Fishing Log: Carver Lake -- Woodbury, MN

I've always been hesitant to give an answer when the following question comes up:

"Would you rather catch a bunch of small- to average-sized fish throughout a fishing trip or rather catch just a few really superb fish?"

Lots of the time, I feel like all I want to do is catch fish, and whether those are small or large, I don't really care. But then there are other days, when all I want to feel is a 5 pound weight on the end of my line, even if it means using larger lures and decreasing the breadth of your net. This past trip, I definitely leaned toward the latter.

It was a sunny afternoon without a cloud in the sky when I headed to Carver Lake on the southern edge of Woodbury, MN. There is no public boat landing, and access to the lake is tough. I had to carry my kayak from the parking lot a good quarter mile to the beach where I was able to put-in. This distance made me wonder if anybody really brings canoes or kayaks down to the water. I certainly thought more than once about turning around and heading up to Powers Lake, only a short drive away. However, a lack of fishing pressure made me optimistic about Carver Lake's potential.

Once I put in, I paddled across the entirety of the 60 acre lake to reach the Western shore. I located a bay surrounded by cattails and bulrush, and decided to work my way into the middle of it. As I eased in, several large fish sitting on the surface made ripples as they darted into the weeds sitting only 10 inches under the water. This made me quite optimistic for the first few casts. However, I wasn't using the proper gear, as I would quickly find out.

I still had my ultralight rod and reel rigged up with a Strike King KVD squarebill 1.0 crankbait that had caught me the 3 nice bass on Powers Lake a few days earlier. Since I wanted to get started fishing, I casted towards the mouth of the bay, and cranked it down to a depth of about 2 feet before letting it rise a bit and then cranking some more. A couple of casts later and I felt a sharp tug on the bait and then the whole operation fell loose. A weightless reel-in presented me with exactly what I expected; a frayed line and a lost lure. I take time with my knots so I know it wasn't a knot-break and no bass could've ripped it off without me feeling more of a fight, this was a clean bite-through of the 6-pound ultralight line; a pike. Not having my pike rod rigged up, I decided to switch to my baitcasting outfit rigged up with a small chuggin-mouth variety Spro frog. I casted a bit into the cattails and hopped the frog out from the cover into open water; I've managed to perfect a nice hopping-motion which involves drawing the line taught and then jerking up quickly with the rod. This is a very realistic presentation for a frog moving in cover. No bites or strikes, but I certainly loved the action the popper-style mouth added to an already splashy frog design.

Heddon Zara Spook.

A half hour of no bites along the weed edges and increased wind from the west made me head around a point and work my way back into a secluded northern bay where the wind wasn't putting a chop on the water, in contrast to the eastern edge of the lake. I took out my biggest bass lure, a Heddon Zara Spook, and rigged it up on my medium-heavy tackle. 14-pound monofilament would probably do much better against toothy pike, was my thinking. I kept my kayak about 30 yards from shore and casted inwards, aiming for downed trees or obvious cover spots. The heavy weight of a large, cigar-shaped lure like the Spook means that with just a bit of practice, you can have pinpoint accuracy in casting.

After about a half hour of me working my way along the shore, moving slowly northwards, I was just beginning to think maybe the Spook was too big for any predators to take a bite at considering the water temperature was still hovering in the high 50's. Right then, I was greeted with a sight for sore eyes; a big-bodied 30-plus inch pike bursting from underneath a downed hemlock going airborne after my lure. This pike made my heart race like it hasn't in a very long time. The fish went under and I felt my line go tight for only a second, and then -- slack. The lure rose to the surface. Figuring maybe it would strike again, I quickly re-engaged the 'walk the dog' technique and crossed my fingers for another chance.

No more strikes came against the Spook, but it definitely reminded me of why I love that lure: the strikes may not be numerous, but they are dramatic and they always come from big fish. A bit of sadness of missing out on such a large fish began to come over me when I casted again and again around the hemlock and surrounding downed trees hoping to elicit just one more strike from the monster of the bay. A large mature fish like that learns quickly, and rather than pressure him too hard, I decided I would target him another day.

I was about three quarters of my way around the bay when I made the switch over to a 1.5-sized Strike King KVD squarebill crank in Firetiger, this time a bit bigger and on my pike rod. Walking the dog is a strenuous activity on the arms, and one can only do it from a kayak for so long. Long casts in shore and then outwards along the sloping rocky points with the crank yielded me no catch for the first 20 minutes or so. The sun was beginning to set and I had a half hour of toting gear around the park before I could get headed back, so I didn't have much longer left to fish. I began to wonder if the long walk with all of my gear and my 60-pound kayak on my shoulder was going to leave me with nothing to show for my day on the water other than two encounters with pike. I had no strikes in the bay, and worked my way out to the main lake, planning to slink my way along the north shore back to the beach, essentially doing a big circle throughout the day.

Just outside of the mouth of the bay, I casted the large crank into an opening between two trees. The lure was only in the water a couple of seconds before I felt a weight on the end of my line. No sharp tug like before, but rather just a sense of heaviness. I jerked upwards to set the hook in whatever had struck at my lure, and the line went slack.

Personal Best Largemouth.

"It couldn't be," I thought to myself. I had already lost the pike, and now this mystery fish. I exhaled, and casted right back into the same spot. This time, it was clear; a lunker bass snatched the lure off the surface only a split second after it landed. I must have practically hit the largemouth on the head with my cast! I quickly set the hook and reeled to pull the behemoth out from the cover. The hook was set this time, the only way it could be lost again would be if he managed to wrap my line around some weeds or tree limbs, and I was determined to not let that happen. A quick fight ended with me hoisting the 4.5 pound, 21" personal best largemouth into my kayak. The Fenwick HMX spinning rod in medium-heavy had the perfect amount of backbone to horse him out of the cover, while my Mitchell Avocet Gold IV reel has an excellent drag system that quickly tired out the stunner. A couple of quick photos later, and he was released into the water, free to spawn and make thousands of little versions of himself.

Only a couple of bites were had in the three hours I fished Carver Lake in Woodbury. However, all of the bites had character and a good fish on the other end of them. It's a terribly tough lake to get a boat into, but there are ample shore fishing opportunities. I'd recommend the lake, and I plan to go again sometime soon when I'm feeling ambitious enough to make the trek with my kayak.

Fishing Log: Powers Lake -- Woodbury, MN

As Etta James so eloquently said, "at last."

Yesterday's plans included a fishing trip in the evening somewhere in Woodbury, MN. I wanted to target a smaller pond, after having no action on Lake Marion. Well, mother nature had different plans. A downpour started mid-morning and poured on and off for the rest of the day. On top of that, gusting winds reaching over 25 miles per hour kept me off the water for the day. Certainly not weather for fishing, that's for sure.

On Tuesday, May 20th, I awoke to gorgeous fishing weather. I stepped outside to start loading up my kayak to find the air stickier than epoxy. The humidity level was hovering around 90%. Temps were sitting in the 60's around 9pm, but they were sure to rise as the sun grew higher in the sky. I decided to head to Powers Lake in suburban Woodbury, Minnesota.

Powers Lake is 60 acres in size, with a maximum depth of 41 feet. It felt slightly warmer than other waters I have fished so far, with the water probably hovering around 52 or 53 degrees. The slightly warmer water increased my optimism for the day. I decided to target the northern end of the lake and then work my way down the northeastern shore of the lake, looking for pike and bass in the shallows.

Not a single gust of wind.

Upon arriving at the landing, I found placid water with a faint fog sitting over it. There wasn't a pip of wind to be felt for the first hour or so. Normally, I would've gone on a topwater frenzy with these kind of conditions, but the cold water didn't really help my case there. There were countless mosquitoes sitting on the surface, with no bites coming after them. If these insects felt comfortable sitting on the surface, no popper I had in my tackle box would do me any good. I targeted downed trees and other cover with a Mepps "aglia" spinner for awhile, with no reaction. I then put on a Rapala crankbait in "purpledescent" color pattern, casting out from shore into deeper water hoping to find suspended pike. A switch to the same Husky Jerk I used on Lake Marion yielded no fish either. The north end of the lake was crystal clear down to 5 or 6 feet, and with the help of polarized sunglasses I would have been able to see anything moving around. An hour or so of no results made me abandon the northern end and decide to explore the northeastern shore.

Another hour and a half of no results along the northeastern shore had me as frustrated as I've ever been fishing. I was trying everything I had in my tackle box; spinners, swim jigs, swimbaits, Senko worms both wacky-rigged and Texas-rigged, spoons, and jerk baits, among others. After three hours of futility, I decided that it probably wasn't the baits that I was using, or the way I was presenting those lures, but that most likely I just wasn't where the fish were. With such clear water, I should have at least seen a few largemouths in the shallows on spawning beds. Almost ready to throw in the towel, I decided to cut across the lake and fish the south shore, heading north towards the fishing pier.

First bass of the day: 12 inches.

I reached the other shore and rigged up a square-bill Strike King KVD crankbait on my ultralight setup. I chose to go with an orange crawfish pattern, figuring that this would be the most realistic bait choice up close to shore for largemouth. A dozen casts later and I hooked up my first fish of the spring from my kayak, a 12-inch largemouth. I used a method of continuous retrieve, pulling my rod tip up and then letting it down slowly to add even more action to the lure. The KVD crank has a distinct tight wobble, with a darting side to side action when the rod tip is jerked. A bit later I snagged another this way, drawing him out of the reeds. The water clarity aided me in seeing him dart out from the weeds to nab the crankbait as it shimmied past the cover. The excellent factory hooks on the crank hooked him on both sides of the mouth, allowing for an easy retrieve.

Lastly, I passed the fishing pier and wanted to cast just a few more times up near a culvert leading to an overflow area. I figured that there was a chance a big pig was hanging to the edge of the culvert looking for easy pickings heading to and from the drainage ditch. I pitched the crank right up to the mouth of the passageway, and quickly dove it down deep with a hard jerk to my left. It hit like a train, peeling drag off of my ultralight reel. For a couple moments, I was

Best of the day.

worried I had snagged a pike, figuring it would bite off the crank from the 6-lb test in a second or two. Just after thinking this I was greeted with a dramatic jump from the lunker at the other end of my line, a 16-inch largemouth. A drawn out fight ended with me pulling him into the kayak, with most of the work being done by the drag-system. I've never had a bass take 3 full, separate runs of drag from my reel, but this one did. A quick measurement and photo in the boat, and then he was ready to be released, unharmed.

The lake didn't follow the script that I had planned for it, but perseverance ultimately yielded me with two respectable bass and one nice lunker. A great day on Powers Lake was had with perfect weather throughout. As the spring turns to summer, this lake will most likely only get better. As the water continues to warm and a weed line develops on the drop offs, I plan to target for pike again. Until then, bass will be your most likely target in the shallows for now.

Tight Lines!

Fishing Log: Lake Marion -- Lakeville, MN

On the morning of Sunday, May 18th, I awoke to bright sunny skies, a slight breeze, and temperatures in the 60's and rising. A perfect morning to try for some pike, or so I thought. Lake Marion is a 530 acre lake with a reputation for being dominated by northern pike and bluegill, with large numbers of largemouth as well. After finding topography maps for the lake, I noticed the lake is divided into two parts. The southern part of the lake is a wide pothole dropping down to an 18 foot maximum depth in the middle. The northern part of the lake is a flooded flat that maxes out at 5 feet deep and winds back through reeds and cattails for a long way, at least for a kayaker to paddle. A culvert from the main lake underneath highway 35 takes you to the shallows.

Topo Map of Lake Marion.

As I lowered my kayak off of my shoulders, I couldn't help but notice the temperature of the water around my ankles. Being May 18th, I expected the water to be at least in the high 50's, maybe low 60's. Also, a late spring and streak of cold rains the week prior to me fishing caused me to plan for dealing with colder temperatures than that. I planned to fish the shallower water on the northern side of the lake, as that would get the most sun and warm fastest. However, nothing could have prepared me for how cold that water was going to be. I didn't have a temperature gauge with me, so I can only give an estimate, but I would have to say it was no warmer that 45 degrees. Fishing the shallows was going to be more necessary than I could have possibly thought.

I paddled along the western shore from Casperson Park, reaching the shallows to the East of 35. Two other boats ended up fishing in the same bay I was, and nobody seemed to be having too much luck. I tried a myriad of lures, from Daredevle spoons, to Mepps in-line spinners, to a couple different types of Rapala jerk baits, with no results. I brought along a Joe Bucher Top Raider in baby-loon color pattern, and tried that for a moment after seeing some big shadows along the reeds. Musky season isn't quite open here, but musky aren't believed to be in Lake Marion, so I felt safe believing the shadows were large pike. No bites or follows to be found from those shadows though. A closer inspection as I paddled into the reeds didn't reveal any logs or anything of the sort, so at least a few of the shadows must have been pike.

A bit later, I paddled through the culvert passing under the highway to find even more reeds and sand flats covered by 3 to 5 feet of gin-clear water. One more boat filled with 5 guys throwing large pike baits sat along a reed edge, but they brought in no fish for the hour they casted near me. Never having fished this lake before, I felt pretty proud that the two areas I wanted to target were being targeted by fellow fishermen who probably had much more experience on this body of water than myself.

Jointed Deep Husky Jerk size 12 by Rapala.

The last bay I fished contained a large shadow that I saw from a distance. After getting skunked a bit earlier with a large topwater, I figured maybe a smaller, slower presentation would be my best bet. I rigged up a size 12 jointed Down Deep Husky Jerk by Rapala in fluorescent hot-tiger pattern. With such clear water, a slightly more realistic color pattern would've been a good choice, but you can only fish with what you have in your tackle box. I chose the Husky Jerk because it has great action at super slow speeds, with a suspending nature when paused. I made several pass-through's along the reed edge with this set up. No bites or strikes to be mentioned, but on one cast I did have a confirmed follow. After making a standard 40- to 50- foot cast, I had the lure just a few feet off of my bow. I was about ready to lift the super-bright lure out of the water, when I noticed a monster swimming absolutely sluggishly just behind the lure. I paused the bait, and twitched twice, to which the pike responded with a head-turn and then a reverse back into the reeds.

I think the clear water made my lure look just a bit-too conspicuous for the big fish to strike at. Fish don't get to be 30"+ like this one without growing smart, too. Also, the freezing cold water did nothing to help the fish in terms of feeding propensity and energy. When the water is that cold, they aren't really in a summer feeding mode quite yet, at least in my experience.

The next lake I plan to fish is going to be much smaller in nature. A pond is going to warm much quicker than a bigger lake like Lake Marion. Water temperatures need to be in the 50's at least for me to have luck with my predominantly strike-based lures. Frankly, I own very few passive lures like Lindy Rigs because I find them to be boring. I'm out there to have fun, right? All in all, it was a good morning on the lake. The weather was fantastic, and the paddling was easy. I just wish the fish had cooperated a little better.

Tight lines!

Gear Review: Heddon Zara Spook

The Heddon "Zara Spook" and "Chug'n Spook" are my two new favorite topwater lures. Their flash and action is unmatched in any other topwater I've found, and the beauty is in the simplicity. Good size and weight, excellent craftsmanship, and bottom-line bargain prices make this one of my staple lures.

Firstly, the Zara Spook. Measuring 4.5" long and just under 1/2 ounce, this topwater is fantastic for medium to medium-heavy set ups, particularly bass and pike. The simple tube-shape design yields a classic bait fish silhouette for apex predators. By implementing a simple "walk-the-dog" technique the tube frantically slides from side to side, triggering aggressive strikes. Several fantastic colors are offered for the Zara Spook, but I choose to go with "baby bass" or "Florida bass" most often. Large eyes painted onto each design help to aid in realism, and hook-guards prevent the hooks from orienting themselves towards the front of the lure,

Zara Spook.

reducing foul-ups. Large #1 sized hooks lead to increased hook-ups, minimizing the largest complaint about top-water lures. Fishing this type of lure is pretty self explanatory. Make sure to "walk-the-dog", and use it in places where fish are going to be going after topwaters. Pause the retrieve for a moment over possible holding areas and you might be greeted with the most aggressive strike of your life. The only changes I would advise for anglers would be to change out the hooks for VMC or Gamakatsu hooks, as the ones provided aren't exactly top-quality. This is less important if you aren't dealing with toothy predators, but if pike or musky are in your target range, be safe and switch them out.

Chug'n Spook.

Secondly, the Chug'n Spook. Slightly larger at 5" long, and a bit heaver at 1 solid ounce, the Chug'n Spook caters to a somewhat larger crowd of fish. Not in numbers of fish, but rather in their respective size. Despite the increased size, it can still be fished on a medium to medium-heavy rod. Go with a 6'10" rod or more to aid in casting this whopper. The cupped mouth on the Chug'n Spook spits loads of water with each pull, yet does not waver in it's natural walk-the-dog motion. A rattle is included inside of the body, allowing the lure to make a "clacking" noise as it runs from side to side. In my experience, it would take a very large bass to try and take on something this size. It is possible, so don't rule it out, but more often than not you're going to get pike on this size and action of lure. However, many times I've seen bass go after something they wouldn't feasibly be able to eat, so if your presentation is good enough, you'll probably have a fantastic time with largemouths, too. Shiny metallic paint provides great flash in the water, and in-laid reflective eyes provide loads of realism.

Cupped mouth for spitting loads of water.

I have a serious obsession with topwater lures. Being a kayak fisherman, I often times work my way back into bays and shallows where no other boats can go. As a result, snag ups are unavoidable. If I don't keep my baits on the top, they will prevent me from fishing all together. This has forced me to try out countless different types of topwaters. The Zara Spook and Chug'n Spook are top-of-the-line in my book when it comes to catering towards this type of fishing. Oftentimes, I like to customize my lures, and these are no different. A feather added to the aft ring on either of these lures could prove helpful. And as stated before, upgrading the rings and hooks probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Overall, there isn't too much to be done to make these lures the best they can be. If you're looking for a walk-the-dog type lure to get aggressive strikes from bass and pike that won't put a hurting on your billfold, check out the Heddon "Zara Spook" and "Chug'n Spook."

Fishing Log: St. Louis River -- Munger Landing -- Duluth, MN

Currently, I am still at college in Duluth. Finals will be wrapping up here soon, and I'll be headed back down to the metro. For now though, I don't have my kayak. Shore fishing it is then.

I absolutely detest shore fishing. Hangups in the trees, casting far enough to deep water, and dealing with other anglers are among the many reasons I prefer being out on the water. Still, some type of fishing is better than no fishing. You can't catch them when you're not out there.

This past weekend was the walleye and pike opener here in Minnesota. Bass opener doesn't quite come around until Memorial day, but still, we're making progress! After a bit of research online, I found that the St. Louis river estuary in Duluth provides excellent walleye and pike fishing, more so the walleye. Half a dozen piers and docks are possible to fish from, but I knew I would have company. I chose the Munger Landing, on the far southern end of West Duluth. I figured getting farther out of town might help my chances to not be rubbing elbows with other fishermen.

A great pike lure, when there are pike present.

I greeted the sun on Saturday morning around 7, and reached the landing by 8:15 A.M. The lot was full of trucks with trailers already in the water, but luckily, the pier was empty. I was absolutely shocked. The previous week had been in the 40's and drizzly all week. Saturday morning brought with it clear skies and prospects of getting to the mid-60's. As to why people weren't up fishing wasn't clear to me. I gladly took the opportunity.

The water all around the fishing pier maximizes at about 6 feet deep. The constant rain from the week prior combined with the last of the melt water made the river as brown as Kahlua. I didn't focus too much on pike, instead opting for walleye presentations. 4 hours on the dock that morning didn't yield me any catch, but I wasn't expecting fast fishing that morning. I've never had a terrible amount of luck on docks. I think the fish start to get a routine going with how many people fish them, and the big fish quickly learn what to bite and what not to.

A couple hours in, a fellow college student came down and fished alongside me. He was fishing a Lindy rig. He claimed last spring he had good luck just letting a worm sit on the bottom, rigged up with a big sinker and a 3 foot leader. Two sturgeon and a rare blue catfish had been caught that way by him last spring, or so he told. Perhaps I'll have to try something similar. My tactics of swimbaits, spinners, Gulp on a hook and bobber, and cranks surely didn't get me anywhere. It was a fun time, none the less.

Saturday evening, I went back. A storm was supposed to move in just after dark, so I thought the high pressure might induce some feeding. The water turned absolutely glass-calm for the last hour or so. I fished mostly top-waters, hoping to excite a big nasty pike for a strike. No luck for me, but a big largemouth bass did jump up right near me in the shallows after a bug on the surface. I know there are fish there, perhaps the 4-inch Heddon Zara Spook that I was using was just a bit too big for the bass present. Besides, bass season isn't even open yet, right? I kid, but still, I think with a smaller topwater, maybe a 2 inch plug with a nice concave mouth, and increased water temps, that pier could be a fantastic largemouth spot.

If you live in the Duluth area and want to know how to get to some shore-fishing spots on the St. Louis, check out this great article by Sam Cook of the Duluth News Tribune, hosted by Northland Outdoors!

Tight lines!

My Vessel

I suppose as a starter I should do a run through of what gear I use in my angling efforts. I'll do my actual terminal tackle, rods and reels and such, once I can get them all together in one place. For now, I'll do the most important part of my efforts; my kayak.

At just a hair under 9 feet, it doesn't require registration in the states of Minnesota or Wisconsin, saving me money every year. A little bit of upkeep is required, but a weekend of work on a boat that provides me with such fantastic memories is more than worth it. This spring, it being the second year I'll have this boat, I decided to make some changes so that it can be easier to fish out of. A PVC-pipe outfitted set of rod holders was installed just behind the seat. An anchor trolley is next on the to-do list, and a fresh coat of white paint for the bottom will be following. For now though, the rod holders improve my ability to fish ten-fold.


Plans to build a similar kayak can be found online. It was a very long and tedious process, but well worth it in the end. Extra special thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for the fantastic graduation gift! It will always get weird looks from people at boat launches, but it gets the job done at a price tag under $100.

If you want to know how the rod holders were put together in more detail, just shoot me a contact message.

Tight lines!

Purpose

What's up guys? This blog is going to serve as a collection point for all of my fishing efforts from here on out. I have found that there is a serious lack of quality writing available free on the internet concerning fishing tactics, habits, skills, etc. Moreover, if one is looking for kayak angling tips and tricks, that is an even drier market. So, that's what I'm going to try and do here.

Most of my fishing takes place in the state of Minnesota, from the arrowhead region near Duluth all the way to the south Metro. I will write in layman's terms, never making anything too fancy. Most of all, I just hope this can serve as a tool for new fishermen and women to get started into this exciting hobby. I will do reviews on rods, reels, and lures as they become available to me, and always make sure to highlight the lakes and rivers I'm fishing on.

Have any questions or comments? Please contact me!

Thanks for reading, and tight lines!