World Ice Fishing Championship

By Stephen Maturen

Posted on Mar 17, 2010

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Members of Team USA cheer as it becomes apparent that they have sealed their first World Fishing Championship.

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Members of Team Sweden gather before the horn.
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Members of Team Poland gather before the horn.
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Team Kazakhstan.
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USA Team Captain Mike Mcnett ties good luck red white and blue wristbands on a team member.
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Although the ice on Boom Lake was sparse by the edge fishers had to drill through 24 inches in the competition zone.
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A member of Team USA carries his bucket decked out with poles and tackle.
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A member of Team Russia snags a good luck kiss before the horn.
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Anglers are limited to live bait small rods and hand-powered augers.
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The 11 teams from around the globe head out on the ice.
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Officials check each anglers tackle setup to make sure everything in their bag is up to regulation.
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Peteris Lideris of Latvia stretches out before the competition begins.
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A member of Team Finland drills his first hole. Anglers drill as many as 50 holes in the 3 hours on the ice.
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A member of Team Russia clears his hole.
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A member of Team Kazahkstan flushes his hole.
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Spectators from around Rhinelander line up around the edge of the neutral zone to watch Team USA compete on home ice for the first time in the World Ice Fishing Championships.
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A member of Team Finland gets advice from a coach standing at the edge of the neutral zone.
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Gennedy Serov of Team Russia tends to his line.
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Competitors hunch over their holes hoping to land as many fish as they can during the 3 hour time limit.
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Spectators watch from their ATV.
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A member of Team Poland straddles the boundary line of the neutral zone.
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Olexie Zayko of Team Ukraine pulls out a bluegill.
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Olexie Zayko of Team Ukraine stashes his catch quickly in a side satchel. Competitors try to stay inconspicuous after landing a fish as to not draw attention to their area.
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An official measures the distance between holes. Competitors must drill holes at least 5 meters from other holes.
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An expansive view of Boom Lake on the final day of competition.
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Doug Bussian of Team USA pulls out a bluegill. Bussian led Team USA with a second day total of 1.385 kg.
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Thomas Axelsson of Team Sweden takes a break to relieve himself outside the competition area. Axelsson had a hard second day, without landing a single fish.
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11 buckets, one for each country, are placed at each of the 5 competition zones.
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Gennedy Serov of Team Russia stores his extra poles in his headband.
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Members of Team USA discuss the day after the horn to end the competition is sounded.
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An official readies the buckets of fish for the final weigh in.
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Mark Keane, a volunteer from Bensonville, IL, sports a haircut with the logo of Team USA.
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Members of Team USA celebrate their first place finish in the World Ice Fishing Championship.
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Members of Team USA, left, embrace members of second place Team Poland.
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The board showing Team USA on the top of the list.
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Members of Team USA celebrate their first place finish in the World Ice Fishing Championship.
 
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