New England Ice Fishing Academy Enrolling New Students

Last year was the first season of the New England Ice Fishing Academy (NEIFA). The sole purpose of the school was to offer expert ice fishing instruction to ice anglers of all skill levels. NEIFA is the only outdoor school in New England whose only purpose is ice fishing education. The instructors (Tim Moore and Chuck Fritz) are seasoned ice anglers who fish professionally during the winter. Tim is an Ice Team pro and Chuck is a Let's Go Fishing instructor for the NH Fish and Game Department. The first season was a trial run to see what the response would be to such a thing in New England and the response was excellent.

Instructors Tim Moore (left) and Chuck Fritz (right)
collectively spend thousands of hours on the ice each winter.

Finalizing all of the details of the 2015 courses took longer than expected, so the original course schedule was shortened to only one class, but that class was well attended. After an in-depth classroom section learning about white perch the students joined us on Lake Winnipesaukee to practice what they learned.

NEIFA offers species-specific classes for a variety of species commonly found throughout New England including black crappie, lake trout, and white perch. Classes cost $150 per student or all three for only $400. Each class is broken down into two parts, an in-class section and an on-ice section. During each class students will be provided with everything they need to complete each section.

The in-class portion of each course is two hours long. Classes are held on a Friday evening at Bass Pro Shops in Hooksett, NH. Material covered includes information about the species, how and where to find them through the ice, the gear used, proper fish handling, and ice safety. There is a heavy focus on conservation and selective harvest.

The on-ice section of each class takes place the day after (Saturday) the in-class section. Students will be given directions to the fishing location during class. Once everyone has arrived that day the instructors will begin with a safety briefing before shuttling everyone out onto the ice via snowmobiles. Once the students are at the fishing area the instructors will begin walking them through all of the tactics discussed in class the day before.

All students of the 2016 course season will also receive an invitation to the year-end student appreciation cookout on Lake Winnipesaukee. NEIFA will provide burgers and dogs, and students can bring their own gear to do some fishing, or just socialize and eat.

Students of the 2015 White Perch class