A perfect combo: fish and kids; Take A Kid Fishing Weekend includes Alexandria event

Blake Wilson of Barrett keeps a watchful eye on his bobber while ice fishing for rainbow trout Saturday during the Viking Sportsmen's Take a Kid Fishing Weekend at the Harry Bemo pond in Alexandria. Blake said he started fishing two summer ago and now he can't stop. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

By Al Edenloff

January 15, 2022 at 1:05 PM

More than 100 kids fished for something that you don't normally find in Douglas County waters -- rainbow trout.

It was all part of Take a Kid Fishing Weekend, Jan. 15-16.

Sponsored by the Viking Sportsmen and Alexandria Public Schools Community Education, the event took place on Harry Bemo pond near the Lure Lake Bar in Alexandria. The sportsmen stocked the pond with about 450 rainbow trout, and quite a few of the fish were hauled up through the ice.

Kailee Moran, left, and Olive Smith, both of Garfield, show the rainbow trout they caught on the Harry Bemo pond Saturday. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

"It was a fantastic event," said Chris Kleine with the Viking Sportsmen. "Kids were catching fish and there were a lot of excited faces. We had a lot of novice or first-timers, along with some who have been fishing for awhile."

Kleine said he saw one woman with two boys tear into a packet of ice fishing rods and asked if anyone knew how they worked. "I told her that she came to the right spot," Kleine said.

Addison Pesta and her father, Tyler, of Long Prairie wait for a bite during Take A Kid Fishing Weekend in Alexandria. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

The event ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. As part of Minnesota's Take a Kid Fishing Week, no licenses were needed for kids or adults.

KidsFishing 6401.jpg — Levi Walter of Villard patiently waits for a fish to swim by during the Take a Kid Fishing Weekend. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

Wax worms were provided by Christopherson Bait Shop in Alexandria. Raffle prizes and a fishing clinic were also offered.

This isn't the first time the Viking Sportsmen have stocked trout. They began an effort in 2019 to put brown and rainbow trout in the creek at Spruce Hill County Park.

KidsFishing 6425.jpg — Axel Anderson of Kensington receives some help from his friend's mother, Amanda Raze of Barrett, at Saturday's fishing event, sponsored by the Viking Sportsmen and Alexandria Public Schools Community Education. Axel, 13, said he's been fishing his whole life. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

Kleine said the trout stocking effort at the park is going well.

"It caught the attention of the DNR," he said. "They may put some more trout in there this year or next year."

KidsFishing 6438.jpg — A group of brothers, sisters and cousins check out a fish locator at the Take A Kid Fishing event. They included Lincoln Glenn, Aubrey Berg, Penny Glenn, John Bierschbach and Brody Bierschbach from the Melrose area. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

The Viking Sportsmen will likely offer Take a Kid Fishing again next winter.

"It's a great opportunity for kids to learn about fishing in a semi-controlled environment," Kleine said.

KidsFishing 6458.jpg — More than 100 children participated in the Take a Kid Fishing event at the Harry Bemo pond north of Alexandria over last weekend. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

Dozens of kids fished for rainbow trout on the Harry Bemo pond in Alexandria Saturday afternoon, Jan. 15. Sunny skies took some of the sting away from the single-digit temperatures. Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

By Al Edenloff

Al Edenloff is the editor of the twice-weekly Echo Press. He started his journalism career when he was in 10th grade, writing football and basketball stories for the Parkers Prairie Independent.

A perfect combo: fish and kids; Take A Kid Fishing Weekend includes Alexandria event

Kids reeled in quite a few rainbow trout Saturday, thanks to Viking Sportsmen members who stocked the lake for free.