Drove to the St. Croix River early this morning hoping to pick up a few new redhorse species. I left at 4:30 a.m. so I could be fishing by 7, though the two‑hour drive always turns into a bit more with my usual pit stops.

I started at Osceola Landing with my standard setup: 6 lb line, a roughly 16‑inch leader, and a size 8 hook baited with a small piece of nightcrawler. I caught a small Freshwater Drum first, followed by a Golden Redhorse. Both were familiar species, so no new additions to the list.

The heat and lack of sleep caught up with me, so I took a 45‑minute nap and then grabbed lunch. That helped a lot. I spent the afternoon fishing at Interstate State Park on both the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides. I got a few bites but nothing hooked up, which was frustrating after such a long trip.

On the way home, I stopped in Hastings to try salvaging the day with a common carp. I did catch a fish there—but it turned out to be a large bullhead instead of a carp.

Not the day I hoped for, but still a couple fish and some new water and beautiful scenery explored.