Ron Schara's Minnesota Fishing Guide

by: Ron Schara

Published by: Tristan Publishing Inc.

Reviewed by Connie Anderson

Here I sit, fall fishing in full bloom as I look out at Lake Koronis, a 3014-acre lake in Stearns County in Western Minnesota. I am lucky to share this lake with hundreds of other cabin owners.

I really should be out floating in the warm October sun, angling for walleyes and listening to great music, all the while reading a good novel. I'll finish this review and go "wet a line" later.

Ron Schara and his black lab, Raven, are hosts of Minnesota Bound television show.

Although the book is a Minnesota Fishing Guide (with almost 50 pages that list Minnesota lakes, their size, depth and kind of fish), the rest of the book is pure advice, how to and resources. It also contains awesome "see what I caught" photos so you can see each kind of fish he describes.

Whatchacatchin' section gives details about what lures to use when (season and weather), how to catch (depth and jigging action) and understanding terrain.

It also covers
- Panfish such as sunnies, crappies and perch that are ideal start-up fish for kids, often caught off a dock.
- Walleyes that are fun to catch (and try to outsmart) and more fun to eat, whether sitting on a rock eating shore lunch or at home
- Trout, caught in lakes and streams cook up real nice
- Large and smallmouth bass, always fun to land as they put up a great fight
- Northern (Pike), a.k.a. snakes, tasty but also most fun to try to land
- What many a Minnesotan calls rough fish: catfish, bullheads, carp and others.

The photos will make you want to grab that trusty rod and head for the lake. Reading this in winter could make you start x-ing out the days until the next fishing opener, and in Minnesota, that is always the second Sunday in May, come sun or snow, the diehard fisherpeople will be out there.

Armchair Interviews says: If you are a fishing veteran or going out for the first time, Schara's advice is invaluable--because it is called fishing--not "catching." You can always learn just one more trick to bring home more than a "fish story" about the one that got away.