My name is Shu-Mon Mok, the founder of Fishing Prairie and Shield. Here I will be sharing my angling journey to the world.
The Beginnings
I was born in Canada to immigrant parents. My parents fortunately had outdoors experience before I was born so as I grew up doing camping trips across Manitoba. Most of the time we did sightseeing but then one trip when I was 12 years old, I wanted to try fishing. We went to Steep Rock on Lake Manitoba. My parents didn’t fish but they did happen to have a rod and reel for us to use. On the public dock I learned from the other kids to catch fish. I caught a perch, my very first fish. That was the start of a new chapter in my life.
Over the years my dad (who didn’t fish) would drive me across southern Manitoba and leave me on the shore while I fished. I can’t remember much from this era but I recall many unsuccessful trips with a few fish here and there. I learned everything on my own. I didn’t make much progress but I still had good memories of catching fish.
The Cabin and Ice Fishing
When I was 16, my family purchased a cabin in the Whiteshell Provincial Park. It was a lakefront property with a dock, though no boat (though we would get a small boat a few years later). At the time I thought it was the best place on Earth (and still is to me). Off the dock there were just enough northern pike and walleye to keep a kid occupied.
Around this time I wanted to get into ice fishing. At the time I had one rod, hand auger and a tiny shelter. I would fish in front of our cabin with only a few small pike to show for my efforts. I didn’t even know about heaters at the time but fortunately I would just come into the cabin when I got cold.
Over time I started to get more advanced in ice fishing. I would eventually get a heater and electronics. I started to meet some friends during my university years that would be valuable to my development. Results started getting better though there was still a long way to go.
Working Up North
I always wanted to work in northern Manitoba as it kept hearing about the wonderful fishing up there. For two summers during my university years, I signed up to be a dishwasher in a highly luxurious fishing lodge in northern Manitoba. I knew the work would probably be hard but I thought I would at least get to fish. Due to the work schedule, I was rarely able to fish with the guides and I would spend my free time fishing off the dock for small pike and walleye. For a young and ambitious kid, hearing about the guests and coworkers slaying giants was pretty hard on my mental health.
Although it was a difficult time, I did earn lots, even as a dishwasher. Luxurious fishing resorts have many rich Americans tipping highly. I was fortunate to be included in the tip pool which led me to have large savings for a kid. I connected with several of the guides which would turn out to be useful years down the road.
After I realized that if I were to pursue my dreams, I would need to become a fishing guide. I quit dishwashing and started to look for guiding jobs elsewhere. After being rejected by many places due to my lack of experience, I eventually found a position as a guide in Northwest Ontario. This was a budget fly-in lodge where the guests were not as rich. I slept in a wooden shack and earned far less. Despite that it was one of the better summers for me. I learned a lot about boating and fishing which were extremely valuable skills.
My First Boat
The next step would be to buy a decent boat for myself. At this point I graduated from university and was working full time. Eventually after months of searching I found the boat that I needed. It was an old beat-up Lund Pro Guide but it did what I needed to do.
I used my savings from my dishwasher days to purchase this boat. I felt like because I was so unhappy during that time, I would at least try to make something good come out of it. I’m also glad that I took a summer to learn a lot of boating skills. In the fall of 2018, I became a proud boat owner.
Many adventures were had in this boat. I’ve taken it to tiny trout lakes to trolling big lakes for muskies. I went all across Manitoba catching all sorts of species. Even Ontario and Minnesota were paid visits.
Becoming a Sled Owner
Ice fishing was always tough due to only having trucks for mobility. Trucks cannot traverse deep snow or ice ridges very well and they certainly cannot get into the backcountry. Eventually I got myself a sled in the winter of 2021, a Polaris 550 LXT IQ.
With the sled, I’ve been visiting many new bodies of water. It made me realize how much there is left to discover right under our noses.
The Future
My fishing career definitely had lots of difficulties but I see many good things happening in the future. I’ve got a long ways ahead so at some point I’ll be updating this bio.
Check out my Instagram: @istyleonfish
