Vermont’s 2nd annual statewide Free Ice Fishing Day will take place Saturday, January 31, featuring an activity-filled ice fishing festival hosted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and the Champlain Valley Hardwater Tournament Series (CVHTS).
Vermont’s Free Ice Fishing Day allows residents and non-residents to ice fish anywhere in Vermont without a fishing license on that day.
“Ice fishing is a fun way for people of all ages to get outside and enjoy Vermont’s natural resources during the winter months. It’s also a great family activity and we hope that the public will take advantage of this opportunity to try out the world-class ice fishing that Vermont has to offer.” ~ Louis Porter, commissioner of Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
The ice fishing festival will be held at the Malletts Bay Fishing Access Area on Lake Champlain in Colchester – is free of charge and open to the public. The event begins with registration and giveaways at 1 p.m and will feature a variety of activities including knot-tying demonstrations, an underwater fish-viewing station and a fish filleting and frying booth.
Attendees will be also beable to watch the CVHTS weigh-in at 2 p.m., and later fish with CVHTS professional anglers who will stick around to share their skills and knowledge of ice fishing.
Warming huts and snacks will be available to keep people comfortable, and there will be ice fishing equipment giveaways to the kids in attendance, while supplies last. Information will also be provided on ice fishing tips and tactics, ice safety, fish identification and fish habitat.
“This festival is a great event for anyone interested in ice fishing, including individuals and families who might want to participate in the sport for the first time. Aside from fishing, it’s also a wonderful chance to get outside, have a cookout, play games and simply enjoy quality time with kids.” ~ Bernie Pientka, fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife.
“The neat thing about ice fishing is just about anyone can do it and you’re not limited to the shore as can be the case with open water fishing,” added Jud Kratzer, fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “Furthermore, freshly harvested, tasty Vermont fish is hard to beat. We hope that folks will enjoy the free fishing day all over the state and that many will join us at the festival to celebrate ice fishing in Vermont.”
To learn more about ice fishing in Vermont, visit http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/fish_icefishing.cfm.
To preregister for the ice fishing festival, go to http://tinyurl.com/2015IceFishingFestival. For additional information about the event, please contact Nicole Corrao with Vermont Fish & Wildlife by calling 802-318-1347 or emailing nicole.corrao@state.vt.us.
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