demonstration at the Herrick Lake Forest Preserve in Wheaton. The demonstration was led by rangers from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District.
The rangers gave a brief presentation at the beginning of the event, discussing safety, equipment and techniques. Ranger Patrick Weber said that, as a general rule, ice that's four inches thick is safe to walk on. He estimated that the ice over Herrick Lake Sunday was 10 inches thick.
Ranger Dan Touzios told the participants that dressing in layers was key to staying warm (and safe) while ice fishing, adding that it's important to start with a polyester layer that wicks moisture away from the skin.
Ranger John Pellegrino offered some tips for catching fish, pointing out that fish tend to be found in deeper water near items that create shelter, like patches of weeds.
When the presentation concluded, the crowd ventured out onto Herrick Lake, where rangers had already drilled a number of holes to let folks try their hands at ice fishing.
“Ice fishing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors during the winter,” Weber said. “And it's really fun. I went fishing with my wife not too long ago, and when (you catch a fish), you really run to pull it up.”
Weber said he's delighted with the number of people who go ice fishing on DuPage County lakes.
“I especially like to see the young people out here,” he said. “Anything to get them outdoors.”
Kaple said he drove up from Orland Park in the South suburbs to participate in the ice fishing event.
“It's a drive, but the recreation programs in this area are excellent, so we come up here pretty often,” he said.
The forest preserve district's next ice-fishing event will be the “Hard-Water Classic” ice-fishing tournament Feb. 12 at Mallard Lake in Hanover Park. For information, go to dupageforest.com.