ABOUT THE PHOTOS:

Top to bottom: During a recent ice fishing trip to South Dakota with his grandfather Bruce Grow, Zachary Drum, right, landed a 22-pound catfish. Zachary is pictured with his friend, Hunter Greve, who accompanied them on the trip with Hunter's dad, Brian Greve.

Kyle Hanson caught this walleye on Lake of the Woods last July.

Mitchell Sueker, right, and Grandpa Harley show off a sunnie. (Submitted photos / illustration by Per Peterson)

Kyle Hanson can remember the length of the walleye he caught on Lake of the Woods last year and its weight. He can tell you who he was fishing with and where. And if you ask, he can probably tell you what he was wearing, too.

And this was about 10 months ago — proof that when it comes to kids and fishing, the memories made while trolling on a boat or dropping a line off a simple fishing pier can last a lifetime.

“My dad had to hold the rod, because it felt like a snag, but it was a fish,” Hanson said about his big catch, which has since been mounted where he can proudly display it in his home in Marshall. “I was really excited when my dad yelled that it was a fish.”

The big catch — a 29 1/2-inch, 10-pound walleye — was part of the 10-year-old’s victory that day. It seems when the family gets together up north, they like to break up into teams and go head-to-head to see who can bring in the most fish. And Kyle’s put them over the top.