Ice Holes

Ice fishing is an obsession for a tight-knit group of colorful fishermen, as they compete against Mother Nature, and each other, in hopes of catching the big one. The group arrives at Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H., for their first ice fishing derby of the season, the King of the Lake Derby. With $600 on the line for the biggest catches, it is a mad dash to claim the best hunting grounds.

There's no ice fishing competition on the schedule this weekend, so the guys find some time to relax on Lake Winnipesaukee. The weekend is off to a great start until rival Josh arrives with fishing buddy Scott “Donk” Goodale, a fisherman so good, he's practically another one of Josh's gadgets. But even on a weekend off, the guys can't help but compete. The first team to catch three rainbow trout will have a gourmet dinner prepared for them by the losers.

Wade invites Alex, Wob, Todd and Josh up to his house on Moosehead Lake for some togue fishing, but it's no quiet weekend in the country. All the guys have wagered their lucky charms, and whichever team catches the biggest togue will win them all. With their most prized possessions on the line, it's a merciless fight to victory.

The guys are in New Hampshire for the two-day Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby — the largest ice fishing derby in New Hampshire with up to $15,000 in cash prizes, more than 6,000 entrants and a wild party scene. The event attracts some stiff competition, but the guys are confident they are some of the best. Meanwhile, Wob is determined to break a lifelong curse and finally get on this derby's leaderboard — even if it means he has to fish through the night.

There's $100,000 up for grabs and excitement is in the air, or, in this case, the water. The time has finally come for the Sebago Derby, an ice-fishing competition on Maine's 45-square-mile Sebago Lake. Wob and Todd have been looking forward to this derby all winter long, and even invite their rival, Josh, to join in on the competition. Many are hopeful that the new Maine state record for the largest lake trout will come out of the lake, but tensions mount as time passes without a single bite. Source: The National Geographic Channel

After 40 years of fishing, Wob's caught his share of fish and the biggest ones live on his wall. But there's one that's escaped him. The guys are on a quest to help Wob catch The Giant for his wall of glory, a legendary pickerel rumored to live in Lake Wicwas. But rumor has it that Lake Wicwas is cursed, and after spending some time there, the guys begin to believe it.

Hoping to get an edge on the competition and catch the best lake trout around, Wob and Todd spend hours digging a massive ice hole. But with Donk and Josh one fish ahead and the sun fading quickly, the duo knows they only have a short time left to catch a winning fish and quiet their critics.

Brainerd, Minn., may have one of the coldest winters in the country, but that won't stop 10,000 anglers from coming out for the Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake. With more than $150,000 in prizes and 20,000 holes in the ice, it is like the Super Bowl of ice fishing. The guys know that if they catch a fish in the first 10 minutes of the derby, their chances of winning are much higher, but the competition is fierce and the guys don't seem to have luck on their side.