The Women Ice Angler Project
If you didn’t know it, ice fishing isn’t just for boys. In fact, women ice anglers are coming on strong. One such group is proving exactly that and also bring exposure to ladies who like to hit the ice.
This past weekend at Cyrus Resort on the south shore of Lake of the Woods, seven ladies took to the ice. All brought something to the project. Some were ice fishing pros, leading the way with the proper gear, knowledge, tips and techniques. There was one photographer. An outdoor writer. A teacher of the year. And of course, all had the desire to send a message, create great media and even have some fun.
The Women Ice Angler Project is a media event designed to spread the word that Women ice fish, and some are quite good at it. It all started in the fall of 2015, when all the ice fishing magazines came out and we noticed that there was no pictures of Women Ice Fishing. Our anger was turned into a project to create media content to share among ice fishing companies, ice anglers, and the general public. A group of media professionals was assembled and off to Lake of the Woods we went. Outdoor First Media filmed the event and there were numerous photos, articles, videos, and radio interviews that developed from the project. Well it worked.
This is the second year these ladies were invited back and a great trip was had by all. There were many highlights to the trip such as Barb Carey icing her personal best pike in excess of 20 lbs. Or the side trip to the Igloo Bar on the ice only to run into another group of ladies ice fishing who also took a break.
Lake of the Woods is an ideal location for ladies to get together to ice fish. Although the ladies were all set up to fish on their own, -26 degree temps made the permanent fish houses provided by Cyrus Resort a nice place to jig for walleyes or watch a tip up. Conditions inside the fish house were a cozy 70 degrees and perfect considering the brutal temps outside.
The next time you hear someone say, “that is for girls”, listen closely. There’s a good chance the activity in question is a lot of fun, requires a hearty person with desire and a great passion for adventure. Way to go ladies!
