O
UTDOOR CONNECTION
OCTOBER 4, 2014 ESTHERVILLE NEWS Find this publication online at www.esthervillenews.net under ʻSectionsʼ
STORIES, ADVICE AND INFORMATION FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS
BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
To me, there is no truer sign of fall than the turning of the colors. As I look across the landscape here in northwest Iowa, everything is suddenly changing. The foliage seems to be turning by the day. Each year it’s a little different and the timing, brilliance and level of colors seem to vary with each year. If the majority of fall days are clear with cool nights and dry conditions, then the fall colors seem to be just that much more vivid and breath‐ taking. On the other hand, if we have a lot of rainfall and heavy winds, along with freez‐ ing temperatures, then the length and quality of the fall colors can be greatly short‐ ened. Viewing fall colors can be as simple as going out in the yard, state parks, wildlife areas, county parks, along lakes and rivers and streams. Above all, don’t wait. All around I am seeing some bril‐ liant reds and oranges on all kinds of trees. All of a sudden it will be over. Oh, don’t forget your camera!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
2C
Don’t ‘fur’get Northwest Iowa Fur Exchange to hold open house on Oct. 11 ith trapping season quickly approaching its November 1 start‐ ing date, Mike Mazur, owner of Northwest Iowa Fur Exchange, has scheduled a “Fall Open House behind Kabele’s Trading Post on Hill Avenue for Saturday, October 11 from 9 a.m. to 2
W
p.m.
“During the open house, there will be free demon‐ strations, how‐to seminars, a question and answer session with conservation officers from the Iowa DNR and, of course, a free lunch,” says Mazur. The first seminar will kick off at 9:30 a.m. with a how‐ to session by Kendall Obermeier from Green, IA. A well‐known trap maker and owner of NOBS Lures, Obermeier will demonstrate the best ways to set traps. STEVE WEISMAN At 10:30 a.m., nationally known trapper Ron Leggett OUTDOOR EDITOR from Maryland will share ideas on how to dig and set traps to catch both fox and coyotes. Leggett will speak about the importance of location, location, location. “Ron has been the lead instructor at the Fur Takers of America Trapper’s College held each year in Indiana for the past 16 years. He will also bring several of his books and DVDs that will take you on the trapline with him.” Leggett has documented trapping 1220 fox in 90 days and 337 coyotes in 16 days. The third seminar will be the Q & A session with DNR officers Jeff Morrison and Steve Reighard. “Jeff and Steve will review laws and trapping regulations to make sure everybody understands the laws.” At 1 p.m., Mazur will take over discussing the fur trends and what’s on the horizon for 2014‐15. At the same time, those in attendance can get their trapping supplies, traps and trapping bait. “We have plenty of cut up carp and ground carp for trap‐ pers to use for bait,” adds Mazur. As for the trapping market, Mazur says late prime pelts will bring the best money. “Early fur, obviously, won’t be prime and it will be tough to get much for these pelts. It will pay people to wait for prime pelt.” Mazur also noted that last year’s mild winters in China and Russia, along with too many ranch mink have left the fur market with a lot of holdover furs. Even so, Mazur believes the number of trappers will continue to be good “because it is a hobby lots of people enjoy.”
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Editorʼs 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.
Ron Leggett, an expert on trapping both red fox and coyotes will share trapping strategies during the Northwest Iowa Fur Exchange “Fall Open House” on Saturday, Oct. 11. Photo submitted
BY BEN R. LEAL Recycled Fish Program Director Deceiving the enemy, according to Admiral John Godfrey, Britainʼs director of naval intelligence from 1939 until 1942, was just like fly-fishing for trout. “The Trout Fisher,” he wrote, “casts patiently all day. He frequently changes his venue and his lures. If he has frightened a fish he may ʻgive the water a rest for half-an-hour,ʼ but his main endeavor, viz. to attract fish by something he sends out from his boat, is incessant.” As Ben Macintyre notes in Operation Mincemeat, Godfreyʼs memo “bore all the hallmarks of his personal assistant, Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, who would go on to write the James Bond novels.” Many of Britainʼs great spymasters, in addition to being masters of deception, were fly anglers as well. While we may not be spymasters, we do endeavor to master the art of deception when we present a fly or a lure to a fish. A well-crafted lure or a
meticulously tied fly, especially a lure or fly created by our own hands, can deceive a fish into believing that the creation is satisfying morsel. Unfortunately, the deception does not end when a lure or a fly is snagged on a log or lure is dropped in the shallows of a lake. Last year, during an electro-fishing survey on Lake Champlain, Vermont biologists noted that the bottom of the livewell used to hold bass was covered with more than a half-dozen plastic worms. The fish had regurgitated them after being shocked. According to Vermont state fisheries biologist, Shawn Good, it was well known that fish would eat discarded plastic baits. “But weʼd never seen that many coughed up…during a single electro-fishing survey.” The problem is, according to Good, is that “fish canʼt digest them.” One of Iowaʼs primary sport fish during the spring and summer are largemouth and smallmouth bass. These fish offer anglers countless hours of enjoyment stretching lines in
lakes across the State. I for one am an avid wormer…I will always have one rod in the boat with a plastic worm tied to my line, as do many of Iowaʼs anglers. A lure or fly that is lost can be just as deceptive as the lure or fly that is tied securely to the end of your line. But, the deception, for fish, ends at ingestion. It is worth your effort to retrieve a snagged lure or fly. If you are using a baitcaster or a spinning rod, you can pluck the line between the first guide and the reel. As the line reverberates, it may release a snagged lure. A fly line can be gently roll-casted over a fly to release a snag. If your lure or fly is snagged in shallow water, you can retrieve it by hand. You may have to ʻfrighten the fishʼ and, thus, ʻgive the water a rest for half-an-hour.ʼ Use a small bucket to discard used and abused plastic baits as well. Too often plastics are thrown into Iowaʼs lakes rather than the trash, only to end up ingested fish.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
Campfire cooking
3C
Dutch Oven Chicken Enchiladas
It’s my favorite time of year: FALL! I love the feel of the sun warming my face on a cool autumn day as a gentle breeze makes the leaves fall from the trees in slow waltz fashion. There are so many wonderful activities to do outside without the weather being unbearable. It’s the perfect time of year for a JENNA POLLOCK hike, especially one through EMMET COUNTY NATURALIST an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. My taste buds respond to the seasonings of Fall and the promise of a bountiful har‐ vest. What better way to spend the day than helping with harvest! Whether you’re in the combine, hauling the crop, or keeping young farmers fed there’s an excitable tension in the air. A gentle rhythm mimicking a steam engine and heightened by the sound of the corn passing through the grain auger: rush, rush, rush, rush. The wildlife sense it too, gathering their boun‐ ty before winter. And as the sun sets a little earlier each day, it’s delightful to end the night warmed by the fire (although a tractor engine and corn chaff set a similar mood) as the heat blasts and red flames twirl and climb upward and spiral back down. Campfire cooking is one of my favorite pastimes of Fall. It’s the time of year when I’m happy to be near the overpowering heat of a campfire. Stirring a delicious meal in a cast iron pot or Dutch oven with a savory aroma nestling into the fabric of a
soft flannel shirt. The weather has been perfect the last few weekends with the cool temperatures and enough precipita‐ tion to lessen the risk of an ember starting a grass fire. Twenty women from Kossuth, Palo Alto, and Emmet Counties took part in an Outdoor Women’s Day on Saturday, Sept. 27. They were taught cooking lessons campfire side. We’ll share similar recipes with you here: (at right) A Dutch oven is a worthwhile purchase although for some‐ one starting out, it may seem like a daunting investment. Here are a few tips to keep your Dutch oven in top shape and pro‐ tect your investment. The Dutch oven comes in varying sizes with diameters ranging from 8‐16 inches and depths ranging between 4‐8 inches. The lid fits snugly on top and works like a convection oven when coals or charcoal briquettes are used. Without the lid in place it works as a simple kettle. The lid can also be used for a frying pan. Seasoning your kettle is of great importance and protects it from rust, as does regular oiling after cleaning. When cleaning a Dutch oven, soap should be avoided. Cold water should not be added to a hot kettle. Using nonabrasive utensils and nonacidic foods will add longevity to your oven. If a Dutch oven is not available, a coffee can (tin) covered with a heavy layer of tin foil works well as an outdoor cooking vessel. Enjoy the taste of fall, be warmed by the fire, and happy harvest to all!
2lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed ½ medium onion, diced ½ T. Olive Oil 1 pkg. Taco Seasoning 1 green pepper, chopped 1-15oz can yellow corn, drained 1-15oz can black beans, drained 1 pkg. Corn Tortillas 1-28oz can red enchilada sauce 1 cup Fiesta Cheese, shredded Using your dutch oven as a kettle add olive oil, chicken and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through. Add taco seasoning and cook until juices are mostly absorbed. Add green pepper, yellow corn, and black beans. Cook until warmed. Remove mixture from Dutch oven. Layer 1 C. red enchilada sauce, add rolled corn tortillas filled with meat mixture until Dutch oven is 2 inches from top. Add remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Cover with cheese. Top with lid and cook for 30 minutes with briquettes below Dutch oven and on top of lid.
Chocolate Lovers Delight 1 ½ Cups Water ¼ Cup Cocoa Pwdr 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar 10 oz. Mini Marshmallows 1 Chocolate Cake mix, prepared as directed 6 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips Line the bottom of a 12” Dutch oven with heavy foil. Mix the water, cocoa powder, and brown sugar together in the bottom of the pan. Cover with mini marshmallows. Pour prepared chocolate cake mix over marshmallows. Top with chocolate chips. Cover and bake using 8-10 briquettes on bottom and 14-16 briquettes on top for 60 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream. Serves 10-12.
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Changes in fishing shows over the years BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
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After all, it takes lots of money to produce a quality 30‐minute fishing show. Sometimes, though, things just happen to work out…”I remember I was doing a fishing seminar at a sport show in Des Moines. Gene Shaw, who was a fisherman and in sales for WOI, the ABC affiliate in Des Moines happened to be in the audi‐ ence. He called me a few days later and said that WOI was look‐ ing for someone to host a new show they were going to pro‐ duce. He asked if I would be interested?” And for Bob Jensen, that became his career! In 1988, he launched his own television series, Fishing Iowa, which aired on network stations throughout Iowa for three years. “Our goal was to provide a show that would be shot in Iowa and shown in Iowa for Iowans. We began with four shows the first year and by the third year, we broad‐ cast 13 programs.” The show evolved into the Outdoor Sportsman television series, which aired through 1994. “We added a hunting segment to the series, but by 1994, WOI was sold and the new owners did not want to produce the show anymore,” says Jensen. So, that was the end of that.
Wow! Just the other day, I was channel surfing and was amazed at all of the fishing shows that can be found. There are even reality fishing shows popping up all over! Now, let’s go back in time to, let’s say the mid‐1960s and see where fishing shows really began. As a kid growing up in rural north central South Dakota, in the mid‐1960s, our television was a 19‐inch black and white model that received its reception from an antenna on top of the two‐story farmhouse. On a good day, we could get all three major networks: NBC, ABC and CBS. That was it, and on bad reception days, we might only get one chan‐ nel or all three might be mostly garble with a snowy picture. Until I was in middle school, I had never seen a fishing show on television. Then one day, I saw my first one: Championship Fishing with Virgil Ward. Each week my dad and I would sit down together to watch Ward’s show. Prior to this, I only knew the n e a r b y creek and shallow lakes near our farm. It was awe‐ some when Virgil Ward took us to a new place to fish each week. We were introduced to fishing legends, country singing stars, sports stars and movie celebrities that were his weekly guests. Over the course of 25 years, this show set the standard for fishing shows! I will always remember at the end of each show, Ward would do an instructional piece for his viewers. He placed a huge aquarium filled with water on a table and then the lure that caught fish on the show and reenacted the presentation used during the show. It might be a jig or maybe the Beetle Spin that he himself had created. Like myself, although a decade younger than I, 55‐year‐old Bob The camera is Jensen, host of the popular Fishing the Midwest Fishing Show, rolling! watched Championship Fishing with Virgil Ward as a youngster Photo submitted just as I did. “We only had the three major networks (NBC, ABC and CBS), and I first saw Virgil’s show on Channel 5 (WOI) out of Ames and Des Moines,” says Jensen. “I was probably in my early teens, and I had never seen a fishing show on TV before. He was Fishing the Midwest truly a pioneer in the industry and the first to have a syndicated To reach your dreams, you sometimes have to take risks, and weekly fishing show.” As a teenager, Jensen could not foresee that he would one day host one of the most popular and highly that is exactly what Jensen did at that point in his career. He acclaimed fishing shows: “Fishing the Midwest with Bob went out and using what he had learned over the past seven years of hosting a television fishing show, he designed what has Jensen”! become one of the most widely acclaimed and award winning A fishing show in Iowa? fishing shows now aired in 12 Midwest states: Fishing the By the mid‐80s, Jensen had himself been a guest on several Midwest with Bob Jensen. For the past 20 years, the mission of fishing shows and was becoming known across the Midwest as Fishing the Midwest has been to celebrate fishing and as Jensen an outdoor educator, but his real goal was to find a way to have says he learned from watching Virgil Ward, “We like to be gen‐ his own outdoor fishing show on television. He remembered uine and to be real. We try to be the same people we are on tel‐ Ward’s weekly show and at an outdoor show where he was pre‐ evision as we are off the air.” senting a fishing seminar, he had a chance to visit with the fishing Jensen works each year to put together a series of shows that legend. “He was a very genuine and down to earth person. He See SHOW, forged the way, and at the time, his shows were really hi‐tech.” Still, Jensen didn’t quite know how to break into the market. on Page 6C
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
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When I look back at past years, there are several patterns that really stand out in the fall. Vertical jigging over deep rock piles. Casting stick baits after dark over shallow rocks. Pitching jigs tipped with soft plastic swim baits into remaining weed beds. Live bait rigging with big chubs. Trolling crank baits along main lake contours. The locations can vary from current areas and bottle necks to classic sharp breaking structure and rock, either deep or shallow. For much of the fall, trolling crankbaits dominates much of the fishing I do. The location (and how the fish are using a particular location) determines the most efficient presentation. So often, we find fish in transition relating to big pieces of structure. What I love about trolling crankbaits when fish are transitioning in the fall is that trolling is fluid, trolling allows you to see how and where the fish are moving much more effectively especially if you are on the water every day. Big schools of fish might be pushing up or down a reservoir. Fish might be filtering out of back bays and moving across the mouths of bays over deeper holes and main lake structure. Usually, there is a general movement, could be fish moving up or down, in or out but they are collectively moving somewhere and trolling allows you to sample the water and keep tabs on these often nomadic fish much easier than any other presentation I can think of. On big bodies of water, this is especially true. There is an old adage with fall walleye fishing that bigger baits work better in the fall. From my experiences, this is usually true. Most days, larger baits seem to be much more effective. Anglers theorize that young of the year baitfish are larger in the fall and the other reasoning held by anglers is that fish want to bulk up on food in the fall and a bigger bait makes bulking up much easier. Don't know the why's exactly but it is usually a good starting point. I start out with big baits that move water but there are exceptions to everything. There are a handful of baits that are confidence baits for me… Salmo H6F Hornet and Jointed Shad Raps in the size five or seven for inland lakes. Salmo 8SDR Bullheads and Reef Runner Deep Rippers on reservoirs. All of these baits leave a good footprint and move water, these are baits I always try when I am on the water come fall. Each fishery however is unique. Deep
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Trolling is one way to land walleyes like these. Photo submitted
Diving Husky Jerks are popular on some Great Lake fisheries in the fall for example and these baits have a pretty subtle shimmy as they move through the water. One particular lure that I have used with great success just about everywhere I have fished in the fall is the Salmo 8SDR Perch. If it came down to just one lure, that would be it for me during October and November when I am trolling for walleyes. There are many nuances with trolling and there are a few wrinkles I like to incorporate into my trolling that I think helps me catch more fish in the fall. You can adjust the footprint or vibration of a deep diving lure by how much line you let out. When you run a lure close to the boat, the lure will run more up and down, bill down and tail up where the bait puts off the most vibration and looks the largest from the rear. As you let out more line and the dive curve flattens out, the lure will level off where the bait runs more horizontal. As the bait levels, the lure still displaces water and rolls but the vibration and footprint gets toned down. Many anglers will troll cranks and let out line to get the lure to dive to the depth and that factor dictates how much line they let out. In the fall, there are many times where the fish really seem to like the vibration and look of a lure running bill down and tail up that happens when a lure hasn't peaked the dive curve. Learn to manipulate that and you will catch more fish this fall.
In deeper water, I often accomplish this task with lead core. You don't need lead core to get a Salmo 8SDR Bullhead to tick bottom in twenty three feet but if you want that lure moving an optimum amount of water with the bill down and tail up, you will not be able to do that by simply long lining the lure. If you long line the lure, the lure will flatten out as it reaches the bottom of the dive curve. Now there are days when the fish want the lure flattened out and as a general rule of thumb, the fish seem to prefer the lure running more horizontal earlier in the season but this is something to experiment with that can make a big difference in the fall from my own experiences. The other factor I love about lead core in the fall is that it will snake behind the boat and follow the contour much better, sticking that lure right along the break where it needs to be for longer periods of time. The changes in direction often seem to trigger fish each time you turn the boat. What I don't like about lead core is that it just takes longer to roll off a spool compared to the speed of sticking a lure down with a snap weight or even a down rigger. You have to have more set up time, you need to approach your zone from further away as it takes a little while to roll off more than three colors of lead. One thing I have been doing with a lot of success especially when I am trolling
See TROLLING, on Page 7C
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ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
Adjusting to uphe aval in their happy home BY CAROLE LOCHMILLER BIRD HAVEN
I recently had a front row seat and was able to observe how the birds reacted to 1½ days of pruning in their trees. My 19 big, old burr oaks were overdue for prun‐ ing and this summer's storms were not kind to them‐especially to #19. In the near future it will become a carving, as it had to be attended to twice on an emergency basis, after the storms passed. This week my time for pruning came and Dave, the manager at Lakes Tree Service, was kind enough to schedule it on my days off. It was past nesting and rearing of the young season for the birds so an opportune time. Imagine how you would feel if you’d had breakfast and were all settled in, for maybe a snooze in your happy home, when all of a sudden four trucks, several men and chainsaws came roaring in. Not too happy, I bet! The birds and other critters in my yard totally vanished. All of the trees received haircuts, which included removal of suck‐ ers and broken branches. By lunch time the front yard was pretty well‐as they say‐ "opened up." There was an immediate rush to the feeders, when the commotion subsided. All of the feeders were actually busier
than before a blizzard. Several of the birds were arguing for the prime posi‐ tions. After awhile they settled down and ate their fill of their favorite bird seeds, until the commotion started again. They have all adjusted well and seem happier in their new found open spaces. I always consider nuthatches a rather docile bird, just going about their busi‐ ness of eating seeds and insects upside down. When the guys left for lunch I observed three nuthatches chasing each other in the front yard going round and round like children in a new playground. Long years ago I remember the advice on pruning that the founder of a nursery I frequented and eventually worked at gave. He said to prune to keep the inside structure of trees opened up so birds could fly around inside the tree freely. That also makes for better air circulation and less resistance to wind. I love to watch the birds and squirrels and chipmunks too as they go about their everyday lives. It is much easier to see and enjoy all of that activity now. Isn't that one of the reasons we feed the birds? Yes, hummingbird activity is slowing down There could be hummers coming through into October, however. Just
leave your feeders up with fresh nectar until you haven’t seen any activity for a few days. Hummers have an internal clock that tells them when to head south. Some may be lagging behind or hit the snooze button too many times (like I do) and need a bit more nectar for their jour‐ ney. The nectar at your feeders may be just what they need. Fall planting season is upon us. There are so many plants that will help attract birds, etc. to your yard. Go to your favorite garden center and ask the experts. My dwarf crabapple (La Baron) and my neighbor's crabapple (Prairiefire) as well as my hawthorne (Cockspur thornless) are loaded with berries and waiting for the Cedar Waxwings to find them. We’ve had more and more reports of Catbirds (my yard too) and they are also fruit eaters. Keep a watchful eye out for birds migrating our way from the north. We will give 5 pounds of platform mix to the first person that brings in a Fall 2014 picture of a Red‐breasted Nuthatch and 5 pounds of ground mix to the first picture of a Dark‐ eyed Junco. That time is rapidly arriving. Be sure to get out and enjoy this beautiful season!
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SHOW Continued from page 4C showcase the fishing, commu‐ nities and people across the Midwest. “I truly believe that people want to watch a show where they can then go out and do what they saw us do on the show. We like to pro‐ vide an entire experience by celebrating fishing, celebrat‐ ing areas and celebrating per‐ sonalities in the communities that we visit. Plus, we show all of the fish we catch. What we catch is what we show.” After all, isn’t that the way fishing is?
Changes over the years Although Fishing the Midwest’s mission has remained the same over the years, technology has certain‐ ly changed. It’s come a long ways from the 60s when Virgil Ward began. Jensen can only smile as the technology changes that have occurred over his 25 years in television. “First off, the cameras have changed so much. Now we have hi‐def, which makes the quality of the picture so exact. There is also a huge difference in what our producers can do with editing and special effects. When we first began, we had a mike that connected
to the camera. So, we had to do our best to hide the cord and the mike. Now, we have wireless mikes and the sound is so much more clear.” Jensen enlists the expertise of three different producers, who are free lancers in their own right. One producer will go with Jensen and his guest(s) and do all of the cam‐ era work. They also then do all of the editing. Fishing technology, too, has advanced, but Jensen has a tendency to put all of this into perspective. “Don’t get me wrong. Technology is wonder‐ ful, but I don’t want our view‐ ers to believe that they have to have all of the latest equip‐ ment and technology to catch a fish. There is still something to be said about just grabbing a rod and reel and a handful of jigs and going fishing…just plain having a good time!” So, yes, fishing shows have changed over the years, but the ones that have lasted are ones that found their niche. For Fishing the Midwest with Bob Jensen, it has been about being genuine and offering the same consistent quality program. As Jensen says at the end of each show, “For all of us at Fishing the Midwest, Thanks for stopping by, be nice to one another and we’ll see you again next time!”
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ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
Tree stand safety as deer seasons approach BY JOE WILKINSON IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
W
ith Iowa’s bow season just days away, hunters are in the final stages of preparation; adjusting tree stand locations, cutting shooting lanes, or ‘just’ scouting those early season deer habits. Tops in that preparation? Staying safe above the ground. Talking with bow hunters, it’s surprising how many have slipped, fallen or had to ‘jump’ the last few feet to the ground. Add to that, the fact that Iowa’s two hunting fatalities in the last two seasons involved not firearms, but bow hunters falling. With upwards of 50,000 of them in Iowa, it is a hazard that can be eliminated with a little forward thinking. To play it safe, consider a couple staples. “Bring friends when you install your tree stand,” urges Dave Giese, Hawkeye Wildlife Area shooting range officer in Johnson County. He recently coordinated an Archery Safety Day there. “Once up, make sure it gets anchored. Have a harness to raise your equipment. Don’t carry your bow up or down.” Once on stand – your first move should be to secure your safety harness to the tree. “A safety harness is an absolute necessity. You are just asking to fall out of a tree if you don’t have one,” warns Mark Powers, of Cedar Rapids, a 25-year bowhunter. “There are just too many situations where you’re moving your feet, moving your body, changing things around. You have to be safe.” Basically, follow the ‘three point rule.’ Your hands are two points of contact. Your feet are two more. To safely climb, you need
TROLLING Continued from page 5C tighter or shorter runs where I am in and out of the zone fairly quickly before I have to pick back up and set back out is to use a snap weight in conjunction with the lead core. Typically, I will clip a snap weight right on the leader above the crank about 12 feet—two arm lengths. If I go further than two arm lengths, it becomes hard to net fish without removing the weight. By adding a little lead to the lead core, it rolls off the spool super fast and cuts the amount of line out in about half. Kind of combines the best of both worlds regarding lead core and snap weights. Gets down fast and still get some
three points of contact. Purchase a stand made by a supporting member company of the Treestand Manufacturers of America (TMA), and it includes a basic harness. In fact, safety harnesses—over each shoulder and adjusted at both thighs—are overshadowed now by safety jackets; easier to put on and which spread the pressure, should you fall. Some have a telescoping-type strap between you and the tree, which lessens fall impact or even lowers you to the ground. “It’s the concept of ‘where are you most vulnerable?’ As bow hunting has become more popular, there are more products. Many are just, ‘Hey, this would solve that problem,’ thought up by bowhunters themselves,” explains Roger Mildenstein, longtime bowhunter and owner of Fin & Feather Outdoor Store in Iowa City. Among more recent safety features is a pair of heavyduty plastic sleeves, over anchor spikes. By sliding the legs of a tree stand ladder into them, it creates a ground-based ‘hinge’ to easily set the stand into place. Other products range from a lineman’s type belt, allowing you to lean back with your hands free to attach and climb sectional ladders…or a hoist to hold a stand in place as you strap it in. They become that ‘third point’ of contact; allowing you to tend to the details, when on high. Probably the best safety advice? Communicate. “Plan ahead. Let someone know where you are; what time you expect to be home, what stand you will be in that day,” urges Giese. “If you do end up with an issue, people have an idea of where to look for you.”
snaking and direction change behind the boat. The pendulum effect where the lead core rises and sinks as you speed up or slows down becomes more exaggerated as well which seems to bode well in the fall for triggering fish. There have been times where for whatever reason, this system didn't work well and I had to go back to traditional lead core but there have been many times where I know I caught a lot more fish by using this system so it is something to experiment with. When fish are moving on big water, trolling allows you to land on the "x" each day like nothing else. You can just get a feel for where they should be tomorrow because you can see where
the fish have been and track that movement much easier. As shared in the first paragraph, it bears repeating. Trolling is a very fluid presentation where you can get a really good pulse of how large the school is, whether you are dealing with fragmented groups of scattered fish or one large school of fish, you can figure out the bearing or direction these fish seem to be heading, you can almost guess where they will be. You gather an incredible amount of information when trolling because you just go over so much water. Come fall, trolling remains one of the most efficient tactics for catching walleyes on many large inland lakes, reservoirs and Great Lakes fisheries.
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Back to the basics BY JOHN H. WILLS DICKINSON COUNTY CLEAN WATER ALLIANCE
The other day I was asked what is a watershed and I started thinking about the articles that have been the focus of this column in the past and I said to myself, “Let’s get back to the basics.” With that, a watershed is an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such a lake, wetland, or any point along a stream channel. Sometimes we use the word watershed interchangeably with drainage basin or catchment. The ridges and hills that separate water flowing in a stream or two lakes is called the drainage divide. Importantly, a watershed consists of surface water-lakes, streams, reservoirs, and wetlands-and all the underlying ground water. A watershed’s designation depends on the outflow point; all of the land that drains water to the outflow point is the watershed for that outflow location. Watersheds are important because the stream flow and the water quality of a river are affected by things, humaninduced or not, happening in the land area "above" the outflow point. Close to home, there are several watersheds that are important to us. First, there are lake watersheds such as Silver Lake, the Iowa Great Lakes, Swan Lake, and
Tuttle Lake. Second, there are river and stream watersheds that need to be broken down because they are large, such as the Little Sioux River Watershed or the West Des Moines River Watershed. Just as its important to know your “street address” where your house sits, it is important to learn your watershed address. Where does the water flow where you live? An easy way to determine your watershed address is to go to this website http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm and enter almost any information that identifies where you live. The results of this search will tell you where your “water runoff” goes after it leaves your yard. Now that you know what your watershed address is, you can find out what, if any, problems your watershed is experiencing. You have just taken the first step in helping to fix any problems that are identified in your watershed. Now, if your watershed has a problem with nutrients you can do things that reduce nutrients on your lawn or in the areas that you have influence on. You are no longer part of the problem but you are part of the solution. Try it, you will find it interesting to learn what problems your watershed has and how you can help to fix them. If you have any questions or thoughts, please let me know at 712-336-3782 ext 3.
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
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SHALLOW WATER LARGEMOUTH IN THE FALL BY BOB JENSEN FISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING TEAM
When I moved to north central Minnesota waaaaay toO many years ago, I liked to chase largemouth bass. Many of my friends thought that was strange, as walleyes were the preferred fish of many anglers in the north during that era. And while it was true that walleyes were available in many waters, so were largemouth bass, and they got very little fishing pressure when compared to walleyes. In many instances, that made them pretty susceptible to an angler’s lure. One of the times that they are very susceptible is right now, early fall to ice-up. And, while much of the time they are on a point or turn on the deeper weedline, there are times when they can be found shallower, and, when they’re shallow, they’re biters. Here’s how you can get in on that shallow largemouth action in the autumn. At this time of year, much of the shallow water “slop” that holds big bass all summer long has disappeared. There might still be some lily-pads and that sort of the thing, but that kind of shallow water vegetation, in most lakes, will be taking a several month nap. We’ll be concentrating on reeds, and where available, wild rice. The largemouth will make feeding forays into these areas throughout the next few weeks. Many anglers like to concentrate their efforts for bass this time of the year at mid-day, and they also prefer sunshine. The sun warms the water and makes the bass bite, and the water will often be warmest at mid-day. However, I like to get on the water and spend as much time there as possible. When I have a day to go fishing, I’m going to be out there pretty early. And, I’ve caught some pretty nice bass at 8:00 in the morning in the fall. It’s more crucial to be on the water early in the summer than in the fall, but you can catch some pretty good bass earlier in the morning than some anglers think. Also, I really like warm overcast days in the fall. Sunshine helps on some lakes, especially
those with stained water. But an overcast day on a clear water bass lake can provide some pretty good action, or at least it has for me and my fishing partners in the past few years. Our go-to baits for these reed and rice largemouth will be a spinnerbait and a rubber-legged jig with a plastic body. The bigger and bulkier the better: In the fall the bass like big baits. We’re working the spinnerbait just like you would usually work a spinnerbait. A slow, steady retrieve can be good, but a slow stroking retrieve can also be productive. A stroking retrieve is when you pull the spinnerbait slowly with the rod, then quickly reel up the slack and start another stroke. The spinnerbait moves forward with the rod, then stops briefly while you reel in the slack. Pull the rod horizontally. We’re often working the jig just like the spinnerbait. It’s called swimming the jig, and it’s very productive. When you come to some heavier clumps of reeds or rice, try dropping the jig into the clumps. Don’t go into the rice: Fish just the edges and heavier clumps. Chances are the people who harvest the wild rice will have already been in there. Their presence will move the bass to the edges of the rice. As mentioned earlier, big, bulky baits will be the best. Take a Reed-Runner spinnerbait and add a four inch Impulse Swimn’ Grub or an Impulse Jerk Shad. It works well to have the plastic color contrast with the skirt color. The heavier Magnum ReedRunner has larger blades, and although it was designed as more of a pike or musky bait, this is the time of year when big bass will eat it willingly. While spinnerbaits will catch lots of largemouth this time of year, and some big ones, if I was limited to one bait style to use right now and for the next few weeks, it would be the rubberlegged jig. Plain and simple, largemouth bass really like to eat these things. They can be fished through the heaviest of cover with less snagging than any
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other type of lure, they have a nice subtle action that bass like in cooler water, and they come in all the sizes and colors necessary to help you match the jig to the situation. If you’re going to be swimming the jig, the key is, keep the jig light enough so you can swim it slowly. Heavy jigs move too fast for cold water largemouth sometimes. A bulky half ounce jig will work well much of the time. Cast the jig out, let it sink a bit, then start a slow swimming retrieve. You don’t want a straight retrieve: The stroking retrieve mentioned earlier will be best especially in sparser cover. When you come upon clumps of reeds or rice, you’ll want to work the entire clump from top to bottom. When the bass are holding near clumps, they’ll often be near the bottom of the clump, so you want to get your jig right down there into their living room. Again, team the jig with a piece of plastic. A Jungle Jig tipped with an Impulse Brush Beaver is about as good as it gets. Use a Brush Beaver that is a different color than the jig’s skirt. A black/blue combination is a
good place to start, as is watermelon or pumpkin/craw. Don’t get too hung up on color. Try different color combos until the fish tell you what they want. They often won’t be too selective this time of year. Use heavy line. Seventeen pound test mono is the lowest you will want to go. The odds of hooking a big fish are very good if you’re on big fish water, and they know their way around the neighborhood. If you give them a chance to break off, they’ll do it. Largemouth bass will be the primary target, but on some bodies of water there will also be northern pike and muskies cruising. Don’t be surprised to catch either, especially if you’re throwing the spinnerbait. Also don’t be surprised if you have the lake to yourself. There are so many different things to do this time of year. This shallow water bass opportunity presents itself all across the Midwest. I am guessing that if you give it a chance, and if you have the type of success that is possible, even probable, you’ll move shallow water bass up your list of fall things to do.
Big bass bite in the fall. Photo by Bob Jensen