The Great Minnesota Fish Book

"Like a well-stocked tackle box, The Great Minnesota Fish Book is a tribute to the diverse fish life that roams the state’s lakes, rivers, and streams. If you’ve ever wondered what’s on the end of the line or swimming under the dock, rock, or country creek bank, Tom Dickson has written about the finned creatures—ranging from famous to infamous to unheard of—to tell you. Complete with illustrations by Joseph R. Tomelleri, the best fish artist above water, this book is a real keeper." —Ron Schara

"A beautiful and informative introduction to the great diversity of fishes in Minnesota, besides the ones that taste good sautéed in butter.  This book reminds us that diversity in nature is not always ‘useful’—that is, unless you regard beauty as something of utmost importance and worth preserving, as I do.  The resplendent gems of Minnesota's waterways are here on full display." —James Prosek

"Put a fishing rod in Tom Dickson’s hands and you never know just what he might catch. His enthusiasm for fish and fishing have taken him to the far corners of Minnesota to fish for everything from walleyes to mooneyes. Few anglers can claim a similar pedigree. A thorough researcher, Dickson can delve into a dry fisheries science document and extract nuggets of fun and useful information. Few writers are better suited to write about Minnesota’s wondrous array of fish species." —Shawn Perich, author of Fishing Lake Superior

Fishing is one of Minnesota’s consummate pastimes. The North Star state boasts the highest number of anglers per capita in the nation and the most fishing lakes. Minnesota is abundant in knowledge about how to catch game fish, but there is little information on the lore and natural history of such prized species as the walleye and largemouth bass, not to mention lesser-known varieties such as the brook stickleback and pirate perch. From trophies to bait, The Great Minnesota Fish Book tells stories of these aquatic species in rich, colorful detail.

The Great Minnesota Fish Book pairs engaging and revealing stories about the history, habitat, and culture of more than one hundred species with strikingly lifelike depictions by world-renowned fish illustrator Joseph R. Tomelleri. Providing defining features for easy identification, descriptions of habitat, growth patterns, and behavior, as well as historical anecdotes, Dickson makes a convincing case for the appreciation of all fish and their important place within Minnesota’s aquatic ecosystems. Where else can you learn about the American eel, a fish that lives throughout southern Minnesota yet spawns in the Caribbean Sea? Or the Johnny darter, which reproduces upside down? Or the monstrous lake sturgeon that can reach more than 300 pounds and swims in waters from Lake of the Woods to the Mississippi River? Nowhere, until now. Tom Dickson takes us on a lively tour of Minnesota fish—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

An elegant full-color work for everyone from the passionate angler to the up-north cabin dweller, The Great Minnesota Fish Book conveys the love and fascination—and in the case of eelpout, the disdain—that people have for the fishes of our home state.