How to: The Minnesota Fishing Rig

The Minnesota fishing rig is a shore-fishing technique my father and his friends did up in the Northern Woods, when they wanted to catch something but also needed to sleep, or wanted to gather around to fire. It's fairly simple to do and does not require much.

What you need: 

Fishing Rod

2 pieces of split shot

A kayak or canoe

A can

Worms

Hooks

Swivels

Line

1. Take your fishing rod and attach a swivel. Tie a hook to about six inches of line and attach that to the swivel. Attach two pieces of split shot to the line as well.
2. Put your worm on the hook. Stab it through the heart and wrap it around a few times.
3. Have one friend get in the kayak or canoe and take the pole with them. Have them paddle out about fifty or sixty yards and drop the line. Give it plenty of slack.
4. The friend in the kayak paddles back to the shore and hands it to you while they get out. Place the rod in a place where if a fish does come and take it, your rod will not get pulled into the water.
5. Take some of the line and loop it around a can filled about half way with water. It should be light enough to fall over, but not blow away in the wind. 
6. Sleep, play cards, or do whatever and check on your can every now and then. If the can has fallen over, you most likely have caught a fish!