Contact Travis Frank

Phone: 612-382-6927
Email: travis@trophyencounters.com

To book a guided fishing trip or discuss details, please fill out the form to the right and click submit - or use the information above to reach Travis directly.


265 S Oak St
Waconia, MN
United States

612-382-6927

Travis Frank and Trophy Encounters Guide Service specializes in fully-guided fishing trips for Muskie, Walleye, Bass, Northern Pike and Panfish on Lake Minnetonka, Lake Waconia, Lake Mille Lacs and other Metro Minnesota Waters.​

Current Fishing Report

Follow Travis Frank's regular fishing report.  Muskie, Walleye, Bass, Pike and more 365 days a year across Minnesota.

Below Cold...

Travis Frank

Once it drops to a certain temp, it's just cold.  You can count the numbers below zero, but it really doesn't matter.  As far as I'm concerned, -10 is just as bad as -20 or -30.  I have accepted the cold and decided to face it head on.  After all, I claim to be a tough Minnesotan.  I may as well back it up with some action. 

To cure my winter blues, I bundled up and hit the ice.  My quarry?  The mighty walleye, great white tip, or marble eye.  Whatever you call 'em, I enjoy pulling them through a hole.  To up the mystique, I've taken my minnows to the river.  It's my new passion.  Over the past 3 winters, I've become obsessed with learning new water and new stretches of river.  There is always something happening on the river.  They are big, small and in between.  Plus, you always have a chance at a random roughy or two.  The winter lul from oxygen depletion, never sets in.  And, as the spring spawn approaches, the big females put on their feedbag.  So when you step back and think about it, the river is a no-brainer. 

I'm pretty sure you can catch them on every river in Minnesota.  After three years, I've located a few areas that I like to frequent.  The more I fish these stretches of water, the more I enjoy the fine details that go into a successful outing.  Things like using the current to my advantage.  By drilling my holes at 45 degree angles downstream I can slide a fat fish into the hole and let the current guide his head.  If I play the current correctly, I can drill a hole downstream and still use my vexilar to read the jig.  Like all fishing equations, it's the small things that matter.  I've also accepted that if I fish 10 new areas, I will likely fail 9 times.  It's just that when you put in your hard work and find that magical spot, the results will often look something like this....

Which is exactly why there is no such thing as too cold to fish in Minnesota!  Until the water warms, keep on livin' your dream!