No license is needed this weekend for Sask. residents to try their hand at ice fishing. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Dropping a line

Province offers free fishing for Family Day Weekend

Feb 12, 2021 | 2:54 PM

Saskatchewan residents willing to brave the cold, are invited to give ice fishing a try this Family Day weekend.

The province is offering free fishing with no license required on all provincial water bodies outside of the national parks from Feb. 13 to Feb. 15.

Sport fishing specialist with the Ministry of Environment, Murray Koob said the free fishing weekend is offered twice a year and is designed to encourage participation in the outdoors. Many people in the province take an interest in it each year, he said.

“It’s something we get a lot of inquiries about through the year, with both our winter event and summer event,” he said. “It’s really intended to encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and help people recognize, and gain a better understanding of, the importance of our fishery’s resources.”

While a license is not needed for the weekend, all other regulations do still apply. This includes possession limits; the number of species people are allowed in their possession at one time, and reduced limits on some lakes and rivers. Additionally, anyone planning to transport fish outside the province still need to have a valid Saskatchewan angling licence.

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With frigid temperatures expected to continue throughout the region there also remains an important need to bundle up as frostbite can happen very quickly, Koob said.

“We encourage those planning to take advantage of this event to use caution and good judgement,” Koob said. “Always dress warm, and if you’re venturing out on the ice, always be aware of the ice conditions and thickness before traveling on it.”

An ice thickness guideline from the anglers’ guide on the Government of Saskatchewan website. (Submitted photo/Saskatchewan Anglers Guide 2020/21)

A release from the province also suggests participants inform those they trust with the general time and location of where will be fishing and when they plan to return as an added safety measure.

This is the sixth winter free fishing weekend in the province, with summer free fishing weekends dating back to 1989. To learn more about fishing guidelines and safety information, including how to measure ice depth and more, consult the anglers guide on the Government of Saskatchewan website.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1