Ice fishing opportunities few and far between

Here we are at the end of January and there’s still not many ice fishing opportunities to speak of.

Indian Lake is our go-to lake close to home for ice fishing. The folks are Lakeside Pro Bass Shop (937-8432488) said lots of people are on the lake. Fish being caught include saugeye, crappie and bluegill. This should con- tinue into February.

Buckeye Lake: I talked with people at R&R Bait and Tackle (740-928-2248) and there’s nothing going yet at Buckeye Lake. There are lots of natural springs on this lake that can hinder ice formation. Fish of choice here are saugeye, crappie, perch and bluegill.

Lake Erie: I talked with Mike Patterson of Mike’s Sports Fishing (419-308-6925) and he said there was one day earlier in January when Lake Erie did freeze over. But high winds (40 mph) overnight blew the ice open. We need a week of temperatures in the teens overnight and in the 20s with no wind. The chance of getting that does not seem likely.

As with all ice fishing trips, remember to do it safely. Don’t fish alone, let others know where you are and when you expect to return and keep your cell phone in a waterproof bag.

Deer update: Muzzle- loader season was a success in Ohio with 12,141 deer checked from Jan. 8-11. Over the past three years, an aver- age of 11,501 deer were taken with muzzleloaders during the same four-day period. There’s still a little bit of time left in archery season, which ends Feb. 6. We will wrap up the season next month with Dr. Michael Tonkovich, the deer program administrator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

It’s show time: The beginning of the new year through March means outdoor shows. If you can attend, it’s well worth the effort. A couple are listed below:

The Columbus Fishing Expo will take place Feb. 11-13 at the Ohio Expo Center at the state fairgrounds in Columbus. It’s three days of fishing seminars, speakers, activities and vendors dedicated to the sport of fishing. This is the premier fishing show in Ohio and it’s always well done. For more information, visit: nationalfishingexpos.com

The National Wild Turkey Federation’s 46th annual convention and sport show will take place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

The convention runs Feb. 16-20 and the sport show takes places Feb. 17-19.

This is the largest consumer show in Nashville with more than 350 exhibitors from the top companies and brands in the outdoor industry. This is the best hunting/outdoor show in the region. For more info, visit nwtf.org

Until next time, enjoy the outdoors.