Walking On Water

I spent Saturday morning walking the waters of Irondequoit Bay (which flows into Lake Ontario, not far from my house) and Conesus Lake, one of the Finger Lakes south of Rochester. In the winter, these waters freeze to depths of as much as a foot, making them a favorite spot for ice fishing.

Frozen Conesus Lake, New York

Fisherman drilling a hole through the ice.

The lake was dotted with dozens of fishermen patiently waiting for their catch

 
Some fishermen automate the process, drilling multiple holes and attaching bait to a little wooden contraption (above), which trips a flag when a fish bites.

I'm glad I didn't hear about this until after I got home:

1 Dead, 134 Rescued From Lake Erie More than 130 fishermen were rescued after a massive slab of ice broke free from the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie on Saturday, authorities said. One person died after falling into the water while searching for a path to the shore.

Comments

[Sharon from CT]

I was thinking the same thing as I saw your posting. The sheriff was furious I heard because supposedly the fisherman knew the ice had cracked before they just continued on. The person who fell into the water had a heart attack I think. Amazing; between the plane in the Hudson & these guys, gives you a whole new respect for rescuers!! And luck.