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

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.