O
UTDOOR CONNECTION
STORIES, ADVICE AND INFORMATION FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS
Summer begins to wind down
Good time to explore for panfish BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
It’s amazing how fast the summer goes once we hit the 4th of July! With the cooler than normal temperatures so far, it makes fall and the start of school seem even closer. This is the time of year that the panfish action can be great on both West Okoboji. The bays have tremendous weed growth, and the deep weedlines are now established. The only trouble I have is just how massive a fishing area this is when you say deep weedline in 18-25 feet of water. No matter the bay or the point, you can find this type of structure. So, I’ve found you either go by spots from previous years, check the local baitshops for at least a general area, rely on a fishing buddy for a little help or just head out on the lake and look for some boats working an area and start exploring for yourself.
See SUMMER, on Page 6C Another inviting evening on the lake. Photo by Steve Weisman
SECTION C AUGUST 2, 2014 ESTHERVILLE NEWS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
2C
YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY! W
hen it comes to fishing boats, the old adage, “You’ve come a long way baby,” is certainly appropriate. State of the art, hi-tech fishing rigs have come to the point where even species-specific rigs are available: both aluminum and fiberglass models. You name it; you can find it. As far as I can tell, there are 20+ boat manufacturers that offer a wide array of boat choices. Of course, the price tag goes up with the wide range of options available.
going back 70 years, you will find a much different story. Who better to take us down memory lane than
result of his efforts, many awards have been bestowed on this fishing icon, including being inducted into the National Fishing Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Fishing Hall of Fame of Minnesota in 2000. Little did Roach know TEVE when he took his first steps EISMAN onto the dock at his family’s OUTDOOR EDITOR home on Mission Lake in northern Minnesota at age three, the profound impact he would have on fishing. Gary Roach, known across “Basically, I started as soon the Midwest as Mr. Walleye. as I could walk, and I fished At age 76, Roach has been with a cane pole for whatevan integral part of the many er would bite,” says Roach. changes that have occurred The dock was fine for a over his lifetime in the fish- while, but Roach knew there ing world, especially in the was a lot more out beyond area of fishing boats. As a that one spot, so by 6-7 years of age, Roach was allowed to take his dad’s 14’ wood boat out on the lake.
S W
Lund 315 shell lake, 18 hp Johnson, Lowrance Green Box, 12 volt electric trolling motor on bow, rubber splash guards. Won Lake Minnetonka Bass (Bass Casters Association) Tournament in this boat. This boat went into the hall of fame this past spring.
on. During this time, he began to use a 2½ hp Johnson motor. This was quite an advancement, having a motor do what his oars had been doing! So it is today, but where Later, after fishing all the did this all start? Just by lakes in the Brainerd area countless times, Roach went over to Marv Koep’s bait and tackle shop near Nisswa to In the see about being a guide. “I beginning didn’t have a boat, but I did With that wood boat and a have a motor.” What really pair of oars, Roach was on made a difference was when his way. Many would think Koep gave Roach a Green that the wood boat would be Box depth finder. Being able tough to maneuver, but “with to determine what the depth the long keel, it rowed pretty was, the ups and downs of easy,” he remembers. So, he the structure and the type of trolled along the bull rushes bottom brought a whole new and the cabbage beds in meaning to fishing. “It search of aggressive northern wasn’t long before I was takpike. He didn’t have a rod ing clients out and catching and reel, so he used some old limits of walleyes at a secret green line wrapped around a lake I knew about that didn’t stick. He would unwind have a public access.” enough line to troll, tie a Boat design bucktail to it and then wrap It is in boat design that the line around one of the Roach has spent much of his oarlocks so it would stay put. time. Initially, he made Then he would start rowing design changes on his own and throw the bucktail back boats. Like the time he took behind the boat. a bucket seat out of an old By age 12, Roach had 1936 Oldsmobile for his begun his guiding career takown boat! Or the time he ing people out that wanted to made a livewell out of a catch a bucket of crappies or cooler and an aerator. Later troll for northern pike and there was the wood livewell largemouth bass. Through he designed. He also modiRoachʼs vision of the first Lund Pro-V. This was done in his teenage years, Roach fied his boat to have a flat continued to guide off and deer camp while deer hunting with Lanny Orvalla. floor and put in carpet. He
Photo submitted
even modified a tiller motor by adding a knob and rod for a shift extension. Before there were splashguards, Roach made his own using truck mud flaps. With his prowess as a guide, as a Professional Walleye Trail Angler of the Year and Top Gun, along with other awards, it’s little wonder that Roach has been a consultant for Lund Boats in cutting edge boat design and enhancements for Lund Boats.
On cardboard The year was 1995, and Roach had been consulting
with Lund Boats for several years. In 1995, though, Roach had a vision of a series of boats that would forever change the way walleye boats were designed. First, he shared his thoughts with Lanny Orvalla, who was in charge of marketing and promotions with Lund at the time. They hunted deer together and fished tournaments together, so there was a lot of time to bounce ideas around. Larry Lavold, president of Lund Boats at the time was also a willing listener.
See BOAT, on Page 3C
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BOAT Continued from page 2C Roach captured that vision on a large piece of cardboard and showed it to Paul Zarn, lead engineer in the proto-shop. When Roach visited the plant, only the shell had been built. From there, workers began to install the rest…the flat floor, the rod lockers, livewells and baitwells…all of the bells and whistles. It became the prototype for the Lund Pro-V: 1900 ProV Mr. Walleye Edition. “A major advancement was the installation of the water pick-up and aeration system that would keep livewells full at all times, even on long runs. This was really important to tournament fishermen, and with this system, we didn’t worry about losing fish at weigh-in time. At this time, engineers also designed an in-board charger that would charge all batteries with just one plug-in.” To this day, Roach has that cardboard drawing framed and hanging on the wall, a true testament to his foresight and creative mind. If you want to take a walk down fishing’s memory lane yourself, check out marine museums in your area. Here in the Iowa Great Lakes, we have the Maritime Museum in Arnolds Park, which hosts rare artifacts, pictures and stories capturing the lore of the Iowa Great Lakes. A rare collection of antique wooden boats and the reproduction of the Okoboji Store add to the mystique of this area’s history.
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
3C
Center Lake Low Impact Development Project BY JOHN H. WILLS CLEAN WATER ALLIANCE COORDINATOR
I
n the last article, I wrote about the large pollutant reduction project in the vicinity of the Lakes Regional Hospital and the practices that have been built there such as the Bio-Retention Cells, Bio-Retention Swales, and Pocket Wetlands. I have stated that these practices hold water and filter the pollutants out of that water allowing for clean water to reach the lakes. Let me explain how these practices, called Low Impact Development (LID) actually do that in this article. First we find a location where the natural drainage of water is concentrated and a large volume of water can be naturally captured in our proposed LID Practice. Once we have a spot that has a heavy flow of water, we excavate the soil in that location often as deep as 6 feet or more. Then rock is placed at the bottom of that hole and a tile that will drain the LID practice, if needed. We then place an amended soil that consists of fine grained sand, some topsoil, and some mulch. This combination allows water to infiltrate easily into the LID practice and allows plants to survive. We tend to look at deeply rooted plants and flowers that can survive in a dryer environment (native plants are especially suited for this) to grow in these sites. The plants serve a very important purpose in LID prac-
A Bio-retention Cell during a recent rain at the Lakes Regional Hospital. Photo by John H. Wills
tices because the plants help to use some of the water in these practices through evapotranspiration and the plants use the nutrients that are captured in the practice. Once built these practices are both functional in removing pollutants and are nice to look at capturing people’s attention as nice looking flowerbeds. If you have not had a chance to look at these flowerbeds that capture runoff there are some great examples
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
One awesome little bird BY CAROLE LOCHMILLER
Last fall I only knew the lady's name was Judy and she lived in a second floor condo ate August of last in Spencer. At the end of the year a lady called Bird Haven with an column, I was speculating about the little guy’s chances, unusual problem. She had too many orioles on her sec- and I ended with "Maybe we'll know next summer ond floor condo balcony, and they were chasing away when the h-bird returns to the hummingbirds. I helped Judy's balcony." I'm sure you've figured out her the best I could. Taking away the oriole that the little guy did return. feeders, of course, helped Heʼs back immediately. Many of our Judy called recently and customers would love to have asked if I remembered talktoo many orioles. The ing to her. But of course! I remaining orioles were still was overjoyed that she called bothering the hummingbirds and with such good news. He so I suggested she take down is a male Ruby-throated any h-bird feeder that had Hummingbird. We do not holes large enough for an ori- know if he had an accident or ole to use. OK if the lack of legs is a genetic We're on the right track. deformity. As you can imagOne of the hummers, that she ine, it is hard to come up with had been watching all sum- answers. mer, did not like the flowers As far as Judy can tell, he on the remaining feeders. has the tiniest of little, which You're right---my next sug- he utilizes as hooks of sorts to gestion was to remove the enable him to perch when flowers. That worked, but necessary. To sleep, they will we're not near the end of the go into thick bushes, etc., story. fluff up their feathers and go I wrote about this incidence to sleep. Thus he needs to be in the September column last able to perch somehow, and year. At that time, I had the he seems to have figured it all facts a little wrong. Instead of out. no feet, the little guy has no Many believe that birds legs. Most people surmise return to familiar environthat hummers fly all of the ments year after year, and time because that is how we this is certainly proof of that. see them, but they actually The little guy flew thousands perch 60 percent of their of miles to S. Texas or time. Mexico (Crossing the Gulf is BIRD HAVEN
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an 18 hour flight) or further south and returned to a second story balcony in Spencer, IA where a very kind and gracious lady made his environment as comfy as she could. And he remembered! He truly is an Awesome Little Bird!
Take time to smell the roses "This is definitely an often repeated quote. Now is the time for you to sit down in your yard and enjoy what you have created. There is activity everywhere as the bird parents are bringing their young around and feeding them. I was just out on the west patio. Feeding time for the young bluejays, and are they a noisy bunch! Seems like that would make the bluejay parents speed up the process just to have some quiet time. Right outside the window we've watched the Downy Woodpeckers, as they first learned to eat from the nut feeder and are now coming in on their own---they're still a tad fuzzy. Wendell has to keep up with the grape jelly in two feeders as the orioles are extremely busy. A short time ago a male Cardinal was at the platform feeder. He is very red now but still has a few of the fuzzy feathers. I always joke that a pair of cardinals should follow my red car home. Maybe
Stewardship Tip:
this will be the year as there certainly are several here. There are three big male turkeys that wander in everyday for a handout of corn. Then there's the hen turkey that brings in her six little ones, too. The leader of this group is a young one who always flies up on the platform feeder when it arrives. Activities like this are going on all over. The robin on my neighbor’s garage that I wrote about in my last column successfully completed her second nesting and even survived that bad storm while sitting on eggs. She picked a great spot, and we'll see if she comes back next year. Meanwhile I keep the fruit and nut mix out for her families even though grackles are eating it, too. The wrens in my yard skipped me for the first nesting of the year but are chattering away in my oldest wren located in the birch tree. Next year they'll have to accept a new home as that one is coming apart. Yes, they could have chosen one of two new houses. Maybe they just like to wake my neighbor, Andy, up with their 5a.m. chattering. I love to hear stories and sometimes share them. Right now it is time to visit my yard. Maybe the wrens fledged today and Andy can sleep late in the morning.
A
s summer enters the hot months of July and August, we, in the Northern Hemisphere, are in the middle of our dog days. These days have important consequences for aquatic life. Oxygen solubility decreases when water temperature increases. Water that is 90° F can only hold 7.4 mg/L diluted oxygen (DO) at saturation; water that is 45° F can hold 11.9 mg/L DO. This physical phenomenon puts a fish in jeopardy; at higher water temperatures, a fish’s metabolic rate and demand for oxygen increases. August in Iowa can be quickly summed up in one word…hot! July has just passed by and the average temps have been hovering around the mid 80’s, August continues the trend and even throws in a few 90 degree days. By now, surface water temperatures on area lakes will usually have reached 75 – 80 degrees or more. It’s not just the warm water temperatures, though. Muggy, overcast, dog days can also deplete dissolved oxygen. During cloudy weather, the intensity of light reaching the water surface is diminished. This can result in a decrease in oxygen production from photosynthesis. Since oxygen consumption remains unchanged, a body of water can have a net loss of oxygen over a 24-hour period. Whether from increased water temperatures or decreased photosynthesis, lack of DO in water can result in fish kills.
Signs of oxygen depletion As water temperatures rise, the environment for fish becomes precarious. Monitor your favorite fishing hole for signs of oxygen depletion; n Fish swimming at or near the surface gulping air. n Fish suddenly stop feeding. n A rapid change in water color to brown, black or gray, signifying loss of an algal bloom. n A putrid odor arising from the water. n An extended period of hot cloudy weather. When you see signs such as these, it is best to give the fish a break and set the fishing pole aside. When the dog days set in, it’s time to lie around like a lazy dog.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
5C
Connecting to Nature: Outdoor Women’s Day coming soon
K
ossuth, Palo Alto, and Emmet C o u n t y Conservation Boards are teaming up for an Outdoor Women’s Day on Saturday, September 27. The event will showcase a number of interactive outdoor activities lined up to educate, engage, and allow women to connect with the outdoors! The event will be held in Kossuth County this year. Registration is required. Read on for more details! The morning will start off at the Kossuth County Nature Center. Water Safety and Paddling instructions will be delivered before we start the day with a canoe and kayak paddle. Personal equipment is permitted but not required. Boats, paddles, and lifejackets will be available through request in the registration kit. After the paddle it’s time for a lunch fit for royals. We’ll be cooking with Dutch ovens over campfire coals and sharing our favorite recipes. This includes not one, but two of our favorite campfire cooked desserts! In the afternoon we’ll take to the shooting sports. Archery and rifle instruction will be offered along with a glimpse into the past to practice atlatl and spear
throwing. The day will conclude with refreshments and camaraderie during an outdoor craft. The cost of attending Outdoor Women’s Day is $25.00. This covers all
JENNA POLLOCK EMMET COUNTY NATURALIST
equipment costs, facilities, food and refreshment. Please call the Kossuth County Nature Center Water’s Edgeat 515.295.2138 to reserve your place. Preregistration A total of 22 people enjoyed a day on the West Fork of the Des Moines River for the Archaeology and Cultural is required for the event. History Paddle. Photo by Gary Eide Only 25 spots are available, so call to register today. State Archaeology, goon soldiers. On hand were Sweet Corn Days, which on Saturday, August 16 at Northwest Iowa Planning casts of mammoth and takes place August 1 - 3. 10a.m. at the Emmet Archeology paddle and Development Coalition, mastodon teeth, spear The Sweet Corn paddle will County Nature Center. Other outdoor activities the Emmet County Water points, arrow heads, atlatl start at 1p.m. on Sunday. Presenter Jacklyn Gautsch have helped make connections with Nature. On Trails Association, and and arrow replicas. Cherie Participants should meet at will lead participants on an County provided a map of the West the Swinging Bridge park- underwater adventure in Saturday, July 19, twenty- Emmet Conservation Board collab- Fork of the Des Moines ing lot just north of High Lake. We’ll take a two people took part in an orated to make this event River highlighting archaeo- Highway 9 on West 1st close look at invertebrate Archaeology and Cultural logical and cultural history Street. If you have questions species in their water habiHistory Paddle that started possible. contact Emmet County tat. It will be a fun, handsCherie Haury-Artz, from sites. at the North Trailhead in Water Trails Association on, educational programthe Office of State Emmet County on the West Sweet Corn Paddle Archaeology, delivered a Fork of the Des Moines There’s another river pad- member, Scott Montgomery great for kids of all ages! Call the Emmet County River and ended at the 4th 45-minute program that dle opportunity coming up at (712) 209-0162. Aquatic insects program Nature Center at (712) 867covered topics such as Street Bridge in Estherville. on Sunday, August 3 in conThere’s also an aquatic 4422 to reserve a spot for Mastodons, Mammoths, Iowa DNR River junction with the Estherville insects program coming up this free event. early Indian tribes and draPrograms, the Office of Chamber of Commerce’s
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
6C
Layover walleyes BY JASON MITCHELL
A
nglers love to follow cliches. Many of these cliches get taken as bold truths and get repeated until nobody ever questions what the cliche is. A lot of information is repeated until we get to a point where people just don't question something. There are a few cliches that get thrown around a lot regarding walleyes‌ how walleyes relate to structure. There is a general belief that walleyes will move up on top of structure or slide up a break into shallower water when they become active or aggressive. Walleyes move up onto a point to eat. Not always the case. Do walleyes move in on structure to eat? Absolutely, but there are also situations where walleyes move off structure to eat, and we see this phenomena happen more so as summer progresses. As summer wears, the abyss of open water often comes alive with life. The baitfish roaming this open water could be shad, shiners, smelt, ciscoes, tullibee, or even young of the year perch. Whatever the baitfish, there will be a slice of that water column over the abyss that has the preferred water temperature for a particular baitfish. What I find incredible about walleyes is that they have no problem pushing out into water that is technically much too warm or much too cold in order to get a meal. In some regards, walleyes are a much more versatile predator than salmon or even big pike. A walleye will temporarily move out of its own comfort zone to eat much more so than some other predators. The are some situations
where walleyes will slide off the structure or slide deeper when they are running down their meal and when these fish become inactive and simply want to rest, they slide up the structure and often use shallower water. Sometimes, it even appears like the fish simply want to rest their bottom pectoral fins on something firm when they shut down. We have seen this upside down pattern repeat so often on so many different fisheries that it bears repeating and if you can grasp this concept, you are on the fast track to catching a lot more walleyes this summer. Now if the aggressive walleye are indeed over open water chasing baitfish and the inactive fish are shallower resting on the structure‌why not pursue the active fish over open water and leave the inactive fish alone? Which fish to target is a double-edged sword. Open water fish can be very unpredictable and hard to pin down at times while these lay over locations where walleyes come home to roost are often very specific. An example would be a large classic main lake point that sticks out into deep water. These fish using this deep prominent structure come mid summer are typically not hanging out over the abyss, sliding up on the point to eat. These fish are loafing on the point and sliding out over the abyss to eat. These layover fish using this primary structure often require some persistence and patience. When these fish are off, they are off. They can be difficult to mark and even more difficult to trigger. Imagine rest-
The author Jason Mitchell and friend Ken Schmidt with a massive Fort Peck walleye. Repetition is a top strategy to trip the trigger of late summer walleye. Photo submitted
ing fish tucked tight to dips and breaks in the bottom. As these fish become active prior to their next open water stroll, they start to ride a touch higher off the bottom as they cruise and you start to mark fish separating from the bottom. This increased activity often creates a window where you can do the most damage each day. The trouble is that you often have to wait out this window.
The power of repetition When fish are shut down and tight to the bottom, I don't know any better way to catch a fish than repetition. When I troll cranks on these fish, I don't spread the
lures out but rather run them in as tight of a formation as possible. Regardless of presentation, the best strategy I have found is to just keep repeating the same pass over and over. Pound it down their throat. Wait out the windows of activity and be in position when the fish make a move. I don't have all of the answers but it seems like you can actually will the fish into biting at times with persistence. A pass or two over the fish might not do much when the fish are off, but it often seems like you can sometimes get the fish going by just going back and forth over them multiple times. Repetition is one strategy that works well on these lay
over walleyes. The other ace in the hole is the clover leaf. When you mark a fish, go past the fish until the presentation is past the fish and turn back over the fish so that the presentation comes back towards the fish and past the fish at a different angle. When you keep going past the fish at different angles and turn again to repeat the process, the GPS plotter will look like a clover leaf. Often, I think what happens when we go over fish that are on the sonar is that the presentation might indeed be going past the fish but not in front of the fish so by turning around and hitting different angles, sooner or later you are going to land
in front of the fish. While not always, this game is often dominated by either live bait rigs or bottom bouncers below the boat. While a plain snell with a plain hook can at times be the ticket, one of my favorite rigs is a three to five foot snell with a floating jig head like Northland Tackle's Gumdrop Floater. With either a leech or crawler, the floater will wobble as it is pulled through the water and really seems to trigger fish via a huge swing in speeds without snagging or fouling up so much on inside turns or stalls. Typically, I have had
See WALLEYE, on Page 7C
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
Less is more with rigging WALLEYES Continued from page 6C the best luck experimenting between plain shells with a plain hook, a bead or the floater. With this type of rigging, I believe less is more for a few different reasons. With less hardware, you can turn sharper and get back over a fish or icon. Blades, cranks all take some water resistance or speed where as with plain rigs and floats, you can stall out the inside rod completely and still catch a fish on the inside turn and not get hung up so much. The other factor is that these fish are not in this location looking for a meal, they are simply passing time until their next meal. At the end of the day, you just never know what the trigger will be on difficult fish. Sometimes bigger and more is better while sometimes subtle and less is best and you just have to go through the channels until something works. With that being said, I can't stress enough how unpredictable these fish can be. This is definitely a situation where you want to
experiment with different baits, colors, etc. Don't assume the bait of choice will be crawlers, or minnows or anything else. You just never know. While the trigger and timing can be unpredictable with these patters, what is predictable and what makes this locational pattern so successful is the fact that you have pulses of fish coming and going off these locations and these locations are often limited. The spots are often obvious and they just get a lot of fish traffic and boat traffic. The key is the understanding and strategy involved in attacking this pattern. You have to be confident in the system, methodical, patient and grasp what these fish are actually doing. When you have the understanding, that gives you the confidence to go over the same break or work the same location for an extended period of time and these situations usually require you to put in the time. You sometimes get windows where the fish open up and you catch several fish in a short amount of time but usually unless you just got really lucky, you have to put in the time and gather some clues through the day so that every fish adds up and the pattern comes together.
7C
One-extripated fish species believed discovered in the Mississippi River DES MOINES — State and national scientists are working to identify a fish found in the Mississippi River recently that, if proven to be what it is thought, would be the first time in more than 80 years the species has been confirmed in Iowa. Iowa DNR fisheries staff collecting fish for a fishing clinic in early July captured what is believed by state and national authorities to be a longear sunfish. “If this proves to be a longear sunfish it will be the first time since 1932 the species has been positively identified in Iowa,” said DNR fisheries technician Adam Thiese, who collected the fish. “How it got here and where it came from remains to be determined. For those that work in the fisheries field, both state and nationally, anytime an uncommon species can be documented, itʼs an exciting discovery.” Leading national ichthyologists believe it is a longear sunfish. A fin clip has been collected to verify. Once listed as common in bayous around Muscatine, they have been extirpated from the state for more than eight decades. The fish is being held alive by the DNR until it can be positively identified.
Finding your fishing spot and tips when you get there SUMMER Continued from page 1C
Eliminate water To eliminate a lot of the water, I would say that either side of the bar between Pocahontas and Eagle Points, the deep weeds north of Hiawatha Point, the deep weeds between Omaha Point north into Haywards Bay and the North Bay either off of Pikes Point or out in front of the Harbor. So, that narrows it down, but it still leaves a huge area to work. With these spots in mind, however, I would pick one and begin to work it. If you have a good locator, motor the area looking for fish relating to the weeds. Sometimes they are in, sometimes above and sometimes outside the weeds. You can eliminate a lot of water in a hurry by doing this first. Once you spy what you are looking for, consider either slowly drifting that area if the wind is down or use your front trolling motor to bump you along the weeds. Sometimes I will see a big school of fish out away from the weeds in 30-40 feet of water, but suspended. These fish are often wandering around, and you’ll be on them and then they are gone. The choice then is to wait for them to wander back, go looking for them or move on to another area. Both aggressive perch and bluegills will go after your baits. Be forewarned, however, there are lots and lots of 5-6 inch perch and bluegills. So, you will get all kinds of hits and most likely catch a lot
of smaller fish. I will keep working an area, drifting or trolling along, until I either get a really good “thump” or catch a good 8+-inch gill or perch. It seems that the gills and perch often frequent the same areas. Once this happens, I will put my trolling motor on anchor lock and sit in that area for a while. A few minutes will tell you whether you are on a good school or it was just a random keeper.
Presentation For this type of fishing, I really like using the Shuck’s Jigger Minnow. It gets down quickly, but at the same time it can be maneuvered over and around the weeds. Plus, I like to straight-line and either watch the rod tip or feel the bite. As for color, that’s personal preference, but I really like the green/gold one. Belgian worms, silver wigglers, wax worms and smaller leeches are all good choices. Of course, a slip bobber with a splitshot and plain hook is a good choice. This works especially well if you have a little chop on the water. The wave action can definitely entice a bite. A mini jig or a small ice fishing lure like a 1/64-ounce Clam Drop Jig are also good choices. Unless the bite is super fast, I will use two rods and set one close to the bottom and the other one work up and down the water column – just to see if big fish might be suspended. For the most part, it’s all about a jiggle, jiggle, jiggle…then sit presentation. One
thing you will find-these fish can steal a lot of bait with their peck, peck, peck. Then all of a sudden, you will have a “thump,” and it will be a good one. Even if it comes down to sorting, noth-
ing still beats that tug at the end of the line. I’ve often wondered how a six-inch gill or perch can smack a lure that hard! Of course, the end result of all of this is a great meal of fresh fish! Bon Appetit!
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
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Planer boards:
not just for walleyes BY BOB JENSEN FISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING TEAM
P
laner boards have been a part of many walleye anglers arsenal for a long time. Salmon and trout anglers also employ boards frequently. Planer boards do so many good things when a trolling presentation is called for. They enable an angler to get lines and baits out away from the boat, which prevents spooking the fish. Boards also make it so much easier to get multiple lines in the water. We can experiment with different colors, running depths, and shapes. This helps us determine what the fish are looking for on that particular day. No doubt about it, planer boards will help us catch more walleyes and salmon and trout.
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FACEBOOK.COM/FISHINGTHEMIDWEST But, more and more we’re learning that planer boards will help us catch other species of fish, fish that we probably wouldn’t have caught without the use of boards. Tommy Skarlis and Kyle Steinfeldt recently won a national championship crappie tournament and boards were a huge part of their presentation. In fact, they doubt that they would have done so well without boards. Anglers in some areas are learning that perch are very susceptible to a lure behind a board. So are white bass and
striped bass in the regions where striped bass live. I’m going fishing in August with a friend who is putting in a good amount of time chasing crappies with planer boards. In many of the lakes that he fishes, the crappies suspend. Sometimes they’re eight feet down over 20 feet of water, and they’re relating to baitfish. They’re very spread out and it would take a lot of time to find them by casting. You can cover much more water by trolling, but if you troll over the top of them when they’re only a few feet
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Although planer boards are often thought of as a walleye tool, they will help you catch lots of other species of fish. Photo by Bob Jensen
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down, you spook them. By using planer boards and getting the bait away from the boat, you catch them instead of spook them. My friend has found #4 Salmo Hornets and #4.5 Rattling Hornets to be very productive behind the boards. Same thing is true for white bass. In Lake Pepin on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border in the summer, anglers watch for the gulls to start diving at shad on the surface. The shad are on the surface because the white
bass are feeding on them there. When you see the gulls, you hurry to the spot and start casting. With boards however, you don’t need to wait for the gulls, you just keep trolling searching for the bass. Very, very effective way to catch them! That Hornet does a great job on white bass also. Off Shore Tackle makes the best boards. They have a Mini-Board that works well for crappies and perch and white bass, but their standard
size board, the OR-12, does a great job also. Off Shore also provides the best advice on using boards as they are the pioneers in board technology. Check out their website at offshoretackle.com In fishing, much of the time tools are created for one thing and we find they work equally well, even better sometimes, for something else. Planer boards are one of those tools. If you want to catch more fish more of the time, make planer boards part of your fishing arsenal.