Ice fishing is a pretty big hobby in the winter. However, Jesse and I have never gone. There was an ice fishing contest here in our little town at the little lake and our friends go every year so they told us to come on down and bring the kids. The kids get prizes for catching fish and they give the kids free stuff.
Since I had never been ice fishing I was kind of nervous and kept having visions of Max falling into an ice fishing hole. I expressed that concerned to Jesse (and my sister-in-law) and they both laughed at me. Apparently the holes are not that big! Not big enough for Max to fall into!
When we woke up on Saturday it was –12 out. I was a bit hesitant about going. We waited a few hours and by the time we were ready to go it was 9 above! Good enough. We layered on the layers and headed out.
Our friends (and their group of friends) had tents set up with heaters in them. So we could go in there and warm up if we got cold. Plus they had a fire going. Which is so crazy. A fire on the ice. Heated tents on the ice. Lots of vehicles/trucks out on the ice.
When we got there our friend, Trish, took us into their tent to show the kids the fishing poles and how to fish.
Mallory sat on a bucket and tried it out.
It only kept their interest for about 5.6 seconds and they were off. Our friends had their little boy & he brought a friend. (They are 7 years old) Mallory had no fear running and keeping up with them. Maxwell attempted to keep up with them. They ran and sled and wrestled and ran some more. Pretty soon there was a whole pack of kids who got bored with fishing and they were all playing.
One of the neighbor fisherman kept catching these little fish. He brought one over for the kids to take up and see if it was big enough to get on the fish board to win a prize. Max wouldn’t take it. Mallory did though.
Walking over to the fish board to see if Mallory’s fish is big enough. Max falls a lot!
She still has her fish!
It was too small for the board.
Meanwhile I’m not paying attention and Max is knocking off the big fish from the fish board. Ahh! One of the guys says “See. They are teaching the little ones how to steal fish already!”
Below is a picture of Mallory being pulled by my friend’s daughter, Vanessa. She use to babysit Mallory (and then Maxwell) until she grew up on us! We loved her! She was our most favorite babysitter.
This was just a picture of our fishing spot.
I think Vanessa misses Mallory & Maxwell. She pulled them in that sled for a long time! She also chased and kept up with Max the whole the afternoon!
It was getting pretty cold and late in the afternoon. Max was getting sleepy and a bit cold. So he came in the tent and did some fishing with Trish. She showed him all about how to set up the pole. He was intently listening.
Showing me the bug on his hook.
Trish asked him to hold the bug for her while she had to get something. He wouldn’t do it. Then she asked him to hold the hook (below the bug) and he would do that.
Below she is showing him to watch for the red end of the pole to bend way down. Then we know there is a fish.
He sat here for a good 20 minutes.
Then Mallory came in to warm up and she wanted a turn. Max shared his pole and told her how to do everything.
Then wanted his own and is pointing a pile of poles and trying to tell me what to do get him one. He is an expert ice fisherman now, ya know.
We made it to the handing out prizes and Max was done. He had lasted the whole afternoon without whining or complaining about being cold. He was starting to ask a few times to go home. Mallory went up to get her prizes (little personal frozen pizza & fishing lure) and we left.
I’m walking to the truck with Mallory and she asks me if my feet are cold? I told her they were starting to get a bit cold. She tells me her feet are frozen.
We were so proud of both the kids. They were so tough! It was a pretty cold afternoon and they never once complained. They both also thought it was so much fun. They like ice fishing.
We got home and Max couldn’t hold it together anymore. He cried and cried as I took off all his clothes. He was cold. He was done. Once he was out of those clothes he ran for the blankets! He just wanted to snuggle.
We never caught a single fish. Not a one.
Max (nor Mally) never fell in a hole. There was tons of running and not watching where they were running too. Amazing! There were a few times we had to catch them before they stepped into the hole. But they were always caught. Vanessa just caught Max in time, one time, his foot just grazed the water – the water even rippled. However the holes are not big enough to swallow up Max… just big enough for a leg. : )
