The first Ice Fisheree persevered over cold weather
A vintage ad from the Jan. 25 Courier for the first Ice Fisheree, sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. (Courier Press)
A front-page headline from the Jan. 25, 1951, edition of the Courier highlighting the inaugural Ice Fisheree, which took place on January 28. Articles appeared in the Jan. 11, 25 and February 4 editions of the Courier that year. (Courier Press)
By Steve Van Kooten
Prairie du Chien Ice Fisheree will celebrate 75 years in 2025, but the event began under tumultuous circumstances, according to the Courier.
The Fisheree is one of the area’s longest-running events, starting on Sunday, Jan. 28, 1951. The entry fee for contestants was $1.
In the Jan. 11, 1951, edition of the Courier, VFW Post Commander Lloyd Caya announced the contest, saying, “We hope to make it an outstanding event… We will have hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise prizes and we are planning a day of fish, fun and entertainment for everybody.”
The committee in charge of the event included Caya, Niles Day, Cy Valley, Larry Kozelka, Barney Key, Marty Kozelka, Dave Gentes, Charles Lechnir, Elmer Queram and Clem Kozelka.
From its first mention in the Courier, the event was expected to become an annual contest.
The initial fisheree was only supposed to last from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Sunday; however, frigid temperatures and harsh wind put a tangle in the fishermen's lines.
In the Feb. 1, 1951, edition of the Courier, the paper referenced blistering cold temperatures in the area over the weekend, particularly on Jan. 29. In an article called “Truth Froze to Death,” The Courier facetiously remarked, “The mercury went down so fast that most of the cheap thermometers that only have room for 30 or 40 below zero were torn right down off the wall.”
Despite the harsh weather, the event went on.
“When the cold wave hit, the VFW considered calling off the fisheree — but by 10 a.m., when the contest was to have started, fishermen were on hand from Reedsburg, Cobb, Dodgeville, Monroe, Darlington, Elkader and many points in between,” the Courier said.
The fishermen did not have much luck on the ice that day either; The Courier noted that the only fish caught were one 14-inch black bass and “three small bluegills.” The report called the fishing “terrible” and said the advent of wind and snow in the afternoon “discouraged all but the hardiest.”
In the same edition, the Courier noted that the sub-zero temperatures caused the Ice Fisheree to become a two-weekend event. Fishermen were allowed to submit catches made between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4, for judging due to the poor fishing.
The VFW also invited Tait Cummins, a sportscaster with WMT, as an honored guest.
Along with the articles, an ad from Stark’s Sport Shop offered the event’s winner a fishing pole as a prize, provided they used Stark’s bait for the contest.
This year, the event will start on Thursday, Jan. 28, the same day as the very first Fisheree. Instead of one day, the event is expected to last through Sunday, Feb. 2, with live music, door prizes, auctions, food and drinks.
The event schedule can be found at icefisheree.com.
