One of My favorite leisure activities in Minnesota is fishing. I'm no expert and don't even catch alot of fish, as my son's will attest! But I don't really much care. I fish because I enjoy it and have alot of fun doing it. And to me there is nothing more relaxing than setting in my boat out on a lake some where away from the busy humdrum of everyday life. When I'm out fishing, I'm in a place all my own, without a care in the world. My father always tells me "going fishing is the fun...catching fish is a bonus"
My favorite fishing partner is my Dad. He and I can spend hours in a boat together sharing fish stories *believe me, his are better than mine* My Dad has tought me most everything I know about fishing. My other partners are my sons Brian and Matt. Matt doesn't have alot of patience when it comes to fishing and becomes bored rather quickly, but it's still fun to take him along. Brian on the other hand is a fishaholic. If he could, he'd spend every waking moment fishing!
I own a Basstracker Sweet16 boat (a 16 foot V-hull aluminum fishing boat) with a 20 hp Johnson out board motor. It has all the little extras, like fish locators, livewell, and trolling motor. For the type of fishing I do, this is the perfect setup.
Okay, so what type of fishing would that be? In Minnesota there are several species of fish, but the most common ones are the Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskelunge(muskie),Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and the panfish, Crappie, Sunfish, and Yellow Perch. My favorite type of fishing is panfishing. There is no more fun than finding a school of fiesty crappies, or sunfish. And they are great eating. During the hot summer months the fishing slows down a bit. What Brian and I like to do during this time of year is to put an ultralight spinning reel with 2lb or 4lb test fishing line on an 8 foot fly fishing rod. We go down to the Mississippi River and bait our hooks with corn and fish for carp! Believe me if you hook a 10 or 12 pound carp on one of these rigs your in for the fight of your life.
The Walleye is the most popular fish in Minnesota. Every spring (about May 15th), Minnesota has it's fishing opener. This is when the fishing season for many of the game fish opens. Thousands of anglers, men, women, and children, head 'UpNorth' for the sole purpose of catching the elusive walleye. Lakes all over the state are dotted with boats full of fisherpersons testing their skills. People plan for this one weekend of fishing all year, and for many this will be the only time they get out and fish.
Of course, a good portion of the year in Minnesota the lakes are covered with ice. Does that mean the fishing season ends? No way! In the winter we dig out the long underwear, heavy socks, and the ice fishing gear and head out on the ice. We drill holes (usually 8-10 inches in diameter) and fish through the ice. It's a bit more difficult than fishing in the warm months but just as much fun. On many lakes you'll see regular fishing villages. People build ice fishing houses (generally an 8 foot by 8 foot structure) and pull them onto the lake. Several of these houses can be seen clustered together over the fishing hot spots. The fish house is usually heated with some type of portable heater and gives the fisherpersons a place to get out of the wind and cold. They have holes in the floor where you drill your hole through the ice. The more hearty fisherpersons use nothing more than alot of clothes, and a 5 gallon bucket to set on. This gives you much more flexibility to move around the lake and look for the fish. With a fish house you have to hope your on the right spot and wait for the fish to come to you.
Minnesota DNR - Fishing
Fishing News Releases from the Minnesota DNR
Lake Map Finder from the Minnesota DNR
Minnesota Fishing Reports
Fishing Minnesota
Women Anglers of Minnesota
UpNorth Outdoors - Fishing
Minnesota Fishing Resort Guide
Bass Pro Shops tackle, boats and more...
Ol' Paw's Fishin Page hundreds of fishing links
| BACK |