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recreation

Ice fishers take advantage of frozen Rudd Pond

Ice fishers take advantage of frozen Rudd Pond

John Dennis, of Millerton, presents a bluegill he caught in Rudd Pond on Friday morning, Feb. 6. Dennis said he catches enough fish for a meal — usually about a dozen fish — before packing up and shuffling off the ice.

Photo by Nathan Miller

MILLERTON — Rudd Pond is open for ice fishing as of Thursday, Feb. 5.

Taconic State Park rangers announced the ice was safe for fishing in a Facebook post Thursday morning. Ice on the pond must average at least 6 inches thick across the entire surface before it is opened to recreation, according to park staff.

On Friday, Feb. 6, Brian Booth of Millbrook and John Dennis of Millerton were out on the ice catching crappie and bluegill at 10 a.m.

"I've been fishing here since I was a kid," Dennis said. He was jigging, which is a fishing technique where a baited hook is dropped through a hole in the ice and "jigged" to simulate natural movement.

Booth was fishing through a combination of jigging and devices called "flip-ups," which have a line connected to a spring-loaded flag that flips up when a fish grabs the hook.

Brian Booth, of Millbrook, demonstrates a "flip-up," on Friday, Feb. 6, at Rudd Pond. A flip-up is an ice fishing device that suspends a baited hook connected to a spring-loaded flag that flips up when a fish takes the bait.Photo by Nathan Miller

Temperatures are predicted to stay well below freezing for the next week. An extreme cold weather warning was in effect for the region all weekend and stretched into Monday morning on Feb. 9.

Forecasts predict heavy winds and blustery conditions to continue this week, with a chance for temperatures to increase leading into this weekend. Booth and Dennis each said that wind is a major contributor to uncomfortable conditions on the ice, where natural wind breaks are nonexistent.

Dennis uses a sled with a collapsible shelter to haul his ice fishing equipment onto the pond. He said that the tent can be a great boon, especially when combined with a small space heater.

"I could fish in my t-shirt," Dennis said.

But wind has caused problems when Dennis’s sled wasn’t anchored properly. He said he was dragged across the ice by strong gusts during a recent trip to a frozen lake in Connecticut.

Rudd Pond is open from sunrise to sunset year-round. Taconic State Park employees said they will continue to monitor the ice and provide updates on its status.

Nathan Miller
recreation

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