The sun gleaming from the water, the boat rocking atop the waves, and the fishy smell were all familiar to Aisling Smith. She cast her pole, using her skill, and some hope, to catch a perch. 

Smith, a senior, and her family have taken three trips to Canada, for one reason, fishing. But this past summer, on her third trip to Canada, Smith earned the nickname “Perch Master” due to her immense success at catching perch in Canada. For Smith, her fishing hobby began when she was only 4 years old. 

Mantrap Lodge, Minnesota, was the starting point of Smith’s phenomenal fishing journey. It was a slow one at that; she did not enjoy fishing in the beginning. But as she built up her skills, and traveled to a few places, she began to find the passion that still drives her today. Her love truly kicked off in Canada in 2017. On the lake from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., she was solely casting and reeling repeatedly, building skill with every swing of her pole. These long days were spent with her father and grandfather helping her learn and improve her skills little by little, supporting and motivating her, and sharing their knowledge. 

Smith recalled her first encounter with a sturgeon that summer, “It pulled the boat across the lake since Sturgeon fish can grow to be the size of a school bus.” Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but in reality, sturgeon have grown to be over a thousand pounds and over eleven feet long in Canada. Smith later recounted that they are found in Canada and the Northern U.S. states. She only encounters them while fishing in Canada. The fish are so large that before they break the line, they mercilessly drag the boat across the lake, and these are exactly the fish she goes for. 

The larger the fish, the larger the fight. The exhilarating moments of reeling in a large fish are more than enough motivation to keep Smith going in her fishing hobby. While fishing she has to keep her focus, though the excitement while reeling can try to take her focus from continuing to reel. It’s necessary to keep calm, and save the excitement for after the fish is on your boat, Smith said. 

Spring and summer months are the prime for Smith’s fishing, while at home she enjoys fishing at Cox Lake, Springville. When she improves her skills, here is also where she discovers the different necessary techniques “When I was younger, it wasn’t that great, it was casting it overhead, but as time went on I got better at it,” she said. “It used to be casting overhead, and releasing at the right point to get it far, and now I swing it around in a circle by my side and then cast it.” 

There are many pieces of advice Smith gave, fishing requires a master in the art of patience, knowledge, and judgment. Smith said that it is necessary to pay attention to stringing, hooks, bait, and overall just take the process step-by-step. The technique used is crucial, “They (fish) will snap your line if you give them the chance, so you have to reel in and always be tugging and never give the fish slack,” Smith said.

Smith, with ever-improving skill, continues to push herself while fishing. Her current goal is to catch a ten-inch long perch because that is the length they are safe to clean and eat. After it is achieved, a new goal will be set. After all, she is determined to keep her title as the “Master of Perch.”