We Can't Do It Alone
They say it takes a village to raise a child, the same could be said about running a non profit. The first ice fishing clinic of 2023 on pokegama was an amazing example of what this means.
Our friends and volunteers from MN Made Outdoors were a huge help in the weeks leading up to the event in updating us on changing conditions and finding a “fishy” location to setup up. Due to the heavy snow and slush, driving our trailer with gear to the fishing spot was not an option, everyone with an Sled, ATV or UTV (including some that weren’t even signed up to help that day) loaded up with gear and started the slow journey on the ice.
The first, and closest spot, was not holding fish so a game time decision was made to move. This new location had the fish, but was much further from the landing, and we still had 16 eager youth anglers to transport out. As if it were planned for days, volunteers on machines cycled back and forth from the landing to our spot, safely transporting anglers and parents one by one. Little time was lost and fishing began within heated Clam hubs.
Back at the landing, the work was just getting started. The selfless staff at the Floppy Crappie were busy serving regular patrons while also, prepping hand-made pizzas to feed the FAMily. They even reserved the entire back room for our anglers and crew to get out of the cold and relax while we hand out prizes.
On the ice kids were enjoy snacks and learning how to chase after fish that didn’t want to sit still. But restless fish get hungry too, so just like young anglers munching on goldfish, the fish were chowing on pinhead minnows, kenders jigs and P3 Plastics. There was no shortage of hooksets and smiling kids holding fish.
The day was quickly coming to an end and the pizzas were coming out of the oven. This meant it was time to restart the mary-go-round of rides to the warmth of the Floppy Crappie party room. Anglers piled in one at a time and began settling in with their Clam bucket of goodies to bring home and a plate full of pizza to keep their attention. Get the Lead Out representative, Claire handed out lead free tackle to each angler and gave a short presentation about the negative effects of lead on the Minnesota loon population. We are happy to partner with this great organization to help get the message out to the new age of anglers in the state.
Testimonials:
"My grandson Justin had so much fun he fell asleep on the way home.
This was our 2nd event. We went to Rush Lake over the summer. We will be doing more." -Paty Gessel
"To the FAM team, We have had the awesome opportunity to attend multiple FAM events. I have loved fishing my whole life and having the chance to bring my girls fishing with FAM has been amazing. Our oldest daughter has medical complexities and has had multiple brain surgeries. The safety on the ice for the children attending is always the top priority of the volunteers. My daughter's limited mobility is never a problem and the volunteers are always kind, caring and make sure we feel welcomed. The weather conditions have not been ideal for ice conditions on the lakes this winter. Having the equipment all set up and ready to go really helps the kids maximize their fishing time and promotes a great experience. Every volunteer is smiling, enthusiastic and really shares the love for the sport. This makes the experience even better. Thank you FAM volunteers. We appreciate all of your hard work and look forward to more events." - The Marsh Family
Thank you to everyone that volunteered, attended and supported us in the unconventional start to our ice fishing clinic season. We are looking forward to an amazing season. Up next we will be hanging out with the boys from the Crappie Chronicles at our biggest clinic to date...Stay tuned
-FAM-