Up until fairly recently, it was a common practice for shoreline residents to sink old boats or vehicles into the water in front of their cabins to attract fish by offering them shelter for spawning young and otherwise find protection from larger predators.
In the depths of Lake Elmo, for many years, local residents enjoyed a highly popular Raffle to sustain them during long cold, winters. After the ice had established itself, an old vehicle would be placed out on the ice out over deep water. People would select dates when they predicted the chassis would slide through the ice, settling into Lake Elmo's depths. A local establishment would put out a jar to collect money along with a board where participants could select their date, winner take all! Such intricacies as vehicle weight, car color, wheel base and local weather were analyzed exhaustively over evening beverages to help justify their strategy and out-think friend and foe alike.
Come the middle of March, interest would intensify. By mid April, if the there was yet no winner, those left in the hunt would be local celebrities! One year, the vehicle made it to the last week of April!
DISCLAIMER: My source for this tale assured me that all fluids were emptied from vehicles before being placing them on the lake. I like to hope so. . .. Yes, those were different times.
