Journal of a Minnesota Angler

Every week, the Outdoor Blogger Network holds a contest and gives away some gear to its members. The catch is that you have to review any product that you win. Back in December, they gave away some really cool ice fishing equipment and I was picked as a winner for the Frabill Pro-Thermal Tip-up Combo. Unfortunately, I only had once chance to use it in December and none in January. I finally got a second chance to use it when my brother was in town recently so I now feel better about doing a review.... (more...)

I was finally able to do some ice fishing last Friday afternoon with my brother, Vince, and a friend of his. Vince was in town to surprise my dad for his milestone birthday. Vince and I spent some time with family (my aunt flew in for the surprise as well) in the morning and met up with his friend later in the afternoon. The three of us didn’t get on the lake until 4pm. When we got to the lake, we found several makeshift ice fishing towns. We picked the one with the most houses and set... (more...)

This past weekend, I had an opportunity to fish two different ice fishing tournaments. The problem was, they were at the same time. So I had to make a choice. I opted for the closer tournament that looked like it might have fewer people. Not to mention that it was for a good cause. The tournament I picked was the Holes for Heroes tournament on Medicine Lake in Plymouth. It was mainly a fundraiser for the Fishing for Life organization, but was also intended to highlight the armed forces and... (more...)

When you mention the word “technology,” computers and electronics generally come to mind. But each field has technology that advances its industry to make things easier and more efficient. Ice fishing is no different. When you talk about technology in ice fishing, you have to talk about Dave Genz. He is widely considered the grandfather of modern ice fishing. He developed the clam shell design for temporary ice fishing shelters, the caddy for Vexilar fish finders (now known as the... (more...)

I’ve been itching to get out on the ice since temps took a dive in early December. It got worse when I won a nice tip-up combo from Frabill and the Outdoor Blogger Network. With my brother home for the holidays, I hoped to get my chance. I finally did the day after Christmas. I met my brother and his friend on White Bear Lake off Bellaire Beach. It seemed like the whole town had the same idea we did. There were probably two dozen ice shacks and another dozen or so groups with no shelters. When... (more...)

Check out this really cool video of Kermit Wick, who turned 101 today. To celebrate, he went ice fishing. What else would a Minnesotan do? He scored a really nice fish. One any angler would be envious of. If you can’t play the video above, try it on the KARE11 web site (in the right column). The story was put together by reporter Boyd Hupert, who occasionally does human interest stories called Land of 10,000 Stories on our local NBC affiliate KARE11. He does a really good job on them.... (more...)

It’s December. Which means it’s winter. Officially. Which means it’s cold. So while most of you are thinking about Christmas shopping (mine is done, by the way), we fisherman are waiting for lakes to freeze over enough to sit on a bucket. While that may be a strange concept to those of you in other parts of the country (like Troutrageous), when you live in Minnesota, it’s a common practice. What else are we fishing addicts supposed to do in the winter? Punching weights... (more...)

I have one final post related to winter before daydreams of open water consume our thoughts. Earlier this week, the Basspastor pointed his readers toward a great blog post that explained why fish die in the winter. Obviously, fish die because they run out of oxygen. But there are many reasons why the oxygen level in a lake or pond can get too low. The author of the post, Nate Herman, does a great job explaining the causes of low oxygen and what you can do about it. He also explains what “turnover”... (more...)

With the memories of below zero (F) temperatures, 12 inch snowfalls, and 6 ft snow drifts quickly fading away, so go the stories of winter. But not before a few of us sneak in a couple more. My friend and colleague who caught his “Fish of a Lifetime” last summer sent me this video of an 18 lb walleye being pulled out of an ice hole in Manitoba. View the video on YouTube if you don’t see the embedded video below. Is it just me or does that walleye look fake? I have several problems... (more...)

With high temps firmly in the 40s degrees F since last Tuesday and my 2009 fishing license expired as of March 1, my inaugural season of ice fishing seems to have come to a end. Here’s a summary of the cold weather fun: Days fished: 7 Fish caught: 8 (1 perch, 7 crappie) Dec 19: First ice fishing outing Ice 6″ thick First ice fish (perch) Jan 24: First time driving on ice Ice 20″ thick Four of us landed 38 Crappie So other than the day Crappie were nearly jumping out of the holes,... (more...)