Jason Bentz has always loved fishing.
Growing up, Bentz and his family would spend their weekends camping at Heart Butte Dam and Lake Tschida, reeling in walleye, perch and bass from dawn until dusk in a 14-foot aluminum boat.
“You couldn’t go out when there was a whole lot of waves,” Bentz says with a laugh.
On camping trips, the family slept in a truck topper perched on a ’79 Dodge and spent time stargazing when they weren’t casting.
Fishing is a family affair, and when Bentz looks back on those days, his favorite part was the camaraderie he shared with his grandfather and father on the water.
It looks a little different today. Bentz is the grandfather, wrangling seven grandchildren around at his Pouch Point lake cabin and spending fishing days on a pontoon (his seven grandkids would never fit on the 14-footer).
Bentz still loves to fish, and while it’s difficult to get the whole lot of grandkids to appreciate it, one is taking after his great-great-grandpa, great-grandpa and grandpa.
“(My grandson) is a fishing fanatic. He’s caught bigger walleyes than I have caught. He’s got a couple of whopper badges, so nothing hanging on the wall yet,” Bentz says about his 9-year-old grandson.
UP THE CO-OP LADDER
Bentz is also part of the cooperative family.
He started as a lineworker apprentice for Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative in 1993 after some time in Nebraska and Oklahoma working on the transmission side of the industry. He earned his journeyman status in 1997, became a foreman in 1998, then line superintendent in 2000.
In 2013, he transitioned to operations manager and chief of staff at neighboring Roughrider Electric Cooperative.
Today, he is the co-general manager of the Innovative Energy Alliance Cooperative, which is owned by four electric distribution co-ops in North Dakota – KEM, Mor-Gran-Sou, Roughrider and Slope electric cooperatives.
Bentz’s climb up the cooperative ladder is not necessarily common, but something he always hoped to achieve.
“It was just opportunity” that led to where he is today in his career, he says.
Bentz says his favorite part of the job and the cooperative model is visiting with members.
“You are connected with the individuals and the companies, the members of the cooperative,” Bentz says.
EVERY ANGLER KNOWS
Every angler knows the sport takes patience, and every lineworker knows patience is critical when working safely around high-voltage electricity. It’s a skill Bentz has honed through his time fishing on the water and the ice, and through all the stages of his co-op career.
And, Bentz knows patience sure comes in handy when seven children have sharp hooks!
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Kennedy DeLap is interning with North Dakota Living. She can be reached at kdelap@ndarec.com.
ICE SAFETY
Electric cooperatives model a culture of safety, because safety is the No. 1 priority. It means employees go home to their families at the end of the workday and members safely use electricity to power their lives.
Ice fishing should be no different. Make safety your No. 1 priority (and catching a limit of walleyes a close second) when ice fishing this winter.
Remember these ice safety tips:
• Look for clear blue ice.
• New ice is stronger than old ice. Daily changes in temperature cause ice to expand or contract, creating cracks and possibly pressure ridges, which can affect ice strength.
• Ice thickness is not consistent. Beware of ice around partially submerged objects such as trees, brush, embankments or structures.
• Ice will not form as quickly where water is shallow or where objects may absorb sunlight.
• Drill test holes or use an ice chisel as you venture onto a lake to help judge the thickness and character of the ice.
• Beware of ice covered with snow, which acts like a blanket, insulating thin ice. Snow can also hide cracked, weak and open water.
• Do not drive across ice at night or when it is snowing.
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Source: N.D. Game and Fish Department
GENERAL RULE OF THUMB FOR GOOD ICE
• 2 inches – STAY OFF!
• 4 inches – walk
• 6 inches – snowmobile or ATV
• 8 to 12 inches – car or small pickup
• 12 to 15 inches – medium pickup
Remember you take a risk anytime you go on ice!
