By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media –
For about 10 years now they have come together to fish. Not just fish, but ice fish on a frozen lake, a thought that may be a bit unnerving to some as the idea of walking out on a ice covered lake and boring a hole in the ice is just a bit much.
The group started 10 years ago, with a small group of guys who just wanted to get away and do something different. So they decided to ice fish and found Lake Maloya as one of the best secrets in New Mexico. The event or group has grown over the years from the small handful to about 70 participants, or as some say, crazy fisherman.
The group is made up of mostly retirees, many from law enforcement, and have started bringing their kids along to enjoy the camaraderie of the group. as Jake Baker Jr. was there with his father as well enjoying what he called a unique sport. He added it is one of those things you can only do for a short time in the winter and not on just any lake. The ice on Lake Maloya this weekend was about 8 to 10 inches thick and periodically gurgles could be heard from the lake.
Members of the group travelled from Tucson, Arizona, Deming, Las Cruces and points south. One group travelled from Indiana and found a small cove on the west side of the lake to be pretty productive. Many of the group hail from Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Ron Walker indicated he came for the fun and really enjoyed Raton as it is a friendly town and the people here treated the fishermen great.
