Outdoor Guide 2014

Iowans getting F hooked on float fishing

 Canoes, kayaks offer anglers ways to get to more fish JIM NELSON I jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com

ishing opportunities are plentiful in the state of Iowa. The challenge for anglers is often finding a way to get to those fish.

OUTDOORS GUIDE 2014

PLACES TO GO, THINGS TO DO

Johnathon Fletcher, 8, and his father, James Fletcher, fish in kayaks on the Saxapahaw Lake in 2012.

In the last five years, a new trend and market has emerged in float fishing, or more specifically, fishing from a kayak.

Dedicated sections of various types of fishing kayaks can be found at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Waterloo or the Scheels Superstore in Cedar Falls and the main level at CrawDaddy Outdoors in Waverly is dominated by kayak fishing boats and accessories.

“Kayaking in general has been increasing over the last 10-15 years,” said Darrin Siefken of CrawDaddy Outdoors. “Kayak fishing has definitely taken off in the last five to the point now there are at least two different kayak angling magazines that have emerged in the last two years.”

See KAYAKING, page 2

BURLINGTON TIMES-NEWS, Scott Muthersbaugh

Page 2 OUTDOORS GUIDE 2014

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Sunday, April 6, 2014

NE Iowa walleye fishing better than ever people are catching a lot of fish,” notes DNR fisheries research biologist Greg Gelwicks. “Take the Upper Iowa. Twenty-five years ago, we didn’t have anybody even out there fishing for walleyes on the river. Now we see a lot of people targeting walleyes out there and catching them.

“A few years ago, fisheries management biologist Dan Kirby out of our office here did a creel survey between Independence and Quasqueton on the Wapsi. Walleyes were the most-harvested species on that stretch of river.”

Back in the 1950s, the DNR set out to improve walleye numbers in the interior rivers through fry stockings. The Cedar River, for example, received up to a million fry each spring from Spirit Lake walleyes that were netted and stripped of their eggs.

Fisheries biologist Vaughn Paragamian began a study to find out why more of those fry weren’t surviving to become part of the fishery in Northeast Iowa’s rivers.

Paragamian eventually concluded that the fry weren’t taking hold because of the often turbid river conditions at the time of

Kayaks typically need only four or five inches of water to float and can navigate through shallow Units proving to be most water areas. popular with float anglers “It really gives you the ability From page 1 to go into smaller waters, go to places where you don’t need a The emergence of float fishmotorboat or don’t want one,” ing, which includes canoes and Jim Tate of Scheels said. “Plus tubes in addition to kayaks, has developed because there are fish- they are cheaper than a 12-15 able places that can’t be reached V-boat and you don’t need a by motorboat or on foot because trailer. You can transport them of private property. The fact is an on top of your vehicle or inside a truck. There are lots of benefits.” angler needs a kayak, canoe or Both Siefken and Tate say the tube to reach those places.

Kayaks, however, are the go-to variety and quality of fishing kayaks has exploded. item for float anglers.

“We didn’t used to have the “There are a lot of canoes out fishing models in stock but defithere, but we don’t carry them anymore,” Siefken said. “We will nitely had to get them into the mix as they got more popular,” order them, but it has gotten to Tate said. a point where kayaks have really As for what type fits which taken off. The kayak market angler, Siefken said there are a lot is definitely the hottest thing of things to think about. going.”

Stocking changes on interior rivers behind big increase DOUG NEWHOFF doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com‌

MANCHESTER — Thirty years ago, walleyes were hard to find in Northeast Iowa’s interior rivers.

Natural reproduction was minimal and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ spring fry stockings were ineffective. Walleyes simply weren’t a significant factor in rivers like the Cedar, Wapsipinicon, Shell Rock, Upper Iowa, Turkey and Maquoketa.

Today, there are more walleyes than ever in those river systems and reason to believe those fisheries will keep getting better in the years to come.

It’s a success story in DNR fisheries management that has turned those interior rivers from flowages where one might occasionally catch a walleye into a livewell or cooler of gold.

“On pretty much all those rivers now, we get good reports that

kayaking

their release in the spring.

“Fry feed on zooplankton, which aren’t very abundant that time of year in the river systems,” says Gelwicks.

Paragamian recommended a change in stocking procedure from fry to two-inch fingerlings raised in DNR ponds where there is plenty of zooplankton to sustain those fish during their first few weeks of life.

“Basically as soon as we started doing that, the fish took off and started doing really well,” Gelwicks relates.

Growth rates are phenomenal.

By the first fall, those fingerlings reach the 7-9 inch range. By the following fall, they’re 11-14 inches,

and by the time they’re 2½ years old, those fish are 15-plus inches.

Further study showed that fingerlings hatched from Mississippi River walleyes showed a little better survival than those from Spirit Lake stock. Thus, the DNR now tries to stock as many of those Mississippi River fingerlings as possible.

While the DNR has been able to determine which fish have the best chance of survival and what river conditions are optimal for stocking, there are still variables that can’t be controlled.

“Survival varies from year to year,” notes Gelwicks. “One thing that really affects how well they do is river conditions. When we have flooding and high water, we can have lower survival. Years when we have more ‘normal’ flow conditions, we tend to see pretty good survival.

“Walleyes tend to do well in all the rivers around here, but as you go downstream where the rivers are wider and there are mostly sandy stretches, we don’t see the numbers that we see where there are more pools and riffles and more rock habitat.”

Gelwicks said the DNR is also

looking into ways it can produce fingerlings more efficiently and create more flexibility in its stocking timetable. Currently, when those walleye fry reach the twoinch fingerling size they have to be stocked regardless of river conditions because they’ve depleted the zooplankton in the rearing ponds and begin to eat each other.

“At this point, the main thing we’re concerned about is making sure we can get consistent production of good fingerlings to stock,” says Gelwicks. “We’re focusing on the things we know will keep the fishery good and potentially make it better.

“If the rivers are high and muddy, we have limited options for holding those fingerlings back until the conditions improve.

Some of the methods we’re looking at could give us more flexibility. If we have bad river conditions, we can hold them back and keep feeding them until we can stock them out. With the rivers around here, they can come up and get muddy in a hurry, and if you can want even a week sometimes, the fish will have a lot better chance for survival.

“It could make a big difference.”

“How are you going to fish from this thing?” Siefken said an angler should ask himself or herself when thinking about kayak fishing.

“The sit inside (models) you tend to stay a lot drier. The sit on top (models) you are a lot more exposed to the elements, but you have a lot more freedom of movement with your legs and body.”

Models go from plain and basic to those that have multiple storage spaces, anchor trolleys and rod holders.

“They’ve been getting better and better, some of them have the whole nine yards,” Tate said.

Fishing from a kayak can present its challenges. Anglers typically won’t be able to take their normal big tackle boxes with them and have to rely on smaller tackle boxes. But some of

the newer models do have compartments for minnow buckets, holders for nets and coolers.

One thing both Siefken and Tate say is you can go just about anywhere with a kayak to fish.

“They are all going to be very stable,” Siefken said. “These boats (sit on top) you can actually stand up in. I’ve been in some of the boats we carry, stood on one foot and jumped up and down and I can’t get it to tip over.

“You look at some of the magazine articles and guys are catching fish bigger than their boats. The transition of bigger and better has really happened in the last three or four years with boats becoming more and more stable.”

While kayaking is not that difficult to learn, both Siefken and Tate say some practice is needed.

“You definitely want to

experiment, test your wings on a smaller lake or pond like George Wyth before going to like the Cedar River or a faster moving body of water,” Tate said. “You want to test your abilities, see how you move with your personal flotation device.”

Siefken says one of the best things about kayaks is you are in control of it yourself.

“It’s easier than a canoe,” Siefken said. “We can put young kids in kayaks on small ponds and they figure it out quickly. Sometimes canoes are a challenge in trying to get two people to communicate and figure out how to make it go.

“But you do want to test it out on a smaller body of water.

Check out how you are going to cast, how you are going to land a fish and just in general get a feel for the boat.”

COURTNEY COLLINS / Courier Staff Photographer

Larry Wilard, left, and Jason Conkling take advantage of a nice fall day by going fishing on the Cedar River last October.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

www.wcfcourier.com Page 3 OUTDOORS GUIDE 2014

Camping in Northeast Iowa a natural Parks offer wide range of scenery, facilities, activities NICK PETAROS nick.petaros@wcfcourier.com‌

When it comes to camping, it takes no more than a couple hours of driving to discover a wideranging variety of destinations in Northeast Iowa.

NE Iowa county Scot Michelpark camping, son, a spokesPage 11 man for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says campgrounds continue to fill up during holidays and weekends with favorable weather. Plenty of factors draw campers to this corner of the state.

“I think part of the reason a lot of people come to Northeast Iowa is because of the different topography than the rest of the state,” said Michelson, who serves as a park ranger at the Volga River State Recreation Area near Fayette. “Northeast Iowa is blessed with more rolling hills and bluffs and timber. That makes our parks a little bit more usable because of their different features.”

Iowa’s first state park, Backbone State Park in Strawberry Point, is one of the most popular. The park is known for its narrow and steep ridges of bedrock carved out by the Maquoketa River. The cliffs provide unique climbing and rappelling opportunities.

The picturesque views from Pikes Peak State Park overlooking the Mississippi River can be matched by few others, drawing plenty of tourists in that direction.

Off the beaten path, Michelson also has a suggestion for campers who still prefer to rough it in tents.

“A lot of times I tell people if they want a more primitive type of experience, non-electricity and just real primitive-type camping, Yellow River State Forest by Harpers Ferry has over 100 campsites,” Michelson said. “It’s about 8,000 acres. Some sites you’re right next to a trout stream. You can go out

COURTESY PHOTO

Rolling Prairie Bike Trail in Butler County is a paved, 15-mile trail that connects Allison, Clarksville and Shell Rock. The trail runs through Wilder Park in Allison and Heery Woods State Park in Clarksville.

your tent and walk five, 10 yards and go fishing. There’s not too many places in Iowa that tend to be remote like that.”

Other unique state parks that

come to mind for Michelson include Bellevue State Park, which sits on top of a bluff that overlooks the Mississippi and doesn’t get as much use as some other locales.

The Maquoketa Caves State Park just outside of Maquoketa provides a unique variety of spelunking opportunities with its various caves.

Cabins are available for rental at a growing number of parks.

Backbone, Pine Lake in Eldora and Pleasant Creek in Palo are among the parks equipped with cabin options.

For those looking for a shorter drive, plenty of local campgrounds often get overlooked.

Jeff Kolb, Director of the Butler County Economic Development and Grundy County Development Alliance, points out that Wilder Park in Allison and Heery Woods State Park in Clarksville have plenty to offer. The parks have been developed throughout the past 10 years and are equipped with modern camping amenities.

Wilder Park provides activities from disc golf to sand volleyball to fishing ponds. The Rolling Prairie

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Bike Trail connects from that park to Heery Woods State Park. The 15-mile, newly paved bike trail is known for its mix of natural canopy and scenic bridges.

“I’ve always said we’re Northeast Iowa’s best kept secret,” Kolb said, addressing the campgrounds

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Riverview remains a popular ATV area Trailblazers a driving force behind off-road playground NICK PETAROS nick.petaros@wcfcourier.com‌

All-terrain vehicle enthusiast Shawn Hoaglan’s vision became a reality 16 years ago when Waterloo became the nation’s second metropolitan area to have an all-terrain vehicle park within its city limits.

Riverview Recreation Area, a collaboration between Hoaglan’s Trailblazers Off Road Club, the city of Waterloo and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, has turned into a popular destination for off-road vehicles.

Half of the 400-acre park has been developed for off-road vehicle use, where there are a variety of trails for dirt bikes and ATV riders of all levels. Parks have since sprung up in Tama, Marshalltown and Fort Dodge.

“We had an area there that was an old landfill and mining site and really had been no man’s land. It was abused and there had been some illegal activities,” Waterloo Leisure Services Director Paul Huting said, addressing the land formerly known as the Mitchell sandpits. “We were able to partner with the Trailblazers and the DNR and make that one of the first sanctioned ATV parks in a metro area. The Trailblazers actually did a great job of designing and building the trails.”

Hoaglan formed the Trailblazer’s club in 1996 after he read an article in The Courier about how the city had hired landscape architect Craig Ritland to redesign the run-down Mitchell Pits.

“I looked up Ritland’s name in the phone book,” Hoaglan recalls.

“He said we need people to come forth and try to straighten this area out and maintain its use.”

Since the park’s creation in 1998, the Trailblazers have invested countless hours main-

BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Staff Photographer

Riverview Recreation Area OHV Park in Waterloo is one of the state’s most developed and popular areas for all-terrain vehicles.

taining nicely groomed trails and motocross tracks as they operate under a lease from the city. The DNR provides funds to the park through ATV registration fees.

“There’s always a wow factor,” Hoaglan said. “Anybody that goes and wants to ride, they want to have a nice experience. It if isn’t great, then they won’t come back. We’ve maintained a nice facility. We’ve got a lot of variety

and there’s a lot to offer with different tracks and trail riding. We try to suit all tastes.”

Huting couldn’t have asked for a much better partner than the Trailblazers. The club had from 150 to 200 members when it first took off and has since maintained a membership base between 40 and 50. The members range in age from 12 to 70.

“The Trailblazers have been a great partner,” Huting said.

“They’re unique in that they work hard. They’ve done the bulk of the actual physical work of developing the facility, and they’ve come to the table with funding and have been able to find additional funding.”

The local ATV park has also been an asset for off-road vehicle dealers such as Waterloo’s Leer’s Cycle Center.

“With the ATV park here in town it definitely creates a little more enthusiasm,” Leer’s owner Shannon Rousselow said.

The Riverview Recreation Area includes one of the state’s few OHV parks. Tama, Marshalltown, Ely and Fort Dodge also

have parks.

Outdoor enthusiasts who desire more lengthy trail rides typically head out of state. An Iowa law change in 2008 prevented ATV riding on snowmobile trails.

Wisconsin’s Black River State

Forest is host to some of the more popular ATV trails in the Midwest. The Trailblazers typically organize an annual fall trip to a locale in Wisconsin.

“It’s nice to get out and ride some trails and put on some miles,” Hoaglan said.

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www.wcfcourier.com Outdoors Guide 2014 Page 5

Today’s RVs fit variety of lifestyles CARSON TIGGES

service and will be inexpensive.”

Being able to weather the wear and tear of the road may also be a concern for Heath, who has been around RVs for 40 years and says they just don’t make them like they used to.

carson.tigges@wcfcourier.com‌

If a tree falls in a campground and you’re not outside to see it, is it really camping?

That is up for debate and fueling part of the controversy are some of the high-end recreational vehicles with all the amenities of home. The truth is, it’s all about perspective.

“It doesn’t matter what level we’re camping at, the next level up — ‘they’re just not camping.’

We decide what level of comfort is acceptable camping and everybody else has gotta go,” said Tom Berns, sales associate at the newly-branded Camping World in Cedar Falls.

“I hear this story every summer — we were in the campground last weekend and this big blank came in. And you know those darn people never came out all weekend. I heard that story for years, and I never understood the attitude that went with it — they were half mad about it.”

Different people just desire different levels of comfort and the RV market tries to accommodate that. Convenience and automation are currently the biggest thing on the minds of consumers willing to spend upward of $400,000.

“Several trends we’re seeing, and they’re all about convenience. The first is power awnings, power jacks. It used to be — in every family that I sold to — the husband’s job was to put that awning out,” Berns said. “Now, the ladies are loving it because if the wind were to kick up, you push a button and it comes down.”

Outdoor kitchens com plete with refrigerators and cabinets are also big because, despite how nice it might be inside, much of the point of having an RV is being outside. So anything that limits trips into the camper is being looked at as a positive. To that end, well-designed floor plans

From top-end units to used rigs, there’s something for all “When you work on them your whole life, you get to see all the ins and outs. I see that a lot of manufacturers are cutting corners,” said Heath. “Not just in RVs, I’m sure in everything.”

See RV, page 10

BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Staff Photographer

Camping enthusiasts can get a recreational vehicle equipped with all kinds of options, like this rig at Camping World in Cedar Falls. have always been a quality that people are looking for and the fewer steps being taken going to and from, the better.

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“What you’re seeing overall, boating, RV, anything to do with fun, those industries are way off this year. The economy is floundering a little bit,” he said. “A lot of people want to get into camping, but they’re looking for used. They’re looking for good used. You can tell they’re watching their penny.

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Sunday, April 6, 2014

Bedding bass draw anglers into underwater world Understanding the drama that plays out key to success DOUG NEWHOFF doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com‌

Every spring, there’s a drama that plays out on the ponds, lakes, reservoirs and rivers in the Midwest.

It’s that magical time of year when largemouth bass invade the shallows to spawn, and anglers like Andy Sommerfelt become obsessed with the forces of nature in action and the cat and mouse game that unfolds.

“Around here, we’re looking mostly at the full moon in May,” says Sommerfelt, a tournament veteran who has fished bass all over the country. “Three days before the full moon to three days after is when the majority of the bass in our area spawn.

“They start looking when the water temperature gets to 60-62 degrees. When it hits 60 degrees consistently and the full moon comes around, they start dropping their eggs, even if the water is a little too cool.”

Years of experience have given Sommerfelt a blueprint of sorts for understanding and targeting bedding bass.

On Iowa’s lakes, Sommerfelt probes the small bays or coves that warm up faster than the main body of water. From there, he looks along shoreline areas that get the most sun, which are typically at the north end.

“When I’m looking for early spawning fish, I have one eye on the water temp gauge all the time,” he notes. “Prespawn and spawn are the only time when one or two degrees of change in the water temp makes a difference.”

Bass will spawn in areas that are sometimes surprisingly

small.

“There might be 10 fish spawning in a spot the size of my truck,” Sommerfelt explains.

“The fish don’t care. It might be a spot only big enough for one nest somewhere that bass can have a little protection. There’s almost always something around the nest.

“Guys down south used to take a pop can, bend it in the middle and sink it in a spawning area where you could just see the can. Fish would spawn around that pop can. They’ll build a nest around a rock or a laydown or whatever they find, something where they can sit and watch the nest all the time.”

When Sommerfelt finds a nest, it’s the size of the attendant fish rather than the size of the actual nest that interests him.

“I’ve caught a lot of big fish on small nests,” he explains. “If there’s a 12-inch male hanging around, he’s not going to spawn with a 4-pound female, but if

it’s a 2 1/2-pound male, there are usually big females close by.”

The spawning process is usually fairly quick. Male bass move into an area and fan out the nest.

The female fish hang out nearby until they are ready to drop their eggs.

“A standard nest around here is about the size of a dinner plate,” says Sommerfelt. “It’ll be 10 to 14 inches across, but that fish will pick a specific spot on that nest the size of a silver dollar where she will drop her eggs and it’s rarely in the center of the nest.

“If you spot a fish on her nest, I guarantee you she already knows you’re there. I don’t care how much you think you’ve snuck up on her. She will circle around and eventually come back. If it comes back instantly to the nest, I know I own that fish. If it’s slower coming back, Seasoned tournament veteran and bass fishing fanatic Andy it’s still a catchable fish, but it Sommerfelt shows off a big smallmouth taken on the Mississippi River.

One of Sommerfelt’s favorite pursuits is chasing bedding largemouth might take some time.”

See bass, page 10 bass in May.

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Experts see good turkey hunting ahead Good 2012 breeding season should be evident this spring JIM SULLIVAN jim.sullivan@wcfcourier.com‌

The outlook for hunting wild turkeys this spring will reflect yesterday as much as today and good weather as much as bad.

According to a couple of the men who study the outdoors in the state of Iowa for a living, there should be a sufficient supply of gobblers to hunt, especially in Northeast Iowa. That’s because of what happened in 2012 here.

Dry conditions meant a good breeding season. That in turn, means more turkeys in 2014 that are about two years old, an attractive age for hunting. Hunt-

ing male turkeys is legal in the spring, but not females.

“This year should be a great year,” said Todd Gosselink, a forest wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

“Two years ago, we had a drought summer, and we had great reproduction. We hadn’t had that for several years. June rains make it tough to get good reproduction. But the drought year was great for ground nesting birds.

“We’ll have a lot of adult twoyear-old birds. ... They’ll have longer beards and act more like adults as far as strutting. It might be debatable, but typically young birds are less experienced than the older birds who have been around the block awhile. The two-year-olds are a little more aggressive. Older males get real

shy.”

Old or young, turkeys are no different than human beings in one respect. They’ve had to deal with a long, hard winter and a spring that appears to be on hold.

Colder weather and less daylight may complicate matters for turkey hunters this spring. It’s possible that the gobblers will remain in flocks and not be ready to strut when the season begins in early April.

“When it doesn’t warm up as fast, birds tend to be flocked up in winter flocks that can make it more challenging,” said Jim Jansen, the Northeast Iowa wildlife supervisor for the DNR. “It’s not impossible by any means.”

Joe Wilkinson, the information specialist for the DNR, added, “Up in Clayton County you can hear turkeys — gobblers and hens — clucking and putting around.

But they’re still not ready to breed. It’s being held back a bit.”

Meanwhile, turkey hunters can begin to look for areas where gobblers may be searching for food. In the early season, when vegetation is not green, turkeys may be found around waste grains or waste corn.

“It’s a good time of the year to start scouting,” said Gosselink.

As the warmer weather and longer days trigger breeding, which in turn makes gobblers more likely to respond to a hunter’s call, the DNR experts believe the prospects will improve.

Said Jansen, “The bottom line is right now we do have a fair number of two-year-olds running around. It’s actually kind of statewide, but up in Northeast COURTESY PHOTO Iowa we have plenty of birds for A tom turkey struts his stuff in people to hunt.”

Northeast Iowa.

Page 8 Outdoors guide 2014

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Sunday, April 6, 2014

Boaters, anglers riding high on pontoons Today’s pontoons are meeting wide range of uses JIM SULLIVAN jim.sullivan@wcfcourier.com‌

One question rises above all others when customers ask Seth Hilton about pontoon boats.

“How soon can I get it?” said Hilton, the general manager at Chain of Lakes Marine in Waterloo. “Mostly, that’s the only question.”

Once upon a time, pontoon boats used to considered the ugly ducklings of watercraft — slow, unattractive, awkward. In the 21st century, the outlook has changed. Today, as the question Hilton hears often suggests, consumers want pontoon boats.

That is, the new, improved and more versatile versions.

“I’m probably guessing if you sit there and look at the boat traffic, every year there are five or 10 more people getting out of runabouts and getting into pontoons,” said Tricia Arends, the co-owner of Heartland Marine in Oran.

It’s happening in a lot of places.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, 20 percent of aluminum outboard boats shipped in Minnesota were pontoons. Four years later, in figures released by the Marine Manufacturers Association, the percentage of pontoon sales had climbed to 42 percent.

A month ago, the trade publication Website boatingindustry. com released a survey of its readers. Eighty percent believed pontoon boat sales would continue to increase in 2014.

Variations in climate, population and geography may affect pontoon sales differently. That said, the pontoon boat is not just for grandma and grandpa anymore, although they may still be very active consumers.

“Normally, there’s a big selling market anywhere from 25 to 45,” said Hilton. “Then we also see a lot of elders — a lot of grandchil-

BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Staff Photographer

A pontoon boat is displayed at Chain of Lakes Marine in Waterloo.

dren and stuff.”

Said Arends, “Customers want a multi-purpose boat.”

That’s what pontoon boats have become for a couple of reasons.

One is power. Today’s pontoons are designed to run with higher horsepower motors. In other words, they can go fast enough to tow a water skiier or a kid on a tube.

“Now they run as fast as a runabout and you can get a lot more people on them,” said Arends.

People — that’s another factor.

Pontoon boats have become popular with families who want to

take everyone on the water, from moms and dads to grandparents to young children to aunts and uncles.

Added Hilton, “They’re very safe for family outings, unlike some. Smaller kids can run around and you don’t worry about them falling off the side of the boat.”

There are choices to be made by buyers. Boaters more interested in fishing can buy a pontoon with fewer seats and more items like built-in tackle boxes, fish finders, livewells and so on.

If fishing takes a back seat to merely having fun on the water, there are pontoon boats designed for pleasure cruises. They can be equipped with more seating, a sun deck, a bar, coolers — whatever is needed for comfort.

Today’s pontoon boats also offer plenty of stability on the water. That’s no small factor for an aging population.

As Arends put it, laughing, “Us old people slowing down don’t want to get beaten to death. It’s much easier riding. (Pontoons) take waves so much better and they’re much more comfortable.”

According to Hilton, there are wide variations in price, depending on what the buyer wants. To buy a new pontoon boat, a boater could spend $14,000 to $15,000 or between $25,000 and $35,000 for a larger package.

“It all depends on what extras they want to put on them,” said

Hilton.

No matter how the pontoon boat is equipped and how it’s used, boaters will put them to use when warmer weather finally arrives.

“There are just so many different applications with what you might want to do,” said Arends.

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www.wcfcourier.com Page 9 outdoors guide 2014

Iowa trout fishing rising to new levels Improvements to streams, fish creating more opportunities JIM NELSON jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com‌

Partnerships often create great opportunities in almost any adventure.

Few people will forget the spring and summer of 1993 when floods throughout Iowa caused destruction and havoc anywhere and everywhere.

Homes, property and farmland were affected and consequently, recreational opportunities were lost, as well.

Fish populations were also scattered and decimated and none more than Northeast Iowa’s currently flourishing trout fishing industry.

In 1993, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources granted 22,000 trout privileges.

Since then, through partnerships with private landowners, the National Resource Conservation Service, the Soil and Water Conservation District and Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship, the DNR has steadily improved Iowa’s trout fishing.

In 2013, the Iowa DNR issued an all-time record 43,000 trout privileges.

“It’s been steadily on the increase the last 10 years for sure if not the last 20,” said Mike Steuck of the Iowa DNR Manchester office.

Through put-and-take programs where the DNR stocks catchable 10-12 inch fish to streams where the DNR stocks fingerlings to winter pond stockings, the trout population has grown along with opportunities to pursue them.

One of those pond stocking opportunities will be at North Prairie Lake in Cedar Falls on April 12th.

Iowa’s trout program consists of catchable rainbow and brook trout fisheries, urban

trout fisheries, put-and-grow fisheries and five or six special catch-and-release fisheries for the angler who likes to get away from the crowds.

Those catch-and-release fisheries are artificial lure only.

“With live bait, the hooking mortality is high,” Stueck said. “With catch-and-release streams, anglers will be able to catch a lot of trophy fish, experience that and then they can be caught again.

“That’s not saying there aren’t bigger fish to be caught on our other streams, just more plentiful on those catch-andrelease streams.”

Conservation efforts have boosted the number of selfsustaining streams from three to five in 1985 to 41 currently.

“It happened two-fold,” Steuck said. “First, we’ve worked on the habitat in the streams so the fish can find places to live, feed, grow and reproduce. Conservation measures helped the watershed with better sediment and nutrients.

“Secondly, in the 1990s we found better genetics, a wild strain, with different fish that

had way better reproduce rates.

“All those efforts came through by organizations ... the NRCS, the SWCD, the IDALS, us and private landowners working together.”

Typically, the DNR stocks COURIER FILE PHOTO streams with 1,000 fingerlings Department of Natural Resources officials release a net filled with per mile and it takes those fin- young trout into North Prairie Lake in Cedar Falls in 2011. Overall, trout gerlings three years to reach fishing throughout Northeast Iowa is better than ever. sexual maturity. The DNR will monitor those streams, taking samples to see if reproduction is taking place. If so, stocking can be discontinued.

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RV

People buy them for many different reasons

From page 4 But the reality is, people buy RVs for many different interests. Some are meant for camping and having a home away from home, while others are sometimes used as permanent domiciles based on one’s situation.

“We’re seeing across the board changes in the way people use them,” Berns said. “Some people use it as a cabin. Some people will take it up to the river. They never leave the Mississippi River, use it as a cabin to go

to every weekend. When you’re not dragging it up and down the road, then you can buy a bigger one and have bigger refrigerators, places to build a deck on, sliding glass doors, those kinds of things.”

“You sit around the campfire with your family, friends and so on,” Heath added. “We have customers and clients that travel extensively. We have some who travel for business and use it extensively because they don’t want to waste all that money on a hotel room every night when they’re on the road working.”

All of this suggests that the high-end rigs, while readily available, aren’t for

bass

It’s a magical time of year for bass anglers

From page 5 Sommerfelt’s preferred baits for those bedding females are Berkley Havoc Smash Tubes and six-inch Berkley Power Lizards. When he knows there’s a female bass on or near the nest, he tries to goad her into biting.

“I’ll pitch that Smash Tube or Power Lizard on one side or the other and drag it across the nest,” he explains. “It may take five or six casts, but when I hit that sweet spot where she has chosen to drop her eggs, she will flare her gills and her pectoral fins will flare out. She’ll come to full attention.

“She’ll circle around and around, madder than a wet cat, and then come in and in one motion she will suck that bait in and spit it out faster than you can blink. I’m always watching the fish and when her nose is down to that bait and the gills flare, that’s when I set the hook. If you watch the bait and wait until the bait is gone, she has already spit it out.

“She doesn’t care if that bait is on the nest, but she doesn’t want it on that sweet spot. I’ve done it a thousand times, and it plays out like that every time. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes to catch one fish.”

There are other signs that tell

www.wcfcourier.com

Sunday, April 6, 2014

everyone. Whether it’s for camping, cruising or making a life on the road, there will be a dollar amount that fits.

“There’s always a market at every price point. A lot of people get into one to see how they like it. For fear of making a mistake, they’ll start with a preowned unit. Something that is really going to be a part of their lifestyle and then trade up as they go,” said Berns.

“Everybody’s idea of camping is different. One is barely getting a tent or a fold down, another is looking for something quite BRANDON POLLOCK / Courier Staff Photographer luxurious. We kind of have This recreational vehicle at Camping World in Cedar Falls offers nearly all the comforts one for every different seat.” of home.

Sommerfelt he’s looking at a fish he won’t be able to catch.

“That female will be feeding right up to the actual spawn,” he notes. “I’ve caught them going in and coming out of the same tree.

But if there are two fish on the nest and the female is rolling on her side and rubbing the nest or running into a log or something, she is knocking those eggs loose and is not a catchable fish. She has no interest in what you’ve got

to offer whatsoever.

“You might catch the male, but you won’t catch her.”

Those male bass are the guardians of the nest and the newly hatched fry. They will hang around for several days after the eggs hatch.

“They’ll protect that little ball of fry for three to five days,” notes Sommerfelt. “That male is hungry.

This whole time, he’s not thinking about eating, so when he leaves

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those fry and heads out, it’s game on. He’s going to eat whatever he comes across, including any fry he might find on another nest.

“That’s one reason catch and release is so important for those female fish. They only spawn once a year. They do lay thousands of eggs, but the mortality is fantastic.”

As with most things in fishing, there are always exceptions.

Sommerfelt has caught spawning

bass as late as July during years when he also caught them in May. And he’s found spawners dropping their eggs on tree branches in the flooded timber of lakes like Brushy Creek.

But for the most part, the drama unfolds in the shallows on the Mississippi River and Iowa’s lakes when the full moon and water temperatures come together in May. It’s a magical time of the year.

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014

www.wcfcourier.com

PAGE 11

OUTDOORS GUIDE 2014

NORTHEAST IOWA COUNTY PARK CAMPING ACKLEY CREEK PARK, Floyd County — 2775 Indigo Ave., two miles southwest of Marble Rock ...

37 electrical sites, 10 primitive sites, showers, restrooms, dump station, two picnic shelters, playground, hiking trails. Cost is $15 per night for modern sites (electricity and water), $10 per night for primitive sites. Open May 1-Oct. 1.

BEAVER MEADOWS, Butler County — Located on north side of Parkersburg between Beaver Creek and Beaver Meadows Golf Course ...

20 electrical sites, modern toilets and showers, shelter house, playground, fishing on Beaver Creek. Open yearround 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Access to restrooms and electricity can be limited by season changes.

BLACK HAWK PARK, Black Hawk County — 2410 West Lone Tree Rd., Cedar Falls ... Two campgrounds with 21 full hook-up sites and 176 with electrical services. No reservations are accepted. Four shelters available for reservation. Fishing, hunting, biking, hiking, wildlife viewing, river access, playgrounds and boat ramps. Open year-round 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m., weather permitting.

BOIES BEND, Buchanan County — Located just west of Quasqueton ... Primitive camping available. Stream fishing, hunting, picknicking, shelter with electricity, fire pits, vault toilets.

Open year-round, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

CUTSHALL AREA, Buchanan County — Located north of Jesup on V62 ... Primitive camping. Stream fishing, hunting, picknicking, shelter with electricity, vault toilets. Open yearround, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

FONTANA PARK, Buchanan County — Nine miles north of Independence on Hwy. 150 ... Seven campsites, six with electricity and two sustainable living cabins. Fontana Interpretive Nature Center, wildlife display, fishing, picknicking, fire pits, reservable shelters, hiking trails, playground. Open year-round, 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

GATES BRIDGE ACCESS, Floyd County — 2920 Kirkwood Rd., four miles south of Marble Rock ...

Six primitive campsites available.

Picknicking, fishing, river access.

GILBERTSON CONSERVATION EDUCATION AREA, Fayette County — 1810 Agate Rd., east of Elgin. 28 electric sites, 8 non-electric sites.

Equestrian camping area, bathhouse with flus toilets, sinks and showers, dump station, water hydrants, shelter house, playground, pit toilets, canoe access to Turkey River, fishing, hunting, bird-watching, hiking, cross-country skiing, show-shoeing, wheelchair accessible trail and Gilbertson Nature Center.

GOULDSBURG PARK, Fayette County — Located at 18649 Sunset Rd., 5 miles north of Hawkeye or 3 miles north of intersection of U.S. Hwy. 18 and county road W14. 29 electrical sites, primitive sites, bath house with sinks, toilets and showers, dump station, water hydrants, pit toilets, playground, shelter house, hiking trails, bird-watching, fishing.

HICKORY HILLS PARK, Black Hawk County — Located 12 miles south of Waterloo, six miles north of Dysart on V37 ... Nearly 100 campsites available plus several cabins. Many campsites have electrical and water hook-ups. Area also features lodge, picnicking, shelters, 39-acre Casey Lake, trails, wildlife exhibit, hunting and fishing. Open year-round, 6 a.m.10:30 p.m.

JAKWAY PARK, Buchanan County — Located 2 miles south of Aurora.

Offers camping, shower house, dump station, hiking trails, ski trails, picnicking, playground, observation blind, historic buildings and fishing. Open year-round, but may be closed during inclemental weather.

KENDALVILLE PARK AND CAMPGROUND, Winneshiek County — Located in Kendallville on Hwy. 139. Features 28 electrical campsites and 10 non-electric. Dump station, flush and pit toilets, showers, drinking water, Upper Iowa river canoe and fishing access, picnic shelters, baseball diamond, playground. Open April through October, depending on the

weather.

LAKE MEYER PARK AND CAMPGROUND, Winneshiek County — Located off Hwy. 24 between Calmar and Fort Atkinson. Electric and non-electric sites available with dump station, fluls toilets, showers, drinking water, picnic tables, boating (electric motor only), hiking, shelters, bal diamond, cross-country skiing, nature center. Open April through October, 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

LIME CREEK AREA, Buchanan County — Located northeast of Brandon. Electrical and non-electric campsites, shelter, fire pits, playground, vault toilets, stream fishing, hunting, picnicking. Open for camping from April 15-Oct. 1.

MCFARLANE PARK, Black Hawk County — Located 20 miles southeast of Waterloo/Cedar Falls area at 13619 King Road. Features 64 electric campsites, modern restrooms, shower house, large shelter, hunting, boat ramp, playground, efficiency cabin, hiking, biking, picnicking.

OTRANTO PARK, Mitchell County — Located at 1233 480th St. near St. Ansgar. Approximately 20 nondesignated campsites, electric and non-electric. Drinking water, showers, flush toilets, dump station, playground, picnic shelter, canoeing, fishing, handicap accessible. Open from early may to mid-October.

PIONEER PARK, Mitchell County — Located 6 miles east of Osage at 3987 Shadow Ave. Features 7 gravel

campsites with electric and water hook-ups. Pit toilets, enclosed shelter house with electricity, picnic tables.

Open from early May to mid-October.

RIVERSIDE PARK, Mitchell County — Located at 2275 465th St. near Stacyville. Electric and non-electric campsites, drinking water, showers, flush toilets, dump station. Shelter house, fishing, boating, hiking, softball diamond, volleyball sand court, handicap accessible. Open year-round,

depending on weather.

TROY MILLS WAPSI ACCESS, Buchanan County — Located southeast of Quasaqueton along the Wapsipinicon River. Primitive camping, fire pits, picknicking, hunting, fishing and boating with river access. Open year-round, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

WEST IDLEWOOD CAMPGROUND, Floyd County — Located at 1374 Quarry Rd., 2 miles northwest of Floyd.

Primitive camping, pit toilets, picnic

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