Fishing tales with local Tik Tok sensation

Rylan Parrott shares equipment tips, season styles, and how he wound up catching pike in his underwear

Fishing is a pastime for a lot of people, and a hobby to enjoy with family and friends. It is used for an adventure and a way to escape reality. For Rylan Parrott, it is a great way to meet others, have fun, create funny Tik-Tok videos, and to beat provincial records. The Carillon did an interview with him to give you insight on his experience catching some crazy fish.

How long have you been fishing for and where did you get your passion from?

Parrott’s passion began when he was 10 years old. It all started on a school a trip where he noticed how cool the water fountain was in the middle of a lake. “Then instantly the thought of going fishing emerged in my head and I haven’t look back since.”

Your fishing series seems professional, fun, and like you are willing to risk a lot for this sport. Do you have any sponsor or workmanship/jobs that you have partnered with over the years?

Parrott has been lucky to meet so many people that love fishing just like he does. During his fishing experience, he has had the opportunity to partner with both FXR pro-fish and Cabela’s Canada. This gave him the opportunity to connect with many other fishermen, or as he would say, “diehard outdoorsman, and show my love of fishing on a greater scale!”

If there was one person you could thank for helping you to gain this much experience, who would it be?

It is simply impossible to thank one person. Parrott has met so many people in-person and virtually over the years of fishing who have grown his knowledge of fishing immensely. The best part of fishing and meeting new people is that there is always something to learn, and you can never stop learning. Whether it be a technique, a spot, species, or any other aspect, this is a sport that is and can be for everyone. Parrott has seen it himself and experienced it with others. Fishing is a sport that thousands of people have a passion for, and it has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic as it’s easy to distance while participating.

Now, there are two seasons of fishing: summer and winter. Which is your favourite season to fish and why?

The answer is summer fishing. The reasoning for this is pretty standard because, really, who likes to sit in negative 30-degree Celsius and drill never– ending ice holes? Even if it is rewarding at a point, you’re still fighting those nasty winds to catch a killer fish.

What are some simple supplies you would recommend to our readers to make sure you have for each season that make fishing fun and easy?

Start it off simple. For summer fishing, go to Cabela’s and get a simple rod for around $20 with a nice pickerel rig, night crawlers, and you are set for a good start. As a substitute, you can get a classis bobber. This is a bonus because you can sit back, watch the kids play, and when the bobber goes down, that’s your moment!

Winter fishing is a little tougher. First, you need an auger to get through the ice, though you can go from electric to hand crank, depending on your budget. Once you have an auger you just use your rod with a jig head and a minnow, and you are set – or you can set up a tip up, which is commonly used for pike and bigger fish.

“The nice thing about fishing in Saskatchewan lakes is that they won’t break the bank. Once you get live bait on the hook you can sit back and relax, and they will do the work for you!”

What is one method of fishing you personally enjoy?

“I personally love to use big mackerel from Superstore with a big hook, and lay it just under the ice. The best part of using a tip up is that there is a flag attached. So, you wait around until that flag goes up in the air – then it’s game on!” Parrott’s go-to fishing method in the Saskatchewan winters is with two lines. One with a minnow on your rod, then the second with that tip up in the shallower water to catch a crazy pike.

What is a funny story that you would like to share with our readers?

This past winter, Parrott created a crazy memory that went viral on social media. It involved drilling a hole that was about 15 feet wide in his ice shack where he could literally see the fish swimming right under. “At the end of the day I decided we should make a video of myself jumping in. I jumped into the freezing cold water cannonball style! While I was changing my clothes, I checked outside on my tip up and my flag was up. So, out of pure instinct, I jumped out the shack in my underwear and sprinted to the tip up, and caught a big pike!” Hours later Parrott and his buddy uploaded a video to Tik Tok where it received roughly 25 million views, and over 120 million views on other social media platforms.

You have recently travelled to BC to catch some white sturgeon. Can you tell us about this fishing experience and what it is like to catch these enormous fish?

Parrott remembers watching television when he was young and seeing people catching these fish, hoping this would be him one day. One day in July, Parrott and his mom went out, and it was all he dreamed of. The two-day trip got them over 14 fish, each over seven feet long. The crazy part about these fish is that they can jump up to five feet in the air, and when you see fish jump out of the water, it truly makes you go “wow.” Parrott was lucky enough himself at one point to catch a 10-foot white sturgeon.

What are some species that you are currently on the hunt for?

One on his bucket list is to travel to the Yukon and catch a native arctic or a musky in the Great Lakes.

What is an ordinary species that you have caught in the Saskatchewan Lakes?

A brown bullhead that was over five inches, making a provincial record!

What is your ultimate favourite catch that you have made?

The best and favourite catch was the 10-foot Sturgeon on his BC trip. “The sheer power and wow factor of those fish will keep me coming back for more and more!”

If these crazy fun fishing stories do not make you want to go fishing, the Carillon does not know what will! Fishing is a great sport and hobby no matter where you are in Canada; whether you’re catching some walleye in the Saskatchewan lakes or catching huge white sturgeon in BC.