Adam Johnson Outdoors
AJO-Media.com
Give us a little background and history on Adam Johnson. Tell us how and when you became such an avid angler and at what point in your life did you realize that this is what you wanted to be doing for the rest of your life?
JOHNSON
I was essentially born and raised in the outdoors with a grandfather as a lumberjack/hunting guide turned conservation officer and a father as an avid outdoorsman I was introduced to the outdoors at a very early age. About the time I could walk I was catching fish on my Snoopy pole and started carrying my Daisy BB gun in the woods not long after. I grew-up on a lake and my grandparents also lived on a lake so I had every opportunity to spend as much time in and on the water as I could cram into my childhood. I don’t think there was any specific time growing up that I decided to become an outdoorsman; it is just something I am and I think I always knew this is what I was going to do going forward.
FLYWAY
Every time I ask an angler their greatest fishing memory they say it's impossible to pick just one. They say each time out on the lake holds its own special moments and memories. I really find that hard to believe. There has to be that monster fish they brought topside, or the one that got away. I have to believe everybody has one fishing memory that stands out above the rest, one they hold near and dear to their heart. Do you have one?
JOHNSON
This truly is a very tough question as there are so many great memories. If I had to pick one fishing memory it would have to be the best day of walleye fishing I ever had.
FLYWAY
Nothing gets my blood pumping and my adrenaline rushing like the fight of a pike. Without a doubt that is my favorite fish. What is your favorite fish and why?
JOHNSON
This is going to sound pretty lame, but… My favorite fish is the one that is at the end of my line. I love to fish for any fish that swims from bass to bullheads, smelt to sturgeon. I love the drag burning runs of carp, especially on fly gear. I love muscling big bass out of thick cover. I love the challenge of finicky walleyes. I love the beautiful mottled colors of burbot. I love the sheer power of muskie, pike, sturgeon, catfish. There is really no fish that I don’t absolutely love to catch.
FLYWAY
When I was growing up I spent many summers in Crosby/Ironton and would fish Serpent Lake. I remember once casting my daredevil out and snagging something that seemed to have good size to it. To my dismay it was a snapping turtle. I snagged a dead loon with that same daredevil on that same lake, but on different mornings. Do you have any examples of some crazy or weird things you have reeled in?
JOHNSON
I’ve hooked a few strange things over the years but nothing really that unordinary. Some common things like rocks, clams and huge gobs of fishing line. I once caught a bunch of fishing line that had a 20 inch walleye still hooked to it. One of the strangest I caught was a plastic decorative dragon thing; I think it belongs on the top of a mailbox post or something. I once guided a guy that perfectly hooked the eyescrew of a spearing decoy with a single hook. That thing put up quite a fight!
FLYWAY
You can go on a dream of a lifetime fishing trip with 3 people of your choosing, alive or deceased. They can be loved ones, relatives, friends, athletes, celebrities, political figures, whoever you want! Who will you be taking, where will you be going, and what species of fish will you be targeting?
JOHNSON
The three people I would take would be my dad, his dad (deceased) and my friend Jayson. One trip that I would love to go on would be to the Amazon to fish for peacock bass primarily and for any other of the amazing fish that swim in those waters.
FLYWAY
his year for your birthday I will be inviting 3 of your favorite bands or singers to perform for you at your birthday party. Who will I be inviting?
JOHNSON
I have a lot of favorite bands, but I think I would pick: starting out fairly mellow with Radiohead; building intensity with Reel Big Fish; and finally going hard-core with Rancid.
FLYWAY
I'm a guy who likes to set up my Otter shack, crank the heat, put Season 5 of The Office on the portable dvd player and throw a line down. I don't believe you have to constantly be on the move to experience success out there. The way I see it, the fish have to eventually make their way back to the area I am set up in. I'm more prone to kicking my feet up and staying put than I am going on seek and destroy missions. This could possibly speak volumes as to why I am not very successful most times out. Be honest with me, do I need to be constantly moving out there in order to experience success?
JOHNSON
Mobility is the key to catching more fish through the ice, but no, you do not need to be constantly moving to be successful. There are times when I will only drill two holes, especially when the bite is “short-lived” such as those crucial dawn and dusk bites. If you are in an area that has all the elements of being a good spot chances are you will have some action.
FLYWAY
I'm going to put you on the spot and ask you to name your 5 favorite fishing lakes in the great state of Minnesota.
JOHNSON
My five favorite lakes, in no particular order, are: Vermilion, Lake of the Woods, Middle Lake, Bemidji, and Coon.
FLYWAY
I am a big fan of your articles and find them very informative. One of my personal favorites of yours is "Creating a profile". In the article you talk about your game plan for finding fish and "setting up the profile". Talk about some of the variables you mention in that article when fishing for a particular species. That article blew me away and put so many things into perspective after reading it.
JOHNSON
“The Profile” is, in essence, what goes through the head of a professional angler in an effort to find fish. It is all the little variables that put fish into specific locations on a body of water. Things such as forage base, time of year, weather, water temperature, water clarity, fishing pressure, cover, structure, etc. The more of these variables that you can identify and by knowing/learning what particular species do given these variables the better the odds you will find catchable fish. To me, forage is the most important factor in finding catchable fish for most of the year. Knowing and understanding what the fish you are looking for is eating will help greatly in finding that fish you want to catch. The rest of the variables will ‘fine-tune’ your search.
FLYWAY
In another article you wrote titled, "Working The Food Chain To An Angling Advantage" your Aquatic Biologist background really shines through. It's a fascinating read and ice anglers could learn a lot from reading it. Try to sum up that article for us here with just a few of the important things you mention in that article like the food web and feeding habits, temperature changes and how that affects fish, ect. Explain also why you say "cold-blooded" is a bit misleading.
JOHNSON
In that article I try to clear up some misconceptions about feeding habits of fish under the ice. Life under the ice is a very stressful time for most of our fish. People attribute that stress as a time where forage is hard for fish to find and the overall health of the fish depleting. People assume that if there is little food for fish toward the end of winter fish should be hungry and more eager to bite although we all know that is definitely not the case.
Forage is important for fish year-round but under the ice our fish just don’t need as much food. The metabolism slows to its lowest point in many of our fish during the cold water period meaning they only need to feed occasionally to stay alive. The fish’s body temp is the same as the water surrounding them. People refer to this as fish being “cold-blooded” but the more accurate term is ectothermic. “Cold-blooded” is misleading because some fish can survive in very warm water, 80 degrees or higher, so their bodies would be the same temp as that warm water. 80 plus degrees doesn’t sound too cold to me.
In actuality, there is a lot of forage available under the ice. Looking at the food web, starting with the smallest phytoplankton moving to the zooplankton, to the many, many different invertebrates then getting into the larger prey species of fish then to the predatory fish, it is all connected. There is all sorts of life under the ice and all of it gets used in one way or another throughout the hard water period.
FLYWAY
Give me your thoughts on barometric pressure and changing weather patterns and what effect, if any, this has on fish and the way they go about their business. I know of many anglers who say the most important ingredient to having success out there is by paying attention to barometric pressure, fronts, changing weather patterns, ect. I also know of many who claim that barometric pressure is one of the most misguided and overrated piece of information out there and has absolutely no bearing on having success or not. Your thoughts?
JOHNSON
I feel that barometric pressure has some sort of effect on fish and that fish respond to changes in the pressure/weather but no one really knows why, including me. Changes can make fish active and feed heavily, different weather conditions can make fish move to certain locations: deeper, shallower, into thick cover, etc.
Weather is a bit easier to understand how it affects specific fish. For example, bright sunshine (usually associated with a high pressure system) can push walleyes deeper or into thick cover due to their preference of dim light. They are more efficient hunters under dim light conditions so they need to change their strategies to remain productive.
Barometric pressure seems to have some significance, but I’m not sure why. I can’t imagine it is the pressure itself. Fish deal with much bigger changes in pressure on a daily basis so I can’t imagine subtle atmospheric pressure changes make much of a difference on a body of water that is more or less incompressible.
So all in all, I don’t pay much attention to the pressure but I do watch the weather.FLYWAY
Your favorite movie and your favorite television show would be....?
JOHNSON
Lots of good ones to pick from, but right now my favorite is probably the Lord of the Rings trilogy, brilliantly done.
FLYWAY
Your favorite meal is.....?
JOHNSON
This one is easy, fried bluegills with my mom’s potato salad, the best hands down!
FLYWAY
You hunt just about everything but I want us to shift gears a little and talk waterfowl hunting. What was the first duck you shot, where did you shoot it (lake,city, state,ect) and what kind of gun did you shoot it with?
JOHNSON
The first duck I shot was a wood duck (can’t remember if it was a drake or hen) that I shot on a pond near Battle Lake, MN. I’m pretty sure I shot it with an old .410 single shot hammer gun.
FLYWAY
What is your favorite duck (or goose) to hunt and why?
JOHNSON
My favorite waterfowl to hunt is likely spring snow geese. The awe inspiring numbers of birds you see and the absolute excitement of having thousands of geese tornado down all around you, it’s about as much fun as it gets!
FLYWAY
What is one duck you haven't shot but really want to?
JOHNSON
I would love to shoot a long-tailed duck. Beautiful bird.
FLYWAY
How would you rate your skills at calling in the ducks and geese? Do you have any favorite calls that you use?
JOHNSON
Growing up we wouldn’t call too often. Mostly just pass shot, jumped ponds or just sat and waited with a few decoys in the water. I do a lot more calling now but would still only rate my calling “meat hunter” at best. The calls I use now are DRC (Death Row Calls) duck and short reed goose calls.
FLYWAY
What are your thoughts on strategizing your decoy placement? Some guys put their decoy spreads together like they are devising a battleplan for war. They do it with a well thought out plan and pay attention to every detail. Others simply throw them out there without any rhyme or reason and still claim to have success.
JOHNSON
I like to use a fairly simple layout, at least initially, ‘J’ or ‘U’ type pattern usually. Then I watch how the birds react to the spread and will adjust the decoys until the birds come in the way I want. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to matter what you do, sometimes you need to pay extra attention to number of decoys, your calling, your blind positioning, everything. It isn’t just about decoy placement, which is just one small part of the overall picture you are trying to present to those birds.
FLYWAY
We talked about your greatest fishing memory earlier. How about a greatest hunting memory?
JOHNSON
Another one with lots of great memories but the one that sticks out the most is probably my first… and second deer. I was 12 years old and sitting in the stand with a family friend. I was watching one direction and my friend was watching the other. We had four deer, two does two fawns, come in behind me. I had to turn around to get the shot, knocking the bucket I was sitting on over, of course, but the deer hardly reacted to the noise. As they started to walk away I lined up in a shooting lane and was able to pull the trigger on the last deer that walked through. My dad, only a short distance away, quickly appeared and was ecstatic that I got my first deer. He said the doe dropped right near his stand. I told him I didn’t shoot the doe, I shot the fawn but he took me to the deer and there it was, a real good sized doe shot through the lungs/liver. Again, I said that wasn’t the deer I shot so we decided to go back to where the deer walked through the shooting lane and there were a couple of our other buddies gutting the deer I shot! I ended up shooting the fawn and it dropped only a couple of steps in the brush where we didn’t see it drop, the bullet passed through and hit the doe that I didn’t see, passed through and we saw where the bullet struck a tree. So in one shot I bagged my first and second deer a split second apart.
FLYWAY
What is your favorite animal or bird to hunt? What is it that gets your blood pumping and your adrenaline pumping when you have it in your sights?
JOHNSON
I recently fell in love with turkey hunting. Hearing those gobbles on the roost in the morning then hearing those gobbles getting louder and closer as they respond to your calling; it is just an absolute thrill! They are an amazing bird, very crafty, cagey, challenging critter to hunt but so much fun. Decoys, blinds, calls, sit and wait, run and gun all are effective tactics and each holds their place in the overall hunt. It is a very involved hunt.
FLYWAY
Your favorite book is....?
JOHNSON
I admit, I’m not much of a book reader, so my choice probably isn’t a typical response to this question. My favorite book, and one I would recommend to any angler is Fishes of the Minnesota Region by Gary L. Phillips, William D. Schmid, and James C. Underhill. Just a great resource for learning about any fish that swims in this area. Also has an useful field guide down to family to help identify those unknowns.
FLYWAY
Besides hunting and fishing, and the outdoors in general, what are some of your other hobbies and things you like to do in your free time? Or am I too quick in assuming you have any free time?
JOHNSON
I have been pretty involved with scuba diving for a number of years now. I got into it to help my fishing but found myself wanting more and more. I took more classes, I am currently a Divemaster, and I also volunteer for the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Department Rescue Dive Team which I am currently the Vice President.
I also love hockey, especially at the pro level. I watch every Wild game and try to go to at least a couple games every year.
I also have two little girls, Elsie (3) and Cecelia (10 months). Any additional free time I have is spent with them. Although Elsie has joined me in a number of outdoor excursions including her first deer hunt last fall.
FLYWAY
This might be a tough question without giving you specifics to any certain lake but give me your best advice here. Is there an ideal location on a lake to target pike with tip ups? What structure should I be looking for? Also, what do you believe to be the best bait when trying to bring pike topside? I hear varying opinions on this and I would like to get yours.
JOHNSON
Generally speaking, I like to look to inside weedlines and large weed flats early in the ice season on most pike waters. Whether the forage base is ciscoes or panfish these are good places to start a search. Proximity to deep water is often a plus but not necessary. Later in the year I move to the outside weedline and into even deeper water near the base of the break and look more into deeper offshore structure. Often these movements coincide with the forage movements. As shallow weeds die panfish move to deeper water, or in the case of the ciscoes spawning ends and the fish move back offshore. Here in Minnesota our season ends a bit early but late ice I will start looking toward potential spawning areas and typically move back to the shallows. I have caught pike as shallow as one foot of water under three feet of ice.
For bait, I use medium to large suckers the majority of the time. It never hurts to have a variety as I also like large shiners, frozen smelt/ciscoes and have even had success using hotdogs!
FLYWAY
One more that might be tough but just roll with me on this. Let's say I am targeting pike, as I most often do, and the spot I have chosen to set up in is producing a lot of small panfish? Am I in the right spot or should I consider moving?
JOHNSON
I wouldn’t move. Most likely pike are feeding on those little panfish and where you find prey, you will find predators. I would set my bait at the same level as I am seeing the panfish and hang tight.
FLYWAY
I want to encourage people to visit www.adamjohnsonoutdoors.com to find out more about you and to read your articles. Tell us some other ways we can keep tabs on you, be it on television or radio.
JOHNSON
Social networking is huge right now and it just so happens to be one of the best ways to keep track of my doings. Follow me on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AJOutdoors. Find me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AJOMedia. LinkedIn at www.LinkedIn.com/in/ajoutdoors.
I occasionally appear on Outdoor Talk Radio in the Twin Cities on FM 100.3 KTLK Sundays 5 to 7 pm.
Look for my articles in Outdoor News.
FLYWAY
In closing I want to thank you for spending some time with Minnesota Flyway. It's an honor to have you. Maybe sometime in the near future we can get together and chase ducks and geese around? Thanks again and all the best to you.
JOHNSON
Thank you Minnesota Flyway, I now have another great website to spend some time on. I am always game for a little hunting or fishing! Just give me a time and place and I’ll see you there!
Minnesota Flyway would like to thank Adam Johnson for taking the time to answer our interview questions. For more fishing and hunting information check out www.adamjohnsonoutdoors.com
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