Recycled Fish “On Ice” Celebrates 5 Years
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. – As it has for thousands of years, a sturdy crust of ice will soon form across the waters of the top half of North America. As they have for thousands of years, people will cut holes in that ice in pursuit of quarry beneath. And for the fifth year in a row, Recycled Fish will traverse these frozen waters, inspiring anglers to be stewards of our waters through the Recycled Fish “On Ice” Tour.
In the last four years, the Recycled Fish “On Ice” Tour has had 180 live event days. An estimated 20,000 gallons of trash have been packed off the ice by anglers as a result. Roughly 10,000 catchable-size fish have been returned – alive and swimming – back under the ice, that otherwise would not have been. The tour is educating, encouraging and equipping anglers to steward their waters well.Recycled Fish “On Ice” Tour Five will kick off this year at a new tour stop – The Dakota Angler Ice Institute in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Nov. 18-19. Recycled Fish is also proud to serve as the non-profit conservation cause for the St. Paul Ice Fishing & Winter Sports Expo the weekend of Dec. 2-4.
“Through partners in the ice fishing industry who are truly committed to stewardship of our waters, the Recycled Fish ‘On Ice’ Tour has grown to be the biggest single tour in ice fishing,” said Ben Leal, Program Director. “It takes industry partners, event partners, and a team of hard working volunteers to pull this off.”
The Recycled Fish “On Ice” Tour brings the Stewardship Ethic to ice fishing in several ways.
- Through distribution of heavy-duty plastic bags which are used for fish transportation and trash cleanup.
- Managing or supporting catch and release operations at tournaments and derbies.
- “Stewardship On Ice” is a 16-page full color booklet available at “On Ice” Tour stops and through the Recycled Fish Online Store. It provides everyday ways anglers can be protectors of their waters.
- Grabber hand warmers are distributed at the events, and they have “Stewardship Tip” cards attached to encourage Stewardship Ethics.
- Live seminars, hosted by local and regional ice fishing professionals at “Ice Bash” parties the night before ice fishing tournaments and derbies, as well as at other events.
- Online education through the Recycled Fish website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
New for the fifth year of the Recycled Fish “On Ice” Tour, Recycled Fish is serving as the non-profit conservation cause of the Vermont Sportsman ice fishing tournament series, and adding those events to the tour schedule. They’re joined by existing event partners like the North American Ice Fishing Circuit, Northeast Ice Tour, Ice Roads, True Ice Series, and in partnership with organizations like Iceaholics Anonymous and Nathan Krusko’s Northeast Ice Fisherman.
The Recycled Fish “On Ice” tour is made possible with the support of Clam Outdoors, Ice Team, Grabber Warmers, Strikemaster and Scheels. Additional support for the Recycled Fish “Hardwater Open” tournaments comes from Berkley, Fenwick and the contributions of other key partners, members and concerned anglers.
For more information and a full schedule of Recycled Fish “On Ice” events, visit www.RecycledFish.org/OnIce.
Recycled Fish is the 501c3 non-profit organization of anglers living a lifestyle of stewardship both on and off the water, because our lifestyle runs downstream. We Are Stewards.
