O
UTDOOR CONNECTION
SECTION C FEBRUARY 1, 2014 ESTHERVILLE NEWS
STORIES, ADVICE AND INFORMATION FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS
SOLITUDE of the NW Angle
BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
S
ome people would think my son and I are nuts to spend four 10hour days in an 8’ x 12’ ice shack miles from anywhere on Minnesota’s Lake of the Woods Northwest Angle. Just four walls with four ice holes drilled at each end of the shack, and nobody around but the two of us. However, we were literally in seventh heaven!
Why the Northwest Angle I will be the first to admit that great ice fishing options abound in our surrounding states: South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Our choice, though, goes back 12 years, when my son and son-in-law first made their trip to the Northwest Angle, choosing Jake’s Northwest Angle resort (www.jakesnorthwestangle.com) as their home base and guide service for the trip. From modern cabins to bombardiers transporting anglers over the miles of snow-covered ice to their shacks, Jake’s has it all. Since that time, my son has been back a total of 13 times. My only trip to the Angle was 10 years ago, when my wife gave me the trip as a retirement present. It was an awesome trip, but other demands kept me from coming back until this year. Each year Curt has returned during the same time frame and by doing so has developed a good friendship with two other anglers that always visit the Angle at the same time: Bob Switzer and Michael Burris from Kansas City, MO. Their reason for coming up each year is to make connection with guide Big Mike Jenison who, along with owner Paul Colson, handles all of the ice fishing duties from setting up and moving the ice houses to key hotspots, to transporting the anglers each day to their houses and providing all of the minnows needed. Big Mike, you see, also hales from Kansas City and knew Switzer and
See SOLITUDE on Page C6 Early risers can see sun dogs like this on an clear cold morning. Ice crystals in the air provide the brilliant sight. Photo by Steve Weisman
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
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Fourth annual Pure Fishing Ice Fishing Tournament Event set for Feb. 15
Cost to enter is $35 if registered by February 8 and Pure Fishing Foundation’s $40 after that date. The first fourth annual Ice Fishing 75 entrants receive a Pure Tournament is set for Fishing gift bag worth over Saturday, February 15 on West Lake Okoboji’s Emerson and Little Emerson Bay. After three years of holdSTEVE ing the tournament on Big WEISMAN Spirit Lake, the tournament OUTDOOR EDITOR will be held on Emerson Bay. The reason for the change? According to Nick Shaffer, one of the organiz- $40 in product. ers of the event, “Perch are Anglers can weigh up to a cyclical species and right 10 bluegills with an optionnow Big Spirit is at the bot- al Big Fish Contest costing tom of the cycle. We’d like $5 with a 50 percent payto give anglers the best back. experience on the water, so Top prizes include a $250 we decided while the cycle Fisherman’s Factory Outlet was low we’d move the gift certificate and a Clam tournament to West Lake 1-person portable fish where the clear water is shack for first place; $250 great for sight fishing, and Fisherman’s Factory Outlet the bluegill fishing is best.” gift certificate for second Check-in and late registra- place; $125 Fisherman’s tions will take place at the Factory Outlet gift certifiEmerson Bay boat ramp cate for third place. from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. with Additional prizes will be the tournament blastoff tak- awarded for fourth through ing place at 9 a.m. and the ninth place, along with speweigh-in scheduled for 3 cial prizes for every tenth p.m. www.edwardjones.com
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place. A wide range of door prizes will be given away at the weigh-in, including a raffle for a Clam Voyager TCX 2-person ice shack. Shaffer added, “We’d like to thank all of the volunteers and angler participants that help make our Pure Fishing Foundation Ice Tournament a success every year. It’s a fun way to support a great charity! We’d also like to thank all of our sponsors – Abu Garcia, Berkley, Fenwick, Pflueger, Hodgman, Johnson, Shakespeare, Spiderwire, Stren, Fisherman’s Factory Outlet, Clam Outdoors and Scheels – for making this charity event successful.” In addition to the fun and competition of the ice fishing tournament, net proceeds will benefit the Pure Fishing Foundation, a nonprofit, charitable organization with the mission of helping co-workers and their families with hardships that might occur requiring emergency financial assistance.
Last yearʼs weigh-in site all set up and ready for weigh-in. Lots of prizes and ice fishing product will be given out during the weigh-in at this yearʼs Pure Fishing Foundationʼs fourth annual Ice Fishing Tournament set for West Okobojiʼs Emerson Bay on Saturday, Feb. 15. Photo submitted
Anglers interested in Foundation at founda- 4535 or stop in at entering the tournament can tion@purefishing.com, or Fisherman’s Factory Outlet email the Pure Fishing they can call (712) 336- to sign up.
Februaryʼs owl moon Emmet County Conservation gives a hoot about our wildlife and educating the public about the environment they live in. This time of year we get a lot of requests for winter bird programs and the owls are surely not forgotten. The month of February highlights the owl mating season. That’s one of the reasons February’s full moon is known as the owl moon. It may be cold and windy, but the owls are getting flirty and cuddly just in time for Valentine’s Day. In Iowa we’re fortunate to
JENNA POLLOCK EMMET COUNTY NATURALIST
see nine different species of owls which may include the Great horned, Screech, Barred, Saw-whet (most common), Short-eared (endangered), Barn and Long-eared (threatened), and Burrowing (rare sight-
ings). The Snowy Owl is another species we often see throughout the winter months and over the last couple of years sightings have become more prevalent. Owls are neatly engineered raptors. Their feathered-wing construction allows for silent flight. They are one of the stealthiest night time flyers and hunters. An owls head is shaped like a satellite dish. This aids their hearing by collecting and channeling sound directly to their ears.
Speaking of ears, don’t be fooled by those ear-like tufts resting on the top of the owl’s head. Those tufts are not their ears. An owl’s ear holes are further down on either side of the head. The ears are not symmetrical. One ear is higher than the other allowing sound to reach the brain at different times to help the owl locate their prey. The owl’s oversized eyes are its most distinguished trait. They are oversized to allow for night vision.
See OWL on Page C3
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
A LOOK AT 2013 FISHING, HUNTING
STEWARDSHIP IN THE NEW YEAR RECYCLED FISH PROGRAM DIRECTOR
siasts, all nature lovers! loader licenses Here are the numbers from 2013… n 9,975 youth season deer licensIowans’ and nonresidents purchased: es
Iowa residents Fishing n 241,332 annual fishing licenses o 16,470 three year fishing licenses o 6,399 bonus line third fishing line n 6,469 lifetime fishing license n 1,183 seven day fishing license n 2,899 one day fishing license n 37,493 trout stamps n 39,007 outdoor combination hunting/fishing/habitat licenses Hunting n 356,810 annual hunting licenses o 56,526 annual hunting/habitat combination licenses o 6,371 three year hunting/habitat licenses n 2,380 lifetime hunting licenses n 55,733 habitat fees n 25,717 migratory game bird fees n 19,334 fur harvester licenses o 810 fur harvester/habitat combination licenses n 98,507 any deer shotgun seasons 1 & 2 n 54,069 any deer bow license n 19,078 any deer late muzzle-
Stewardship Tip: BY BEN LEAL
AND TRAPPING LICENSE SALES Several times over the past couple of years I have written about the impact that fishing, hunting and tapping license sales have for outdoor enthusiasts in Iowa. As a matter of fact, 100 percent of license fees goes directly to the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, which is managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and spent exclusively for fish and wildlife-related research, education, management and expansion of natural resource opportunities in Iowa. These state license fees, paid by outdoor recreationists, provide matching funds for federal excise tax receipts from nationwide hunting and angling equipment sales. These federal funds are administered to the states by the US Fish and Wildlife Service through its formula-based federal aid programs (Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson) and deposited into the Trust Fund. This federal aid averages approximately $9 million, annually. The Trust Fund also houses Boat Registration Fees, which are earmarked toward boating recreation, navigational safety and aquatic invasive species control as outlined in Iowa Code. Now that’s big money! Here’s the real kicker: you don’t have to be an angler, hunter or trapper to realize the benefits from The Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund. It’s for all outdoor enthu-
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n 33,848 spring turkey season n 5,904 spring turkey bow licenses n 4,043 spring turkey youth licenses Landowner licenses n 62,120 any deer and antlerless licenses combined n 5,589 spring turkey licenses Nonresidents purchased the following: Fishing n 15,476 annual fishing licenses n 2,094 seven day fishing licenses n 10,835 three day fishing licenses n 10,954 one day fishing licenses n 4,235 trout stamps Hunting n 1,325 hunting licenses n 8,963 hunting/ habitat combination licenses (new in 2013 n 13,487 habitat fees n 2,152 migratory game bird fees Deer n 3,885 bow licenses n 2,677 shotgun season 1 licenses n 915 shotgun season 2 licenses n 1,215 late muzzleloader licenses
Do you have a New Year's Resolution? There are the classics ... eating better, getting more exercise, quitting smoking - stuff that affects our health. How about making a resolution for the sake of healthy waters? If you're reading this Stewardship Tip, you're already one of the folks who cares about your local fishing hole. That's awesome. Ice fishing is in full swing here in Iowa. Anglers across the state are enjoying some great action out on the ice, and open water is on the horizon. So what can you do this year? Can you order some Recycled Fish Stewardship Kits and resolve to hand them out over the course of the year to people you see fishing the lake? Can you resolve to pick up a bag of trash every single time you go fishing? Can you resolve to take someone new fishing? How about to reduce the water you use at home? Or to change the way you take care of your lawn? A new year ushers in new beginnings, and at the same times gives us a chance to reflect on the past ice fishing and open water seasons. Like any outdoors man or woman, we have had out share of successes and failures. One thing that we can be 100 percent successful at is being a steward. Why not make this a year to continue your success as a steward and to share it with then next generation. And to continue the tradition - ever year our first Stewardship Tip is to remind you to buy your new fishing license! Conservation through participation, friends. Editor’s note: Each month the outdoor page 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.
An owl is one of the strongest birds of prey OWL Continued from page C2 Unlike humans, an owl cannot roll its eye. To make up for the immobility of the eye the owl has a very flexible neck joint. While an owl cannot turn its head 360 degrees its neck is flexible enough to allow for a 360 degree field of vision. Most owls are well camouflaged critters. There coloration changes with the seasons. Owls are often
more russet colored to blend in with spring and summer foliage. They turn more neutral shades of gray and white to blend in with the winterscape. There is a theory that the owl tufts are one piece of the camouflage puzzle but it’s more likely that the tufts help distract smaller birds of prey that try to attack the owl. An owl’s weight is comprised of its feather mass. Only 7-9 percent of an owl’s weight is attributed to
its bone structure. Hollow bones and oversized wings aid in the owl’s flight. Being light weight doesn’t mean the owl isn’t strong. The owl, considered a raptor, is one of the strongest birds of prey. Extremely sharp talons and a meat-mincing hooked beak aid in the owl’s hunting prowess. The talons and beak work together as highly tuned, and well sharped, kitchen utensils. Owls are avid rodent killers.
Their diets are largely composed of mice. An owl will eat about eighty pounds of mice in one year. They also feed on other small rodents, other birds and small mammals including rabbits and skunks. With all their special nocturnal characteristics, owls tend to lack a keen nose. As we round up the winter months the owls begin to seek out their mate. Owls often mate for life, and depending on the species,
the male owl can be an excellent partner in raising owlets. If you’re interested in learning more about owls and other quirky mating habits in the animal kingdom visit the Emmet County Nature Center on February 15th at 7pm for Signs of Love: An Animal Courtship program. The program will conclude with an owl moon hike. Call the Nature Center if you have questions about this program at (712) 867-4422.
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Get geared up for the Great Backyard Bird Count NEW YORK — From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, bird watchers from more than 100 countries are expected to participate in the 17th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), Feb. 14–17, 2014. Anyone anywhere in the world can count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count and enter their sightings at www.BirdCount.org. The information gathered by tens of thousands of volunteers helps track the health of bird populations at a scale that would not otherwise be possible. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada. "People who care about birds can change the world," said Audubon chief scientist Gary Langham. "Technology has made it possible for people everywhere to unite around a shared love of birds and a commitment to protecting them." In North America, GBBC participants will add their data to help define the magnitude of a dramatic irruption of magnificent Snowy Owls. Bird watchers will also be on the lookout for the invasive Eurasian Collared-Dove to see if it has expanded its range again. GBBC observations may help
show whether or not numbers of American Crows will continue to rebound after being hit hard by the West Nile virus and whether more insect-eating species are showing up in new areas, possibly because of changing climate. Last year’s Great Backyard Bird Count shattered records after going global for the first time, thanks to integration with the eBird online checklist program launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab and Audubon. Participants reported their bird sightings from all 7 continents, including 111 countries and independent territories. More than 34.5 million birds and 3,610 species were recorded—nearly one-third of the world’s total bird species documented in just four days. "This is a milestone for citizen science in so many respects— number of species, diversity of countries involved, total participants, and number of individual birds recorded. We hope this is just the start of something far larger, engaging the whole world in creating a detailed annual snapshot of how all our planet’s birds are faring as the years go by," said Cornell Lab director Dr. John Fitzpatrick. "Canadian participation in the Great Backyard Bird Count has
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increased tremendously in recent years, and it’s wonderful to see this program growing globally," said Bird Studies Canada President Dr. George Finney. "The count is introducing unprecedented numbers of people to the exciting field of bird watching." The Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect
with nature and make a difference for birds. It’s free and easy. To learn more about how to join the count visit www.birdcount.org and view the winning photos from the 2013 GBBC photo contest.
GBBC and Bird Haven Wendell and I always enjoy the GBBC, in mid February. One of our customers reminds us of the approaching count each year
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because his birthday is 2/14 and he always brings his count to us. Seems this is the time of year when the Cedar Waxwings are traveling to the trees containing yummy berries and there are always some reported. My newest tree ("Cockspur" Hawthorn) had a very good crop of berries; however, the tree will have to do more growing before the Waxwings get some. My neighbor’s dog found the berries to be quite tasty and since she is tall had no trouble reaching them. When the berries fell on the ground, she found those too. This should be the year the tree does more growing and the berries will eventually be too high for "Martha" to reach. The GBBC is done on the Internet. For those of you who do not have Internet access, please call Bird Haven (336-2473) and we will enter your counts for you. It is pretty fascinating to watch the progression of the count across the country on the real time map. You can also find your county, then town to see how many lists were submitted and the number of birds. My hope is the Cardinals aren't as shy in February as they were for the Christmas Bird Count.
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
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ZEBRA MUSSELS FOUND, BUT WHAT IS NEXT? BY JOHN H. WILLS CLEAN WATER ALLIANCE COORDINATOR
S
o, it has happened and we know that we are now infested with zebra mus-
sels. What this means is, in a matter of years, objects like hoists, rocks, ladders and other submerged objects will be covered with masses of zebra mussels. These mussels will change our Okoboji chain of lakes and, according to Mike Hawkins the Iowa DNR Fisheries Biologist in Spirit Lake, “All our lakes will see dramatic shifts in their ecology.” Mike says, “Each lake will react differently; however, water clarity will increase and it is likely that an increase in aquatic vegetation (seaweed) will be seen in nearly all lakes.” However, Mike also gives us a warning that this isn’t the last invasive species to make its way to Iowa. “If zebra mussels weren’t enough, the Iowa Great Lakes continue to be under threat from other aquatic invaders. We’re currently tracking a number of other invasive species in Iowa, the Midwest and the United States.”
We aren’t out of the woods simply because we have gotten Zebra Mussels, as many more are on the way and we should be aware of them. We have to stay alert and aware that other invasive species are out there and could be worse than zebra mussels. There are fish species out there that could change our lakes incredibly. Those fish include white perch, Round Goby, Ruffe, and Rudd. These fish can easily be brought to our lakes by not dumping bait into garbage, not draining your live well, or simply by not being diligent in the bait we are using. Some invasive plants that are heading our way and need to be given attention include: Brittle Naiad, Eurasian Watermilfoil, Flowering Rush, and Salt Cedar. These plants can come to our lakes on boat trailers, boat transoms, in live wells and on jet propellers. The final invasive species group that is heading our way that will be discussed today is invertebrates. Those include such species as the Waterflea, New Zealand Mudsnail, and Rusty Crayfish. These invertebrates can come to our lake in live wells, in
A huge mass of Zebra Mussels covers this plastic toy boat! In a matter of years, this could be the scene on the Okoboji chain. Objects like hoists, rocks, ladders and other submerged objects will be covered with masses of zebra mussels. Photo submitted
the water left in our boat motors, tect our lakes. Remember, when your boat, personal watercraft, and as bait. fighting invasive species to and anything else that comes in We need to be diligent and pro- dump, drain, dry, and inspect contact with water.
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Lake of the Woods is often called the ‘Walleye Capital of the World’ SOLITUDE Continued from page C1 Burris as youngsters growing up. Fast forward to 2014, and Big Mike is now in his 18th year as a guide for Jake’s.
The trip Enough background…now for the fishing. Lake of the Woods, which is over 70 miles long and wide and contains more than 14,000 islands and 65,000 miles of shoreline, is a walleye fishing mecca often called the “Walleye Capital of the World.” Most of the resorts are located across the southern end of the lake, but they are also extremely busy. The Northwest Angle can be accessed by snowmobile, but it is nearly a 30-mile run. The other option is to obtain a passport and travel through customs from Minnesota into Canada and then to go through customs again as you return into the Angle. To me, however, it’s worth it to be isolated from the world, so to speak. I find the Angle to be the best of the best! Our four days of fishing included catching 150 walleyes, a few sauger and jumbo perch and one northern pike. That’s pretty darned good action, I would say considering the high and low pressure fronts that blew through on back-to-back days! We averaged over 35 fish a day; however, there are days when 7080 fish will be caught in a single ice shack. Most of the fish measured 15-19”. We also caught several slot fish in the 20” to 22” range. Finally, Curt caught a 27 1/2” walleye one
day and then caught a 28” fish the next day (out of the same hole). We released most everything except for enough fish for two evening meals (30 fillets for the five of us) at a local restaurant. Curt and I also fixed an “ice shack meal” of walleye fillets on the propane stove/heater! We placed six fillets with butter spread over them in tin foil and added slices of Vidalia onion and salt and pepper. We heated the fish, a couple of small cans of pork ‘n beans and warmed slices of homemade bread on top of the tin foil. “Bon appetite”! We did that for two consecutive days!
Location Big Mike set us up in an ice shack located near a rock reef that topped off in about 12’ of water, but the shack was off to the side in 17’ of water. “If we set up on top of the reef, you would only get about an hour of fishing in the early morning and late afternoon. By putting the shack in 17’ of water, you will have a chance to catch fish all day.” Sure enough, that is what happened. Certainly, there were lulls, especially during mid-day. For the most part, though, we had action throughout much of the day. We soon found that the walleyes were there and feeding heavily on hatches emerging from the muck. As a matter of fact, many of the walleyes we caught had mud on their bellies! They were also feeding on schools of meandering baitfish.
Home style walleye meal at Jerryʼs Restaurant: (L to R) Big Mike, Michael Burris, Curt Weisman and Bob Switzer.
of the ice shack to fish, so we set up one line with a slip bobber and a plain hook tipped with a lively minnow. We made sure this was within six inches of the bottom. I would guess that 25 percent of our fish came on the slip bobber rigs. That leaves 75 percent coming through jigging. A major key to our Presentation Curt and I each had our own side success here was that we each had an FL-22 Vexilar flasher. In that way, we could “see” the mark of the lure as we jigged it up and down and also a mark when a fish came close to the lure. The key to our success was being able to determine the interest of the fish. If a fish became really interested in the bait, the mark would get darker and become bigger as it “eyeballed” the bait. For jigging lures, we found that the gold metallic orange Salmo Chubby Darter, Clam’s firetiger Psycho Shad, Northland’s gold Buckshot Rattle Spoon and Northland’s pink/white (glow) Jakeʼs bombardier sits loaded with equipment. Photo by Steve Weisman Buckshot Rattle Spoon worked the
Photo by Steve Weisman
best. We would each choose a different lure to start with to see what the fish were interested in. We also found that after a while, the fish would become neutral to a certain lure, so we would change. Often, that triggered a bite. We also tipped a minnow head to each of these lures. Our target area was bouncing the lure off the bottom (trying to poof the bottom) and working the lure up at least 6’ off the bottom. Jigging ranged from a sharp upward swing to rip the lure up followed by a free fall back down or maybe a jiggle, jiggle, jiggle back down. Sometimes we would let the lure sit totally still; sometimes we would jiggle it up a few inches and then let it sit. The bottom line: we tried to let the fish tell us what they wanted. For those who have never done this, it might sound complicated. Yet, it all comes down to this: work the lure and watch the Vexilar. By the time you have fished a 10-hour day, you will know what I mean. 8
A final thought When the fishing day was done, Big Mike and Paul bring the anglers back to shore. Big Mike, Curt, Michael, Bob and I would then spend the evening swapping fishing lies over a grilled steak or grilled Iowa chop back at the cabin. Twice we hit the road for supper, once at Sportsman’s Lodge on the ice road and once at Jerry’s Restaurant for a feast of our own caught fish! To us, that’s what made each day complete and the reason people keep coming back year after year to the Northwest Angle! If you are thinking of trying some ice fishing on Lake of the Woods, there are lots of options. My suggestion is to Google Lake of the Woods ice fishing and look at the resorts and guide options. You can also contact Lake of the Woods Tourism at info@lakeofthewoodsmn.com or call (800) 3823474. My contact there is Joe Henry, executive director of Lake of the Woods Tourism.
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ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
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EMMET COUNTY PHEASANTS FOREVER BANQUET IS MARCH 1 BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
The annual Emmet County Pheasants Forever banquet is just around the corner. Set for Saturday, March 1 at the Elks Lodge, doors will open at 5 p.m., with dinner served from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the program and auction starting at 7:15 p.m. Only 250 tickets will be sold after the overwhelming attendance success for the past seven years. Tickets for membership and dinner cost
$60 with additional tickets for spouse and children costing $25 each. The youth ticket will include a Ringneck Membership and a youth package at the banquet. All of the profits generated from the banquet will stay with the local chapter and be used in Emmet County. With funds raised last year, the chapter was able to complete a number of projects: n Purchase items need for hunter’s safety courses n Donate to the Emmet County Youth
Education Day n Supply Pheasants Forever members with food plot seed and native grass seed n Purchas a seeder for planting food plots and native grasses for use in Emmet County n Provide quarterly educational materials to the county’s six grade students n Sponsor a regional county hunt for persons with special needs n Purchase drip torches and paddles for the Emmet County Conservation Board
Spawning Trout BY JOE WILKINSON IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Future fishing sits in trays and raceways, in the DNR trout hatchery near Manchester this winter. With the final spawning of rainbow trout, the stocking class of 2015 is taking shape. Already, tiny brook trout and brown trout move like dark clouds in the indoor raceways…aware of any movement as they wait for aluminum feeders to clang open. Every 20 minutes, the timer hits and commercial feed drops to feed them. The first of the season’s rainbow trout are now sac fry. They and the late spawned eggs sit under a constant, cold stream of spring water. This hatchery, originally a federal facility, was sited here in the late 1800s because of the volume and quality of the water. “Typically, we rear between 300350,000 rainbow trout and 5075,000 brook trout to catchable size annually; with adjustments for fingerling availability, changes in stream management and weather,” explains Manchester hatchery manager Dave Marolf. “We also produce between 125,000-175,000 brown trout fingerlings to stock as two-inch fish in May into watersheds that do not already have natural reproduction. That supplements reproduction of browns, in about half of the spring-fed watersheds in northeast Iowa, which do not have to be stocked.” So, about once a week from October through January, it’s time to
spawn fish. Late in the rotation now, that means netting 6 to 8 pound ‘ripe’ female rainbows. The brood fish are stripped by hand, as workers gently but firmly rub bellies to steer streams of bright orange eggs—up to 4,000 to 6,000 per fish-- into a net and then plastic bowl.
“Typically, we rear between 300-350,000 rainbow trout and 50-75,000 brook trout to catchable size annually; with adjustments for fingerling availability, changes in stream management and weather.” Dave Marolf, Manchester hatchery manager
With similar motions, sperm is extracted from two smaller males— to provide genetic diversity—and mixed into the egg mass. Stirring for 30 seconds with a turkey feather produces 95-99 percent fertilization… dozens of times better than leaving it up to Nature in the stream. Sometimes, the week-to-week chore turns into a field trip destination, for potential biologists-in-training. “Pretty interesting. I’ve never held a trout that big before; really slimy, really small scales. It was difficult to grab on to the tail and support her head,” reports Zach Hall of Council Bluffs—a student in Dr. James W. Demastes’ Field Zoology class. Each of a dozen junior or senior
University of Northern Iowa biology or education majors pulled on a raincoat and elbow-length rubber gloves to coax a stream of eggs into the waiting net. “We just started our fish unit. They have been studying specimens for about a week. This gives them a chance to go out and look at animals in the middle of winter,” notes Demastes. The hands-on approach was overseen by hatchery technician Randy Mack. “Once fertilized, eggs go into trays; then to the incubator unit for 30-45 days (depending on water temperature) before they hatch,” says Mack. “From there, it is four or five months indoors before being moved to the big raceways outside…or at the Decorah or Elkader rearing stations.” It takes about a year and a half for them to reach 11-inch, half-pound catchable size. Fish spawned this fall and winter will be in the stocking class of 2015. Come this spring, fish hatched last winter will be on the trucks. Up to 40,000 of us go after trout each year. That number has grown, with the expansion of Iowa’s cold weather urban trout program. Unable to survive in warm weather, trout can make it through the winter in 17 small lakes, ponds or renovated quarries throughout the state. Some of the new anglers enjoy the new pastime locally…while others hear the call to head to the bluffs of Trout Country in northeast Iowa.
n Sponsored Emmet County girls to attend the Iowa DNR Outdoor Journey for Girls n Sponsored Emmet County boys to attend the Iowa DNR Hunting and Conservation Camp Early bird registration must be postmarked by Friday, Feb. 7. Early bird prize is $200 in cash. For tickets, contact Christ Thiel (515) 571-2899, Gary Natterstad (712) 3623230 or Jeff Felkey (712) 260-5077.
TAXPAYERS INCREASE DONATIONS TO WILDLIFE FOR THIRD YEAR RUNNING DES MOINES — Last year, more than 8,000 Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their tax form. It is the third year in a row donations to the fund have increased, a trend that Stephanie Shepherd, DNR diversity wildlife biologist, hopes to continue in 2014. “The number of Iowans donating to the fund is growing after a 10-year downward trend,” said Shepherd. “Those donations go directly to research and habitat development for some of Iowa’s most vulnerable animal species, so the funds are very important for natural resources.” According to Shepherd, 8,000 Iowans donated almost $133,000 last spring when completing their 2012 tax forms. The Fish and Wildlife Fund, known popularly as the “Chickadee Check-off,” is a mechanism the Iowa Legislature created in the 1980s for Iowa citizens to donate to wildlife conservation on the Iowa state tax form. At its height, Iowans donated more than $200,000 annually to the fund. According to Shepherd, one of the main reasons for the decline is the increase in electronic tax filing. “It is easy to pass over or forget, and many tax preparers may not remember to ask whether a client wants to donate,” said Shepherd. “It may be up to the taxpayer to remind their preparer, or check out the completeness of the electronic program they are using.” According to Shepherd, donating on the tax form is easy: simply write the amount to donate next to the Fish and Wildlife Check-Off (Line 55a on the 1040 long form) and the sum is either automatically deducted from the refund or added to the amount owed. As with all charitable contributions, the amount is deductible from next year’s taxes. “Currently only about half a percent of Iowans donate,” said Shepherd. “Our goal in 2014 is for more people to find the check off on their electronic tax form, and to increase donations by 10 percent.” All proceeds from the check-off support the Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Diversity program, responsible for protecting more than 1,000 fish and wildlife species in the state. Money from the Check-off helps improve wildlife habit, fund research studies, support the reintroduction of threatened or endangered species, and much more.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
C8
First ice fishing trip of 2014 BY BOB JENSEN FISHING
THE
MIDWEST FISHING TEAM
The year 2014 started off with cold temperatures and reports of a hot perch bite on Big Stone Lake at Ortonville Minnesota, right on the Minnesota/South Dakota border. Some friends and I planned a trip to Big Stone with an eye on the weather. We decided that as soon as there was a break in the bitter temps we would get together to start the New Year with some perch coming through the ice. When the weatherman indicated that a warming trend would be starting in two days, we loaded the truck with rods, reels, shelters, warm clothing, and headed to Big Stone. Our first trip of the year was productive, and as usual, we learned a little more about ice-fishing that will help us catch more fish on future trips. We arrived at Big Stone in mid-afternoon, and indeed the warming trend had started. It was only 15 degrees below zero, but the wind was calm. With portable shelters and proper clothing, it is possible to
To see all the newest episodes of Fishing the Midwest TV, visit
FISHINGTHEMIDWEST.COM Also visit FACEBOOK.COM/FISHINGTHEMIDWEST stay warm at 15 below. Our fishing partner Artie Arndt is a Big Stone fishing expert. He told us that the bite had been good, but it was coming in flurries. He said that the perch would move in and we would catch them, then they would move on, only to come back in 20-30 minutes. Artie was right. We drilled a bunch of holes in eight to ten feet of water. We fished a hole longer than we usually would, because we knew that the perch would eventually come through. However, after 10 minutes of not seeing a fish on the sonar, we moved. Fished
Perch this size are typical in Big Stone Lake. Photo By Bob Jensen
1907 18th St. Spirit Lake
www.greatlakesmarineservice.biz
again for 10 minutes. If no action, we moved again. Finally, we found a group of perch, and they were biters. We used eighth ounce Buck-Shot Rattle Spoons: The new UV Pink Tiger was the best. Some of us tipped the spoons with spikes: I used an Impulse Minnow Head. The Impulse caught fish as good as the live bait. I caught more fish per bait, and got my bait back down to the fish quickly. However, when the fish were really hot, I caught them with nothing on the spoon. Those are aggressive fish! #3 Chubby Darters were also good. In fact, they got the fish’s attention better than anything. When we first got to a new hole, we would pound our baits on the bottom. In the underwater world, this pounding really gets the fish’s attention. Pound the bait three or four times, then lift it a foot or so above the bottom. Pounding disrupts the bottom and creates a little cloud
of silt or whatever the bottom is made of. You want your bait above the cloud so the fish can see it. Some of the fish would come off the bottom and look at the bait. If they didn’t take it, we lifted the bait higher. Many of the perch were three feet off the bottom when they hit. The following day was 15 degrees above zero, but the wind was blowing. I prefer 15 below and calm, but we take what they send when it comes to weather. The perch continued to bite, and we continued to have a good time. In fact, we started planning our next trip to Big Stone Lake. If you want to catch perch through the ice, you should plan a trip there as soon as you can. Contact bigstonelake.org—320839-3284 for ideas on lodging, bait, rentals, and all the other things that can make an ice-fishing trip to this hot perch fishery successful.