About the Outdoors
Adam Johnson Outdoors teams with some of the top outdoor writers in the country to bring you tips, techniques, news, and information written in a way you'll want to read. Whether it's about walleyes or white tails, bass or bluebills, sturgeon or snow geese, you'll find it here.
Click on the article you want to read below, or visit the archives to read all about the outdoors.
Reading Outdoors
- Where there is no cover
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- Boat docks, tree stumps, big mats of milfoil or hydrilla, and in many reservoirs there is that man-made cover that consists of sunken trees and other debris. Cover like this not only offers a sanctuary for bass, but it's where forage accumulates and creates a fine spot to feed.
- It's alive! The end of Mr. Walleyes line, that is
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- Some people believe I'm so devoted to crawlers, leeches, and minnows that I ought to launch a fishing magazine called Live Bait Aficionado. My reputation as an exclusive livebait angler isn't totally accurate, but for the sake of this column, I'll play ball. Guilty as charged.
- Eight hours of kid style fishin'
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- Parents often ask me how I keep kids interested during fishing trips that last a half day, or longer. When in doubt, keep 'em talking! In school and at home, teachers and parents constantly harp on kids to "listen!" In the boat, it's their time to ask questions, tell stories, and have fun.
- Profiling bass in lakes - mid-summer
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- Wow, my e-mail tells me you really appreciate the information I'm giving you regarding finding fish. As I stated earlier, there's a lot of information out there on how to catch fish, but very little on how to find them. When you think about it, finding fish is the most important aspect of fishing. If you don't find them, you can pull every trick out of the book and never get a bite. Find them and you will catch them.
- Fishing the Illinois River
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- At heart I'm a jig fisherman. I grew up jig fishing on the Mississippi River and most of the lakes in Minnesota and I'm very comfortable with a jig rod in my hand - especially chasing sauger on the Illinois River.
- Summertime crappies
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- I had envisioned a quiet morning on the water chasing largemouth bass in the bulrush with a topwater lure. Conditions were right. The wind was a whisper and the weather had been stable for a few days straight. I hadn't motored far from the boat landing when my sonar indicated a school of fish suspended about 18 feet below the surface over 25 feet of water. My curiosity got the best of me and I tossed out a marker.
- When things change
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- When those early graphite rods hit the market, I retired my trusty Shakespeare Wonder Rod and upgraded. When the liquid crystal displays came out on sonars I pulled the plug on the old flasher and replaced it with the LCD unit. When the line manufacturers announced a new superline that had tremendous sensitivity, I tried it and I loved it. I'm a sucker for innovation. Why not? Whatever can make me more effective on the water is something I want as part of my game plan.
