Outdoors: Cold weather events will get you out of the house
Editor's Note: Due to weather conditions, the Ambridge District Sportsmen's Association has canceled its ice fishing derby.
I hope this cold weather isn’t keeping you in the house. There is plenty to do outside and it will be spring before you know it.
This weather has made for some excellent ice fishing. Anglers are on the ice from Raccoon Creek Lake and northward to Presque Isle Bay. Reports are the fishing has been great.
For the first time in eight years, the Ambridge District Sportsmen’s Association will be holding its Ice Fishing Derby on Feb. 5. Warm temperatures and poor ice conditions have canceled the event in the past. David Nipp, Lake Committee Chairman for the club, said the fishing has been fantastic on the lake.
“We have some nice, big, fat trout in the lake. There are some beautiful colors on these fish,” he said. “We anticipate having a great event this year though we will be keeping our eye on the forecasted warm weather next week. It will be a 'game-time decision' if we have to cancel.”
Currently, the lake has between 5 and 6 inches of ice.
The derby will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and there is a $30 entrance fee per angler. Prize money will be split 70-30 between the 1st and 2nd longest trout caught.
There is a limit of two fishing devices per person with a creel limit of three trout. Food and drink will be available; bait will not.
The following day, Sunday, Feb. 6, the club will host a turkey shoot with registration starting at noon. The cost is $5 per round with six rounds. The kitchen will be open with a full menu available.
If ice fishing isn’t your style, head up to Moraine State Park for Winterfest, the annual winter celebration held at the McDaniel’s Launch on the North Shore. This free family event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features activities one can do in the snowy and cold months of the year. There are demonstrations, entertainment and vendors. For more information contact the park or the Moraine Preservation Fund at owlet@morainepreservationfund.org.
Here’s an opportunity at Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock for adults who want to get started making their own maple syrup. From choosing the appropriate trees, to tapping, collecting and evaporating maple sap, participants will learn, observe and practice the steps in the sugaring process and discover how it can be done on a backyard scale. This program will take place outdoors, with indoor restrooms available.
This free program will be held on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Some equipment will be available to purchase at the Jennings Nature Shop. This program is designed for participants 16 and older and registration is required by Feb. 7. Register online or by calling 724-794-6011.
The Allegheny Outdoor, Sport & Travel Show will be held from Feb. 18 to 22 at the Monroeville Convention Center. The show features fishing and hunting seminars, wild game chefs and a cooking stage and outfitters and travel destinations from around the country and Canada.
And an in-person Hunter Trapper Education Course will be held at the Rochester Sportsman’s Club on Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is online only through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s website. Contact Mike Zon at 724-683-5880 for more information.
Mike Barcaskey can be reached at mikebarcaskey@outlook.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Outdoors: Cold weather events will get you out of the house
