“It’s almost unbelievable,” I say out loud. Our group–comprised of Sean Casper, TGO video producer; Steve Oakley, our audio manager; Mike Rogers, friend and master angler; Gary Coulman, inventor of the famous Ice Rigger; and Scott Gangle of Fish Hunter Guide service–are gathered with me around a TV at Roy Lake Resort in Lake City, South Dakota, watching a local early morning weather report. For the last several days, temperatures have been terribly cold, suspended around 30 below (Fahrenheit), and strong Dakota winds have been adding significantly to the wind chill.
Today is different: A cold front is expected. It’s colder and the winds are blowing even harder, creating wind chills exceeding 50 below zero. Even here in the Dakotas, where the people are acclimated and know how to deal with dangerous cold, the message to them is dire: Don’t go outside unless you must.
“If just one component freezes up, our day—perhaps our entire trip—is over.”
It wouldn’t be so bad if we were going to sit back and jig pan fish or walleye from inside Mike’s temperature controlled Sno-Bear or Scott’s portable shelter with a warming propane heater. But our plan is to fish Ice Riggers–basically elaborate rod holders that feature a tip-up like flag that trips when a fish bites, then allow the line to free spool into the hole as the fish runs. Using this system in the extreme cold and snow blowing winds, our Ice Riggers will require special set-ups and continual monitoring, meaning someone will need to stay outside.
We can still bring the Sno-Bear and set-up Scott’s portable as additional warming stations for safety, yes. Yet the fact remains that we’ll spend a significant amount of time outdoors, risking frostbite, especially around exposed areas on our faces. And even if we dress appropriately, bring the right gear and are able to fish, when we catch anything we’ll need to take special care of our wet hands and fingers, and anything we catch we plan on releasing will need to be placed back in the water quickly before any sensitive tissues such as the fish’s eyes or gills–freeze. Most fish will more than likely need to be harvested just because of this issue.
I settle back into my chair, resting my head, staring out into the eyes of this dedicated, but weary group.
“Thoughts?”
Sean and Steve aren’t sure the cameras, tripod or any of the associated audio and electronic equipment will perform at desired levels, or perhaps, function at all.
“This is colder than anything I’ve ever shot in before,” Sean reveals. “I’ll try anything, but you need to understand the risk. If just one component freezes up, our day—perhaps our entire trip—is over.”
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