Frozen foods, fun

COEUR d'ALENE - Wednesday morning, Woody Hecket made an offer to friend Bill Tarnasky that he couldn't refuse.

"Hey Bill," Hecket said. "Let's go ice fishing."

The retired doctor thought, why not.

It wasn't long before the two men were spinning an auger to drill holes in the ice at Fernan Lake and preparing to drop a few lines.

For Tarnasky, it was something new.

"It's the first time I've ever ice fished," he said.

Couldn't have asked for better conditions. Sunny, blue skies, about 30 degrees and no wind. Oh, and ice a good 6 inches thick.

"On a nice day like this, it's nice just to stand out there and enjoy the scenery," he said. "Can you imagine being out there, 20 degrees and the wind is blowing?"

Hecket could.

He's a veteran of standing on ice for hours waiting for the fish to bite. Sometimes, they do. Sometimes, they don't.

There was a story that someone pulled 30 perch from the lake, so he was optimistic the fishing would be hot.

There were only a handful of folks on Fernan Wednesday morning, as it seems early yet for wandering about on the lake, but Hecket had no fears.

He said Tarnasky first wanted to wait to go ice fishing until it warmed up a bit. But it was better, Hecket said, to go when it was colder.

"We're not worried about the ice," Hecket said, as he took his fishing pole to show the ice was thicker than it looked.

According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, anglers should check ice before walking far from shore. Drill a hole and measure thickness. Four inches of solid ice is generally considered safe.

Some suggest carrying a screwdriver or other sharp instrument on a lanyard around the neck. It would give a person who has fallen through something to grip the ice with to help pull themselves out, or at least something to hang onto as they await help.

Tarnasky offered assurance to those who weren't as sure.

"If you break through, holler. We'll come and save you," he said.

Randy Rogers, another angler farther out, hadn't hooked anything after an hour.

No big deal. Patience is part of the sport.

"I'm one of those people that enjoy just being outside," he said. "I do love catching fish."

Rogers biked onto the ice, fishing supplies in tow in a small carrier.

"It's good," he said as he tapped the ice with his foot.

He planned to use worms and smelt for bait.

A buddy, he said, recently caught 51 perch and one trout during a six-hour stretch on Fernan Lake.

Rogers, too, was expecting his luck to turn.

"If not, I still have some in the freezer," he said.

As for Tarnasky, he planned to stick with his inaugural day of ice fishing "until I get tired of it."

"Fishing is like golf," he said, smiling. "There are things you can do with your time that are just more productive."