Nico has been fishing with me since he was 2 years old.
I got out 17 times since the beginning of January and Nico joined me on 9 trips. Now that he is 4 years old, he considers himself an ice fishing expert who knows all the ins and outs of the sport.
His favourite part of the setting up process is scooping the slush out of every hole.
When the fishing was slow and the snow was sticky enough, we'd build a snowman.
Our first time out this winter was for brookies and all that we caught was one small speck but Nico was the happiest kid in the world.
Besides being blessed with a son, I am also very lucky to have 3 brothers. Needless to say, it's pretty easy for me to find someone to go fishing with. Not all my brothers are fishing nuts like me but the 4 of us try to go fishing together at least once a year. This winter we all hit the ice with Nico for some specks.
Sometimes when you make plans mother nature doesn't always cooperate and on this day, we were fishing in a blizzard.
A few weeks later, I got out for some specks again with a couple of my brothers and Nico.
Due to the bitter cold and wind, this entire day was spent in the tent with Nico. A few small brookies caught in the tent were just enough to keep Nico interested during this outing.
After about a half dozen brookie trips, I was ready to target my other preferred species: walleyes
I got out with my buddy Bass on the river and on a -30 degree outing, we managed to ice over 20 walleyes/saugers in under 2 hours.
A couple of weekends later, I returned with Bass and Nico for some more river walleyes.
Scattered here and there throughout the winter were a few pan fish outings.
Nico and I even brought mom and our 10 month old fisher girl onto the ice.
The winter of 2013-14 will be remembered for it's insane amount of ice. A few times in late winter, I wasn't sure wether or not I'd even make it through.
A few sunset pics.
Overall, we had great numbers this winter but no size at all. However, great numbers are what you need when fishing with young children. Catching many fish regardless of their size will always make kids come back for more. A few skunks here and there also help them realize that not every day will be a catching day.
The time that I spend fishing with my son is something that is very sacred to me. I look forward to a lifetime of fishing adventures with both of my children. At the very tender age of 4, Nico already seems like he's hooked on fishing. The best part is when I tuck him in at night, he often says: Dad, I will always go fishing with you.
