Frigid DuPage ice fishing tourney focuses on fun, family
David Koldoff set out to hook some panfish Saturday at the DuPage Forest Preserve District's 4th annual Hardwater Classic but ended up with much more that: a 26.5-inch long northern pike that took a good 20 minutes to pull from the icy waters of Silver Lake.
"I changed holes (in the ice) and as soon as I dropped it down, he hammered it," said Koldoff, who added he only had fishing line rated for 3 pounds. "It was the longest pike fight I've ever had. It must have gone down 30 times. I wasn't sure I was going to land that fish."
Koldoff's catch was good enough to earn him the top spot for the largest fish caught and largest northern pike caught on Saturday at Blackwell Forest Preserve near Warrenville.
Koldoff took home a $125 gift card to Cabela's, as well as a new, fully insulated fishing shelter.
Other winners were Jess Damestrom for the longest largemouth bass, Sean Conley for the longest crappie and Jon Dunnett for the longest bluegill, according to Bob McNeel, assistant manager for the DuPage County Forest Preserve's Ranger Department.
"Ice fishers are real passionate," said McNeel, noting the 172 paying participants topped the 150-person average in previous years.
Taking home gift certificates and new fishing equipment was a nice perk, but for contestants, Saturday was more about fun and getting out on the frozen pond. Anglers agreed that the cloudless day was a lousy day because fish generally bite more when it's overcast and low or lower barometric pressure.
Shiho Kajiwara of Wheaton hooked a 6 inch bluegill while rotating between several holes in the ice in the same spot she went to at last year's contest. Although she had to put on five layers to keep warm, Kajiwara said she likes to fish in the winter because there are no mosquitoes and she can get out deeper into the lake.
Plus, "We don't have a boat," she said.
Brothers Peter and Earl Shorner entered the tournament for the third straight year. They have been fishing together for 30 years and came prepared with a shelter, breakfast muffins and Swisher Sweets to smoke.
"It's a balmy 7 degrees," joked Peter Shorner of Berwyn.
As of midway through the contest, the brothers had only hooked two small bluegills that they said weren't even worth making the walk to one of several tents on the ice where organizers measured the fish before releasing them.
"A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work," said Earl Shorner, of Villa Park.