Jeff Kolodzinski loves to fish.
He'd better, because he's planning to fish 24-hours in a row Friday from a dock on Lake Minnetonka, trying to break his own world record for most fish caught in a day -- 1,628. That's what he caught last year in the same place.
"I'll use a cane pole, no reel, 10 feet of line and maggots with a small, size 12 hook,'' said Kolodzinski, 39, who recently moved from Lakeville to Jackson, Wis. He'll mostly catch and release small bluegills, will consume power bars, Mountain Dew and Gatorade, and will take only occasional bathroom breaks.
What's the catch?
Kolodzinski, vice-president of marketing for Frabill Inc., which sells fishing gear, is raising awareness and dollars for Fishing For Life, a non-profit group dedicated to serving youth through various fishing programs. The group is sponsoring an "Armed Forces Family Fishing Celebration'' Aug. 21 on Lake Minnetonka, where armed forces kids and their families will be taken out in 40 donated boats for a complementary day of fishing. "We wanted to find a way to say thanks,'' he said. For more information, see www.fishingforlife.org.
Kolodzinski begins fishing at 7:30 a.m. Friday at Maynard's in Excelsior.
Ospreys hit by lightning
Talk about weird.
A power pole near Biwabik, Minn., with an osprey nest atop it was struck by lightning recently and started on fire. A young osprey was killed instantly, reported DNR conservation Mark Fredin, who was called to the scene along with firefighters. "The whole nest came down,'' Fredin told me. "The mother -- at least I think it was the mother -- was flying around.'' The next day, while looking over the area in the daylight, a railroad worker directed Fredin to a second young osprey, likely from the same nest, standing on nearby railroad tracks. "I ran home and grabbed a fishing net,'' the officer said. He scooped up the bird and took it to a rehabilitation center, where it is expected to make a full recovery.
Two strikes and out
And then there was the angler who was cited not once, but twice within four hours for fishing without a license. Conservation officer Adam Block of Prior Lake was patrolling the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes on his bike when he cited the woman the first time. Later, he found her on the fishing pier of a different lake, and cited her again. Now, if convicted, she could lose her fishing privileges for a year. People with two or more game and fish convictions within three years face a one-year revocation.
Did you know?
• Mille Lacs walleye anglers are getting a few keeper fish and lots of 10- to 12-inch fish.
• A cormorant was seen flying into a tree in a backyard in Marshall, then falling to its death.
• Fishing has slowed at Lake Pepin, but some anglers are still catching walleyes and sauger.
• Fishing continues to be fair on Lake of the Woods, but anglers have had to work harder for them.
Doug Smith•dsmith@startribune.com
outdoors
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