Northern Exposure

A sunny day and lots of ice on the Trout Pond at Fort Peck. It was perfect weather Saturday for the 16th annual Ice Fishing Derby. The pond was teeming with happy dogs, playful kids and little encampments established around holes in the ice.

Folks used plastic sleds to haul the necessities and the comforts out on the ice: buckets of minnows, rods and tipups, coolers, chairs and, of course, beverages. One party group had a high-top table and chrome bar stools, supplied by a (half) sponsor, Nemont Beverages. Jenny Robley and Holly Kittleson watched while Sam Lawson fished and Rod Fargo supervised.

At another hole, several grown men were teaching Jaxson Kemp the ropes. Jaxson is almost 2. Nearby, Cody Tribby jiggled the minnow in his hole. He said he had caught two perch and his partner had caught two, but the Glasgow High School student was happy to talk just as much about summer rodeoing as fishing.

The Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture sold 210 pre-drilled ice holes to 80 contestants, who came from Glasgow, Jordan, Poplar, Wolf Point, Nashua and Fort Peck. An estimated 75 more people came to observe the tournament and enjoy one of Chef Mike and Barron’s famous brats and onions.

Forty-four fish were actually weighed, however many more were caught. A total of over $6,000 in cash, prizes and raffles were awarded to the participants.

The first-place winners of $2,000 were Rick Tihista of Nashua and his daughter, Stone. She hooked the 5.48-pound northern pike and he helped pull it out of the hole. Stone said their friend Jim Strodtbeck will pickle it. Strodtbeck’s method is to cube the fish and soak it in a salt-vinegar brine. Then he rinses the fish, packs it in jars, pours pickling spice liquid over the fish and seals the jars.

Rick Tihista also picked up eighth place with a .26-pound perch worth $50 to him.

In between first and eighth were two more northerns and a mess of perch. A team of women from Glasgow took fourth and sixth place.

2nd - $1,250 Ray and Rod Glasoe of Nashua, 2.04-pound northern

3rd - $750 Gerry Brabeck of Fort Peck, 1.82-pound northern

4th - $500 Miranda Palm and Marci Kittleson of Glasgow, .37-pound perch

5th - $250 Bob and Alan Harrington of Glasgow, .36-pound perch

6th - $150 Miranda Palm and Marci Kittleson of Glasgow, .32-pound perch

7th - $100 Doug Marottek of Poplar, .28-pound perch

The 50/50 was won by Wayne Jones of Wolf Point for $582. The cash and prizes were awarded at the Park Grove Bar and Café after the final horn sounded at 3 p.m.