Heated Docks Allow Anglers to Fish Through the Freeze
OutdoorHub Reporters 01.07.14
Even as record-low temperatures descend on much of the United States, some anglers are still enjoying dock-side fishing this month. Most heated docks only charge a few dollars for a day’s worth of fishing, and many anglers find this pittance a good exchange for being warm during an especially cold January.
The docks themselves were born of a simple idea: give anglers an enclosed and heated space with a fishing hole in the middle. Heated docks can be found commonly across the country, but are especially popular in Oklahoma.
“You know those coffee shops where everybody sits around every morning and solves the world’s problems? It’s like that —only without the coffee,” angler John Yocam told Tulsa World.
Many of these docks are not the most comfortable of locales, containing only a few heaters to keep the air above freezing, and a few benches. Still, many anglers say they prefer these fishing holes as a place to hook a crappie or two, and to converse with friends. Those who find ice fishing too cold for their liking also count themselves among this diverse group, and heated docks can be often found holding family fishing trips.
Heated docks do have drawbacks, and perhaps the most noticeable is a lack of space. Depending on the size of the structure, heated docks can only support a few dozen anglers, who inevitably crowd around the large fishing hole in the center. Their supporters, however, would have it no other way.
