Stephen Norling offers advice on loading up a backpack and heading to the lake.

You do not have to go to some exotic place far from home to try backpack fishing. There are many spots right here in the Midwest that make ideal short backpack trips. These are short, one-day trips; not overnight camping trips. These are the type of trips that you can hike to in the morning, have a good day’s fishing and hike out in the late afternoon. A short, one-day backpack trip can be a lot of fun and could wind up being very productive. Is there a pond or lake (or perhaps a section of stream or river) that you would like to fish, but there are no roads to it? These are the ideal spots to try backpack fishing. This type of fishing, being a little different than your normal style of fishing, may take a little planning.

Where to?

The first thing is to decide where you would like to go. Get a map of the closest national forest and state forests. You may be surprised at how many small lakes, ponds and streams are contained in these forests which do not have roads to them. I like to use topo maps for this purpose, as they show the most detail. They even give you an idea of how far you will have to hike and how easy or hard the terrain will be to traverse. When finding a body of water I want to try, I try to make it one that is no more than two or three miles from the nearest road. I do not want to have to hike for more than an hour or two. I have made five miles my maximum goal and that is if the going looks fairly easy. You do not want to spend your day hiking and very little fishing.

What’s on your back?

Now, we need to consider what type of backpack we would like to carry. I originally started with a fairly large pack frame and bag. I soon decided that this was overkill. I opted to go to a thrift store and purchase a fairly small day pack with a couple of outside pockets. When it comes to size and style of the backpack, the amount of tackle you are going to pack is the determining factor.

Make tackle no trouble

Now, let’s look at what tackle you will need. If you are going into the body of water for the first time, this can present a problem. You may not know what species of fish are in that particular water. If you are going to a stretch of a river or trout stream, you may have a good idea what you will be after. This is because you will probably know what fish are caught in these streams where they are accessible to roads. With a pond or lake, you will not know what species, if anything, is in them.

No matter where you decide to go, you are going to have to make some compromises. You simply cannot take that big tackle box that you take in your boat. I usually take several flies, spinners of various sizes, plastic worms, twister tails, a few jigs, a couple spoons and maybe a couple larger crankbaits or jerkbaits and the usual assorted hooks, sinkers and swivels. While this sounds like a lot, it really is not. Each type of lure is kept in an Altoid tin, which is marked. If I decide to take larger lures on a second trip in, I find larger containers so that each lure type is in its own container. If you’re so inclined, you can add live nightcrawlers to your pack.

The six-piece reel deal

Now for the rod and reels. I say reels, rather than reel, because I have come to the use of one rod and two different reels. After fighting brush with my two full-length rods a couple of times, I obtained a six-piece rod with a reversible handle—thus being able to fly fish or use it as a spinning rod. I personally carry a spincasting reel. It is less trouble when being carried in the pack. While the rod action leaves something to be desired, it is worth it to me to be able to carry the rod in the pack and not have to fight carrying them. If you feel that you may want to do some wading, stocking-foot waders rolled up can be tied to the top or bottom of your pack. I have a pair of old-style, low-cut tennis shoes that I take on these trips. They do not take up too much room in the pack. Remember, tackle is not the only thing that will be going into the pack. You do not want it to get too heavy.

Lunch and something to munch

First of all, you will want to pack some lunch. I usually take a couple of sandwiches, several snacks: jerky, granola bars, dried fruit, etc. I usually carry a two-gallon canteen along with my fillet knife on my belt. I would suggest a good first-aid kit and either a GPS unit or, at the least, a compass.

I grew up using a compass, so I feel very safe with one. Some things, such as the compass, can be carried in your pocket. A couple of times when I was going to a spot I had been before and knew what the fishing was like, I even took along cooking gear. A backpack stove, small skillet, salt and pepper, plate and eating utensils do not take up too much room. They also do not weigh a lot and a streamside or lakeside meal of fresh fish can be a real treat. You are probably going to want your cellphone, too. However, I have been to a couple of spots in the last two or three years where there was no service. One of those times, there were three of us—all with different carriers—and no one had service.

For some different fishing and a new adventure, go on out and try backpack fishing.

If you like fishing you’ll love the July issue of MidWest Outdoors, available the first full week of July at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.