GAYLORD, Mich. — An organization aimed at giving wounded veterans accessible hunting opportunities is hosting its first ice fishing tournament in February.
The Michigan Iced Over fishing tournament is now scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25 at Otsego Lake. It was originally set for Feb. 10, but due to warm weather, they're pushing it back with hopes of a cold snap.
The tournament includes a 100% payout plus cash prizes, raffles, a silent auction, and dinner with a live band.
It costs $40 to register a team of two.
Organizers Michigan Operation Freedom Outdoors has been gifting accessible hunting blinds to the Michigan DNR, and often pairs these blinds with tracked wheelchairs that allow the user to go on rough terrain.
After years of putting on accessible whitetail deer hunts, organizers noticed that after deer season, they don't see many veterans until the following season.
Isolation and seclusion can have serious impacts on your mental health, so a brand new fishing tournament hopes to give veterans another chance to connect with others outdoors.
This partnered fishing tournament is open to anyone, but organizers hope more serious anglers will call up a veteran buddy to join them.
First, second and third place go to the teams with the heaviest combo of 15 total fish. Species include perch, crappie, blue gill and sunfish.
There are also $10 side pots for the most impressive shanty, biggest perch, biggest crappie, biggest blue gill, biggest pike and biggest Walleye by weight.
You can sign up for the event and learn more about the rules here.
Michigan Operation Freedom Outdoors is a non-profit that works to give outdoor recreation opportunities to wounded veterans and those who have health challenges.
Ice Fishing Safety Tips
- Your safety is your responsibility! There is not a reliable "inch-thickness" to determine if ice is safe.
- You can test ice thickness and quality using a spud, needle bar or auger.
- Strongest ice: clear with bluish tint.
- Weak ice: ice formed by melted and refrozen snow. Appears milky.
- Stay off ice with slush on top. Slush ice is only half as strong as clear ice and indicates the ice is not freezing from the bottom.
- A sudden cold front with low temperatures can create cracks within a half-day.
- A warm spell may take several days to weaken ice, and cause the ice to thaw during the day and refreeze at night.
- Ice weakens with age.
- If there’s ice on the lake but water around the shoreline, be extra cautious.
- Stronger the current on the lake, the more likely the ice will give to open water.
- Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris like logs or brush.
- Keep an eye out for dock bubblers or de-icers as the ice near these mechanisms will be unsafe. Always check the ice and be aware of your surroundings.
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