Les Cheneaux Snowsfest Fishing Contest Begins Fri.
By Amy Polk

Clark Township resident Joseph Carr caught this 43-inch Northern pike Friday, January 25, in Hessel Bay, while ice fishing with a lead jig and minnow. "This is by far the biggest fish I've ever caught," said Mr. Carr, who was still thrilled with his catch last week. "When I first saw the fish I caught down in the water, I was afraid it wouldn't fit through the hole." The monster pike weighed just over 21.5 pounds, and had a girth of more than 22 inches. Three hours of fishing that day produced this fish and another 28-inch pike, both of which were caught on his last three minnows. (Photograph by Bob Dunn)

A new Snowsfest Fish Contest starts this Friday, February 8, reviving a local winter tradition of holding an ice fishing contest in the Les Cheneaux Islands.

The Chamber of Commerce previously hosted a pike fishing contest. The last pike contest was in 2000. Improved fishing conditions around the Les Cheneaux Islands since then, however, have prompted a return to the ice and renewed enthusiasm for the sport.

"There's no question it's better," said John Torsky of Cedarville of fishing around the area.

The usual ice fishing "hot spots" are Muskie, Muscoe, and Hessel bays, Mr. Torsky said, but unstable ice conditions so far this winter have cooled anglers' efforts. Slush and soft ice has characterized recent conditions, but Snowsfest Committee members are hoping the ice will firm up with the recent cold snap and blizzard. Everyone is urged to use caution and common sense when traveling on the ice, and never assume any ice is safe. According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), clear ice is the strongest. Ice formed by melted and re-frozen snow, such as what now covers the channels, is porous and weak. Ice travelers should assume that ice covered by snow is not safe. Anglers should wear a set of ice rescue picks when heading out. (More ice safety tips were featured in the January 24 edition of The St. Ignace News, and are on the DNR's Web site.)

The weekend of February 16 and February 17 is a Free Fishing Weekend, so people of all ages can fish that weekend without a license. The Snowsfest fishing contest will end Sunday, February 17, at 3 p.m. Awards will be announced soon after the end of the contest at Cedar Pantry in Cedarville.

Anglers must register for the contest at Cedarville Ace Hardware, Cedar Pantry, or Fish Tales, all in Cedarville. Registration is $5, and must be completed before an angler starts fishing in the contest. First through third place awards will be given to anglers who catch the longest yellow perch or pike in either the adult or youth divisions. The boundaries of the contest are Prentiss Bay in the east and St. Martins Bay to the west of the island chain.

Another new event is a shanty decorating contest, and anyone who wants their shanty judged must register at the Islander Bar in Hessel.

Snowbuddies are now available to anyone who wants to decorate and enter one in the Snowsfest community art project. Snowbuddies are wooden snowmen that can be painted or decorated and placed like a sign at homes and businesses. The forms are $10 each, and all proceeds help support Snowsfest and other events sponsored by the Les Cheneaux Chamber of Commerce. Snowbuddies can be purchased and registered at the Les Cheneaux Welcome Center.

The Snowsfest Committee started offering Snowbuddies last winter as an alternative to traditional snow sculptures and window decorating contests. Residents and business owners can still build snow sculptures and decorate windows. People, businesses, or organizations who build a statue at Hessel Marina will be eligible to win a $100 first place prize. Statues, window decorations, and Snowbuddies will be judged at 5 p.m. Friday, February 15.

Register statue and decoration entries to be considered by judges at the Welcome Center on M-134 in Cedarville, or by calling 484-3935.

Snowsfest entry buttons are also available now, bearing a design by Grace Dunn, a Les Cheneaux Elementary School student. Buttons are available at local businesses, and can be purchased for $4 each. The buttons help cover the cost of activities and prizes over the weekend.

Snowsfest schedules will soon be available at local businesses, and at the Welcome Center. More than 25 activities are planned for the weekend, including the new Friday night Snowsfest Pub Shuffle. Participants can visit four local taverns, Bumpas and Cattails in Cedarville, and the Islander and Runway in Hessel, to vote for their favorite Caribbean-themed drinks, servers, and decorations.

The first Ice Hole Two-Person Golf Scramble on Hessel Bay will be Sunday, February 17. Participants can register between noon and 12:30 p.m. at the Islander, and the scramble will be played on the ice starting at 1 p.m.

Other new activities include a Snowsfest Kick-Off Breakfast at Saturday, February 16, at the Islander, and a Saturday morning snowman burning, followed by children's pirate games, and more youth events afterward. Adults can will find entertainment in the clay pigeon shoot at the Les Cheneaux Sportsman's Club, the popular poker run, a cross country ski tour, and the Third Annual Snowshoe Hare Race. Early registration is recommended for the snowshoe race and can be done by calling 484- 4157, or by visiting www.woodswaterecotours. com.

This year's craft show has been moved to Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Hessel Saturday, February 16. More than 20 craft makers and artisans are already registered. The craft show will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and exhibitors will set up their tables that morning.

Registration for other events can be accomplished at the sites mentioned, the Welcome Center, or prior to the events. The St. Ignace News will run a complete schedule of events the week before Snowsfest.

Volunteers are needed, especially Friday, February 15. People can find out where they can help by calling the Welcome Center.

The next Snowsfest Committee planning meeting will be Thursday, February 7, at 7 p.m. at Bumpa's in Cedarville.