Montgomery angler prefers paddle over power

When Grant Carston goes fishing, he doesn’t hook up a big, fancy, heavy boat to a trailer, buy gas and find a site to launch a boat. Instead, he straps his green kayak to his SUV, grabs his paddles and heads to his favorite fishing hole.

“Most Montgomery residents probably see me driving around all summer with my Kayak hanging out the back of my Expedition at Fred's, Casey’s, or dropping the kids off at school. I tend to fish a lot around the greater Montgomery area,” he said.

Carston is one of the many fishermen who use a kayak thanks to its broad appeal as an environmentally friendly and healthy method of transportation, and its relatively low cost of entry compared to motorized boats. 

The fisherman grew up in Lakeville and moved to Montgomery with his wife Erin in 2009. They have two children, Dylan, 6, and Avery 3.

Carston has been fishing and hunting in Minnesota since he was a young boy and always dreamed of fishing in the big Bassmasters classic or FLW Cup. In 2013, he started to prepare for that, but his plans stopped when Avery was born and diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Tuberous Sclerosis Complex that causes non-malignant tubers to develop on her major organs. There is no known cure, but he said she is doing well with medication and therapy. However, her care took priority to buying a boat, paying large entry fees and being gone for six months at a time. 

“My family comes first and will always come first,” he said. 

While he and his wife focused on family, Carston wanted to continue fishing. To do so, he chose a cheaper option that would keep him on the water: a kayak.

To read more about Carston, pick up the March 31 Messenger.