This document is made available electronically by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library as part of an ongoing digital archiving project. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/lrl.asp (Funding for document digitization was provided, in part, by a grant from the Minnesota Historical & Cultural Heritage Program.) A beginner's guide to shore fishing in Minneapolis/St. Paul Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs of the Minnesota Depart­ ment of Natural Resources is available to all individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Discrimination inquiries should be sent to MN-DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4049, or the Equal Opportunity Office, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. © 1992 Minnesota Department of Products and retailers mentioned in this Natural Resources guide are included solely to inform anglers of popular options and not as an endorse­ Produced by the Division of Fish and Wildlife ment or recommendation by the DNR. Illustrations by Jeff Tolbert Contents What kind of fish is it? 2 Fishing licenses 4 Shore fishing equipment 4 How to fish from shore 6 How to use the MTC to fish 8 Are fish safe to eat? 9 Catch-and-release 9 Fishing from wheelchairs 10 Kids' fishing ponds 10 Catching BIG fish 10 Bait shops I I The Lakes 1. Battle Creek Lake 4 2. Bennett Lake 4 3. Bryant Lake s 4. Lake Calhoun s 5. Cedar Lake 6 6. Lake Como 6 7. Lake Harriet 7 8. Hiawatha Lake 7 9. Hidden Falls (Mississippi River) 7 10. Island Lake 8 11. Islands of Peace (Mississippi River) 8 12. Keller Lake 9 13. Lake of the Isles 9 14. Medicine Lake 20 15. Lake N okornis 20 16. Owasso and Wabasso lakes 20 17. Lake Phalen 21 18. Pike Island (Mississippi River) 21 19. Powderhorn Lake 22 20. Shady Oak Lake 22 21. Snelling Lake 22 22. Tanners Lake 23 23. Wirth Lake ~ ',, 23 Other fishing information ~.~ 24 I I I f you haven't discovered all What kind of the good shore fishing right fish is it? I here in the Twin Cities, this booklet is for you. ith this guide, you can Within just a few miles of the W learn to tell one type of IDS building or the State Capitol, fish from another. Here are the you can catch crappies, catfish, most common species caught in walleyes, sunfish, northern the Twin Cities lakes and rivers: pike, muskellunge, catfish, bass, carp, and more. SUNFISH (also called bluegill or pumpkinseed) You don't need a boat to Round, catch these fish. This guide will flat body show you how to catch them from shore. It tells how and where to fish the 23 best fishing waters closest to downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. You can get to most of these waters by bus, bicycle, or walking - CRAPPIE so even if you don't have a car you (two kinds: white and black) Round and can still go fishing anytime. flat body Anyone can use this guide, but it's mainly for beginning anglers who want to find a few nearby places to catch fish here Black 6-12 inches in the Twin Cities. spots or lines on sides long l LARGEMOUTH BASS WAI.I.EYE Bigmouth Round, long body Green color, with dark line along sides 6-23 inches long Large, glassy eyes Pale green body, white belly 10-30incheslong CARP Pale gold Big scales PERCH Round, long body Whiskers on Black bars suckerlike mouth 12-36 inches long on yellow body 6-14 inches long CATFISH NORTHERN PIKE (channel and flathead) Sharp teeth Very long, round body Long, smooth- skinned body White marks on black body 12-42 inches long Whiskers Stiff spine in top fin MUSKEl.l.UNGE and side fins 10-40 inches long Sharp teeth Very long, round body BUI.I.HEAD (brown, black, yellow) Long, smooth- skinned body Black bars on light body 12-45incheslong GO THIS WEEKEND! Learning to fish is easy. Whiskers Plan to give it a try next Stiff spine Saturday or Sunday. in top and side fins 6-14 inches long 3 Fishing Reel-The easiest ones to use are called spin- licenses cast reels. efore you can fish, you Spinning reels B need a Minnesota fishing are popular, license. Buy one from,any store but they are that sells fishing tackle or bait, a bit harder spinning reel such as K-Mart, Target, or to use. Holiday. Also, ask for your free If you use DNR fishing regulations. a cane pole or Yearly licenses cost $14 for a stick, just tie adults. Kids age 15 or younger the line to the end. can fish for free. A senior's yearly Line-Line is sold according to fishing license costs $5.50. its strength (called "test''), which ranges from 2-pound test up to Shore fishing more than 30-pound test. A good all-purpose line is 8-pound test. equipment Note: Only one line is allowed f you haven't done much per person in the summer. I fishing before, don't worry. It's not hard. Bait fishing To catch fish, all you need is a Hooks-Any type of hook will fishing license, a rod, a reel, some work. But treble hooks or lures, a bobber, a few hooks are illegal sinkers, and a container of bait. in Minnesota You'll also want to know the unless they are basic fishing laws and a few part of an artificial lure. simple things about where fish The smaller the number, the live, what they eat, and when larger the hook. Look for hooks they are hungry. These are in sizes 4-10. Hooks with a long explained on pages 6-8. "shank" (the part between the eye and the barb) are easier to Equipment remove from fish with small Rod-Almost any type will mouths, such as sunfish. work. The basic fishing rod is Use a hook that fits the mouth 6 feet long and has a medium of the fish you want to catch. "weight" (which means it's a Size 8 and 10 hooks are best for good all-purpose rod). A cane crappies, sunfish, and carp. pole or even a long stick will Size 4 and 6 are good for wall­ work for crappies and sunfish. eyes, catfish, and northern pike. 4 Sinkers-Also called split-shot, these lead balls keep your bait down near the lake or river bottom, where most fish swim. For most shore fishing, pinch on one or two small weights the size of a BB, about JO inches up from your hook. Use only enough to sink the bait. If the fish feels too much weight it will drop the bait before you can set the hook. Robber-Usually the smaller and thinner bobbers work best. person selling the bait. But don't use one so small that Take along a needle-nosed the weight and bait pliers to remove the hook from sink it. When the the mouth of any fish you catch. bobber goes under Note: Worms, minnows, and the water surface, nightcrawlers die easily, and you know that a fish when dead they will no longer has taken your bait. A bobber attract fish. also adds weight to the line to Keep worms and night­ help you cast farther. crawlers in a cool, moist place, out Bait-There is a lot to choose of the sun. Put minnows in a from. For most fish, the best all­ bucket with a few small holes around baits are nightcrawlers, punched in the sides and keep half a nightcrawler, or worms. it in shaded water nearby. To Waxworms work well for keep water from spilling out, sunfish. To catch carp, try a transport the bait bucket in a kernel of canned corn. Catfish are larger bucket. partial to a piece of turkey liver. Minnows are great fish­ Lures getters. Try tiny (1-inch-long) Of the hundreds of lures on the minnows for crappies and larger market, the most popular are (2- to 6-inch-long) sucker and spinners (such as Mepps or fathead minnows for walleyes Rooster Tails), crankbaits (such and northern pike. as Rapalas), and jigs with If you don't know what type feathers or rubber bodies of minnow to use, just ask the (such as Mister Twisters). 5 Jig-This is simply a hook with they don't move around enough. a lead ball near the eye. Staying in one spot is fine if you Retrieve a jig by want to relax or just take a nap. bouncing it along But don't expect to catch many the bottom of the fish that way. lake or river. Fish usually don't swim Spinners-These lures vibrate around too much. They like to when retrieved through stay in one place for much of the the water, attracting day. The trick is to keep casting fish. They are easy to your lure or bait to different spots use and will catch a as you move along the shore until wide variety of fish. you find a fish. Spoons-These heavy lures can Note: Wading is a good way be cast far out into a lake or river. to reach fishing spots along the Spoons are shore. Wear tennis shoes to mostly protect your feet. If you don't used for swim well, wear a life preserver. northern pike and muskies. And don't wade in big rivers, C:rankbaits-More expensive where the fast current can knock than other lures, crankbaits you off your feet.