It is inevitable in the Great White North.  The scorching, humid, summer is followed by the blazing colors of fall, followed by the blistering winter.  Said winter makes it difficult to kayak with ice thick enough to drive large vehicles on (though I have seen people attempt it).  Thus, we kayak fisherman take this lemon and make lemon vodka.  We bust out the shanties and ice poles, fill our flasks with vodka, and fill our ice-free coolers with beer (to keep it from freezing since it is so cold), and head out on the "hard water". Hard water is a beast of its own.  Specific rods, reels, lures, bait, electronics, and augers to get you a hole through which you wet your line and (hopefully) retrieve some fish. In this area, others had been out sooner.  Some die-hards will go out on questionable ice, crawling across with plywood, tied to their buddies with a long rope.  Yes, I've kayaked in my fair share of conditions others wouldn't consider.  But, for me, ice is too un

As 2016 has finally ended and 2017 begins, it bring a new year of possibilities both in fishing and in life.  While for some our kayak fishing season has ended, but for others it is starting to heat up as fish will be making their way to beds within the next few months.  Whether you are able to fish or not, there is always something to do.  Lately I have been cleaning reels, organizing tackle, and replacing rusty hooks.  While these tasks might not be as fun as getting on a school of toads, they are crucial tasks that need to be done to ensure proper and efficient use of your time on the water.  I would much rather do this stuff now, to allow me to be on the water as soon as everything unthaws! New PB, 21.5 inches, from 2016! Now let me preface that I have never been a huge goal type of guy.  A lot of times I make decisions as they come to me rather than a long distance goal that I could lose motivation to accomplish.  My kayak fishing goal for 2016 was to make the KBF National

Prostaff, field staff, ambassador, sponsored, team member, etc.  These are all hot, sought after, positions in the exploding kayak fishing, and fishing, industries.  I have been blessed to pick up several of these opportunities to officially represent the brands I love.  Several have asked me how I do it, so I thought I'd share my experiences here. My FeelFree Lure, Bending Branches Angler Pro, Ardent Pro reel.  No, I am not sponsored by a wizardry supplier - the wizard staff was found in the lake and placed in a rod holder for good luck (it didn't work). Definition Each company calls it a different thing, but Prostaff seems to be the most universally used.  People often do not understand the meaning of this team.  Prostaff is short for Promotional Staff.  You are representing the company in different ways in exchange for a discount, sales credit, etc.  I personally do not consider myself a professional angler.  I am not a professional until I can make a liv

In this rat race we call life, there is no hesitation.  High-paced, instant gratification, fast delivery, instant answers via Siri or Google, there is no delay.  Well, the secret to fishing?  Patience, slow-it-down, hesitation.  Especially when it comes to frogging.  I constantly hear from fellow fisherman, "I hate frogging because I have a hard time with hookups!".  Yet they keep at it.  Why????  The huge topwater blowups.  They are the heroin of the recreational/tournament fishing industry. I've read many-a-articles about frog fishing.  I, as do many anglers, love the topwater blowups.  I've spend hours refining my frog-game.  I'm about to share with you the deep-dark secrets of frog fishing.  For the real-world.  Without lure sponsors.  Without a fancy $70,000 bass boat.  Pay attention, because I'm revealing my secrets. Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by any lure company.  My favorite frogs are Lunkerhunt and BoohYah.  Why?  A balance between product

Well winter has hit and it has hit hard!  Daily highs are barely creeping into the 30's and some days the lows are in the negatives.  This brutally cold weather in combination with some of the shortest days of the year is...well...frustrating.  It really doesn't help that I don't ice fish or hunt, thus leaving me with the ever growing cabin fever. ^Does this sound like you?? If so let me help you!  When cabin fever sets in there are two things I do to get me ready for Spring.  The first is tying up a whole mess of jigs and the second is putting the reels through a deep clean.  Now I am not a big expert on the latter but I can give some help with the jigs. Tying jigs is something that I have been doing for a few years now.  There is something that can be so rewarding about the process.  There is nothing better than tying a new color you thought up and catching fish on it!  It's a great feeling knowing that your ingenuity and know how made that and that it act

5lb Thick Fall Largemouth on Northland Tackle Spinner Size, brand, blades, colors, material, hooks, trailers, blah, blah, blah. So many opinions and marketing exist in the world of spinner baits, my go-to lure for rivers year-round and fall fishing. Why? Three reasons: they are inexpensive (mostly), effective, and versatile.  Some say use dark colors in sunlight, bright colors in clear water, dark colors in dark water, and white when the wind is blowing ESE at 5 MPH...... I'm about to give you real world spinner bait experience...my credentials being the fish I've caught on them throughout this post (respectable fish by Wisconsin standards). I've used spinner baits for many years. I read all the articles, watched the videos, and scoured the forums. Thus, I was a spinner expert.  I was completely wrong.  Last year I hit a local river for Small mouth Bass with a family member (yes, a gas powered vessel).  This was an awakening and humbling experience. I had just

I have always loved fishing, ever since my dad put the new Zebco 202 in my hand around the age of 7.  I remember the times spent in that old olive green boat on the cranberry marshes of central Wisconsin.  There was a gap in my fishing for many years.  I still went out, but not as often.  This was mostly due to where I was living, but also because life was happening (full time job while attending full time college, a baby, etc, etc, etc.). Fast forward to four years ago when my family moved 1 mile from an amazing fishery.  My father-in-law gave me his 12' flat bottom jon boat to use in the small reservoir.  It was a perfect fishing vessel and landed several respectable bass. The following year I started getting a bit more serious, spending more time on the water and jumping into a baitcaster.  I was having fun, but was spending a lot more time working and doing other things. Now fast forward to last winter, when my perspective on everything, especially life, changed. It was