Cold buns equal fun on the ice

In 1983, 5-year-old Jeff Parsons pulled a white bass out of the frigid winter waters of Pistakee Bay during the Chain O'Lakes Ice Fishing Derby and Winter Festival and went on to become a consistent winner in the annual contest. He was taught to fish and hunt by his grandfather, 83-year-old Bill Todavchick of Arkdale, Wis., who fished in the first derby, in 1959.

On Saturday and Sunday, Parsons will be joined by more than 1,000 fishing die-hards and their families for a sprawling fest of frost that has been huge draw since Parsons' grandpa augered a hole through the ice and into the same waters 51 years ago. Fishing is the great equalizer, and a 5-year-old is just as likely to land a winning fish and walk away with a $400 purse as a 50-year-old.

But the fun isn't just about the fishing.

"One of the biggest draws of our festival is the annual ice shanty contest," said Laura Golonka, president of the Northern Illinois Conservation Club, which sponsors the event. "Contestants will work all year to put these wild structures together. You'll see houses with satellite dishes, bunks, heaters, flowerpots, kitchens, you name it. One year a group of fishermen put together a compound and had a pig roast."

Although the Chain O'Lakes area has a reputation as the Key West of the Midwest, this festival's atmosphere is more like northern Wisconsin (including the Dells, of course), moved a bit south.

But if squatting on a box and staring down a hole through 8 inches of ice isn't your cup of tea, then grab a handful of singles, bundle up the kids and dive into the Winter Festival programming.

Beyond all the comfort food, there are old-fashioned family activities, including carnival games, an egg toss, adult tug o' war, raffle, an auction and a diversion so insidious it could only have been concocted by the likes of "Green Acres'" Mr. Haney: a treasure hunt for $50 in pennies dumped into a pile of hay.

The Chain O'Lakes is on the border of Lake and McHenry counties and includes 15 lakes and 45 miles of river covering 7,100 acres; the derby component of the festival lures people from Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. With more than $3,000 in cash and prizes presented to winners (hourly prizes for the biggest and smallest fish), the challenge to nab that elusive winning bass, muskie, walleye, crappie or catfish (among others) promises bragging rights for at least a year.

The original derby was organized by the Conservation Club as a way of raising money to restock the Chain O'Lakes after a fish kill in the late 1950s.

The organization was prescient in its embrace of green issues, acquiring 63 acres and providing scholarship money for high schoolers interested in studying forestry and ecology.

"The festival gives us an opportunity to expose many newcomers to the richness of outdoor life on the Chain," said Golonka.

For many of us, traversing an eerie frozen landscape punctuated with bizarre structures ringed by men in heavy suits may be as close as we'll ever get to walking on another world while munching on a chili dog.

atplay@tribune.com

Chain O'Lakes

Ice Fishing Derby and Winter Festival

When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Events take place near the Thirsty Turtle Beach Bar and Grill, 42273 N. Woodbine Ave., Antioch; 847-395-4704

More information: The Northern Illinois Conservation Club at 847-395-6422 or mynicc.org

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