I don’t know anywhere in the U.S. that’s as season orientated as we are in the upper midwest. One month from another can be 60 degrees apart in temperature, or more. Just when you put away your fishing rod, you’re picking up the ice fishing rod only to be picking up your fishing rod again a couple months later. Well I’m at the latter point of that cycle, where I’m picking up the fishing rod again. In recent years, I’ve taken a new approach to fishing in the spring/summer/fall. Basically, I’m tired of doing the same old routine as every other year. So I try to set goals for the fishing season, one’s that I can feasibly accomplish. Taking a saltwater trip in Argentina isn’t exactly in the financial cards, but anything within driving distance is definitely game, especially when we’re camping.
The season for me starts like any other, as the Minnesota fishing opener is something I rarely, if ever miss. I can tell you before I wet a line exactly where I’ll be that Saturday. Slow drifting jigs and live bait rigs for walleyes along the same points and breaks as I did as a kid. After that weekend, I want to pursue new waters and new species of fish.
The first goal I want to accomplish is to drop a line in 12 different bodies of water in North Dakota, and catch 10 different species of fish. And yes, there are great lakes outside of Devils Lake and Sakakawea for most species of fish. I find fishing new water is the most enjoyable experience. I’ll take a good hard look at a contour map, circle the areas I want to pursue (depending on species of fish), and set out for a long day of fishing. Doing this last summer, I found the most productive lake I’ve ever fished to date. Heck, I didn’t know the lake existed until I spent a couple days exploring. And now as a result, I’ll always have that lake in my fishing arsenal for years to come. Explore the sloughs and small lakes and you’ll be very surprised of the results.
Another goal that I’ve set is to successfully land my first trophy musky. I’ve had some close calls, but this summer will hopefully be the one. I’m going to take some trips up to northern Minnesota for these with a buddy of mine Jon Madison. He spends all summer chasing “skees” so I think I’m outfitted with the right guy on this. I wanted to catch one over 40 inches, but he tells me we’re going for 50 inchers. Either way, it is something to really look forward to this summer.
I have to admit something I never put enough time in fishing is the Red River. Cat fishing doesn’t get the spotlight like it does in the south, and for that reason the river is usually pretty quiet. I grew up within a mile of the river and spent a lot of time on its banks, and never saw a fisherman. We always caught fish, but I didn’t know enough about the river and the species that cohabitated it. This summer I would like to land a lot more cats, and try a week up by the Canadian border doing it.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to take the time and really learn proper flyfishing. I might go as far as Montana or a little closer to home, but I really want to land some trout over a fly. A buddy of mine from Montana moved back and he’s become a heck of a good flyfisherman. I’d like to absorb his knowledge with hours of practice in order to get a good start. I’d like to take some nice pike this summer with a fly rod as well. That looks like a lot of fun.
And I’d really like to pick up where I left off a few summers ago while living by the Missouri River. I want to find more time fishing the Missouri River, the Garrison Tailrace and Lake Sakakawea. I swear there’s fish around every corner, and there’s so many ways to catch them. A few days at the tailrace should really up my chances for some species variation as well.
There’s only so many weekends in the summer to accomplish all that we’d like to. By setting some goals, I hope I can find a way to fit it all in. By the time September rolls around I usually trade my rod in for a shotgun, so time is a wasting.
