A scenic drive along Little Beaver State Park this week revealed a surprising image, a speck on the thick sheet of ice on the park’s lake turned out to be an ice fisherman.
Johnny Cummings from Beaver noticed he had spectators and walked up the hill from his perch mid-lake to share his enthusiasm for ice fishing, where rainbow trout, channel cat, crappy or bluegills are apt to hit his line.
Normally, he said, he likes to catch and release, but during the winter it would not be unusual to be able to provide up to 20 fish dinners for his family.
“I do this because I enjoy the sport,” Cummings said. “But this year, I probably brought home enough trout for four meals this season.”
The surprising activity on Little Beaver is not all that surprising for those living in the area. Cummings said, “there are normally 30 to 40 people ice fishing on the lake when word gets out that the fish are biting.”
It seems dangerous, and he admits it can be.
“During the coldest part of the winter, the ice on the lake can be 7-½ inches deep. I use a drill to measure the depth of the ice. Right now,” he said, “the ice is about 4 ½ inches thick, and I’m thinking it’s close to the end of the season.”
“I prefer the elements,” Cummings said when asked about shelter. However, he notes that “many of the ice fishermen do erect shelters” much like the ones many of us have seen pictures or movies.
As for a tip, the electric lineman said “power bait, the buttery putty” is his bait of choice.
