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Spending Valentine’s on the ice

News Photo by Julie Riddle Luis and Brittany Nunez, with daughter Arabella, share a family Valentine’s Day moment on Long Lake on Sunday.

ALPENA — On a chilly Valentine’s Day, few anglers were trying their luck on the ice of Northeast Michigan’s largest lakes during the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ annual February free fishing weekend.

Her family had been on Long Lake ice an hour and a half with no fish to show for it, Alpena resident Brittany Nunez said around noon on Sunday.

“Hey, shh, it happens,” said her husband, Luis Nunez, with a wave of a gloved hand outside the family’s red popup fishing shanty.

Fishing was free and unfettered this weekend, with all inland and Great Lakes waters open to fishing and fishing licenses and recreation passports for entry into state parks not required.

Lately busy on weekends, the ice of Grand Lake was mostly free of anglers on Sunday, and only a few colorful shanties brightened Long Lake, perhaps kept inside by temperatures in the teens much of the day.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Alpena couple Brittany and Luis Nunez share a laugh while ice fishing on Long Lake on Sunday as daughter Arabella, 11, makes a snow angel.

The couple’s handful of tip-ups weren’t tipping up, but it wasn’t an all-bad way to spend the holiday, they agreed.

Daughter Arabella Nunez, 11, cheerfully declared the Valentine’s Day ice fishing outing to be “very cold” before scampering off to make an ice angel in the lake’s thick but soft snow cover.

Dan Westergard, Luis’s best friend, was along for the ice fun. He wasn’t too concerned about missing out on a Valentine’s celebration.

“I’m single,” Westergard said.

The ice fishing expedition was her Valentine’s Day gift to her husband, Brittany Nunez said

News Photo by Julie Riddle Brittany and Luis Nunez, married for seven years, celebrate Valentine’s Day with a kiss and ice fishing on Long Lake on Sunday.

“It’s not my top choice, but, you know, whatever,” she said, tugging her hood tighter against the cold.

The family planned to order a wonton pizza from Long Lake Supermarket for dinner. But first, fishing and family time on the ice.

“She wouldn’t be out here if she didn’t love me,” Luis Nunez said.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.

Fishing report

The Northeast Michigan Michigan Department of Natural Resources weekly fishing report for Feb. 10:

Montmorency County: Voyer Lake had good bluegill action. Clear Lake had moderate splake catches along with perch. Both East and West Twin Lake were slow, with only a few walleye and perch taken. Trout fishing picked up on McCormick Lake. Lake Fifteen was producing a few smelt and brown trout.

Fletchers Pond: Anglers caught small perch and pike.

Alcona County: Fishing was slow. A couple pike and crappie were caught on Trask Lake.

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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