Kayaking on the Kettle: Rapala Explores the Connecting waters of the St Croix
Nestled on the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota, the St. Croix River offers a unique fishing experience for anglers of all kinds. A diverse waterway teeming with a variety of species, the river provides everything from sporty smallmouth to channel catfish, table-fare walleye, and even a bonus muskie battle. The river offers serene stretches of winding beds, deep pools, shallow pockets, and even a few rapids.
Recently, the Rapala team loaded up their Bonafide and Native kayaks and took to the river to explore a more remote stretch of the waterway—the Kettle River. The team kept it simple, throwing some of Rapala’s most popular lures and using different strategies for the constant change in fishing conditions, depth, and current flow.
Handling the Deep Pools
The Kettle River offered many deep pools along the way, and it paid dividends to anchor there and spend a little extra time coaxing whatever was lurking down below. Ripping crankbaits and jerkbaits through these pools proved to be the ticket for a plethora of different species including Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, and even Muskie.
Popin' Topwater Blowups
Success was found in shallow areas of the river using various topwater lures. The Storm® Chug Bug®, Storm® Arashi® Cover Pop, and Rapala® Skitter Prop® triggered aggressive bass to blow up the surface and keep us on our toes at all times.
Shady Shoreline Dwellers
The weather was hot, with temperatures reaching nearly 90 degrees in the heat of the day. The team found the thickest action near the shoreline in shaded and protected sections of the river. Like us, the fish were looking for an escape from the hot sun and a rest from the steady current of the river. Top water lures were on fire during this stretch of the day, with most hits coming within just a couple feet of the shoreline.
Slack Water Ambush
Anytime there was a break in the current, the team made sure to hand-deliver a tasty meal to whatever was lurking in the slack water. VMC's Neon Mooneye Jig with CrushCity™ Mayor® and CrushCity Mooch Minnow® proved to be the most worthy snack in these scenarios. Dropping a jig right behind a big rock in the current was a nearly surefire way to illicit a big bite from a multitude of Bass and Walleye.
There's nothing quite like a day of paddling lesser known waters and putting your angling skills to the test in a myriad of scenarios throughout. The serenity of the surrounding landscape serves as the perfect backdrop to test your skills, rewarding patience and persistence with big catches and long-lasting memories.