Returning the Favor, and Passing It On

My dad, Frank, introduced me to fishing at a young age, and I’ve followed his lead by doing the same for my two sons, Elliott (14) and Luke (12). I’ll never forget the annual fishing trips to Canada with Dad when I was their age.

The author (right) and his dad during a trip to Canada in the late 1970s.

To make sure my kids have similar great memories, I recently planned a family fishing adventure to the Red River near Winnipeg, Manitoba. I also invited my dad. After all the time, effort and money he spent bringing me to Canada, returning the favor was the least I could do, and I knew he’d have a great time fishing with his grandsons.

I booked 2 full days of guiding with Donovan Pearase of Blackwater Cats. For those unfamiliar with this area, the Red River near Winnipeg is the best trophy channel catfish location on the planet. And through diligent online research and sending a few emails to persons I know in the fishing industry, it became apparent that Donovan is the best of the best.

Of course, as with fair-chase hunting, there are no guarantees when it comes to fishing. But thankfully the fishing gods were smiling on the Maas boys. During day No. 1, Elliott, Luke and my dad landed 17 channel cats, with 9 of them qualifying for Manitoba Master Angler Awards (34 inches or more). The longest cat went to Elliott at 36 inches; heaviest to Luke at 23 pounds.

Guide Donovan Pearase (right) and Frank Maas with one of many Manitoba Master Angler channel catfish.

Round two on the Red was even better. Donovan kept grinding it out by moving frequently, experimenting with baits (cisco, goldeye, frogs, beef liver and shrimp). By the end of the day, our boat (four anglers) landed 27 cats. I jumped in the rotation to catch one, and my dad caught two, but otherwise we let the kids handle the heavy lifting.

Luke Maas with a 38-inch Red River cat weighing 26 pounds 5 ounces.

In the end, both boys had landed their heaviest catfish of the trip: Luke with a fish weighing 26 pounds 5 ounces (photo above), and Elliott with a monster 27-pounder (pic below).

The heaviest cat landed during the family’s 2-day trip to Manitoba; Elliott with a 27-pounder.

Get this: In 2 days, we landed 44 channel cats, 22 of which qualify for Manitoba’s Master Angler program. We brought to the boat about 800 pounds of catfish in 2 days!

Add this trip to your bucket list. Period. And FYI: As I write this in early September, I know that the fishing is fantastic, and Blackwater Cats has openings!

I’ll never forget this adventure, and the same is true for my dad and sons. It’s all about passing it on.

Dave Maas

Dave Maas is currently a writer for OutdoorHub who has chosen not to write a short bio at this time.