Journal of a Minnesota Angler

A few weeks ago, the folks at SmartShield contacted me and asked me to do a review of their sunscreen. While sunscreen isn’t what you think of first when getting gear together to go fishing, it is one of the most important. So I agreed. They sent me a free bottle in the mail last week. Unfortunately, I got my bottle a week too late. If I had received it earlier, I could have brought it with me to Cincinnati and really put it to the test. That week was my first major exposure to ultraviolet... (more...)

I started this blog as a fishing log of sorts to record where I fish, what I fished with, and what I caught. A few months afterward, I stumbled upon an article about fishing logs. The article said I should just do a web search for ‘fishing log’ (now why didn’t I think of that) to find free logs on the web. The first entry from Google was Fish Swami. I was very impressed with how well the site was put together. It was intuitive and easy to use. Within minutes, I was entering... (more...)

The great thing about the being part of the flog community is that if I don’t teach you something, somebody else will. And if you miss it, I can pass it on. The moral of the recent post by Kramer Gone Fishing is simple: Look for something different. I can’t say it any better than he does. Read his article: You already think like a fish… If you like this post, please subscribe to get notifications, or become a fan. AKPC_IDS += "2746,";  Read More →

April is a slow month for fishing in Minnesota because the only species in season are panfish and rough fish. Until I find the best place to go after these off-season species, I have to find something to ramble on about lest you get bored and wonder off. Since I’m daydreaming/night dreaming/pretty much all-the-time dreaming about catching bass, I wanted to show you a cool video. About two months ago, Tyler Brinks posted a very interesting video on his blog showing a fisherman catching a largemouth... (more...)

As if the Hobie Mirage Pro Angler wasn’t cool enough, Hobie recently announced an electric motor that mounts in the MirageDrive well. The motor will work in any of the Hobie kayaks that have MirageDrive and also comes with mounting hardware to fit the Hobie Twist and Stow rudder mechanism. So it works with all Hobie kayaks. This post is a faux review since I haven’t seen the motor in person, or used it yet. This is more an article of impressions. But I thought you might want to know... (more...)

When I was a teenager, I always wore those black ray-ban like sunglasses, but the cheap versions because I always misplaced them. I could never understand my peers who bought $200 brand names. In college, I discovered I needed prescription glasses, so I haven’t been able to wear those cheap sunglasses since. I couldn’t wear them with my glasses and I wasn’t allowed to drive without my prescription, so I have either had prescription sunglasses, or clip-ons. Prescription sunglasses... (more...)

The fluke by Zoom Bait, Inc., and more specifically the super fluke, is a great all-species lure. It’s made more for bass than other species, but all species strike it. The reason is that it looks like a wounded shad when fished correctly. I’ve caught largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, and muskie all on super flukes. Read more on why it’s my favorite lure in my post, “The Magic Lure.” And learn how I rig it in my post “Rigging The... (more...)

I’m in love. I got a chance to try out the new Hobie Mirage Pro Angler tonight at a local lake. Our local dealer takes the entire Hobie line out to local lakes for people to try out. I was able to try the Mirage Pro Angler, the Mirage Outfitter, and Mirage Oasis. I’m not a terribly good swimmer, so while I’m comfortable in a canoe, I’m always a little bit nervous when it gets tippy from activity or choppy waters. There was no such problem with the Pro Angler. At 38″... (more...)

In most human pursuits, people are always looking for the Holy Grail: the system to beat the house at the casino, the club that takes strokes off your golf score, or the pill that helps you lose weight without exercise. Fishing is no different. In fishing, the Holy Grail is in the form of a lure or bait. I used to still fish with a bobber and live bait when I was a kid. Since I picked up fishing again about 9 years ago, I turned into an artificial lure fisherman. I’ve used all kinds of... (more...)