First Ice Anxiety Disorder (FIAD)

What is First Ice Anxiety Disorder (FIAD)?

The smell of gasoline permeates the air as I run the lawnmower out of its lifeblood. My hips hinge down to pour fresh gas into the snowblower and start it to be sure it is ready to eat snow. Neighbors are winterizing their boats for their long rest until the following spring. 

It’s that time of the year again.  

Winter is close. You feel the cold air invading your clothing, which means river backwaters and small lakes will form ice soon. For some reason, we are drawn to walking on these thin sheets of ice in pursuit of fish that weren’t even a thought a month ago.  What charms us to walk with puckered cheeks on ice-covered waters to catch panfish that were just as easy to access in open waters?  

I don’t know.  I really don’t know.  The inner desire is deep and unexplainable. Perhaps this obsession may be a psychiatric disorder. If it is, do you have it? 

Have you been watching the extended weather forecasts, trying to predict ice formation in your favorite spot?  Do you drive around with a spud bar in the backseat of your vehicle, stopping at every iced-over shoreline just to check the ice, knowing damn well it’s not thick enough?  

Have you found yourself walking through wooded terrain, looking for a thick glaze?  Are you on Google Earth strategically choosing areas that may freeze first?  Do you slip into social media posts from Canada where they are already ice fishing and feel envy?  (I do.)

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, you may have First Ice Anxiety Disorder ! (You are not alone.) 

I love being the first to drill holes in a thin ice sheet. It’s not for the fish which will eventually make their way up through the hole. It is for the adventure and strategy of every ice fishing outing and being immersed in nature. It’s the cat-and-mouse game we play. They chase our baits as we watch their every move on our electronics and attempt to convince them to bite.  

FIAD is not a disorder.  It’s therapy!  Ice fishing is a privilege, and the rewards are real. We’re out in nature, getting fresh air and walking off those extra pounds we gain over the holidays.

If you are not intimate with the struggle of FIAD, this is your warning. The challenge of the pursuit is infectious. If you are already grappling with FIAD, you are not alone. I think it is important for us all to stick together and maximize our success in easing First Ice Anxiety Disorder. 

In next month’s blog, I’ll write about ice fishing on the Upper Mississippi River and how I break down the labyrinth of backwater sloughs to find the highest potential ice fishing spots. 

Talk soon, Angler X

Stay warm on the ice with Piscifun ice suits and Use code: Anglerx15 to get 15% off!

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(*This website does not provide medical advice. The information contained in this post is for laughs. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition or treatment.)