March 2013 Outdoor Connection

March 2013

OUTDOOR CONNECTION Tales of Maui Emmet County Nature Center Foundation Banquet Stop feeding the fish

2-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013

SIXTH ANNUAL EMMET COUNTY NATURE CENTER FOUNDATION BANQUET Event set for March 23

BY ERIC ANDERSON ECCB DIRECTOR

We would like to invite one and all to our 6th annual Emmet County Nature Center Foundation Banquet. The banquet has been set for Saturday, March 23 at the Estherville Elks Lodge. Doors will open at 5 p.m., followed by dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. and the program and auction starting at 7:00 p.m.

I continue to be amazed at the overwhelming support the Nature Center project has received from our Emmet County community.

Banquet tickets are currently for sale with a limited number of only 250 ($25.00 ea.). To date we have thousands of dollars in auction items and prizes to be auctioned off or given away!

This year our grand prize is a 2012 NuCanoe Frontier and Wilderness gift package. The prize package may be viewed on our Facebook page: Emmet County Conservation.

Tickets are available for $5 each, 3 for $10 or six for $20 and can be purchased by contacting any Emmet County Nature Center Foundation Board Member or by contacting the Nature Center at (712) 8674422.

It is our great honor to once again this year feature two of the best known wildlife artists in the Midwest: Larry Zach and Terry Redlin. Both artists will have artwork available during our live

auction. A wide diversity of artwork will be offered including songbirds, deer, turkeys and wildlife scenes. These are high quality framed art pieces that are artist signed and numbered.

Games that are scheduled include the following: ■ Red Solo Cup Game, a game that has proved to be fun for all.

The grand prize will be $100.00 worth of bonus and general raffle tickets, second prize will be a $50.00 gift card and third prize will be a $25.00 gift card.

■ Phyllis McKean will again be selling cards for the card cut raffle, with a grand prize $250.00 gas card donated by Houseman Oil and Riverside Sinclair.

■ Heads or Tails, with the winner taking home: 1-wash and wax from M.E.'s, and $25.00 in gas sponsored by Jim and Karol Bishop.

■ This year we will again be offering a Car Care Raffle. Prizes include: 1-wash & wax form M.E.'s, $25.00 gas cards donated

by Riverside Sinclair / Houseman Oil and $25.00 in gas from Jim & Karol Bishop.

Live Auction Items will include (list to date): ■ American Robin, Winter Chickadees, Heading for Cover all new prints for 2013 by Larry Zach, as well as other Zach song bird art pieces.

■ Mystery Treasure Chest with secret loot to be revealed during the live auction.

■ Half a hog and processing from Dave Enerson, ■ Woody’s Pizza has donated 1 any large pizza a month for a year.

■ Leota Quiring has again donated her handmade corn husk dolls.

■ Kim Swanson has donated a handmade cedar chest with the wood coming from the third floor of the old Armstrong schoolhouse.

■ Tim Hecht has donated a wood carving.

■ Silent Sunset has been donated by Larry G. & Janet Anderson.

■ Maynard Reece and Terry Redlin prints donated by Paul and Joan Peterson and framed and matted by J.D. Speltz and his North Union Art Club.

■ Little Swan Lake Winery has donated a 1-night stay, a bottle of wine and breakfast at their new bed and breakfast.

■ Mr. G’s (Gary Gunderson) special photograph framed and matted by Carol’s Cottage.

This is not the final auction list just a sample of what we have to date!

Our bonus raffle will again include three very nice prizes.

This year they include the following: ■ A Weber Grill sponsored by Home Improvement Center, StateLine Cooperative, Dan's Repair, Ringtel and Wilson Insurance.

■ A half hog and processing from Dave Enerson, ■ 15 ton of gravel and trucking

Motor Inn, Inc.

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donated by Michaelson, INC. Again this year we will be offering a Ladles Raffle, with over 25 fun raffle items to be given away.

Tickets will be 1- $5 or 5-$20.

General raffle tickets are $5each or 5-$20. Bonus raffle tickets will be available only in our Emmet County Nature Center Foundation ticket package containing 15 general raffle tickets and 5 bonus raffle tickets, a $100 value for only $50 or new this year our Bonus water bottle package containing 15 general raffle tickets, 6 NuCanoe tickets, 5 bonus raffle tickets and 2 banquet tickets a $170 value for $100.

Pre ticket sales are available now by calling the Nature Center at 712-867-4422. We will be giving away over 60 general raffle items.

All who attend this year’s banquet will also be automatically entered into the door prize drawings that will include a framed print: Autumn Marsh #261/999

by Lee Didier.

If you wish to get banquet tickets contact the Nature Center at (712) 867-4422, and we will make arrangements to get you your tickets. Act fast, there are only 250 tickets available and they are going fast!

Thank you so very much to all our banquet sponsors, area business donors and private individuals that have supported this project. We look forward to seeing one and all at the Estherville Elks on March 23!

The grand prize, a 2012 NuCanoe Frontier and Wilderness gift package, is on display at the Emmet County Nature Center.

Photo submitted

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013-3

Stewardship Tip

Stay on the trail

A total of 28,855 people took part in Pheasant Fest.

Photo by Todd Sauers, Pheasants Forever

National Pheasant Fest draws 28,855 MINNEAPOLIS — Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic presented by Cabela’s concluded today, drawing 28,855 to the weekend event – and the conservation nonprofit’s 30th anniversary celebration - at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Next year, Pheasants Forever will take its signature event to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the first time, to run February 14-16, 2014 at the Delta Center.

Pheasants Forever welcomed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to its 30th anniversary banquet Saturday night, where in front of 1,300 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members and supporters, he formally announced the country’s 45th Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General Sign-up.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator Al Franken and U.S. Representative Collin Peterson joined the crowd in a standing ovation for the announcement concerning the nation’s largest and longest-standing wildlife

habitat creation program.

“Once again, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members made National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic the center of the upland universe,” said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever's President and CEO, “Despite 30 years and 9 million acres of conservation success behind us, this event was less about our accomplishments and more about the work ahead. We have the most dedicated group of chapters and volunteers, and it was inspirational to see them – many who have been volunteers for 10, 20 or even 30 years – so energized and passionate about the cause of upland habitat conservation.”

In addition to providing an economic boost for the host city and attending outdoor industry vendors, Pheasants Forever uses its National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic to recruit members for its wildlife habitat conservation mission. Nearly 1,700 individuals signed up as Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever members.

The event also delivered wildlife habitat

benefits for pheasants and quail via Pheasants Forever’s Landowner Habitat Help Room.

This feature of the show serviced 276 landowners, providing conservation guidance on 46,338 acres of land, much of it located in the Upper Midwest. Accompanied by a trained Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever biologist, landowners were educated on ways they can improve their acres for wildlife and even what local, state and federal conservation programs their lands qualify for.

Next year, National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic returns to Wisconsin for the first time since 2009, when more than 20,000 visited the event at Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic is also the country's largest event for upland hunters, sport dog owners and wildlife habitat conservationists, combining a national outdoor tradeshow, wildlife habitat seminar series, and family event complete with puppies, tractors, shotguns, and art. The event is open to the public.

Editor’s note: Each month the Outdoor Connection tab will feature a column by Recycled Fish, a nonprofit organization founded by Teeg Stouffer in 2003. Originally a Catch and Release education organization, it is now a national movement of anglers who live and promote a lifestyle of stewardship both on and off the water.

Millions of people will visit national, state, and local parks this year.

Our parks offer us tremendous opportunities for recreation such as bird watching, hiking, wildlife observation, rock climbing, and fishing.

With so many activities drawing so many people, our parks receive tremendous pressure. If you visit a park, remember to follow and stay on the designated trails.

Why it is important to the fish: Prairies and meadows are great reservoirs. Runoff in the spring causes creeks to overflow their banks and flood the neighboring meadows.

These open areas often sit on top of hundreds of feet of permeable soil, which, in turn, sits on top of an impervious base of rock. This forms an ideal layer that will store water throughout the spring, summer, and fall. As the seasons progress water leaks from these prairies and meadows back into the streams and on downriver.

Blazing a trail through these areas compacts and inhibits the ability of water to permeate the soil. Trails create gutters that will widen, through erosion, and drain water from the meadow. When water is taken away from meadows, plants that are suited to rapidly drying soils invade and take over. This destroys the meadow’s sponge-like characteristics increasing the erosive properties of the meadow and the neighboring stream. Ultimately, the desiccation of a prairie meadow reduces the amount of habitat available to fish.

Remember to stay on the trail!

Stray steps can upset fragile ecosystems; the effects can be felt downstream.

4-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013

BUG BRAINED PERCH AT LATE ICE

BY JASON MITCHELL Editors Note: The author, Jason Mitchell hosts the popular outdoor program Jason Mitchell Outdoors which airs on Fox Sports North (9:00 am Sunday) and Fox Sports Midwest (8:30 am Saturday) and is a member of the Ice Team Pro Staff. More information can be found online at: www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com.

There is no silver bullet with late ice perch regarding location but make no mistake, some of the most impressive catches and fishing for the whole calendar year take place in March. Late ice is prime time for jumbo but the tactics and patterns can run the gamut.

Going shallow On so many lakes, perch move relatively shallow and become more aggressive as the ice rots.

Large sand flats or gently sloping flats that have chara and sand grass often hold fish during late ice particularly if these locations are near the mouths of bays and other shallow water that where these fish will eventually spawn.

These shallow flat patterns are classic on lakes like Leech Lake or Winnie in Northern Minnesota. In the Dakota dish bowl lakes, perch often push up into bays but the transitions where sand or gravel turns to mud is often the key. We have caught perch at late ice in 3 feet of water on Leech Lake in March and 53 feet of water at late ice on Devils Lake, however, so not all fish are shallow.

Each lake, each fishery has its own personality. So fish position

themselves in relation to where they will eventually spawn but forage is still the trump card that still influences where fish are found.

Going deep While there are so many solid shallow water bites for perch at late ice on many different fisheries, don’t lock into the mindset that shallow patterns are the only patterns worth exploring. Late ice can often see a lot of invertebrate activity with bug larvae and blood worms and when fish are keying on bugs, you will typically notice a couple of things… first is that the fish get pink jaws and pink scales on the bellies from making contact with the bottom. The other thing that typically occurs with bug relating fish is that they are often deeper.

Reason being is that on some lakes, much of the invertebrate activity is happening over a soft bottom and on many lakes, that soft bottom occurs off the shoreline past the transition. Most lakes have a firmer or harder bottom closer to shore and as you push towards the basin, the bottom gets soft… soft bottoms are typically near the basin and thus deeper.

Deep is relative. On Devils Lake, deep is more than 30 feet, on some of the Glacial Lakes in South Dakota or Nebraska, deep is 12 feet.

Presentations Bug patterns typically require more finesse but not always. When the fish are off, horizontal jigs like a Northland Tackle Hexi-Fly

tipped with a wax worm or minnow head is a top lure. Another deadly jig for water up to about fifteen feet is a Northland Tackle bloodworm, which is a small jig tipped with a long eel shaped soft plastic tail. If you can get a Bloodworm down to the fish at a decent speed, these jigs are incredibly effective. With small horizontal jigs, use a rod that has a light enough tip to load slightly from the weight of these small jigs. One of the most effective rods for this style of presentation is the Jason Mitchell Elite Series Meat Stick.

Typically when fish are keying on invertebrates, the perch will go for a more subtle shake or pound that just causes the jig to shimmy and dance but there are situations where small spoons like a Forage Minnow really shines. On a high lift/ fall, if fish come up off the bottom and accelerate up to the lure fast… you are dealing with more aggressive fish and spoons shine.

The reason being is that spoons call in fish from further away and are typically bigger and heavier where they drop back down through the water faster after catching a fish.

Another top lure option is to combine the calling and weight advantages with a spoon to subtleness of a dropper. Take your favorite Buckshot Rattle spoon and attach a small chain dropper below the spoon after removing the treble hook.

The author Jason Mitchell with a giant perch caught over a soft bottom transition using a Northland Tackle Blood Worm.

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Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013-5

So many places to stay One of the biggest decisions when planning a trip is where to stay. That’s especially true when it comes to Maui. Lodging opportunities abound, ranging from hotels, to resorts, to condos to bed and breakfasts to house rentals to owner rentals.

Then add to the mix that costs can go from under $100 per night to pushing a $1000 per night. With so many choices, making the decision can seem almost daunting for many people.

The good news is there are ways to simplify the problem. One of the ways is to reach out to the Maui Visitor’s and Convention B u r e a u (www.gohawaii.com/Maui).

The website provides a Maui Guidebook to help people get a feel for the lodging, top sights and attractions and even provide a variety of itineraries based on likes/dislikes and budget. We ended up making three lodging choices because they fit our needs.

Our lodging choices Marriott’s Maui Ocean

Club-Lahaina & Napili was

STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR

our first stop. It is what I consider to be an almost allinclusive choice. There are both hotel and vacation ownership villas. Friends of ours are Maui Vacation Club owners, so their recommendation gave us access to the Maui Ocean Club. With a whole range of amenities, activities and services that can meet the needs of both families, couples and individuals, there are many people that simply enjoy the 17 acres and the ocean and rarely leave. They simply want to experience the Marriott way of vacationing.

The club is huge with about 500 condos ranging up to three bedrooms. The resort offers four different view

Darial Weisman (L) takes a look at all Napili Kai Beach Resort has to offer with Diane Farnswarth, Director of Guest Operations.

categories ranging from garden view to ocean front.

At the same time, the Maui Ocean Club is located just a short distance from Lahaina and only a half-mile walk to Whalers Village. Located right on the shores of Ka’anapali Beach, a beautiful walkway leads guests to the north and to the south, letting them enjoy the ocean and the astounding oceanside views of neighboring resorts and restaurants. Lots of activities are available right on the property.

Our second lodging was Kahana Beach Vacation Club, which is four miles north of K’anapali Beach. It is considerably smaller with only 84 guestrooms, all Rainbow follows a brief rain shower across from offering balconies, lanais and kitchenettes. We were able to Napili Bay. use our timeshare points to

Photo by Steve Weisman

secure this property for a week through Interval International. So, the cost was pretty minimal. We were very lucky to be able to access this property for a week in early February. The ocean view from our ocean front studio was good, and we were able to watch sea turtles and whales from our lanai. Amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, barbecue grills and activity desk.

Our third lodging came at the suggestion of Charlene Kauhane of the Maui Visitor’s and Convention Bureau. We needed a lodging for our first night before we could check into the Maui Ocean Club, so she lined it up for us. A quick look at their website, and we knew why she chose this one for

us, and we quickly rearranged our lodging so that we could stay four more nights. Napili Kai Beach Resort, which is located adjacent to Kapalua on the crescent shaped beach of Napili Bay, is quite a ways north of our previous two lodgings and is a condo-style resort with 162 units. Instead of being several floors high, however, the original developer made sure that two stories would be the maximum height, which we found to be awesome. Located on 10 acres, most of the units are ocean view or ocean front.

Our studio unit was an ocean front room right, and I mean right, on the ocean (maybe 50 feet away). Talk about amazing sunsets. It was at Napili Kai Beach Resort that we made certain we were

relaxing on our lanai as the sun began its descent!

Napili Bay is protected from big waves much of the time, so it is perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. The resort is more on the quiet side, and is popular for its walking and jogging trails.

Amenities include all of the usual ocean side activities, along with an 18-hole putting green, four swimming pools, barbecue areas and a wide range of activities.

The Sea House Restaurant is also on site, along with the Aloha Pavilion for special concerts.

All three lodgings were top of the line and perfect for us as we changed locations based on what we wanted to do and the kind of resort we wanted for that particular time period.

6-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013

Fun in the evening

BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR

Visit Maui and two of the “must do” activities include whale watching and attending a luau. There’s one more, though, that we discovered that is total Hawaiian: the Slack Key Show.

Hula girls display their talent during the Old Lahaina Luau.

Old Lahaina Luau

All aboard the Teralani 3 in search of whales!

Dinner Sunset Cruise With beautiful sunsets and whales spouting and breaching along the shores of Lahaina, we had to experience an evening on the water. Our choice was Teralani Sailing aboard one of their luxury catamarans. The challenge?

Having 30 passengers board a spacious and stable (thank goodness) vessel that beached on the sand in front of Whaler’s Village for us to board. With 3-4 foot swells rolling in, we had to time the ebb and the flow so as not to get hit by a swell.

Two of the crew members stood in the water on each side of the ladder to help us access the catamaran. Certainly, we got a little wet, but all of us (a diverse group of ages) made it on board without issue. The same held true when we exited the catamaran when the cruise was over. All back safe on shore-with visions of whales still vivid in our memories.

Yes, we had food, and yes it was good. But it was the last thing on our minds for most of the trip as we spread out around the catamaran looking for signs of whales. It was almost comical as people yelled from one side to the other: “There’s a spout,” “There’s a breach.” Then we might hear “Did you see that?” “Wow, look at the cow and calf together.” Off and on for three hours, that’s what we’d repeatedly hear.

Throughout that time digital cameras captured the sights (and, of course, the misses). During the three hours, 30 complete strangers became acquaintances and even friends by the end of our time together.

There are so many excellent Luau opportunities on Maui, but the last two times we have chosen to attend the Old Lahaina Luau, because through our research, we found it to be the most authentic. Enter the gates from the streetside and those in attendance are warmly greeted by waiters, who take their guests to tables arranged in a theater style surrounding the stage as sugar sand and the ocean serve as the backdrop.

The evening meal combines the best of the traditional island fare embracing the island’s many cultures. Food is served in a buffet style with the centerpiece of the buffet being the kalua pig placed in an imu (underground oven) and slow roasted for hours. After the meal, with tiki torches lighting the stage and the sound of the ocean in the background, the audience is next all transported to the “Magic Isle” for the musical performance highlighting Maui’s history: ■ First, the Ote’a (famous and festive drum dance of Tahiti) ■ Next, Kahiko (the ancient hula) ■ Next, Missionary and Merry Monarch era (bringing back the “banned” hula) ■ Next ‘Auana (the modern hula) ■ Last, the Finale (annual Fete Celebration featuring solo dancers) As the performers shared their musical story, their passion and pride for their heritage and culture came through.

Their final message: aloha until we meet again.

Slack Key Show & Dinner

The what? That’s what my wife and I thought when we first heard the term Slack Key Show. We asked Diane Farnsworth, Director of Guest Operations for Napili Kai Beach Resort to explain. We found out that it is a weekly Grammy Award winning concert series hosted by Slack Key Guitar Master George Kahumoku, Jr., and the highly regarded Da Ukulele Boyz held at the Napili Kai Beach Resort’s Aloha Pavilion. In addition, each week a special musical guest is brought on stage to share a special style of music.

Diane suggested since we were at Napili Kai on Wednesday that we should take in the show and kick off the evening with a special meal at the Sea House Restaurant. The three-course dinner was awesome with an island salad of fresh Up Country greens topped with tropical salsa and Lilikoi vinaigerette. My wife chose the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi topped with pineapple run sauce and Maui Onion Mashed Potatoes. My choice was the Sea House Mixed Grill: fresh Mahi Mahi, Shrimp Scampi and Herb Marinated Sirloin Steak along with Maui Onion Mashed Potatoes. The dessert was a luscious Pineapple Tiramisu.

More about Slack Key…a genre of guitar music that originated in Hawaii. It refers to changing the standard tuning by detuning or “slacking” one or more of the strings until all of the strings form a single chord. It actually started in Hawaii in the early 19th century after Spanish and Mexican cowboys, who were brought to the islands to teach Hawaiians how to handle cattle, brought guitars to the islands. Fast forward to today and Slack Key is a Hawaiian guitar tradition.

Called Hawaii’s Renaissance man, guitar master George Kahumoku, Jr., began experiGuest performer Brother Noland menting with Slack and Slack Key Concert host Key when he was a George Kahumoku, Jr., prepare youngster. With a for a little “jam session.” laugh, he shared with the audience about this time in his life, “My mother heard me playing it and grounded me!” Now Kahumoku’s success as a slack key musician includes being a four-time Grammy Award winner. He performs on a 12-string custom Art Davis guitar.

Guest for this show was Brother Noland, a native Hawaiian musician, a musical icon with an international reputation as a ki ho’alu guitarist. He is also acclaimed as a recording artist and composer for a wide range of films and television shows.

What made this show so special was that it was more like a backyard jam session, very informal with a lot of verbal give and take among the musicians. What the audience felt was a closeness, almost a oneness with the musicians as they shared their life stories and songs. To make the music even more powerful, a professional hula dancer provided visual movements to illustrate the words of several songs.

The Slack Key Show was to last from 7:30 to 9:30.

However, the pre “show show” as the Da Ukulele Boyz called it began at 7 and the final song didn’t end until 10!

My favorite? “Dueling Banjos” performed twice, first by the Boyz and then by the entire group!

Awesome, but pretty late for two old folks in their 60s!

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013-7

Experiencing a Maui Country Farm Tour

BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR

For many of the visitors to Maui, which is known as the “Magic Isle,” the thought conjures up images of 80 degree temperatures, warm gentle breezes, world class surfing waters and miles of beaches. However, “Magic Isle” also means the incredible topographical diversity that goes way beyond the sandy, rocky shorelines.

Although my wife and I enjoy the idyllic beauty of the beaches and shoreline, on our recent trip to Maui, we wanted to experience more of the “Magic Isle.” For us that meant moving inland and heading to what is called Up Country. Back in 2004, we toured on our own, pretty much just driving the winding uphill roads, ending at the Ulupalakuia Ranch Store and Winery. However, we knew that we missed a lot of the history and lore of the Up Country.

So, this time, we researched and found two experiences that would give us real stories of the Up Country. The first was taking a small group tour with Maui Country Farm Tours (www.mauicountryfarmtours.com

), owned by Marilyn Jansen Lopes and her husband Rick.

Our tour included a scenic ocean view tour through the old town of Paia, a quick stop at Ho’okipa Beach Park to see the wind-surfing capital of world, followed by a journey through pineapple country and up the slopes of Haleakala to the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm and finally on to Ulupalakua and a stop at Ulupalakua Ranch Store and winery.

With only 10 of us in the group, plus Marilyn and Rick, we strangers soon became friends over the course of the six-hour tour. We soon learned that the other eight were part of the Pride of America Cruise and were from Oklahoma, Montana and Michigan.

By the Lavender Farm, we were at 4,000 feet elevation and as Marilyn notes, “The climate here is more of a Mediterranean-type climate, and lavender thrives in the cooler arid condition.” It was with great pride that Marilyn led us through the 13.5-acre, sharing with us the story of owner and horticulturalist Ali’i Chang. Although lavender is not native to Maui, it got its start in 2001 when a friend

Marilyn displays the lavender infused scones for a mid-morning lunch at the Aliʼi Kula Lavender Farm.

Surfers catch a wave at Hoʼokipa Beach Park. gave Ali’i a sample of the herb.

Now, 12 years later, the Lavender Farm contains somewhere around 55,000 lavender plants and 45 different varieties. In addition, a wide range of succulents, olive trees, hydrangea and protea plants can also be found. Sadly, Chang died in the past year, but his legacy continues through the efforts of his son.

As Marilyn led us around, she emphasized that it is the lavender for which the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm is known across the world.

She also shared the many ways lavender is infused in a wide variety of products, ranging from bath and body products, aromatherapy products and culinary products. A mid-morning snack of lavender scones, lavender infused tea and coffee were incredibly tasty!

Throughout the Up Country tour it was amazing to see the rugged hilly land overlooking the ocean far below in the distance.

What draws us here Marilyn, who is a California transplant, first arrived on Maui at age 18 in the 1970s. Although she left the island, her heart remained there, and she kept coming back

over the next 20 years, finally returning for good and becoming a Maui resident in 1996.

With a smile, Marilyn reflects on her Maui journey, “If Maui wants you, you will stay.”

Acknowledging that the Maui cost of living is high, Marilyn says that those who really want to stay will do whatever it takes, sometimes working several jobs in order to make ends meet.

Meanwhile, Rick, whose Portuguese ancestors moved to Maui in the 1800s, is Maui born and raised. He grew up in the heyday of the pineapple and sugar cane plantation camps and relishes telling stories of his experiences as a local lad growing up. The two met in 1998 and married in 2005.

With a sense of sadness in his voice, though, he talks of the changes that have occurred, the closing down of sugar cane factories and the loss of pineapple production. To the point of fearing that in the future the Maui Gold pineapple may be no more.

Of course these types of changes are occurring across the United States, and here on Maui, local residents are working together to

preserve and protect through a grassroots movement called Sustainable Aloha.

A PASSION

FOR ALL THAT IS

MAUI

That best describes Marilyn and Rick. They both cherish all that Maui is. Marilyn says, “I’ve been interested in gardening all of my life, so when I moved to Maui, I began to learn about the plants that grow well in Maui.” A natural people person, Marilyn’s belief in Maui came through in two selfpublished books: Amaryllis of Hawaii and Amaryllis Amaryllis How Does Your Garden Grow? A third book, a cookbook, is entitled Amaryllis of Hawaii Loves to Cook “Recipes for Life.”

Marilyn began to think of ways to share her love of Maui’s Up Country with visitors. In 2011, she began Maui Country Farm Tours. As with many fledgling businesses, it took time, but now Marilyn and Rick are averaging three tours per week. The day before our tour, they actually gave two tours in one day.

Both Marilyn and Rick are excited with the growth of their business and the opportunity to share their love of Maui with visitors.

8-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013

Oʼo Farm Tour Experience

BY STEVE WEISMAN

informational and interactive tour by Ancil Clancy, My wife and I have always Orchard Master, leading had what we consider a bit of guests through several garden a green thumb when it comes plots of leafy greens, root to gardening, so we didn’t vegetables, culinary and hesitate when we had a medicinal herbs and varieties chance on our recent trip to of fruit trees. Guests have the Maui to take a farm lunch opportunity to taste and select tour. their favorites to be mixed in O’o Farm with the chef’s choice. (www.oofarm.com) lies on Six garden plots are planted 8-½ acres of pristine Up to take advantage of the yearCountry land near the farm- round growing season in Up ing community of Kula. Country. Still, with a winter Purchased by the owners of and summer growing season, Pacifico and I’O restaurants different types of plants in 2000 to establish sustain- mature at various times of the able “fresh farm to table pro- year. Depending on the seaduce” for both restaurants, son, these are some of the today the farm provides fresh “crops” growing: Lettuce, produce not only for both Arugula, Cabbage, Spinach, restaurants but also two gour- Chard, Beans, Peas, Fennel, met coffee shops.

Asparagus, Cucumbers, To share the garden experi- Tomatoes, Peppers, Squash, ence with visitors, O’o farm Eggplant, Corn, Kaffir Lime, offers gourmet lunch tours Orange, Lemon, Cilantro, Monday-Thursday from Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, 10:30 a.m., to 1 p.m., high- Thyme, Sage, Oregano, lighted by an exquisite open Mint, Wild Flowers, air gourmet lunch prepared Marigolds, Nasturtium,

by Chef JJ Johnson.

Anise Flower, Plum, Fig, One of the many gardens at Oʼo Farm.

The tour begins with an Cherry, Loquat, Chermoya, Avocado, Strawberry, Raspberry, Wild Pohaberry.

Now that list goes way beyond my “green thumb experience!”

Sources of pride for Clancy are three different heat compost piles with one being at the “garden use” stage. The piles are comprised of all-natural waste products from the gardens themselves designed to be a 30:1 mix of carbon and nitrogen. The ready-pile is rich, pure and moist humus, perfect for placement on the next garden. Gardens are planned as all natural without the use of pesticides.

Garden pests are repelled through the use of border gardens with odor emitting plantings that pests find offensive. At the same time, rows of flowering herbs are The author with the gourmet luncheon.

OUTDOOR EDITOR

planted to draw needed pollinators.

At 11:45 a.m., Chef JJ Johnson rings the dinner bell and guests head toward the long wooden table at which the guests will partake in the gourmet lunch. Johnson, who has been a chef for 20 years, has been the gourmet chef for O’o Farms for the past year.

“It’s my dream job,” Johnson says. “Where else could I combine the best of garden produce with other local produce to make the perfect meal in such a perfect outdoor place.” All food is heated on a wood-burning stove, which adds the perfect natural touch to the meal.

As we took our seats to wait for the gourmet buffet, we found that even our table and the surrounding arbor

were hewn from fallen eucalyptus limbs. A perfect touch for the menu: ■ Ffresh greens, vegetables and herbs picked fresh from the garden ■ Tofu with fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden ■ Fresh Hebbi (shortbilled spearfish) with sweet Kula onions and greens ■ Fresh baked bread ■ Chocolate macadamia truffle and Mokka coffee bean chocolate truffle ■ Freshly picked, dried and ground Mokka coffee, brewed using French press technique So simple, yet so wonderfully prepared that it was one of the finest meals we had during our two weeks on Maui. Bon Appetite!

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013-9

PERCH, Continued from Page 4 You can also tie your own dropper out of a short six to eight inch piece of monofilament but I like the chain dropper best. Reason being the short chain dropper is very flexible and subtle which imparts a real deadly action on the hook and the fish can suck in the hook easier than when using a mono dropper which is actually stiffer than the chain.

One really effective tactic that can work really well in deeper water when using either spoons or spoons with droppers is to free fall the spoon fast enough to get the lure to swing out to the side of the hole and let the lure hit the mud. Than slowly drag the spoon across the bottom back towards the center of the hole. For perch that are tipping up sucking up invertebrates out of the mud, this technique will catch fish when nothing else works.

Bug patterns With bug patterns that take place in deeper water on transitions that are following lake basins, prime locations are any indent or finger that makes this transition irregular and prime locations remain basins and flats that are either within bays that have a softer basin or adjacent next to larger shallow flats that have some protection and weed growth.

Does this deeper bug pattern happen on every lake?

Absolutely not but it happens enough and is often overlooked. Same fish, different body of water and you might find fish keying on crayfish, shiners or some other type of minnow.

Typically when fish are relating to minnows or crayfish, you are going to find shallower patterns and much more aggressive feeding behavior over sands or low lying weeds on big flats.

A general rule of thumb is that shallower fish (less than ten feet of water) are typically more aggressive and these fish are often orientating more to crayfish and minnows. Deeper fish are typically less aggressive and orientating towards bug hatches and invertebrates.

Which pattern to pursue depends on the process of elimination. Check the traditional shallow sand locations and if the bite is on, enjoy. If the bite is not there however or sporadic, don’t be afraid to look deeper at late ice against popular opinion because there are certain situations where these bug brained perch patterns not only produce solid fishing opportunities but big fish as well. Some of the heaviest female perch I have ever caught myself were caught at late ice over deeper soft basin transitions and this pattern should not be overlooked.

Signs of Spring As I write this article there’s a major winter storm approaching, the temperature outside reads 5 degrees, and to top it off-my hand got stuck to the flagpole this morning, again. It may seem early, but I’m ready to talk signs of spring.

There are many places to look for the earliest signs of spring. The animal kingdom often helps us. We see the return of neo-tropical birds, and mammals awake from hibernation.

Already this year a pair of bluebirds and a pair of robins has been spotted in Iowa, and a skunk that appreciated 40degree weather a few weeks back wasn’t moving fast enough to avoid vehicular suicide.

We can help usher in spring by providing habitat for the animal kingdom. It’s a good time of year to construct a variety of birdhouses.

Building birdhouses helps create a nesting box for birds and their next generations.

If you’re interested in constructing a bluebird house, attend the Nest Builder workshop at the Emmet County Nature Center on Saturday, March 9 at 10 a.m.

The fee is $10 for birdhouse materials. Call the Nature Center to reserve your supplies: 712.867.4422.

We can also look to the

JENNA POLLOCK EMMET COUNTY NATURALIST

landscape around us. Some winter cover crops such as winter rye are turning the landscape green and lush on the warmest days.

The earliest spring flowers we’ll spot may include skunk cabbage and bloodroot. In heavily wooded areas and wetlands, skunk cabbage will grow out of a shaded pile of snow. The flower’s growth generates enough heat to melt the snow and survive frost at night. Bloodroot is another flower that often

blooms with snow cover on the ground.

The fresh air of spring also ushers in an essence of new life. The moisture-rich airscented with a twinge of last year’s fallen leaves decaying under our noses- ignites synapses in our brains that get us motivated. In my case, I think of spring planting and spring-cleaning.

I enjoy hopping in the tractor on my home farm and taking to the fields. The more sunshine and fresh air the better! Spring-cleaning, on the other hand, is not as liberating. The lung-congesting odor of cleaning products can put a real damper on the spring in my step.

That’s why I’ve started using homemade household cleaning products, and when I’m less motivated, I use the

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“green” eco-friendly cleaning products that can be purchased in stores.

How does one know if a cleaning product is truly eco-friendly? A few of the best signs to look for is whether you need to use safety gloves or open all the windows in your home to use the product. If a product isn’t good for your skin or for you to breathe, it’s doubtful that it will be good for the natural environment.

If you’re interested in learning more about safe household cleaning products and cleaning products you can make from home attend the St. Sustainable “Green” Products workshop at the Emmet County Nature Center on Saturday, March 16 at 10 a.m. Call the Nature Center to reserve your spot.

10-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013

STOP FEEDING THE FISH Genz says make ʻem strike, instead

BY MARK STRAND

Some of you have noticed that Dave Genz has been on a ‘cadence kick’ for more than a year. He talks, increasingly, about how your presentation has to feel good to the fish. It needs to smell and taste good, too, and it never hurts when it looks right (where clarity and lighting allow fish to see it). But to get to the point where a fish is attracted close enough to notice what your bait smells and tastes like, the motion of your presentation – and the signature of its felt signals on the fish’s lateral line – have to communicate possible food item.

During the winter of 201213, Genz became more convinced than ever in the value of ‘pounding’ the lure while presenting it to fish. On most days, he says, the catch rate is higher for those who create extremely fast, vibrating motions. Up-down, updown, up-down goes the wrist, in minute movements.

Boomp-boomp-boompboomp goes the bait, kicking, rocking, looking alive.

There isn’t much to see, if you watch someone doing it.

But there’s a lot for the fish to feel, and you can slowly raise or lower the bait as you pound it. It feels like life to the fish, which are accustomed to feeding on things that move like this.

He’s talked about this a lot, but Genz wanted to mention again that this aggressive (whatever that means) presentation style not only brings fish in from a distance, but closes the deal, gets them to open their mouths, once the fish get right up to your bait.

Even anglers who subscribe to pounding tend to stop doing it when fish show

up. It’s human nature. Dave talked about one of his numerous extended road trips, from January, 2013.

He was traveling and fishing with Joe Jackson (longtime Clam and Ice Team pro), during which there were numerous days they caught more fish than their guides and hosts – because they sent the right signals to the fish.

“I’ve been observing guys who were sight fishing,” said Genz, “and seeing that those fish were just not going to bite their lines. When the fish show up, they stop doing what brought the fish in.

They slow down, and the fish loses interest and goes away.

“Same thing when people use spring bobbers. You just can’t get that sharp cadence with a spring bobber. When fish show up, they slow everything down. They’re trying to feed ‘em. Joe and I were so much more aggressive; we made ‘em strike.

“You can make those fish bite if you get the right cadence going. We used to call it the pound, or pounding it, and I don’t know if everybody understood what we meant by that. But now that we’re talking about cadence, that word is catching on. You can work with the same thing in summer fishing, like when you try small, medium, or large spinner blades on a crawler harness. You find what cadence the fish want that day. When you change the blade, you change the rhythm, the cadence. A different blade can trigger more fish.

“That’s what we’re doing, when we’re pounding the bait when we’re ice fishing.

We use a lure that matches up with our line and our rod, so we can feel that bait as we’re pounding it. It’s that crisp cadence that catches fish.

“The problem with spring bobbers, and those rods with real flexible tips, is you can’t get that cadence going and keep it going. It smooths it out too much. You have to find the exact movement they want and keep giving it to them. If the rod tip is too floppy, it dips down too far and flips up too far. Same thing when you put a spring on the end of the rod.

They’re too soft. I don’t want to condemn that smooth presentation, because it’s fine if that’s what the fish are looking for. But when they want that crisp cadence, you can’t give it to ‘em unless you’re using the right rod, and it’s balanced so the line hangs straight with no kinks in it.”

Plastics can be Deadly Fished ‘Smooth’ When using soft plastics, Genz has noticed that the smoother, ‘longer wavelength’ cadence produced by soft-tipped rods and spring bobbers can produce well.

“That nice smooth, rolling motion can produce (with plastics),” he said. “And the plastics seem to, sometimes, be better for continuing to catch fish out of the same hole, after the bite slows down. There are places and times when the guys using plastics are catching more than the guys using live bait.

That’s because the plastics are better than they used to be, and we’re learning more about how to catch fish with them.”

Dave, a diehard live-bait fisherman, is, in fact, working on refining a soft plastics system that he says he’ll be ready to talk about in time for next winter.

Aggressive Fish are the Exception If you drill enough new holes and get over enough

With one nice walleye flopping on the ice, Dave Genz is back down looking for more, aggressively pounding his lure. Rather than slowing down when a fish shows up, in an effort to “feed it,” Genz says we should keep a hard-pounding cadence going, and force the fish to strike.

Photo: davegenz.com

biters, you can put together a good catch with virtually any kind of rod, spring, bait, and presentation.

“When you drop that bait down for the first time in a new hole,” says Genz, “a lot of times the first fish rises up and bites it. It meets the bait halfway down and your line goes slack. That one, you don’t have to do much to catch. It just happens. But then, after that fish, the other ones are less aggressive. You have to do more to catch them.

“I try to get the fish to

charge my bait, and keep doing what brought him in. I keep the cadence going, and keep looking for exactly how he wants it. I usually slowly take it away from him, make him chase it.”

Many other anglers tend to slow down or even stop the cadence once a fish shows up – especially when sight fishing.

“Something happens when you can see the fish,” says Genz. “As the fish gets closer, you tend to go slower.

Breaking the rhythm breaks the spell. Going from a crisp

cadence to a stop is too much for the fish to accept, especially when the lure starts to spin after you stop the motion. We have to stop trying to feed ‘em, and start making ‘em strike.”

Editor’s Note: Dave Genz, known as Mr. Ice Fishing, was the primary driver of the modern ice fishing revolution. He has been enshrined in the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport. For more fishing tips, go www.davegenz.com.

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013-11

March is the time for preparation

BY WENDELL HANSEN BIRD HAVEN

In like a lion and out like a lamb.

It's the lion part that I know best.

It's the time of year I'm out freezing my butt off putting up, uncovering and adding new cedar wood chips to my customers' and my wood ducks houses.

It needs to be done in midMarch (the lion part) right before ice out. I have been asked, "why so soon? There is still ice on the lakes." Look around; a lot of our small streams and rivers are starting to open up.

As soon as there is open water the wood ducks show up. The hen that used a box the year before will be back to check out that box from the year before and the young that were hatched out of that box from last year will be looking for a nest box of their own.

Why put up a wood duck house?

It's the loss of habitat.

Bottomlands and potholes have been drained and are being logged off; the old family farm with a grove has been bulldozed and converted to farmlands or a bin site. Any tree that died with any natural cavities has been cut down for firewood. Wood ducks reared in natural cavities will search for similar natural structures for nesting.

However, birds hatched in nest boxes tend to choose nest boxes rather than cavities in trees for

nesting. It is a beneficial consequence of this imprinting behavior that the landlord with a successful nest box program will develop a breeding flock of ducks that return along with their young each year. Once the pattern is established, more nest boxes can be added.

There are many choices for wood duck nest boxes. The best boxes are made of natural wood.

Hens accept them well.

When measured against those constructed with man-made materials, woods natural insulation properties protect eggs during hot, late-season incubations. Cedar and Redwood lumber is recommended because of its ability to resist rot. A construction design, which features a side-opening door, is the best for monitoring the box.

The best box of all is the one made from rough-cut lumber; they resist heat build-up the best when measured against those constructed with commercial lumber.

Try and stay away from a box made from pine or plywood as they rot way too fast! Also, avoid a box made with staples. The staples will rust and can fall apart with the hen and eggs inside. The best boxes are made with outdoor wood screws.

Where you mount and locate your house is important to attract the wood duck to your location.

Best location is within one and a

Photo submitted

half miles of water. Also, the house does not need to be mounted 20 feet plus up in the air.

The best way to mount the house is on a 4 x 4 pole with a baffle anywhere from 5 to 10 feet off the ground. This way the house is a lot easier to clean and monitor.

If the house is mounted on a tree the height as on the pole can remain the same. To protect the house from predators put flashing above and below the house.

Long before mankind messed things up, the hen would clean out the old nest herself. Now the hen relies on man to do it for her. I clean out all my wood duck houses in the fall and cover the hole up

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for the winter, and then in mid March I provide fresh sawdust or wood shavings in the nest box. A 3- 4-inch layer will do. Do not use hay or straw, which can mold or carry diseases. If your house is over water do it when the ice is still thick enough to walk on safely.

Location of the hole should be facing one of the two best directions: either facing directly east or directly west. Second choice would be to face the hole anywhere within the 180 Degrees of those two directions facing south.

It is possible to place two or more nest boxes on the same structure.

A mature hen wood duck com-

monly lays 12-14 eggs (one egg a day). Smaller clutches could be from a young hen or a mature hen re-nesting after a failed clutch.

It is very common for more than one hen to lay eggs in the same nest box or natural cavity. This may result in large numbers of eggs. This behavior is called dump nesting and adds to the wood duck population, since a single dominant hen usually prevails and hatches the clutch.

Hatches of 20 or more ducklings are not unusual.

The incubation period for wood ducks varies, but is usually between 28 and 32 days. The entire clutch hatches in less than 24 hours. The hen will leave the nest box with her new brood on the first morning after the initial egg was hatched. After surveying the terrain for predators, she flies down to the ground and begins calling for the brood. The young ducklings will climb up from inside the box and jump from the entrance hole when called.

If you are lucky and you have the right day, start watching your wood duck house just before 7 a.m., and you may get to see the young jump and you can help mom get the new brood safely to water.

If you have any questions regarding nest boxes please give Bird Haven a call. We now carry rough-cut lumber wood duck and owl houses all year around.

12-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 8, 2013

Ideas for purchasing a fishing rod

BY BOB JENSEN FISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING TEAM

This is the time of year when many anglers start thinking about the approaching open water fishing season. Those thoughts remind them that they need or want a new rod for that approaching open water fishing season.

Some anglers want a technique specific rod; others want a rod that will enable them to employ a wide range of techniques. And then there are those anglers who just like to try new rods. Whatever your reasoning for getting a new rod, following are some things to keep in mind.

When you're looking for a new rod, you need to think of how you'll be using it.

Will it be mostly for

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FISHINGTHEMIDWEST.COM walleyes, or are you going to be after muskies mostly.

Some rods can perform several tasks, but you can't expect to throw jerkbaits for muskies with a rod that was designed to be used for jigging for walleyes.

However, if you are going to be mostly walleye fishing but you live near a pretty good crappie lake also, you can get by very nicely with the same rod. A medium light spinning rod in the six to seven foot range will do a great job jigging and rigging for walleyes and also for slip-bobbering for crappies.

Figure out how you're

going to use the rod the most and you're on your way. The next step is what to look for in a rod.

Graphite rods are the way to go for many anglers.

When graphite rods first came out they had a reputation of being fragile and expensive.

Now you can get a very good graphite rod that will last a long time and will be much easier on the fishing budget. When sensitivity is important, graphite is the way to go.

If you'll be jigging or rigging for walleyes, or dragging a jig or worm for bass, or anything else that requires you to have a really good idea of what's going on at the end of your line, you need graphite.

There are a good number of other reasons why graphite is desirable, but sensitivity is probably the main reason.

If you're going to be trolling, graphite is still good, but fiberglass or a fiberglass/graphite blend will work well. Sensitivity isn't a major requirement when trolling. You can get by very nicely with a less expensive rod that will absorb the impact that can be provided by a fish slamming a fast moving crankbait that's being trolled at a high speed. In fact, a softer action rod that has some give to it will usually be a better trolling rod.

What about rod action? A faster action rod, a rod that doesn't bend too much, can provide harder hooksets than a lighter action rod, but that lighter action rod is more forgiving when you're fighting a fish. Go with lighter action rods with lighter line and a heavier action rod with Using the appropriate rod can help you put more fish heavier lines. in the boat.

You don't need a bunch of Photo by Bob Jensen rods, and you don't need to spend a bunch of money on a rod to enjoy your fishing.

Cabela's has developed several series of rods that enable an angler to match a rod exactly to their needs.

The Platinum ZX is an outstanding rod that has the qualities of much more expensive rods.

CUR RT SMIT There are other rods with 712.330.948 the Cabela's brand that will serve your needs exactly.

All you need to do is get to a store and shake the rods and figure out which one is best for you. Do it soon though; open water is not far away.

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