Ice is nice for winter fishing

For hundreds of regional nature enthusiasts winter offers the rare opportunity to take advantage of Old Man Winter’s frigid magic when he turns water to ice.

Ice is nice for folks who like to get out on our local lakes to try their luck at coaxing a hungry fish to take their jigs or baited hooks.

I’ve enjoyed ice fishing on occasion but have never yet caught anything. I’ve dutifully trekked out across frozen Lake Ontelaunee with friends, gear, a good attitude and hopeful expectations. But, just like my surf fishing record, thus far my record is zero catches, despite numerous attempts of catching.

OK, this past season I did hook a hapless horseshoe crab while surf fishing the Jersey coast. You should have seen me set the hook on what I thought might be a tasty King fish. I used my best form to hook and land the mystery fish that turned out to be crab.

As I reeled in the crab a young man walked past and quizzically asked, “Are you fishing for horseshoe crabs?”

If I could…