The gear in my boat
Everything on this page is in the boat for your trip, except the last list. I don't sell gear and nobody pays me to mention it, so there are no brand names here. Just what works on this river, and why.
Rods and reels
On the boat for every trip. Bring your own if you like; most people use mine.
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6 ft 8 in medium-light spinning rod and a 2500 reel
10 lb braid to a 6 ft, 8 lb fluorocarbon leader
The rod most clients use. Light enough to feel a jig tick the rocks on a wing dam, strong enough for a big walleye in current.
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7 ft 3 in heavy casting rod and a fast reel
50 lb braid, no leader
The frog rod. Heavy line, because a bass in the lily pads wraps you up in about a second.
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7 ft medium casting rod
12 lb fluorocarbon
Crankbaits and spinnerbaits along wood and weed edges.
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4-weight fly rod
Floating line and a 9 ft leader
For bluegill on their beds in June. Ask for it; it is the most fun in the boat.
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28 in ice rods
2 lb line on small spinning reels
One for every angler in the shanty, already rigged.
Baits that work here
The short list. I carry more, but these catch most of the fish on Pool 8.
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Jig heads, 1/8 and 1/4 oz
Orange, chartreuse or plain lead, tipped with a fathead minnow
If I could fish only one thing on this river it would be this. Go lighter than you think in current.
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Blade bait, 1/2 oz
Silver
Cold-water walleye from late October until ice. Lift, let it fall, feel.
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Hollow-body frog
Black on dark mornings, white on bright ones
Rice Bed Bay in July and August, the first two hours of light.
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Squarebill crankbait
Shad colours
Bounced off the wood in Heron Slough. It deflects off branches instead of snagging. Mostly.
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Spinnerbait, 3/8 oz
White, on a steel leader
Pike along the outside edge of the weeds.
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Small silver spoon, 1/8 oz
Thrown on a light spinning rod
White bass in a feeding boil at Lunch Bar.
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Tungsten ice jigs
Tipped with waxworms or spikes
Small and heavy, so they get down fast to the crappie on Winter Lake.
The boat and electronics
One boat, three anglers and me. That is the whole fleet.
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18 ft aluminum deep-V, 115 hp outboard
Seats three anglers and the guide
Big enough for barge wakes on the main channel, light enough to get into two feet of water in the sloughs.
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Bow-mount trolling motor with GPS anchor
Holds position at the touch of a button
Keeps us on a wing dam in current without an anchor rope. The most useful thing on the boat.
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Two sonar units
Down and side imaging at the console, forward-facing at the bow
You will see the fish before you catch them, and sometimes they will ignore you anyway.
Safety kit
On board for every trip, checked at the start of every month.
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Life jackets in every size, kids included
Worn by everyone while the outboard is running
Not negotiable, and not uncomfortable either.
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VHF radio and a charged phone
Channel 16 monitored
The lock operators and the towboats talk on the radio. So do I.
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First aid kit, throwable cushion, fire extinguisher
Coast Guard required equipment
Plus sunscreen and a spare rain jacket for whoever forgot theirs.
Ice gear
Provided on every ice trip.
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Hub shanty for up to six
Propane heater, carbon monoxide detector inside
Warm enough to fish in a sweatshirt on most days.
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Electric auger, 8 in
Holes drilled before you arrive
You walk in, sit down and fish.
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Flasher sonar at every hole
Shows your jig and the fish coming up to it
Watching a crappie rise to your bait is half the fun.
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Spud bar
For checking ice thickness
I check the ice every few steps on the way out. I do not take anyone out on less than five inches of clear ice.
What you bring
Not provided. Short list.
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A fishing licence
Wisconsin or Minnesota, if you are 16 or older
Either state's licence works on the boundary waters of the Mississippi. Buy it online before the trip.
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Layers and a rain jacket
Even in July
It is ten degrees colder on the water at 6 a.m. than it is in town.
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Polarized sunglasses and a hat
Any brand
They protect your eyes and help you see stumps and fish under the surface.
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Food and drinks
Coolers are welcome
No glass on the boat. Full-day trips can add the shore lunch.
Leave the tackle box at home
Everything above is in the boat and rigged before you get there. Bring a licence, a jacket and something to eat.
