NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — A frigid Friday on Batterson Park Pond in New Britain brought wind chills below zero, but the winter blast did raise spirits for some. The recent rush of cold weather has made this winter a winner for ice fishing.
“The opportunity to be outdoors on a cold winter day, it kind of reinvigorates you,” Mike Beauchene, the supervising fisheries biologist at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) said.
With an auger and fishing rig in hand, Beauchene, who has been at the DEEP for 26 years, was showing off the ice fishing tools of the trade on top of Batterson Park Pond, which as of January 21, has ice that is about seven or eight inches thick.
DEEP is also promoting the fact that they offer free ice fishing courses for those interested in safely venturing out on the ice.
“We’ve been teaching families and adults throughout Connecticut to learn to fish since 1986 and ice fishing during the winter is one of the classes that we do offer and they are going on now,” Beauchene said. “We do a Zoom then we do an in-person out on the ice class.”
Beauchene said four inches of ice is what DEEP deems safe to go out on. He also noted that, since the pandemic started in 2020, there has been a dramatic increase in people wanting fishing licenses. He sees the next few weeks as a prime opportunity for those looking to get out on the ice.
“There are tremendous fishing opportunities across the state – North, South, East, and West,” he said.
To learn more about the DEEP’s ice fishing classes click here.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.