This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale caught up with 2 members of the USA Ice Fishing Team just before they left for Piteå Sweden For the World Ice Fishing Championship. Rigger had a fascinating talk with Thane Melton from Big Fork, MT who is the Vice President of the team and Joe Martinez from Utah who is the President of the team. The World Ice Fishing Tournament will take place on March 28th and 29th in Piteå, Sweden. The town of Piteå, Sweden is about the size of Kalispell Montana and is less than 100 miles from the Arctic Circle, so yes they still have ice. About 40 inches of it. You think that is wild just wait until you watch or listen to this podcast and hear the rules for this tournament. Let’s put it this way, they run their tournaments quite a bit different than we do! Oh, by the way, part of those rules include that you can not use any powered augers! Yup all holes in the ice must be drilled with a hand operated auger. That 40 inches of ice does not sound so good now does it? Do not miss this podcast. You are going to be amazed by pretty much everything that Thane and Joe tell you including the fact that Team USA will be competing against 10 other countries! Don’t miss this Podcast Gang!
Links:
Click below to learn about the USA Ice Fishing Team.
https://usangling.org/ice-fishing/
Click here to see some great pictures and get updates from Team USA in Sweden on their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/USAIceFishingTeam
You can also follow what Joe is doing in Sweden here on his Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/joe.martinez.167189
Or follow Thane here on his Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/thane.melton
Check out Team USA’s sponsors:
Clam Outdoors
https://clamoutdoors.com/?srsltid=AfmBOornZz6osxQ-e-eHe195A_gjYZ2v3CbjTjAjncmyCPXRgfWf-F1O
And Fish Pro.
https://fishprocam.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopRYNX1RDE-geftzepmq9bmygjpK8_15k09zJ7RaqhLmg5VcqGQ
Click below to learn about the fish in Sweden!
https://www.ifiske.se/index.php/en/information-english/fish-species
Use the email addresses below to send:
An email to Joe:
icefishutah@gmail.com
Or this email to reach Thane:
thane_melton@hotmail.com
Make sure to tell Rigger what part of Montana you want to explore next here on the Montana Outdoor Podcast. Email Rigger here:
Downrigger@MontanaOutdoor.com