From ice to table: Girl Scouts take to frozen lake for winter fishing experience

On a frozen lake in southeastern Michigan, the scene on February 1 was each adventurous and comforting: ice shanties heated by moveable heaters, a camp range prepared for cooking, and contours of Boy Scouts rigorously stepping onto the ice, every geared up with brightly coloured ice picks hanging from their necks.

Greater than 60 Lady Scouts and 67 adults participated in Lady Scouts of Southeastern Michigan’s Ice to Desk – Ice Fishing program, a hands-on winter expertise that mixed outside recreation, environmental training and sensible life abilities.

Designed as a part of a broader fishing and water conservation curriculum, this system not solely launched contributors to ice fishing, but in addition the information and confidence wanted to do it safely and responsibly.

“Our Ice to Desk – Ice Fishing occasion is a part of a multi-part fishing and water conservation curriculum,” mentioned Paige Wigren, vp of outside expertise. “Most fishing applications focus solely on the ‘try-it’ facet. We wished to take our occasions a number of steps additional.”

This system was supplied in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Detroit River Worldwide Wildlife Refuge in Trenton and supported by the Nice Lakes Restoration Initiative by way of the Detroit River Youth Fishing Workforce grant. For practically 4 years, the partnership has labored to take away limitations that usually preserve households from outside recreation, particularly the price of gear and entry to instruction.

Every participant began the day with an in depth ice security demonstration. Lady Scouts got obligatory ice picks and taught what to do in the event that they fell by way of the ice, emphasizing the significance of staying calm. Additionally they realized the way to ‘spud’ their path ahead utilizing an ice shovel to check the ice thickness earlier than transferring on.

“It is best to imagine that no ice cream is 100% protected,” Wigren says. “Changing into overconfident throughout dangerous actions can result in errors and accidents. Security comes first in the whole lot we do.”

For a lot of contributors, the protection classes have been among the many most dear classes.

“I realized that it is necessary to not panic if you happen to fall by way of the ice, to by no means go on the ice alone, and to have security hooks in case you must pull your self out,” mentioned Ayla DeLuca, an eighth-grader at West Bloomfield.

Cassidy Holmes, a sixth-grader from Waterford, mentioned she realized “the way to decide if the ice on a lake is protected, and the way to use ice picks in an emergency.”

Violet Lira, a first-grader from Canton, mentioned she was stunned that fishing was truly happening on the ice.

“I’ve solely fished usually, like when it is heat. Strolling on the ice stunned me! I assumed we would be strolling subsequent to the ice,” she mentioned. “I realized that no ice is protected ice, and that you must test it first and be very cautious earlier than you stroll on it. You test how the ice feels and what coloration it’s to see if it is okay to proceed.”

After primary security rules have been lined, contributors moved on to fishing abilities. Every Lady Scout was assigned a pre-drilled ice gap and a five-gallon bucket full of bait, hooks, jigs, hemostats and a depth finder clip. Instructors demonstrated the way to function an ice fishing rod, bait a hook with a waxworm, gently “jig” the road and safely take away a fish from the hook.

“They learn to drill an ice fishing gap, scoop up ice shards so they do not minimize their line, measure the water depth, set the hook and reel of their catch,” Wigren explains. “And if the fish is authorized and they’re , we educate them the way to fillet and fry it.”

The final step specifically, the transition from ice to the desk, proved to be memorable for a lot of contributors.

“I loved watching Mrs. Paige fillet the fish, although it was a bit of soiled,” Holmes mentioned. “I had by no means seen that earlier than and it was studying expertise.”

Lilly Brinn, a tenth grader from Troy, agreed. “I preferred the fish filleting half. It was actually fascinating to see the knife work.”

For DeLuca, tasting the completed product was the spotlight. “I beloved consuming the fish,” she mentioned. “Mrs. Paige cooks it very well. The most effective fried fish I’ve ever had. It in all probability helps that it was so contemporary.”

This system adopted the philosophy of ‘problem by selection’, permitting contributors to resolve how concerned they wished to be in making ready their catch.

“At first, we give attention to the kid’s consolation degree,” Wigren mentioned. “Some children take pleasure in studying the way to fillet a fish. Others want to only do the catching half, and that is positive.”

Even those that did not catch any fish discovered the expertise worthwhile.

“Though I did not catch something immediately, it was nonetheless fascinating to study and nice to be out in nature on a sunny day,” Holmes mentioned. “It was peaceable on the frozen lake.”

Brinn echoed that sentiment. “Sadly I did not catch something, however I loved studying the way to put together fish. The hour on the ice was extra like ten minutes.”

A number of contributors have been stunned by how rapidly the situations on the ice modified.

“I used to be very stunned that the water within the open gap freezes so rapidly,” DeLuca mentioned.

“I had by no means been there earlier than and I used to be stunned how rapidly the ice froze,” Brinn added. “Severely, it is loopy.”

Winter programming presents logistical challenges, from unpredictable climate to managing chilly publicity. The Scouts addressed these dangers with heated pop-up shanties, entry to warming stations and steady monitoring of participant consolation.

Though this system was first deliberate for 2022, inconsistent ice situations delayed its launch. The 2025 season was the primary 12 months it may very well be staged safely, and this 12 months’s occasion proved equally profitable.

Regardless of the complexity, the affect makes it value it, based on Wigren.

“When kids join immediately with nature in their very own communities, it results in a greater understanding of conservation and sustainability,” she mentioned. “It breaks an enormous idea down into one thing tangible.”

For a lot of Boy Scouts, the expertise sparked an curiosity in future outside adventures.

“I’d love to do that once more,” DeLuca mentioned. “I like fishing, and I need to strive it once more and truly catch one thing.”

Holmes agreed. “It was enjoyable, I noticed my good friend and I realized loads.”

Wigren hopes contributors will go house with extra than simply fishing abilities.

“These occasions educate Lady Scouts that they’ll do something they put their minds to,” she mentioned. “They’ll do tough issues.”

For extra details about GSSEM’s Out of doors Expertise Division applications, go to gssem.org/go.