Journal of a Minnesota Angler

It has been widely reported that, by Minnesota law, permanent/unattended ice houses in the Southern two-thirds of Minnesota will have had to be off the ice by midnight, March 1. The Northern third of Minnesota has until March 15. The Waseca County News reported the same in their own article. But what made the Waseca County News article interesting is their warning about driving on ice. They said the following: The DNR recommends vehicles stay off the ice for 24 hours after a cold snap, as a rapid... (more...)

This week, the average daily temperature in Minnesota rises above 30 degrees F and signals the beginning of the end of ice fishing season. Ice thicknesses are still in the 2 ft range, but will start to thin and become dangerous in a matter of weeks. As the season winds down, I thought it might be a good idea to document some of the things I’ve learned about ice fishing equipment this season. I’m obviously just a rookie when it comes to ice fishing, but when it comes to equipment, temperatures... (more...)

Fishing Jones celebrated the New Year by posting 5 steps to making your own rod tube: Go to hardware store. Buy PVC stuff. Glue PVC stuff together. Breathe in PVC Glue, depress nervous system. Adorn with accumulated stickers. Simple, yet effective. Time to take a trip to the hardware store. But I think I’ll replace step 4 with:     4. Spray paint. The smell of the spray paint will likely have the same effect as the PVC glue. I’ll also have to add:     4.a.... (more...)

The fluke by Zoom Bait, Inc., and more specifically the Zoom 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... (more...)

I was asked recently by a friend how I rig my Magic Lure, the Zoom Super Fluke. I sent my friend some pictures and thought I would use them here to illustrate the technique. The super fluke can be rigged a variety of ways, but I like to use a Texas rig. It gives a nice action to the lure and is weedless, so it doesn’t get hung up in the weeds. I was taught to use a 4/0 Gamakatsu offset shank worm EWG hook. I’ve not really strayed from that hook because it has served me well. I’ve... (more...)

Date: 8/8/2009 Time: 2-5pm Body of water: Bald Eagle Lake Location: White Bear Lake, MN Weather Conditions: rain in the morning, afternoon sun, rain again after 4pm I ran into Mark on the way out to look at the Hobie Mirage Pro Angler (I REALLY want one of those now). He said he tried to call me at about 9:30am to go fishing, but I never received his call. It turned out to be a good thing because it started pouring rain shortly thereafter. But he was interested in going out that afternoon. He... (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...)

For you more experienced anglers, what I’m about to say is going to come out of the “well, duh” category of fishing. But to those of us that haven’t had the privilege, you don’t know what you’re missing til you’ve got it. So here goes… If you have a boat and are going to fish with it, invest in a good, color, fish finder. You shouldn’t need to spend more than $400 for a decent one, but put in the extra money for color if you can afford it.... (more...)

I’m not a professional by any means, but I know what’s worked for me. I plan to post some tips and tricks here that I’ve learned over the years. Coming soon… Share this:FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLike this:Like Loading... Read More →