My wife, Mother-in-law and myself spent a day on the ice, sitting on pails hoping for a big one.  My mother-in-law is a fair weathered fisher person but this particular weekend she was leading the pack, and it came as a pleasant shock to see her so keen.  I set her up with one of those short light ice fishing rods and a jig that was heavy enough to reach the bottom.  It wasn’t long until she was getting some bite and trying to bring up something big.  We were aiming to bring up a walleye, but we were happy to catch anything as she reeled in a 16″ pike.  It was fun going out with my two girls that day, and no matter if I am out fishing with a friend, old school mates or my now adult kids, it’s always a thrill trying our best and creating good memories to carry me through the stretches of winter.

Whether you get a fancy ice fishing tent, a full pull on ice shack or just a pail and extra heavy winter wear it all works.  Just make sure you have an auger that works (I prefer the gas engine types) and an ice spoon to take out the debris.  Having something to sit on is important and a stringer or a box of some kind to put your catch into.  If you have your hole to close together you will need to all pull in your lines when someone has a fish on the line, so avoid big problems with lines getting all tangled.  I am been on more than one ice fishing trip where one person thinks they have a fish only to discover that they have someone else line.  This often happens if the current sweep your line down last your other holes.  So keep aware of the current and drill holes in such a way that you won’t get caught with the current mixing your lines.

We are fortunate that our Retreat facility is just an hour from Winnipeg.  There is so much water here and we are just a short skip from the city.  Don’t reserve fishing for just summer.  Ice fishing is a Manitoba winter must-do and it includes the tradition of bringing out a bunch of family and friends.  There is nothing like fresh fish for supper!

Wilderness Edge has a gas motor ice auger and plenty of places to fish including a few favorites. The Co-op station beside us keeps stock on frozen minnows and fishing licenses.