Whenever I think of Christmas, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Christmas program that was held at our church each year. At Sunday school, you were given a slip of paper with a Bible verse on it, which you were to memorize for the program. Parents and grandparents were in attendance at the church, which was filled to capacity on that day. Once the program had begun, I kept reciting my part over and over again in my head, only wishing when it came my turn I could pull it off without making a mistake. As it grew closer to my time to shine, I seemed to speed-recite my part over and over in my head. When the time finally came for me to recite my part, I blurted it out like I was on a timer and I never missed a word but if anyone understood what I had said, it would be considered another miracle. Once the program had finished, we were handed a brown lunch sack containing an apple, unsalted peanuts, hard candy including ribbon candy and crème filled chocolate drops. This was a tradition that kicked off Christmas for me and it always reminded me of the real reason we celebrate it. Christmas is not about a big flat screen TV, some sort of electronic game or new clothes it is about the birth of Christ and that is the reason for the season.

This past week, someone managed to take his new Polaris Ranger ATV and his fish house for a swim in the channel by Frank Hall Park. There should be a lesson in there for us somewhere. I had written in a previous column about the DNR guidelines for ice thickness that came with a warning even though the ice is thick in one place it may not be that thick in another. This is definitely true for the channel where there is moving water below the ice, which can erode it from the bottom up. Once again, I would urge everyone to use caution and make sure you know the status of the ice before venturing out. I don’t believe there is a fish that is worth losing a vehicle or even more serious — a life.

For those who will be venturing out, I have heard of some nice panfish being caught on Fountain Lake. There have been a few folks fishing by the beach — this seems to have been a pretty good fishing spot in the past. There are many places to try, but the ice conditions may be unstable with the warming up and cooling down of the temperatures these past few days so be cautious.

I am looking forward to my grandson, Trevor, taking me ice fishing again this hard water season. I have gone ice fishing with him in the past and it is a lot of fun. Of course, it can really be a fun experience when someone else is doing all of the work and all I have to do is show up and fish. It was just a couple of years ago that Trevor took both myself and his grandma fishing on a nice Saturday afternoon.

I have done more ice fishing in the past few years than I have in many previous years. Although I have fished through a hole in the ice, I have yet to pull a fish of any consequence through that hole. A few years ago, my friend, Mark, took me out on Albert Lea Lake to fish from his brother Larry’s fish house. Although we were fortunate enough to see some jumbo perch in that crystal clear water, those big perch had no interest in what we had to offer so it was basically like looking into a large aquarium.

All in all, I have to say that a poor day of fishing is still a great day to be alive. What other sport could convince an old Norwegian like me to sit for hours staring at a hole in the ice waiting for a 6-inch perch to nibble on a minnow?

Until next time, the lakes are frozen over so please exercise caution before venturing out — no fish is worth a life. The early crappie and bluegill fishing has been pretty good on Fountain Lake for those that have chosen to venture out. I hope that everyone had a merry Christmas and wish you a very happy new year.

Please take some time to honor those  have sacrificed so much for the freedoms that we enjoy today. During this holiday season take a little extra time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who served and those troops that are serving today.