TRINITY'S 3rd annual 2012/2013 icing challenge

[DetectorGuy]

On Friday I was searching online for some intel on possible dive locations in Mille Lacs for all of us to hit on the 23rd, and I ran into an article about a reality TV show about ice fishing getting filmed about 6 miles North of Isle at Fishermen's Warf. There were several news articles about it, so I mentioned it to Nate. Nate said that I should shoot them an e-mail and see if they want any underwater footage. Long story short... I spent a bit of time on the phone with the producer of the show Friday night & we met him at Fishermen's Warf Saturday morning. We suggested that the bottom structure would be better around Isle, but they had been filming and interviewing folks around Fishermen's Warf, and so much of the show is going to be in that area. They told us that there is a large crack in the ice that has a bridge over it, and that this bridge needs constant movement and maintenence. They asked us if we would get some underwater video of the ice crack to be used in their reality show. We were all set up with a shelter and everything we typically use for an ice dive, but the producer lined up a big heated ice house to be brought over to the dive area for us to change in and warm up in. I won the coin toss and got to dive first. I video'd the bottom of the crack, and it was really cool to see the ice jambed up like that. The ice was pancaked up about 8' thick in spots on the sides of the crack and re-froze in all sorts of shapes. There were narrow swim throughs and it was really something to see. I have only seen frazzle ice from below one other time, and that was no where near this gnarly to look at. After the first couple dives they brought us hot turkey sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy for lunch. Then they wanted us to video (from below) an ice auger coming through the ice. We set up the protocol where I would be below and where the hole would be cut. When the auger started up I couldn't help but wonder if it was going to be drilled in front of me or through me. We got the shot for them and then took several takes of minnows being jigged from below. I went back and took some more video of the ice crack and we packed up just before dark. We met the producer at the production managers makeshift office to review the footage we took, signed a couple waivers each and got a copy of the video we took. After that the producer treated Nate and I to a big prime rib dinner.

Here is a link to the Fishermen's Warf press release page that has links to several articles about the reality show: