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Maine fishermen finally getting some ice time

The Somerset SnowFest's Ice Fishing Derby brought avid ice fishermen back to their shacks Sunday.

SKOWHEGAN, Maine — This winter's warm temperatures put activities like ice fishing on hold, but now many Mainers are finally able to safely enjoy their time on the ice.

The Somerset SnowFest held its ice fishing derby Sunday at Lake George Regional Park in Skowhegan.

Mark Bilodeau has been ice fishing for 35 years, but he said this year hasn't been like many of the others due to the recent warm temperatures.

"This year [we] lost two months [of ice fishing] easy," Bilodeau said. "Hey, you can't catch them from the couch."

But things are looking up for Maine's avid outdoorsmen since the state began experiencing a February cold snap. 

"I was the only one fishing here for three weeks, nobody's out here. But all the sudden they're here now today," Bilodeau said.

After waiting for the cold winter conditions, families and friends gathered looking for a long-awaited catch.

10-year-old Landon Thompson had some luck catching two fish, but he said he didn't think the fish stood a chance in the derby.

"They were pretty small," Thompson said.

Even if your catch isn't big or if you come up empty-handed, most fishermen come out for the same reasons.

"The hope of the catch is awesome," Bobby Blake, an ice fisherman, said. "Nine times out of ten I don't, but, you know, it's just fun."

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