Dogs like Ice Fishing Shrimp too

January 19, 2010 at 11:16 pm

I was out ice-fishing this weekend with the family and decided to take the old dog along. He is a lab-mutt so it goes without saying that he is a bit of a mooch with food. He is also old so we let him get away with it these days.

Part of any ice-fishing trip to a stocked lake in the Yukon, typically involves using shrimp as bait for Rainbows. We use prawns or cocktail shrimp and cut them up small enough to fit on a small hook.  They are either suspended just off the bottom by themselves or added to a small jig for a little scent.  Most pothole lakes in the Whitehorse area have freshwater shrimp, so I suppose it is a natural food source.

The problem with shrimp as I discovered this weekend is that the dog likes them too. It meant keeping a real eye on the bait or anything baited (with a hook).  The thought of him inhaling a little shrimp on a hook would probably mean a world of pain, discomfort and a large vet bill.

He is also the sneaky, smart kind of dog that waits a half hour and then when you are not looking sneaks up to it and snatches it. This becomes a real threat when fishing with kids, multiple rods and very little awareness of whats going on. On more than one occasion this weekend I had to wind up and remove the baited hook from a spare rod. I would rather not leave the dog or kids at home, so a little extra caution is worth the effort.

2 comments so far

Post a comment