NAIFC

By Kevin Boneske
RHINELANDER DAILY NEWS STAFF

Ice anglers from New England to the Dakotas are expected to be in Rhinelander next week when the North American Ice Fishing Circuit (NAIFC) National Ice Fishing Championship takes place on Boom Lake.

Brian Gaber, a local coordinator for the event, said the invited teams eligible for the championship have been competing in a series of qualifying tournaments.

He also noted 90 two-person teams are expected to participate when the competition takes place the weekend of Dec. 19-20, with each team able to weigh in up to eight bluegills and eight crappies on each day of the tournament.

While Boom Lake already had “four solid inches” of ice before several inches of snow fell this week, Gaber said the ice thickness will be checked again in the days leading up to the championship to determine whether the competitors will be allowed to go on the ice from Hodag Park with all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles, or only be able to access Boom Lake on foot.

He said fishing on the lake will take place each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the weigh-in starting at 3 p.m. on those days at the Northwoods Banquet Center (Taj Mahal).

Gaber said the public is invited to watch the fishing take place and also be on hand for the weigh-ins, with the team having the most total weight of fish for the two days ending up the winner.

He noted the competitors are allowed to catch up to the daily bag limit of fish, but may only weigh in eight crappies and eight bluegills per team, per day.

During the competition, he said the two members on each team won’t be allowed to fish more than 30 paces away from each other, and can’t fish within 10 paces of another team.

Gaber said the competitors will be able to “pre-fish” anywhere on Boom Lake the day of Dec. 18, when a rules meeting for the ice anglers will take place that evening before the competition begins.

To lead up to the NAIFC National Ice Fishing Championship, a free ice fishing seminar for adults and children is planned for Dec. 17 from 6 to7 p.m. at Shoeder’s RV and Marine.

Gaber said a seminar sponsored by Shoeder’s RV and Marine and Walmart will feature the “Godfather of Ice Fishing,” Dave Genz, to present techniques and systems he’s developed through decades of experience, along with a demonstration for kids and free items for youngsters.

With the competitors staying at lodging facilities in the area, the Rhinelander Room Tax Committee has committed $15,000 this year to sponsor the championship, said Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kim Swisher.

She said the Rhinelander area has several lakes that are well-suited for ice fishing, while Hodag Park is a great place to host next week’s championship.

With this being the second consecutive year Rhinelander has hosted the event, she said an indoor weigh-in is taking place this year, so the attending members of the public, who will be eligible to receive fish not kept by the competitors, won’t have to be outside in the cold weather watching the fish weighed.