ELMORE, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont Fish and Wildlife hosted their annual ice fishing festival to celebrate free ice fishing day on Saturday.
Corey Hart of Vermont Fish and Wildlife says it doesn’t matter if you’re an ice fishing expert or new to the sport – the festival is for everyone.
“You might think that most people that come here are here to go fishing and that’s true for some but some people just stepping foot on the ice is the big deal,” Hart said.
The day is geared toward giving new ice anglers an opportunity to try ice fishing before purchasing equipment, but any angler may ice fish on any waterbody open to ice fishing statewide without a fishing license on free ice fishing day. At the ice fishing festival there are multiple different stations and there is one where you can even cook your fish after you catch it.
“I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into but I really love all the stations they have cause I kind of thought I was going to show up and just try to figure it out, but I really love that they are teaching you how and everything you need to know,” said Morrisville resident Cecilie Macpherson.
Barton resident Andrew Traverso-Estes surprised himself when he caught a 29-inch fish after not fishing in years.
“It started fighting me and it definitely put on a bit of a fight.. Then we saw it in the hole, which was kind of cool like oh he’s in the spike and I was like cool let’s get it out of there,” Traverso-Estes said.
The day normally brings around 500 people and can introduce ice fishing lovers to one another.
“Definitely getting to meet a bunch of people who are also interested in this and getting to learn from people who know a lot about it,” Volunteer Sophie Gustafson said.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife staff, as well as instructors from Vermont’s Let’s Go Fishing Program, teach hands on ice fishing skills and how to stay safe on the ice.