Ice fishermen celebrate the frigid weather at Mosquito Lake
Most of us, we see the little minus sign in front of the wind-chill temperature, grab a blanket and stay home. If you want to go ice fishing though, this kind of weather's been a long time coming.
CORTLAND, Ohio - Most of us, we see the little minus sign in front of the wind-chill temperature, grab a blanket and stay home. If you want to go ice fishing though, this kind of weather's been a long time coming.
Paul Schultz retired a week ago and this is exactly where he wants to celebrate; bundled up, hauling his gear out onto Mosquito Lake for a little ice fishing.
"People say, 'Oh you're crazy for being out on the ice.' I'm like, well if I was deer hunting it'd be alright, but I'm not. I'm on the ice. It's still zero degrees out," said Schultz.
Paul and his son Brad hit the ice this week, trying to hook a few walleye and crappie. The ice is already about five inches thick where they drilled in; a far cry from the last couple winters.
"We didn't have good ice for a couple years," said Schultz. "Now this is here, it's bringing everybody out."
It's been so cold, Causeway Sporting Goods got busy a solid two or three weeks earlier than usual, opening for the season the day after Christmas.
"When we come to work in the morning, they're sitting in the parking lot waiting for us or sleeping in their vehicles waiting for us, and they're out there still through the night," said Deborah Hake, a sales clerk at Causeway Sporting Goods.
The obvious downside to it being this cold outside is how it really feels when you're standing outside on this wide open lake with the wind blowing in your face. If you don't have a shanty, you better bundle up.
"You just have to dress for it," said Brad Schultz, who drove up from New Middletown. "I'm a fair weather fisherman, so this is about as cold as it gets for me. I like to come out when it's at least 15 degrees or 20. The zero degrees, I like to stay home and stay warm like most people."
As for his dad, no matter how cold it gets he plans on enjoying his retirement. He also already has his eye on a little something extra for his next time out on the ice.
"My retirement gift: I'm going to buy a shanty. That breaks the wind. It's a little more comfortable and I'll be good to go," said Schultz.
Trying to stay at least kind of warm alongside dozens of others ice fishing on Mosquito Lake.
