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The DNR hopes to get information out to ice anglers through podcasts. Shawn Smith is a regular at Foster Arends Lake. (MPR photo/Sea Stachura )

Any ice angler can tell you about casting. The question is, do they know about podcasting? It's not a fancy way to drop your line, but a downloadable audio program that can be produced in a broom closet or even an ice shack. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recently produced its own podcast about ice fishing. Officials hope to inform anglers around the state. So far not too many are biting.

Rochester, Minn. — Tackle Terry Tuma is an outdoor TV and radio personality. He's what folks at the D-N-R calls an old school ice angler. He's the agency's ice fishing expert for their first podcast. Here he talks about selecting the right equipment.

"And then get the rods that are going to match your style of fishing," he advises on the show. "If you're always fishing in a small portable, you're going to want a shorter rod. If you're fishing in outside, you're going to want a longer rod. The longer rod help you control the fish much better."

The DNR's boat and water safety specialist Tim Smalley joins Tuma in the half hour podcast. They talk about appropriate boots and clothing and what to pack just in case you fall through the ice.

Smalley says the podcast was his idea. He was looking for a cheap way to get safety information out to anglers that wasn't dull or tucked at the back of the newspaper. He thinks it's turned out well. Tuma will record a mid- and end-of-season podcast. Smalley says those will offer more specific tips for anglers.

"And we'll certainly talk about safe driving on ice and how to handle your car on the ice," he says. "But it'll be also and primarily how to find the fish, what kind of bait to use, what time of day to use, where on the lake is the best place to look for fish during middle of the season because it's different than in the early season."

Tuma says he won't be able to offer tips on fishing in specific areas. In the Land of 10,000 Lakes there are too many variables.

He doesn't listen to podcasts himself. But he thinks the DNR is on to something, just not with the old timers.

"And they're probably not real interested in that type of information being sent to them or being available to them. Those people would probably be more apt to listen to a radio program or visit one of the seminars," he says.

The level of interest may be only the first hurdle in getting anglers to listen. First off, you need a computer, and either an audio program or an MP3 player. Then you have to hunt for the podcast. It's buried on the DNR's website. (Hint: don't look under fishing.) And if you have any firewalls up, good luck trying to download it.

At the Hooked on Fishing Bait Shop on Rochester's north side owner Mike Smith says he probably won't listen. But he says the tech-savvy anglers from the area's IBM offices or the younger crowd might. Even then, he says, it would depend on the content.

"Are they going to just say things like be careful of this ice thickness in this warm weather?" he asks. "Well, you know, most fisherman are not going to find that much of a value. Versus okay, if you can really tell me what I need to do on a specific day to catch fish, then yeah."

Most of Smith's customers were fishing on Foster Arends Lake in the middle of Rochester. Some were college kids, others retired engineers. An unscientific survey found none of them knew about podcasting. A few said they do scan websites and bulletin boards for information on fishing conditions.

Eric Holliday has fished Foster Arends Lake for the past 27 years. He's fishing outside today with lines in four holes. He's says it's best to cast at the bottom in these conditions, but he's not getting anywhere.

"And they're just sort of playing with it at the moment," he says. "You know like that one did. He slowly but surely took it under, but he's not really sure if he's hungry enough for it all."

Holliday says he's not familiar with podcasts, but he imagines it could be as helpful as his other tools.

"We bring a few electronics ourselves. We got a fish locator here. It does help. But with that iPod thing going on now, I imagine if you get the locals participating in it, feeding the websites you know and keeping it up to date it would be real useful."

That isn't quite Tim Smalley's plan, although Holliday could make his own podcast with those updates. But Smalley hopes to talk in broader terms. He plans to use experts at the DNR throughout the year to discuss subjects like walleye fishing techniques and deer hunting. Smalley says not every angler is quite using the technology, but a gentle push from their friendly DNR may be all they need.