I went ice fishing — Cross that off my bucket list

There were multiple events on my bucket list of things to do in Alaska.  I wanted to step outside my narrow little box and experience things I might never get to try again.  Helpful hint: should you ever create such a list, note it somewhere.  Writing this, I can’t think of a single thing that made the list.*

However, over coffee last Friday, Sal mentioned a listing in the newspaper for an ice fishing jamboree on Saturday.  BINGO, fishing had been on my list.  The ice part was just a bonus.  How cool to go ice fishing in Alaska.  Never fished, don’t know a thing about fishing, but it’s one of the big things that draws people to the state.  This event, at Jewel Lake, was for all ages, and that was encouraging.  If a child could do it, surely I could.   It was the kickoff event for the 2023 Bait Shack Community Event series.  We spoke to the organizer of the event.  I believe he said it was the 35th annual event.  Earlier in the week, lots of holes had been drilled into the ice and the lake had been stocked with fish. Big ice drills were available should additional holes be needed.  Eight hundred school kids had been brought over during the week for a fun afternoon of fishing.  Nice.  

There were a fair number of people there.  Poles and bait were provided free of charge.  There were several vendors and food trucks, including Grizzly Dogs.  I was tempted to get a Grizzly Dog but abstained, staying loyal to the team at Yeti Dogs, my son’s Alaska hot dog friends.  

I needed a fishing license.  Me having a fishing license.  Cool.  Alaska Department of Fish and Game had a stand at the event.  A one-day non-resident license was $15, which I happened to have in my pocket since I hadn’t gotten a Grizzly Dog. I filled out some paperwork and the guy explained the types of fish in the pond.  Blab, blab, salmon, blab.  I kind of missed that part.  I did not intend to keep anything I caught, and he explained how to release whatever back to the water.  We had seen people carrying a fish or a bag of fish, most about 8 inches long, so people were catching.  He wished me luck.  I said I really didn’t need luck because I didn’t want to catch anything, so he said, “Break a leg.”  I don’t think that was appropriate as I was walking off on a frozen pond, but whatever.

We walked further out on the ice and choose a hole.  I baited my hook with the colorful little shrimp provided and scrunched down to fish.  Again, no idea what I was doing.  I waved my wand around a bit and waited.  Heard some excitement behind me, and a little boy had caught a fish.  Yay.  But then he started hitting it on its head, many times.  I understood what he was doing, but it was violent and sad and ice fishing was no longer fun for me.  I told Sal I didn’t want to do it anymore.  I asked her how long I had fished.  Apparently my bucket list fishing adventure had lasted about three minutes.

You do things and learn what you like and also what you don’t like.

Maybe you can see the boy behind me with his fish.  He kept fishing but I was done.

*I have since remembered something else on my list.  Unfortunately, I didn’t write it down and now I can’t remember 😕.