Skip to content
header image

Blog

Menu

Fishermen Don't Hibernate

Posted: 02.09.2015

kayak fishing

Once the lakes and rivers freeze up us kayak anglers don’t go into hibernation here in Alberta.

Angler: Mike & Ben Zilkowksy

Fishery: Gull Lake, Alberta, Canada

Lure: #4 3/32 oz jig head tipped with minnow tail

Catch and Pattern Description: Once the lakes and rivers freeze up us kayak anglers don’t go into hibernation here in Alberta. We take this time to spend with our loved ones and to teach patience, techniques and proper fish handling to the next generation of anglers that they will hopefully carry with themselves for the rest of their lives. For me it was an ice fishing trip with a good friend, and fellow kayak angler, and my best buddy Ben (3). We hit the ice and I got him set up to fish for Yellow Perch. His patience was amazing and I was very proud of him, he actually sat still longer than I did. I showed him how to jig his bait erratically about 8-10” at a time and eventually he got hooked up on his first fish. I held the rod while he reeled in the line, with a little daddy help, until it was time to pull it out of the hole. Then it was all him and his smile and laughter made that day for me. Hopefully next time I will not be out fished by a 3 year old, but the memories that were made that day for both him and I will last a lifetime.