Submitted Photo Jack Ressler, 14, holds a pike from Hazen Bay. Photo by Ashley Peterson, NDGF.

I’ve always enjoyed my own little mental debates. Would I rather have a fast-food double cheeseburger that’s a little less expensive than a sit-down burger and fries?

For me, the answer depends on a combination of how hungry I am and if I’m going to just simply chow down and get back on the road or sit back and enjoy the meal with family and friends.

I find myself doing it constantly and it’s sort of amusing in a productive way. It’s not much different than a pretty common discussion about the outdoors. Would you rather catch five smaller crappie or one big pike, the latter of which easily outweighs the former and eats pretty good when cleaned properly?

What about fishing all day for a few eater walleye or fish for a few hours for five hammer handle northerns?

It’s the beauty of the outdoors and I know for many anglers the answer can change depending on the day or even the hour. The kids have a game tonight. Catch some fish and get on the road. Fish the entire weekend with the guys. You’ve got time to pick and choose what you catch and keep.

There are always choices.

Keeping lakes clean

Whether ice fishing, predator calling, cross-country skiing or just enjoying a brisk winter walk across the landscape, the white, snowy canvas is sometimes something to behold. Littered with fish guts or cigarette butts, however, the fluffy, white backdrop makes the trash look even worse in my eyes.

Since we’re into the heart of ice fishing, it’s a good time to ask winter anglers to make sure to clean up the ice after fishing, and respect private property rights when traveling to and from a favorite fishery. It doesn’t happen very often, but it shouldn’t happen at all. Not only is on-ice litter unsightly, but it is also illegal to leave fish behind on the ice. According to the fishing proclamation, when a fish is caught, anglers must either immediately release the fish back into the water unharmed or reduce them to their daily possession.

It has also become common practice for some anglers to fillet fish on the ice. If you are going to do this, don’t leave the entrails and sides of filleted fish on the ice. Clean up after yourself. Put the carcass in a trash bag and properly dispose of it when you get home.

Beyond the litter aspect, on lakes with size restrictions for certain fish, filleting those species on the ice is not allowed.

Another issue that sometimes surfaces in winter is people driving on private land to get around blocked section lines or other public access roads to reach the lake shore. When access roads are not passable because of snow, travelers cannot just navigate through a field to circumvent the blocked roadway without first talking to the landowner. While you want to find a route onto the ice, others may follow and create an unwanted trail. It’s just not the neighborly thing to do.

Private property rights are the same year-around. If there is not a drivable trail, seek permission from the landowner to make one.

The bottom line is courtesy and responsibility don’t take the winter off. It’s our job to leave places a little better than we found them no matter the time of year.