Anglin' with Anglen - February 1973

Editor’s note: For 27 years, beginning Feb. 8, 1973, Ralph Anglen of Bonners Ferry wrote an outdoor column for the local paper that was widely read and used as a source of fishing and hunting information. It was called “Anglin’ with Anglen,” and was the real deal, the genuine item, written by someone whose socks were wet, whose toes were cold and who pulled no punches. The following columns are Anglen’s first. Readers are reminded that they were written almost 50 years ago and conditions, including state fish and game regulations, have changed. Just because Anglen wrote the ice was 2 feet thick, doesn’t mean it is 2 feet thick today. Readers beware. We will continue as space allows to reprint this column solely for its pleasure and historical significance. Any typos, we leave as is.

Feb. 22, 1973

Was battling a bug of some kind most of the week like a lot of other people but did manage to go to Dawson lake three times. This is my favorite lake, summer or winter. It is close to town and I can usually catch enough fish to eat anytime.

Tuesday, Dawson smiled on me! I use a two-ounce spinning rod most of the time with a four-pound test line and by the time winter ice fishing gets around, the line is pretty frayed but I don’t change it as I don’t usualy catch very many big fish. Tuesday I was undergunned! Caught nine bass, four crappie, three sunfish and numerous perch up to 12 inches out of one hole.

When I hooked the first big bass I told myself if I landed him I would use my heavier outfit as all I could do was hang on to him and pray. After I landed him I told myself there wouldn’t be another one in that hole as there never had been. I dropped the line in again and another big fish!

Yes I enjoyed it, for about an hour I had a ball, never changed poles as I just knew there wouldn’t be another big fish come out of that hole. The bass run up to three pounds and run from twelve inches to eighteen. Crappie up to twelve and the sunfish as big as my hand.

Was back up there on Friday. Joe Neumayer, Gus Anderson and his wife were there and we had pretty good fishing. Joe had two big bass, Gus had some crappie and sunfish and his wife had a crappie when I left the ice. We all had perch which just incidential when a person is catching fish that big.

Was back on Saturday — had a bass, crappie, sunfish and numerous perch. Adrian Wages, a young fishing friend of mine, had a couple crappie and a nice bass. I had the lake to myself Tuesday but there were six fishing it Friday and five Saturday while I was there.

Five inches of snow on the ice and it was wet underfoot. Have about twenty inches of ice there. One wants to remember a change in the fishing laws about bass this year, twenty-five possession limit and only three of them can be seventeen inches or larger. No limit on other spiny rey fish.

A 17-inch bass caught in the summertime should weigh six pounds or better. They do in Robinson Lake anyway as the two six-pounders I took out of there were seventeen and eighteen inches long. Weighed six pounds and one ounce and six pounds and 10 ounces, respectively.

Scuttlebutt! McArthur still producing perch but slowing down. The ice is getting soft out there, watch for muskrat holes and springs. Gamble Lake, the other side of Sandpoint, producing good fishing through the ice. Bonners Ferry fishermen still going to Canada and Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene fishermen coming to Bonners! Well I guess fishermen are never satisfied!