Shell Lake/Spooner high school team competed in 4 Wisconsin Interscholastic Fishing Association (WIFA) ice fishing tournaments. Each event requires somewhat different strategies as to species and sizes needed for success. Persistence is a factor since the fishing time allowed runs 12 to 24 hours. Teams pick the day and/or waters they will fish and submit measurement photos to the judges thru an app called Fish Donkey.
It was nip and tuck if we would have enough ice for the first event. Just in time, the ice got thick enough to walk out, but not enough for vehicles. The 250 Challenge was a multi species event with the goal of accumulating 250 or more inches. Our small band of 7 students finished 10th out of 61 schools even though most other schools fielded larger teams.
Success continued in the January Jamboree. In this case WIFA selected the lake in our region to fish. It was -17 degrees as we headed out in the pre-dawn darkness. The ice was just thick enough for ATVs, but we didn’t have any. The spot coach Amos Melton scouted out was a long walk but easy going on the snow free ice. As the day went on we slowly accumulated a decent bag of bass and northern but our catch of bluegill and crappie was dismal. As sunset approached the team made a long move to find the panfish. Jack pot! They hit the mother load in the twilight hour. Adding the panfish lifted the team to finish 29th of 96 schools.
In the North/South Tag Team event schools are paired and compete as one but on their own home waters. We had a tough bite and a long, tiring day fishing one lake in the morning and another in the afternoon. I do wish coach Amos could find spots that aren’t 2 mile walks from the access. Except for a nice northern, we were catching the same species as partner Germantown, only smaller. As a result we were of little or no help and dragged Germantown down with us to finish 18th of the 19 the school pairings.
The season wrapped up with a respectable 29th place finish of 59 schools in the state championship. The state championship was to be a weekend long gathering of all the teams on the Mississippi at LaCrosse. Unfortunately, the over night trip road trip was not to be. Ice conditions on the river were unsafe so things went to plan B. Schools would fish their home waters. Again the bite was slow for us and we fished 2 different lakes. The high light of the day was a surprise catch of a 29 inch channel catfish. Not a species that counted in the contest but cool none the less.
Friends into Spooner Hatchery sponsors the high school team. In addition, we do season long ice and summer fishing contests through Fish Donkey for all Shell Lake and Spooner high school students. Registration for the summer contest will open soon. Watch for announcements at school.