Paging RichardShans! Minnesotans are special people.
Indeed they are. I'm not a native, though. Minn-eh-sew-tahn by happenstance followed by choice.
I was born on an island (Manhattan) followed by some years on Long Island, not far from the sound of the same name. Then there were some years in St. Pete Beach on Blind Pass. After that I lived on a small lake in Orlando and "came of age" on the south bend of the St. Joseph river in northern Indiana. One year in Miami (water, water everywhere) led to my sojourn to the land of 10,000 lakes – frozen much of the year. Sky blue waters and all that jazz.
Though I've been near water damn near all my life, I never "took" to fishing. Not that I didn't try. Hell, one of my enduring memories is of snagging a few catfish (not hard to do – just toss a hook with a ball of Wonder Bread skewered on it to the bottom of a canal and bingo!) and my friend's mother breading and frying them. YUM! This was the mid 1960's, mind you. The toxins contained in those bottom feeders might just explain a thing or two about me.
While I understand and appreciate the allure of drinking copious amounts of beer while braving the elements, while possibly putting dinner on the table, I'm much more inclined to parboiling myself in a sauna, surrounded by a bevy of lovely nekkid ladies, followed by a romp in the snow with same.
YouTube - Talking Fishing Blues - Woody Guthrie
YouTube - Taj Mahal & Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Fishing Blues
Two tunes to help get you up and running.