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Fishing
Articles |
 Loons
on the Lake
There is a strong indication that loons mate for life, although
evidence to the contrary exists -- mostly due to loon intruders that
will chase one of a mating pair from its breeding ground.
Nests are built close to the water and the same sites are often used
from year to year...(04/08) |
 Lake
Turnover
I am unaware of the
requirements for other warm-blooded animal forms, but I do know that
the cold-blooded species so cherished by sports enthusiasts -- fish
like walleye, bass and northern pike -- require a lot of water:
fresh, clean and oxygen-laden H2O in order to survive.
And a simple process referred to as lake turnover plays a very
critical role in that survival process. Did I say simple?
Well... it is, and then again it isn't. (08/07) |
 Ticks
- Never a Friendly Sight
I remember my first
encounter with a tick. I was about 9 years old and on one of the
many family vacations to Bagley Minnesota. Undressing and getting
ready for bed one night, I noticed a small brown "bug" slowly making its
way up my leg. I picked the unwelcome intruder from my leg and set
it on the night stand, observing its plodding attempt at movement.
Being a young boy... (07/07) |
 Rice
Lake, Wisconsin Ice Fishing
I have been posting fishing reports for
the area's lakes for the past year or so; they have finally piqued
my interest. Not caring what time of year it was - it seemed
to me to a great excuse to try some more ice fishing - I made
several phone calls, booked two nights at the Best Western and Heidi
and I planned a weekend getaway. (01/07) |
 An
Open Letter
For all of the years I have fished and hunted, in all
of the lakes, on all of the lands and in all of the states where I
have been privileged to have had the opportunity to chase the game
that I have ultimately invited to dinner, I have not once complained
about the cost of a license for those activities, nor have I
bothered to ask anyone for the rationale behind the ever-increasing
cost of the license or the daily and possession limits for any
species of fish or game. (11/06) |
 Removing
the Skin from Pike
Many people
have written me to ask if there is a trick to removing the skin from
a northern pike, especially since there is a bit of extra knowledge
required to get rid of those nasty Y-bones. The answer is: not
really. (1/06) |
 Removing
Y-Bones from Northern Pike
..."I really love northern pike... I just hate all the bones I
always have to pick out of the meat." I never knew how simple
it is to remove those nasty y-bones...
|
 Filleting
Walleye
When I was about 10 years old, my father took
me fishing in Ontario to a place called Lac de Milles Lacs. It was
some of the best walleye fishing I have ever seen. More importantly,
I saw my first walleye cleaned and filleted by a family friend who
was also on the trip. Ray was as fast with a fillet knife as anyone
I have ever seen – I later nicknamed him "30-Second Ray"... (07/02) |
 Filleting
Bluegills
...Panfish go by myriad names – like sunfish, sunperch, copperbelly
or bluegills – and are overlooked by many due to their “diminutive”
size. Over 100 of the little guys in about an hour’s worth of
fishing is not uncommon. Cleaning them is another matter: the size
and anatomy of the fish makes cleaning them something of a chore.
But when I tasted the results, it was I who was literally hooked. |
 Filleting Smallmouth Bass
I'm convinced that there is no "easy" way to fillet a smallmouth
bass (Micropterus
dolomieu)- at least I have never
observed a way that is any easier than the way I learned. And
one of the major problems is the result of the incredibly thick
bones of the rib cage. (07/03) |
 Tying
the Palomar Knot
Often mistakenly called
the Palmer Knot, the Palomar Knot is arguably one of the best knots
to know how to tie – especially for the avid fisherman. It is an
extremely easy knot to tie, exceptionally strong, and very popular
with bass fishermen for tying on jigs and worm hooks. It’s also the
only knot that will work with Fire Line®. |
 Making
Your Own Leaders
Save some money by making your own leaders
with our easy to follow instructions... |
 On
the Hunt for Muskellunge
I had heard about an event that was
going to be sponsored by Berghoff Beer (The
Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, Wisconsin). It was the 15th
Annual St. Germain, Greater Wisconsin Musky Tournament, and Berghoff
was the Tournament Sponsor for the second straight year. A
contest was held to become the official Berghoff Musky Hunter Team...Read
more (Nov '03) |
 Ice
Fishing and Other Winter Fun
Winter is on the retreat and the
sun is starting to race to the north. We’ve passed perihelion – the
earth’s closest approach to the sun – and the days are getting
longer a few minutes at a time. Sounds like Spring is just around
the corner… (Feb '03) |
 Mayflies…
Who Needs ‘Em?
If by chance you are
a walleye fisherman, the mayfly can, in fact, be a very big
deal. (They also go by various other names, including Mayflies, Mays,
Upwings, Duns, Spinners, Dippers and Fish Flies.) Since I have never
had any real desire to earn a living by catching fish, I really
never paid a whole lot of attention to mayflies – |
Algae
There are literally
hundreds of species of the culprits in question – the ones found floating
and suspended in the water. They are called phytoplankton and they
definitely affect the clarity of the water. Obviously, throughout the
year, conditions change on any lake. Seasonal changes bring corresponding
changes in the air and water temperature, amount of light and nutrients to
the lake. The changes favor various species of algae at various times,
which, as they become abundant, affect not only the clarity of the water
but the color as well. |
 The Finest of Times
My second cup of coffee was history
and I had just finished re-covering my boat. The threat of storms again
this morning was finally going to produce some desperately needed
rainfall. This was the second driest June that I could remember in my
30-plus years on the lake. As the thunder rumbled in the background and
the rain began to sizzle through the pine trees just outside my cabin, the
melodic strains of one of my favorite CD’s soothed the nerves that had
been jangled by an incredibly slow walleye bite and hot, humid air that
had been accompanied by a south wind for four straight days.... (07/03) |
|
Zing for Your Zupper |
