A bad day of ice fishing is better than a good day at work
By Joan Janzen
It’s been said that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. And that includes ice fishing.
David Yaworski from Kindersley has enjoyed the winter sport since he was a kid growing up in B.C. “I started ice fishing when I was eight years old,” Dave said, explaining how his passion for ice fishing began. Instead of using a gas-powered auger, he would cut a hole in the ice with an axe, which had to have taken a considerable amount of time and energy. “My friends at school all loved to fish. When we got older, we’d drive all over to go fishing.”
SUBMITTED PHOTO, click for larger images and captions
Fast forward fifty years, Dave has ditched the axe and traded in his gas-powered auger for an electric model. It was double the price of his previous auger, but it was well worth it. “It goes way faster and is much more convenient,” he said. It takes less than a minute to cut through the ice.
“Ice fishing rods are shorter, more stout,” he explained. “I’ve got five rods. You’re allowed two rods per person.” But the lines must be within sight and 25 metres of the person who is using them.
When is the best time to go ice fishing? Apparently, any time is a good time to go fishing. “I find early morning and late afternoon is when we had our best times,” he said, but you can even go fishing at night when some predatory fish are active.
“Last year, we started ice fishing in November; this year, we started in December. It was a little bit shorter because of the warmer season. The ice in December was only about eight to ten inches thick,” he said.
And when is it too cold to go ice fishing? Dave says -50 degrees C and beyond is too cold, and I’m sure everyone would agree -50 is too cold. “We’ve been out at -40 and -45. As long as the wind isn’t high, it’s not too bad to set up the tent. Once you get it up, you’re good to go. I don’t mind the cold at all,” he said.
A couple of years back, Dave purchased an insulated tent with a heater. “It makes quite a bit of difference. When it’s -33 out in the open, it will be plus 2 degrees inside,” he said.
Who comes along when he goes fishing? Dave’s family often come along. “Grandkids love it! There’s lots of activity that happens on the ice, lots of animals, birds, coyotes,” he noted. The grandkids also help shovel snow off the ice before digging a hole. Even his dogs like fishing, but they don’t actually fish.
He’ll also spends a little time talking to other fisherman on the ice. “At Estuary we probably saw twelve guys this year,” he said. Last year the ice at Estuary was 32 inches thick compared to 26 inches this year.
Where does Dave go ice fishing? Lately, he’s been going to local spots - Estuary, Lancer, Alsask, Suffern Lake at Macklin, Plato and the Kerrobert pond.
“The bite can range from frantic to nothing for hours. I find it’s a slow go, and I don’t always catch something. But it’s about the day. That’s why they call it fishing, not catching,” he smiled. “I fish on the river almost every weekend. I like to get out as much as I can. That’s how I decompress from the week.”
Someone once said it’s not the fish you catch; it’s the peace of mind you take home at the end of the day. I think Dave would agree, but he has brought home some pretty big fish, along with his peace of mind.