Welcome to Week CXXXV of ‘Fishing Parkland Shorelines’. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I’ll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don’t have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
On the long winter evenings we have here in Saskatchewan, as fisherfolk we have a perfect opportunity to do some Internet learning in terms of how better to catch fish.
While on a good day, a pike might go after a wine cork and bobby pin, other days fish can be just plain aloof in terms of taking a snack attack on anything we toss in the water. It is these days where a different lure, or a different technique just might get some action.
So it never hurts to look at what others are doing.
At this time of year a good use of late night time is a bit on Internet surfing, in particular looking for how one might up the luck a bit ice fishing.
So here goes with a few sites you might want to check out, understanding going in the sites focus on the United States fishing scene, so you will have to glean the nuggets out a bit.
The first is at www.iceteam.com.
“No one has done more to advance the sport of ice fishing than Ice Team. Since 1997 our Pros have come up with every significant ice fishing method and refinement in history, starting with Dave Genz and the Clam Fish Trap and the Vexilar flasher. And today our Pros continue to blaze new trails,” noted the site.
The great thing about the site is that it provides a number of avenues to learn about ice fishing strategies and equipment including;
• Ice Annual: Read the world’s most widely distributed ice fishing publication, full of timely and relevant information for the ice angler.
• Digital magazines: Read the cutting edge content from these monthly online magazines.
• Instructional videos: Learn from the experts on everything from equipment to locating fish to the secrets of mobile ice fishing.
• E-Chats: Ask the Ice Team Pros for their insights on your ice fishing questions.
• Internet TV: Watch webisodes of our Ice Team Pros in action on the ice.
Next up is www.icefishingtoday.com
“Many people would think, just what we need, another fishing show, but this revolutionary concept in outdoor programming is expected to change the way all outdoor programs are produced in the future,” details the website.
“The name of the first program to use this concept will be called Ice Fishing Today and is the brainchild of a 30 year veteran in outdoor programming and Hall of Fame angler, Tom Zenanko of Minneapolis.
“I have hosted and produced literally hundreds of projects in my career, stated Zenanko. I have been completely turned-off by the lack of originality and creative ideas in outdoor programs today. The Buck and Bubba shows are everywhere with the advent of cheap video systems and a desire to be famous.
“Actually, the Sportsman’s Journal series I (Tom Zenanko) hosted and produced in the 80’s was cutting edge then, but is exactly how 99% of all outdoor programs are done today. It’s been 20 years since I’ve been on television and it was the breakthrough I had with Ice Fishing Today that got me out of retirement and back in front of the camera.
“In Zenanko’s new series Ice Fishing Today, the program will be the first to be extensively linked directly to the World Wide Web and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Many shows now have web sites in conjunction with their show, but none that integrate the show into the web so a viewer is free to learn more and have easy access to additional information on demand. In producing any 30 minute program, literally hours of video tape are not shown simply because of time restrictions.
“Now with the access to streaming video clips, you’re invited to watch the best ice fishermen in the country share their secrets, unedited and in the extended play version, the way it was filmed. Fans of ice fishing will be able to go to icefishingtoday.com and watch any of the programs along with bonus segments at any time.”
This is the great thing about websites today. The ability to use video makes it easy to show techniques, which is generally a better way to learn for most of us.
That said, seeing all the big fish being caught on film can lead to excessive drooling, which may not be the best thing for a keyboard.
Two other sites worth a look are www.northeasticefishing.com and www.icefishin247.com
Now I’m not sure my tour of the sites will suddenly turn me into an avid ice fisherman, although if the nice winter weather continues I am more likely to accept an invitation or two to give it a go as they say, it does give me a resource base to study from.
While much of what we know about fishing tends to come first-hand from those we fish with, most often our fathers, grandfathers or uncles, fishing being a great family activity, today the Internet opens new options for us.
And, since winter affords a bit more time at home, it is the ideal opportunity to take advantage of what we can learn by doing a bit of web searching.
Even if we do not learn a lot, some of the photography is amazing, and some of the videos get to the heart of why we fish, the great outdoors, and big fish to catch.
