Looking for the perfect present for the outdoor enthusiast on your list this season – or maybe even for yourself? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources may have the answer.
The Carl T. Johnson Hunt and Fish Center, in Cadillac, will offer the DNR Outdoor Skills Academy’s Hard Water School ice-fishing event two times this season: Jan. 2-3 and March 12-13. The class will cover:
How to set up equipment.
How and where to fish.
When to be out on the ice.
How to fish with electronics.
How to stay safe on the ice and follow rules and regulations.
The class will focus on techniques for walleye, taught by pro fisherman Steve Berry from Clam Outdoors & Vexilar, along with Matt Peterson from Fish Bones Custom Lures; techniques for pan fish, taught by pro fisherman Norm Smith and Dave Young from HT Enterprise; and setting polar tip-ups to target monster northern pike, taught by the DNR’s Ed Shaw.
In addition, the DNR Outdoor Skills Academy pro staff will be on hand to teach a variety of tactics on the ice.
“We will spend the first part of the day gearing up and teaching seminars, and then after lunch we will hit the ice and spend the rest of the day fishing,” said Shaw. “After dark, we’ll meet back up at the Carl T. Johnson Center to go over the day’s catch and to review what everyone learned, and then head to dinner.”
Shaw said there will be a warming hut, augers and some shanties available on a first-come, first-served basis, but participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment, if possible.
All ages are welcome, but the Hard Water School is best suited for those at least 8 years old and up. Participants are responsible for their own dinner costs.
Registration and lodging
The Hard Water School class costs $30 per person and includes lunch, a rod and reel to keep, and more. Clam Outdoors, Vexilar, HT Enterprises, and Salmo USA have generously donated door prizes for the class. Discounts for lodging are offered for students at Evergreen Resort in Cadillac; call or email Ed Shaw for promotional code. Other nearby lodging is available at Pilgrims Village, Days Inn or Holiday Inn. Register at www.michigan.gov/huntfishcenter under Outdoor Skills Academy.
For more information contact Ed Shaw at 231-779-1321 or shawe@michigan.gov.
Each academy will start at 9 a.m. Saturday. Sunday is available as an optional fishing day; those interested in fishing Sunday are asked to let coordinators know at time of registration.
