Reeling in the big one, Air Force-style

  • Published
  • By Catherine Cornett
  • Hilltop Times correspondent
When the weather outside is frightful, what better thing to do than pack up your rod and tackle and head out to the lake -- which, mind you, is frozen over -- for some ice fishing.
It may sound like a crazy idea, but members of the 575th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron have been doing just that for three years now. They've even turned it into a competition, and this year's third annual Ice Fishing Derby took place on Feb. 20. 

About fifty competitors, all members of the 575th AMXS, plus family and friends, headed out to the East Canyon Reservoir at 7 a.m. for some early morning fishing. Their goal was to catch the longest fish of the day, while managing to keep themselves warm on the lake. 

Brett Murdock, a member of the 575th AMXS, said that the derby was a great morale booster and a nice chance for members of the squadron and their family and friends to get together. By get together, he didn't mean huddle up for warmth, either. 

Murdock described ice fishing as a "whole different world." Instead of drifting lazily in a boat on the lake, cold drinks in hand with a warm summer sun overhead, ice fishing requires a different kind of approach and a different set of tools and tackle. Not to mention that it's about ten degrees Fahrenheit outside. 

Since the lake was frozen, competitors had to cut through the ice in order to get to the fish. For those out on the lake on Feb. 20, that meant cutting their way through 12 to 13 inches of ice, said Murdock. 

Once the holes were cut and the fish could be caught, some competitors also chose to set up small huts next to their fishing holes to help keep warm. Others, like Murdock and his group, braved the chill and went straight for the fish. 

Throughout the day, Murdock caught about fifteen to twenty rainbow trout, but it was his ten-year-old son, Cooper Murdock, who reeled in the big fish. 

When he managed to bag the winning fish, Cooper was "on top of the world," said his father. Cooper's rainbow trout measured 16 5/8 inches, almost a full inch longer than the fish that took second place. 

Though the derby was only his second time ice fishing, Cooper seems to be a natural. That might stem from the fact that he's already an avid sportsman -- along with fishing, he and his father go hunting for deer, ducks, pheasant and geese every year. 

As for his first place prize, $250, Cooper plans to spend it on a new .22-caliber rifle to use when he goes hunting with his father again in the fall and winter. 

Next year, Brett and Cooper Murdock both plan to venture out onto the lake again for more ice fishing and fun. Members of the 575th AMXS better be careful, because this father-and-son team isn't playing around when it comes to catching the big one.