How prepared are you for the great outdoors?

Consider this - you only plan to hike a couple of miles on a well-known trail and it is a hot afternoon so you don't have a jacket. But it is later in the afternoon when you get started, and when you get to your turnaround point and take a freak fall and find out you can't even walk back! All of the sudden you realize you are a couple of miles away from the trailhead, you have no cell service and it is going to start getting dark soon. Even if its just a quick hike, there is a piece of gear you should always throw in a pack.
Wilderness experts say that some kind of waterproof sheeting like the NASA-developed space blanket or just a folded up piece of plastic drop cloth is the second most important thing you can have to be prepared. You can use it to retain your body heat, protect you from rain and wind or make little shelter.
But the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do is to tell someone where you are headed and when you plan to be back!

Cass Nortunen from Minnesota caught this 27-inch walleye on May 24, 2024. The fish hit a Rapala Crush City “The Mayor” gizzard shad soft plastic on VMC swimsuit jig head.

Some anglers like to keep a journal of what lures they were using for a successful catch. Besides the date and the type of bait they were using, they will note things like what the weather was like, how deep they were fishing, and how clear or stained the water was. We even heard about one angler who bought a tackle box at a yard sale from an older gentleman. He discovered the tackle box was set up by season and month with the best lures to use in the area lakes.

Fly fishing enthusiasts keep a close eye on what type of insects are hatching when they are choosing the fly they will tie on their line. It's called "matching the hatch" and is a key to having success.