Burglaries: A rash have been reported on at least two New Hampshire lakes.

SEVERAL INCIDENTS were reported last week in which bobhouses were forcibly entered and gear stolen.

“Officials are advising ice anglers to be aware that this activity is going on, to not leave items of value in their bobhouses, and to report suspicious activity to authorities,” said our friend Jane Vachon at New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

“The bobhouse break-ins have not been restricted to a single locality — shanties on two different bodies of water have been targeted. Incidents occurred this week on Nineteen Mile Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee in Tuftonboro and on Loon Lake in Freedom. Both were areas where a vehicle could be driven out onto the ice. The perpetrators pried locks off the bobhouse doors to gain access. Power ice augers, heaters and tipups were among the items stolen.”

“The thefts are a serious legal violation and a real breach of trust for people who for years have believed their property would be safe in a community space,” said Fish and Game Conservation Officer Alex Lopanshanski.

“In several of the cases, the fishing gear had sentimental value because it had been passed down in the family for many years.”

Fish and Game is actively investigating the break-ins in conjunction with local police departments. Anyone who has information on the incidents, or who has witnessed suspicious activity, is being asked to contact Fish and Game Dispatch at 271-3361 or the Carroll County Sheriff' s Office at 539-2284.”

“In the meantime, please be sure to remove valuable gear from your bobhouse when you leave, and call if you see any suspicious activ-ity,” said Lopanshanski.

With our smelt shanty out on Great Bay some years back (when good ice was always the case), we lost some gear to thieves. Because we had a shanty made out of plywood and not canvas-covered, like most of them were then, the door and door frame were busted up pretty well and small things that we left in the shanty but were quite necessary to the fishing were taken.

It wasn't so much the loss of the small gear but the dent it put into that day's fishing without the gear. After that we left the door unlocked but there was nothing of value ever left in it. Eventually, with the help of conservation officers and local police, the thieves were caught and the problem solved.

If you do leave any gear in an ice fishing house, it's a good idea to put some kind of identifying mark on it, preferably where it isn't readily seen. With the price of power augers it's never a good idea to leave one of those or any portable heating or lighting devices. With the popularity of using 20-gallon propane tanks for fueling your stove and lanterns, the tanks are an easy target for thieves. Once at a friend's hunting camp in Vermont, we had our 100-gallon propane tank taken!

Our friend Alan Nute at AJ's Bait and Tackle at Meredith on Lake Winnipesaukee has been telling us about recently stocked rainbow trout being caught at Little Squam Lake.

Quite a few of them have been tagged for the very popular ice fishing derby held each year that bases the major winnings on the largest tagged rainbow trout.

He's been urging people to release those tagged fish as they could lead to some great prizes for an angler that hooks one during the derby and we support his efforts. If you did catch one before the derby and try to save it for derby entrance, you could be in a heap of legal trouble.

It's not that hard to tell how long a fish has been frozen or frozen and thawed. Prizes are also awarded by category for the largest fish. It's only the rainbow trout that are tagged. Landlocked salmon are not legal targets for ice fishing, so beware.

If you hook a landlocked salmon while ice fishing, it is best to not bring the fish onto the ice, as that invariably damages their skin and scales. If hooked deeply, cut the leader as close as you can to the hook while keeping the fish in the water. When a fish is hooked in the jaw you may be able to twist it loose with a pair of pliers, but if not, cut the hook or your leader, again while keeping the fish in the water.

Landlocked salmon are apt to take a bait fished within a foot or so of the ice. To avoid this happening, set your lines deeper. For lake trout or white perch you want to fish just off bottom. When fishing for cusk, your bait wants to be right on bottom. Yellow perch will be suspended somewhere in the water column but well under the ice. A good bet for catching rainbow trout and avoiding the other fish is to fish with either power bait or salmon eggs right on bottom that is sandy or gravelly.

Get out there and have some fun and drop us an email at DoDuckInn@aol.com.