07-11-2004, 09:01 PM
Ron Schara: Summer fun still possible
Ron Schara, Star Tribune
July 7, 2004
Memories don't always serve us well. Especially when we fish memories.
That said, I can't remember a fishing season as weather-plagued as this one.
It was chilly for the season opener and still nasty for Memorial Day weekend.It was cold and rainy nearly every weekend in June, with rivers running high and swift.
Last weekend in northern Minnesota provided the latest bad memory, with cold air blowing straight from the Arctic On Lake Wabedo on July 5, the water surface temperature had not yet reached 70 degrees.
Are you depressed yet?
Surely the weather can't be this awful for the rest of the summer.
Let's gamble. Before winter returns in September, here are five adventures we ought to cast to before this miserable fishing year ends.
1. Float a river: And so many rivers to choose: The Upper St. Croix, the Mississippi River above Elk River, the Root at Lanesboro, the Rum above Milaca, the Cannon below Cannon Falls, the Zumbro, the list goes on. But bear in mind, once you drift a river, catch a smallmouth or 20 and soak in every scenic bend, you'll want to do it again and again.
2. Climb aboard a Lake of the Woods launch boat: If it's late summer and you want to catch a walleye, it's not too late. Call the Baudette, Minn., Chamber of Commerce. Ask about fishing charters or launches. These are large guided fishing boats that provide all gear and bait.
3. Try boat camping in Voyageurs National Park: Spending the night under canvas isn't exactly luxury, but it's fishing we're talking about. The park's many island campsites are ideal for waking up close to a smallmouth hotspot or a walleye reef. If the fish don't bite, head up to the Kettle Falls Hotel where they serve walleye somebody else caught.
4. Wade a trout stream with flyrod in hand: Fly fishing is like floating rivers. If you haven't tried it, you could become addicted. First-timers ought to tag along with a guide who will provide the proper fly fishing outfit plus casting lessons. Call trout guide Wayne Bartz at the Gander Mountain store in Rochester or call the Seven Pines Lodge at Lewis, Wis. (near Siren, Wis.), which has a private trout stream and guides for beginners.
5. Fish Lake Superior: This might be the perfect summer hot spot for Minnesotans as lake trout are biters in July and August in the deep, cold Gitchee Gumee. A number of charter fishing boats for hire are in Duluth. Lake trout populations are high and getting higher.
This fishing season might be different, however. With our long johns still on, we're already dressed for Lake Superior.
[signature]
Ron Schara, Star Tribune
July 7, 2004
Memories don't always serve us well. Especially when we fish memories.
That said, I can't remember a fishing season as weather-plagued as this one.
It was chilly for the season opener and still nasty for Memorial Day weekend.It was cold and rainy nearly every weekend in June, with rivers running high and swift.
Last weekend in northern Minnesota provided the latest bad memory, with cold air blowing straight from the Arctic On Lake Wabedo on July 5, the water surface temperature had not yet reached 70 degrees.
Are you depressed yet?
Surely the weather can't be this awful for the rest of the summer.
Let's gamble. Before winter returns in September, here are five adventures we ought to cast to before this miserable fishing year ends.
1. Float a river: And so many rivers to choose: The Upper St. Croix, the Mississippi River above Elk River, the Root at Lanesboro, the Rum above Milaca, the Cannon below Cannon Falls, the Zumbro, the list goes on. But bear in mind, once you drift a river, catch a smallmouth or 20 and soak in every scenic bend, you'll want to do it again and again.
2. Climb aboard a Lake of the Woods launch boat: If it's late summer and you want to catch a walleye, it's not too late. Call the Baudette, Minn., Chamber of Commerce. Ask about fishing charters or launches. These are large guided fishing boats that provide all gear and bait.
3. Try boat camping in Voyageurs National Park: Spending the night under canvas isn't exactly luxury, but it's fishing we're talking about. The park's many island campsites are ideal for waking up close to a smallmouth hotspot or a walleye reef. If the fish don't bite, head up to the Kettle Falls Hotel where they serve walleye somebody else caught.
4. Wade a trout stream with flyrod in hand: Fly fishing is like floating rivers. If you haven't tried it, you could become addicted. First-timers ought to tag along with a guide who will provide the proper fly fishing outfit plus casting lessons. Call trout guide Wayne Bartz at the Gander Mountain store in Rochester or call the Seven Pines Lodge at Lewis, Wis. (near Siren, Wis.), which has a private trout stream and guides for beginners.
5. Fish Lake Superior: This might be the perfect summer hot spot for Minnesotans as lake trout are biters in July and August in the deep, cold Gitchee Gumee. A number of charter fishing boats for hire are in Duluth. Lake trout populations are high and getting higher.
This fishing season might be different, however. With our long johns still on, we're already dressed for Lake Superior.
[signature]