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Way Back When
Do you remember when your grandparents or parents say, “When I was a kid I used to walk four miles to school”. Can you imagine, we can now say to our children and grand children, “When I was a kid we used to sit on a bucket outside, with no portable ice shelter, no Vexilar and no heater”. It was not that long ago we sat on a bucket on the ice a braved the bitter cold. If we were lucky we could spend a little time sitting in the truck warming up. We would sit for hours bent over jigging our favorite jig with a twister tail tipped with a salty awaiting that big strike. Funny how those days are long gone. Isn’t it incredible how far the sport of ice fishing has come from those good old days?
I guide for a living, during the winter for monster greenbacks on Lake Winnipeg which is the 11th largest lake in the world and during the summer for catfish on the Red River which joins into Lake Winnipeg. Over the years I have learned a few things, have the best equipment for me to use and to have the best equipment for the clients to catch fish and have fun. From the portable shelters, heaters, auger, fish finders and cooking equipment to the clothing I wear it all serves its purpose well. Finding equipment that is “female” friendly as I call it is the key to being comfortable on the ice.
My typical day at work during the winter is heading out to chase those monster green backs on Lake Winnipeg. (Greenbacks have an iridescent green color caused by the limestone that lines the shores of the lake). After arriving at the lake I choose to use a Clam’s Thermal Base Camp, for a couple or really good reasons. One of the clients timed me to see just how long the set up was, approximately 15 seconds, my clients want to catch fish and have the fever by the time they get to where we are going. The second being, there is such an incredible difference in warmth between the insulated and non insulated portables. Once I add a Mr. Heater to them it is more than comfortable to sit with just a sweat shirt on and heater on medium, even in minus 30. I also used Vexilars, this gives my clients a distant advantage to catching fish. Once they get a brief lesson in electronics they themselves are hooked. My primary tool out there is my auger, finding one that I can use and be comfortable with was a challenge. I needed to find one that fit my stature and one that did not throw me around. The Strikemaster Solo Laxer Mag was so light in comparisons to others and started like a dream.
After finding products that I was comfortable with the rest comes easy. Catching these monster green backs, in a walleye factory that is second to none never seems to be a problem. This year the lake once again produced an astronomical amount of trophy walleyes. It seemed at the winter progressed it was evident that the bite was either a flasher jig or Chubby Darter by Salmo. They were all I kept in my arsenal.
After finding products that I was comfortable with the rest comes easy. Catching these monster green backs, in a walleye factory that is second to none never seems to be a problem. This year the lake once again produced an astronomical amount of trophy walleyes. It seemed at the winter progressed it was evident that the bite was either a flasher jig or Chubby Darter by Salmo. They were all I kept in my arsenal.
As the season comes to a close I have to think back about the best trips I had out there. It was easy, it was the days that I had the chance to teach a lady how to ice fish or get her a new personal best. Fran Myre, wife of outdoor writer Larry Myre topped her best by 2 pounds and landed this great fish. I also had the privilege of fishing with Marcy Zenanko – Operations Manager for Salmo U.S.A, wow can this lady fish! She makes me proud of us ladies in the industry, as she is a lady in a man’s world and she really knows her stuff.
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Marcy Zenanko Fran Myre & Holly Chow
There is nothing I enjoy more than teaching both women and youth about the outdoors. To wrap up the season we rounded up a group of women, now called the “Canadian Jigglers”, and hit the lake for the weekend. Twelve of us with one goal in mind, to catch walleye, and after all was said and done we caught over 90 walleyes per day. Enjoyed a great fish fry on the lake, had our laughs in the evenings and exchanged techniques and stories. We are always looking for more ladies to join our club so feel free to drop me a line.
Holly Chow has been working in the outdoors industry for almost 20 years. First with Bass Pro as the first lady on the Pro Hunting Team and hosting her own tv show and now as a guide and advocate for women in the outdoors.
Contact Holly
Holly Chow has been working in the outdoors industry for almost 20 years. First with Bass Pro as the first lady on the Pro Hunting Team and hosting her own tv show and now as a guide and advocate for women in the outdoors.
Contact Holly
Tags: Holly, Chow, Holly, Chow
More Tags: Fran Myre, Lake Winnipeg, Holly Chow, Red River, Larry Myre, outdoor writer, Manager for Salmo U.S.A, first lady, Operations Manager, Human Interest
Region: Global
Categories: Fishing
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Comments on this Article
Re:Ata Girl-z...Holly and Marcy!
Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson ~ ~ ><,sUMo,> ~ ><CD
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Joined: 12/16/2001
Location: MN, USA