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T he weather is too cold for Hank Neddo to hold his annual ice-fishing tournament.
The Southbay Great Northern fishing contest, known as “Race For The Gold,” has been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, after heavy snowfall resulted in more than a foot of slush on the ice on South Bay, making it almost impossible for fishermen to get from the fishing areas to the weigh station.
“What we need is a few warm days to solve this,” Neddo said Tuesday. “What happens when you get so much snow is that you wind up with a bend in the ice, and all this slush develops. We’ve got 20 inches of ice. That’s not a problem. But you’ve got 17 inches of slush on top of that, and you just can’t get around on the ice.
“If we get a couple of warmer days, the ice will pop right up, and if she pops, the water will run right off.”
Neddo said there is usually an ice road that allows fishermen to move their catch easily, but with the current conditions, that’s not the case.”
In addition, Neddo said he had talked to a number of other fish and tackle shop owners and understood that the Benson Fishing Derby in Vermont had a number of issues with the slushy ice, and there was a similar issue in a tournament in the Adirondacks.
The bay was extremely slushy Monday, and some fishermen were moving from their usual spots, because of the extremely sloppy conditions that existed in many places.
The rescheduled tournament will be held from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will focus on northern pike.
The entry fee is $25, and awards will be given at 4 p.m.
Neddo said he returns all the entry fees as prizes and also has received donated prizes for those who don’t have any luck.
“Even if you don’t catch any fish, you’ll get a prize,” he said.
For further information, contact South Bay Bait & Tackle at 499-0846.
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