Journal of a Minnesota Angler

Sometimes Mother Nature creates contradictions that some might call an oxymoron. A common example of this is known as a sun-shower (rain while it the sun is shining). A happy consequence of such an occurrence is a rainbow. If you’re lucky, you might see a double rainbow. This past weekend, with the sudden change in temperature, it seems Winter and Spring collided and produced a different kind of oxymoron: 70 degree temperatures with ice still on local lakes. The consequence of this contradiction... (more...)

After a snow-crazy April, Spring came in like a lion. We went from 3″ of snow dropping on us on Monday (and 7″ the week before), to 70 degree temps 3 days in a row. With that, Spring made its presence known and Ice Out Watch 2013 can now begin in earnest. Unlike last year when ice out took a matter of days across the state, this year, anglers are nervous about whether ice out would happen in time for Fishing Opener. A conversation with a resident of Park Rapids, MN yesterday revealed... (more...)

While the recent weather hasn’t indicated that it is Spring, Mother Nature continues to show signs that it is on its way. The sun is showing itself a little more often, weather forecasters are predicting temps in the 50s (F) next week (we’ll ignore the snow predicted tonight), and Spring babies are starting to appear. We saw proof of that last sign when a pair of bald eagles in Central Minnesota welcomed an eaglet to their home 75 feet in the air. The “birth” was broadcast... (more...)

It’s been a weird Spring in Minnesota, even by Minnesota standards. Our average high these days is in the mid-50s, but we’ve only had one or two 50 degree F highs so far this year. And now, we’re expected to get 6-10 inches of snow by noon tomorrow. And the chances of it is 100%. By mid-March last year, the ice was gone and we had already seen 80 degrees. This year, it’s nearly mid-April and the ice just started showing signs of receding from shore. What a difference... (more...)

As much as I’m into fishing, I don’t really get into the pro tournaments. I don’t follow the pro anglers or the tours. As such, I don’t fish tournaments myself. Fishing is an enjoyable recreational activity for me and I don’t know that I could take the pressure. However, the folks in the blogosphere have taken it upon themselves to have virtual tournaments throughout the year. The WalleyeGuy has his Walleyepalooza Fishing Derby and aquaFire Fishing started a fishing... (more...)

Happy New Year! After getting home late from my neighborhood New Year’s Party, I had to take some time to wind down before going to bed, so I actually put some thought into my goals this year (unlike last year). I still have some carryover from last year, but added some new ones: Visit Mille Lacs during ice fishing season Do a blog post about an ice fishing mansion Fish open water during ice fishing season (yes, that is possible) Help MNAngler, Jr. catch his first bass on a lure Improve... (more...)

As usual, Lego League and the holidays kept me from thinking about fishing during the last few months of the year. Looking back at 2012 and the year, I did a lot more fishing than I expected and accomplished a number of my fishing goals for the year. The goals I met were: Fish at least once a month during open water bass season Float tube at least four times during open water season Catch a bass on 4 different plastic lures (color doesn’t count) Catch a bass on 6 different lures (plastic lures... (more...)

This post is a review for the third Mystery Tackle Box I received in October, 2012. See my Mystery Tackle Box review post for a full review of the service. On this last day of October, I figured I better get my review of my October Mystery Tackle Box out before the month changes over. I apologize for being a bit late with this review. I received my latest Mystery Tackle Box while I was on vacation and have been busy catching up on work and housework ever since. Once again, Mystery Tackle Box... (more...)

I guess I should be careful when I publish a post where I am required to publish a follow-up. A few weeks ago, I posted my second Avid Angler Challenge and promised my answer “in the next few days.” Obviously, that didn’t work out too well. Publishing the post just a few days before leaving on vacation is not such a good idea. However, I have no excuses since I’ve been back for 10 days. So without further adieu… If you’re a regular reader of my blog, my answer... (more...)

The Avid Angler Challenge is a meme that issues a periodic challenge to frequent anglers. See the guidelines for how to answer the challenge. In my first Avid Angler Challenge, I asked you to restrict yourself to five lures. Now I’m going to put the screws to you a little more, but ease up a bit on the restrictions: If you could use only one lure for the rest of your life, which one would you choose? Your answer should follow the following guidelines: A lure is anything that contains a... (more...)