🎣Rods, Reels & Really Good Danish

Festivals + Fishing 101

Author

Joe Carmack
April 15, 2026

Here fishy, fishy. While there’s plenty of fun stuff happening this weekend, allow me to draw your attention once again to the Up Yonder section below. We wrote this one especially for those wanting to try fishing for the first time but have no idea where to start. Bonus: Head up to a spot up north and make a road trip of it—the forecast looks perfect.

Pics or it didn’t happen!

-Joe & Haley

Your Weekend Forecast

Schmidt Art Crawl

4/17 - 4/19

A laid-back wander through old industrial spaces turned into working studios, galleries, and pop-up corners filled with local artists doing their thing. You’ll find everything from paintings and prints to ceramics and handmade pieces, with artists often right there to talk about their work. It’s part open house, part creative rabbit hole—easy to move at your own pace and just see where the night takes you.

Heroes Off Duty Comedy Tour @ The Fitzgerald

4/18

A lineup of first responders stepping off the job and onto the stage, trading sirens for stand-up. Expect unfiltered stories, sharp humor, and the kind of jokes that come from seeing things most people don’t. It’s a mix of cops, firefighters, and medical pros turning real-life chaos into something surprisingly funny, with a crowd that gets it just as much as they do.

 

Twin Town Old Time Music Festival

4/17 - 4/20

A four-day stretch of old-time music that leans more participatory than polished. Expect fiddles, banjos, and the kind of songs that feel passed down, along with dancing, workshops, and casual jam sessions popping up across the cities. It’s equal parts concert, community hang, and hands-on learning, where you can just listen or end up clapping along before you realize it.

 

Broadway Belters & A Band

4/18

A Broadway-style night built around big voices and even bigger songs, led by a seasoned performer who’s spent time on actual Broadway stages. Expect familiar show tunes, powerhouse vocals, and a live band backing it all up, with nods to classic legends and the kind of performances that lean dramatic in all the right ways.

 

VGM CON

4/17 - 4/19

A weekend that blends gaming and live music into one big, slightly nerdy playground. Expect open gaming rooms, indie demos, speedrunning, and live performances ranging from orchestral sets to heavier stuff, all happening side by side. It’s part convention, part music festival, with panels, cosplay, and jam spaces where people actually jump in and play instead of just watching.

The Melting Pot turns dinner into the main event. Instead of a typical sit-down meal, the experience centers around interactive fondue, where couples dip bread and vegetables into bubbling cheese, cook steak or shrimp right at the table, and finish things off with rich chocolate fondue loaded with fruit, brownies, and other sweets. The multi-course setup naturally slows the evening down, giving you time to talk, laugh, and share the experience together rather than rushing through another ordinary dinner.

After dinner, keep the creative energy going with a hands-on workshop at Kobi Co. This cozy studio hosts small-group classes where you blend fragrances and pour your own custom candle or self-care product while music plays and the atmosphere stays relaxed and social. The process is simple enough for beginners but interactive enough to feel memorable, giving couples something fun to do together and a handmade keepsake to bring home afterward.

For this week’s Up Yonder, we’re keeping it simple: how to go fishing in Minnesota without looking like you just bought a rod five minutes ago. With the Fishing Opener around the corner, here’s your crash course so you can actually catch something… or at least look like you know what you’re doing.

🎣MN 101: Fishing

🪪 Step 1: Get a Fishing License

Minnesota doesn’t mess around here. You need a license unless you enjoy donating money via fines. Grab one online through Minnesota Department of Natural Resources or at basically any bait shop, Walmart, or gas station that smells like nightcrawlers.

  • Resident annual: ~$25

  • Kids under 16: FREE

  • Keep it on you. Conservation officers do show up.

Bonus: Check regulations before you go. Different lakes = different rules.
👉 https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/fishing

🎣 Step 2: Gear Up

Don’t overcomplicate this like you’re starring in a Bass Pro commercial. Walmart supplies will do just fine.

Start simple:

  • Spinning rod + reel combo (6–7 ft)

  • A few hooks, bobbers, split shot weights (smaller is better for most MN fish)

  • Bait: Live earthworms or salmon eggs

  • A basic tackle box

  • Needle nose pliers

  • Stringer or a small cooler

  • Fishing app or lake map

The DNR also has a decent beginner guide:
👉 https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/basics

🗺️ Step 3: Find a Lake

Minnesota has 10,000+ lakes. Analysis paralysis is real. Here’s your cheat sheet:

Level 1: Easy, close, low drama

  • Lake Nokomis – stocked, accessible, very forgiving

  • Lake Harriet – solid for panfish, easy shoreline

  • Coon Rapids Dam – added fun of river fishing, plus a stocked trout pond

Level 2: Still chill, better action

  • Prior Lake – walleye, bass, actually feels like “real” fishing

  • White Bear Lake – bigger water, more variety

  • Lake Minnetonka – massive, tons of spots, also tons of people

Level 3: Up Yonder energy

  • Mille Lacs Lake – famous walleye lake, can humble you fast

  • Leech Lake – underrated, great mix of species

  • Lake of the Woods – basically fishing heaven if you commit

Use the DNR LakeFinder so you don’t wander around guessing:
👉 https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind

🏕️ Now go

Buy the license. Grab a rod. Pick a lake. Soak in the peace and quiet, and don’t get a hook in your hand. That’s fishing.

Until next week—happy trails!

–Joe

PS: If your 2026 plans include a new home, give us a call! We’d love to help. :)

Joe & Haley Carmack
LivingInMN.com