Fishing holds great memories in my family - I remember many winter evenings through the 60s and 70s, Grandpa stopping by just as it was getting dark bringing with him a 5 gallon pail of freshly caught plump perch, maybe a walleye or two and then Dad setting up at the kitchen counter to do the cleaning. My Dad still cleans fish like no one else. No bones, ever. And in the summer, sitting on the dock in the wee morning hours, casting a cane pole with a frog or minnow for bait, waiting for the bobber to go under. Cousins, brothers and sisters, kids, now grandkids - we all have our fishing moments and stories. Favorite times on Big Stone Lake. Healthy times, getting to know one another, spend some time, work out a grudge or make up for lost time. Good times, from dusk to dawn. So, to fish or not to fish is not the question.

 

However, these days, we have to wonder...should we eat the fish? What about the mercury? To help you make up your mind, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) has a one-page outline on Eating Fish: Health Benefits and Risks (PDF) and a doctor with the world renowned Mayo Clinic writes that eating fish helps your heart. Medscape Today also touts that theHealth Benefits of Eating Fish Outweighs Risks. So go ahead (smile), head for Big Stone Lake and enjoy your fishing! I plan to do so with my dad come warmer weather. But to play it safe, check out The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources lake information report for Big Stone Lake to see what fish you should avoid eating because of mercury or PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls)contamination.