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Kayaking the Mississippi’s backwaters for pike and a little peace and quiet

Kayaking through the warm backwaters of the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota last week, the author caught and released some northern pike. (Photo by Chris Kolbert)

The sun beat down on me as I paddled my kayak along a shallow backwater slough adjacent to the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota. I didn’t check the temperature that morning. It was the kind of hot that made me question my intelligence for tackling a solo fishing trip for northern pike.
The black fiberglass handle of my kayak paddle became so hot that I began dunking it in the water to cool it down.

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