City rises on ice for fishing derby

(Edited to record results.)

LADORA — Below zero temperatures this month drove people indoors but guaranteed thick ice on Lake Iowa.

Then temperatures rose into the 20s, the wind calmed and the sun shone to create a beautiful day for Iowa County Conservation’s Ice Fishing Derby Saturday.

Conservation Director Jacob Slings, who is new to Iowa County, said he was told to expect about 50 people. “I think we’re above that,” Slings said Saturday as the fishing derby neared its end.

Looking across the ice at the temporary huts, the sleds full of equipment and the anglers sitting in chairs and on buckets on the open ice, Slings was pleased. “It’s nice seeing this many people interested in doing the same thing.”

And the best part of the day is all of the fish stories that will come out of the morning, said Slings. “That’s part of the fun.”

The fishing derby ran from 6-11 a.m. Tommy Sweet, of Mitchellville, was the first to visit Sling’s tent on the ice to measure his fish.

Combined length for Sweet’s catch of 10 was 88.5 inches. His longest bluegill was 8 ½ inches, and his longest crappie, 10 5/16, Slings said.

Several anglers on the near shore of the lake weren’t having much luck, but Slings said other areas of the lake were fruitful.

Slings fished from noon to 3:30 p.m. Friday in four feet of water and couldn’t stop catching fish, he said. He knew the fish would be looking for food Saturday morning.

“I ended up setting up in 15 feet,” Slings said. The fishing was great, he said. He caught nearly 20 fish between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m.

Ben Naniot and his son Brogan, from Tama, weren’t getting the same results.

“We got here at 5 [a.m.],” said Ben. This was Brogan’s first time ice fishing at Lake Iowa, and he’s the reason Ben made the trip. “He likes open water,” said Ben, and he wanted to fish under the ice.

While Ben also enjoys fishing, he doesn’t do much of it in the winter. “I’m a big deer hunter,” he said.

Brogan likes the obvious results of fishing — catching them and eating them, he said. He normally fishes from shore with his grandmother, and he’s been out on boats. (His father has owned a few.)

Ice fishing was the next logical step.

“I have a fun time on the ice,” Brogan said.

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The family fishes at farm ponds in Tama County, at Diamond Lake and Holiday Lake.

Fishing at Lake Iowa was slow for Ben and Brogan Saturday. “We haven’t caught nothing yet,” Ben said as the derby entered its final hour. He’d tried minnows and wax worms and was fishing in 13 feet of water.

David Rundel, of Coggon, also had no luck. Rundel watched his Garmin LiveScope. He could see his line, but no fish.

“We’ve seen one fish and heard of one more caught,” he said.

Saturday was Rundel’s first time at Lake Iowa, he said. He usually fishes the back waters of the Wapsipinicon River, he said. He also visits Central City, Palo and Lake Macbride.

While Rundel has been fishing for 50 years, not much of it has been under the ice lately.

“Back in ’90 I got pneumonia bad and stopped ice fishing for 35 years,” he said.

Rundel fished on farm ponds, but he also tried his luck on the Mississippi River at Guttenberg, he said. The first year he drove up there — about 45 years ago — he pulled into what he thought was the parking lot and asked where the river was. He was told to open his door and drop a line. He was parked on the river.

Though Rundel wasn’t having much luck Saturday, he and his fishing buddy, Lukas Rick, of Walken, planned to make a day of it. “We’re going to hit some other spots on the way home,” Rundel said.

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Rick has been fishing since childhood, he said. He likes fishing open water as well as on the ice. “Last two years haven’t been good for ice fishing,” he said.

Among the men on the ice were three who weren’t participating in the derby. They didn’t know about it, said Todd Reves, of Cedar Rapids. “We just like fishing,” he said.

He’s been to Lake Iowa and decided to try it Saturday, “just to go out fishing,”

Reves and his friends were surprised to see the parking lot full when they arrived at Lake Iowa.

“We didn’t know anything about it,” said John Helm, of Atkins. “We just fish wherever.” Last week the friends fished up north, he said.

“We’ll go basically anywhere,” said Reves. And they’re used to being outside during cold weather. “We’re construction workers. We work outside.”

Helm visits Lake Iowa in the summer for bass. But Saturday he didn’t have any luck. “I haven’t seen anything move yet,” he said.

Braylon White, 13, went ice fishing for the first time Saturday. He said it would be more fun if he caught some fish.

The North English boy, on the ice with his friend, Isaiah Baughman, and Isaiah’s father, Steve Baughman, said he enjoyed his first outing on ice. “It’s easier to get to further out spots,” he said. During the summer he fishes from the shore.

“I’ve fished a few times from a boat with my dad,” White said.

Steve Baughman was on the ice for only his second time, he said. “I’m not a huge fan of the ice,” he said from a camp chair. “We usually hit ponds and things,” he said.

“It is a beautiful day,” Baughman said. “I wouldn’t have been out here last weekend.”

A total of 97 anglers in 53 teams registered for the event. Names were not available. Winning fish were based on length.

Results: Three bass: 17.125 inches; eight bluegill (excluding stringer); 8.5 inches; one catfish: 24 inches; three crappies (excluding stringer: 10 inches; one perch: 10 inches; one bullhead: 11 inches. Largest stringer, 101.125 inches.