World Ice Fishing Championships is the fourth article in a four-part series written by the MI Ice Guys. MI Ice Guys will follow Chad Shaub as he prepares to compete in the 2014 World Ice Fishing Championships in Belarus. WIFC IX will be held on the Вяслярны канал in Zaslawye Belarus also known as the Brest Rowing Channel.
A rectangular manmade lake constructed in 2009 as a training camp for Belarusian Olympic Rowers. Over a kilometer long and 100 meters wide, it was designed to be 12.5 meters deep uniformly. Flooded from the reservoir and the Dnieper River that runs parallel, the USA Ice Team will be looking for the very subtle structures and changes in depth to give them that tiny edge over the other countries. Fishing a body of water nothing like last year in Wisconsin, the Europeans might just have the edge.
USA Ice Team Captain Mike McNett and our own Chad Schaub hope to utilize what they can learn during practice. The five zones that will be marked off for competition are off limits for the practice days, they need to learn the intricacies of the area by fishing around and near the zones. Data that the team gathers during the practice days will be emailed back to team coach, Brian Gaber in Rhinelander, WI, USA. Gaber will compile the data and email back maps that the team will use to create strategy in planning for the competition rounds.
The most plentiful fish is the European Roach (Rutilus rutilus) which are typically about two or three inches long, big ones are five inches. If Chad and his teammates are able to draw in some big perch, three to six inches, and hold them they will crowd out the smaller roach and boost the weight for the round. There are pike and zander (similar to walleye) in the area. If you can get one of them on the ice, the gold may be in reach. Chad was able to pull ahead last year with a great day two to take an individual bronze medal. This year in Belarus on the palm rods, the guys use a line only 0.08 mm in diameter; the Russians have been known to use a 0.052 mm line when targeting bleak. Bleak (Alburnus alburnus) are the last hope, typically about an inch long, but when you can’t get anything else . . .
Chad, Myron, and Mike B. are from Michigan, other team members come from Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and North Dakota. We wish all our guys the best of luck and safe travels as they represent the long tradition of ice fisherman all over the Midwest who take to the ice all winter to partake in the historic and exciting tradition of ice fishing. If you think you have what it takes to compete on the world stage, the team holds open tryouts in Rhinelander, WI on March 14-16, 2014.
Check to see who won gold! USAIceTeam.com or at the official website www.ifwc.by.
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