Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations

Fishing slump, the Internet and casting an umbrella skeleton

2012-01-22T07:35:00.000-06:00

I’ve just gone through a brief period of nothingness comparable to going fishing and catching nothing. My computer reminded me of what it’s like to have fishless outings. I had signed on, signed off, rebooted, only to have been met by a less responsive computer each use.

I tried all kinds of techniques that should have brought success to my methods.

Nothing!

WI State HS Ice Fishing Championship

2012-01-19T17:37:00.000-06:00

The Second Annual Wisconsin State High School Fishing Championship is coming up fast. WCSFO supports programs like this because we want to see the younger generation get involved in our Sport. They are our future. We need more programs like this.

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The purpose of the tournament is to support and promote students respectfully enjoying the outdoors.

Feb 25. Menomonie Park, Oshkosh, WI. This tournament is in conjunction with Battle on Bago.

1. High School students form teams of 5-10. $25/team. There is no limit to the number of teams per school.

2. Your team rosters, registration and $25/team must be received by Wednesday Feb 22. Email Greg Franzen at franzengreg@aasd.k12.wi.us to get the registration form. Fill it out, write checks to Oshkosh SW Rotory and send to:

Greg Franzen

Appleton West HS

610 N. Badger Ave.

Appleton, WI 54914

3. All students must be from the same school.

4. Each team must have an Adult School Approved Chaperone/Coach that is present during the whole tournament and prize distribution. Teams must be predetermined and are allowed to fish together, but please keep their catches separate.

5. Students must catch and land all fish that are registered. Setting the hook, fighting and landing the fish must be done by students. Chaperones are not allowed to physically assist in anyway in the landing of a fish.

6. Chaperones are allowed to fish as long as they keep their fish separate at all times from the students’ catch.

7. Fishing for the HS tournament will be from 7:00am-1:30pm. You do not need to stop at the park before fishing.

8. Be in line to register fish by 2:00pm at the Tent at Menomonee Park in Oshkosh. You can weigh in 10 fish/team. Fish must be walleye, panfish(perch, bluegill or crappie), white bass or burbot.

9. The awards and prize drawings will begin at approximately 2:30pm.

10. The top three teams, based on weight, will receive a small trophy. The top 3 teams will get to pick a door prize in the order of finish. The remainder of teams’ names will be put into a drawing to pick a door prize. A list of door prizes will be sent out before Feb 25.

11. Teams are encouraged to sell raffle tickets for Battle on Bago. Schools will be reimbursed 60% of their raffle ticket sales. A check will be made out to the schools outdoor club fund and is meant to be used to promote students in the outdoors, especially fishing. The check will be sent out before the next school year. The tickets are to be sold for $5/each or 5 for $20. Make sure the stubs, extra tickets and money to Greg Franzen (see address above) by Wed Feb 22.

12. If for some reason, the HS portion of Battle on Bago gets cancelled, we will put all teams into a drawing at noon on Feb 25. We hope one advisor from each team can make it to Oshkosh to pick up the door prize.

13. Battle on Bago or its organizers can not ensure the safety of any participant. Going onto the ice can be dangerous and deadly. Safety is not the responsibility of Battle on Bago. Please exercise extreme caution on the lake. Lake Winnebago can be a very dangerous lake with unstable ice.

14. Ties will be decided by length of longest fish.

15. Teams are to take their fish with them and make every effort to clean and eat the fish.

16. Hotel information can be found at http://www.battleonbago.org/general-information/lodging.

-- REGISTRATION FORM – Click Here

Announcing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – Wildlife Health Event Reporter (GLRI-WHER)!

2011-12-21T18:36:00.001-06:00

Calling all beachcombers! Get involved in an effort to improve the health of the Great Lakes!

If you are a concerned citizen who spends time near-shore around the Great Lakes in the US and in Canada, or if you are a coordinator with an established volunteer network that can expand their observational power, please consider sharing your observations of injured/dead animals or algal blooms using the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – Wildlife Health Event Reporter (GLRI- WHER; http://glri.wher.org).

In the interest of protecting waterfowl and other wildlife, scientists working in state, provincial, federal, academic and non-profit agencies are looking for your help to identify events that could be important in research on avian botulism and algal bloom outbreaks. Botulism has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of birds in the Great Lakes and events have been increasing in recent years. For a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem, do your part and share what you see!

GLRI-WHER was developed by the Wildlife Data Integration Network (WDIN), a program of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in partnership with the USGS National Wildlife Health Center. Project support was provided through a grant from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at the Environmental Protection Agency (http://greatlakesrestoration.us).

Geographically specific alerts and contacts for local agency reporting are provided with each report, when available. All reports from Canada are shared with our partners at the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre (http://www.ccwhc.ca), and from the US at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov).

Citizen scientists involved in existing reporting efforts should continue to follow their program's protocols - get in touch if you would like to find out how to get your program's data included in the GLRI-WHER.

Find out more about the GLRI-WHER application online at http://glri.wher.org. Email questions to botnet@wdin.org

glri.wher.org

Photo Credit: USFWS

Online survey looks at angler’s fish-eating habits

2011-12-06T18:13:00.001-06:00

Healthy fish recipes being collected for online cookbook

MADISON -- Anglers' fish-eating habits -- and favorite recipes for their catch -- are the focus of new state efforts aimed at increasing awareness about the health benefits of eating fish while reducing exposure to environmental contaminants.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is seeking male anglers 50 years and older to complete an online survey about their fish consumption (exit DNR). Previous surveys have shown that some older men eat more fish than younger men or women. And while those most vulnerable to the effects of environmental contaminants are pregnant women, their developing fetuses and young children -- older adults also can be affected, according to Pamela Imm, with the DHS Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health.

The online survey, found at study.uwsc.wisc.edu/anglers (exit DNR), seeks information on where this group fishes, how much and what type of fish they eat, and where they get information about consumption advice.

At the same time, the Department of Natural Resources is seeking favorite recipes for fish caught from Wisconsin waters. A selection of recipes from entrants will be included in an online cookbook, Healthy Dishes With Wisconsin's Fishes.

The survey and outreach are funded by federal dollars targeted at improving fish advisory programs throughout the Great Lakes, says Candy Schrank, a DNR toxicologist who coordinates the fish consumption advisory DNR jointly issues every year with the state health services department.

"Wisconsin and other Great Lakes states want to know more about people who eat fish and how to get information to them on the health benefits and risks of eating fish," she says.

The data that DNR collected over the past 40 years on mercury and PCBs in fish show contaminant levels at some locations have dropped, supporting assertions that fish respond to sediment cleanup and mercury emission reductions. However, mercury levels are still high enough that most waters carry a statewide consumption advisory with about 149 having more stringent advice due to higher levels of mercury, PCBs or other chemicals.

More information about Wisconsin’s fish consumption advice and contaminant levels in state residents who frequently eat fish, can be found in "Give in to Fish Fervor" in the December 2011 issue of Natural Resources Magazine or on the Fish Consumption Advisories page of the DNR website.

Entries sought for Healthy Dishes with Wisconsin Fishes cookbook

DNR is seeking recipes for an online cookbook, “Healthy Dishes with Wisconsin Fishes.” "We hope to collect healthy recipes for a wide variety of Wisconsin species," says Sonya Rowe, a DNR communications specialist for the fish contaminant program. "We want to draw more attention to the health benefits of safely eating Wisconsin fish."

Recipes must be the entrant's own, feature Wisconsin fish species and be cooked (not smoked or pickled). The contest is limited to one entry per household, and people can submit their entry using the form found on the Healthy Dishes with Wisconsin Fishes contest web page. The deadline is April 1, 2012.

Recipes will be judged on originality and creativity, healthiness, ease of preparation, species of fish and added details on the recipe's origin and how or where it was caught, Rowe says.

Ice Fishing & Safety by Jerry Opicka - Dec. 12

2011-12-06T18:07:00.000-06:00

Dec. 12 - Jerry Opicka, panfishing expert, past WFC president, “Ice Fishing & Safety.” Learn ice fishing hot spots, equipment, baits that work, safety, techniques, how to read ice, 7 p.m. FREE! Big Dog Pub & Grill, formerly Yester Years Pub and Grill, 9427 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, 414-476-9055. Contact: Cliff Schulz, President, (414) 453-9913, LindaESchulz@WI.RR.com. Fishing reports, fishing equipment raffle, plus hot food is available. New members are always welcome.

Have a great holiday fishing season,
Larry Van Veghel

WFC, Media Director & Secretary and
WCSFO, Media Director & Secretary

Root River Report–November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T17:27:00.001-06:00

The following information is the latest fishing information for the Root River in Racine. We will post new information to this site every TUESDAY at 4:00 pm from September through December and from March through May. We will also update the number of fish processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility to give you the exact number of fish passed upstream. Depending on water conditions and number of fish in the weir, fish are usually processed on Mondays and Thursdays.
In addition, you can call our Lake Michigan Fishing Hotline at (414) 382-7920 highlighting to hear the latest fishing information for Lake Michigan and its tributaries or check out our Lake Michigan Outdoor Report

Root River Steelhead Facility

Lake Michigan trout and salmon don't successfully reproduce in Wisconsin streams, so DNR gives Mother Nature a hand. Watch fisheries crews collect eggs and milt from spawning fish to create the next generation of steelhead to challenge anglers on the big pond.

Steelhead Spawning at Root River Steelhead Facility [VIDEO Length 3:16]

Root River Fishing Report for November 14, 2011

Water and flow conditions

The river was high and fast over the weekend, but is currently dropping. The water temperature was 46 degrees.

For up to date river conditions, check out the USGS web site of stream flow conditions [exit DNR] in Wisconsin.

Fishing Report

Upstream of the Weir
Fishing success was lower this weekend than it has been most of the fall, but that was likely due to the higher flows. Anglers caught coho, brown trout, and a couple of rainbow trout. Pink flies were most productive in the area from the Horlick dam downriver into Quarry Lake Park.

Downstream of the Weir
Fishing was slow below the weir, with only a few brown trout caught in Lincoln Park over the weekend.

Making a Climate-Change Checklist. Checking It Twice

2011-11-03T18:45:00.001-05:00

UW Sea Grant outreach specialists will spend the fall helping Wisconsin's coastal communities ensure they're prepared for the potential impacts of climate change.

November 3, 2011
By Aaron R. Conklin

Are Wisconsin’s coastal communities prepared for the potential effects of climate change? Outreach specialists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sea Grant Institute plan to spend the next several months discovering the answer.

Through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) administered through the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, David Hart, UW Sea Grant’s geographic information systems outreach specialist and graduate student Evan Murdock, will meet with representatives from as many as 35 cities and villages in 11 different counties located on Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan coasts.

Just don’t refer to their efforts as a workshop. Other groups, including the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) system, have already laid that groundwork, providing local officials with information about the ways significant changes in precipitation and lake levels could affect their communities. Hart and Murdock’s efforts will be focused on something far more specific--implementation assistance.

“The thought was to take the body of work that’s been done on climate adaptation and put it into a community checklist, where we could go in for a few hours to most of a day and meet with local government officials, and walk through it,” said Hart. “The checklist condenses the issues down to the answer to a simple question: How does this relate to your community?”

The project is a collaborative effort with Minnesota Sea Grant. Jesse Schomberg, a coastal communities specialist with Minnesota Sea Grant and co-investigator on the project, will hold similar discussions with leaders in Lake Superior coastal communities. Key areas for discussion include several of the same ones raised in the recently published report Wisconsin’s Changing Climate: Impacts and Adaptation: ports, harbors, marinas and stormwater detention/retention and conveyance systems.

“Are those facilities in good shape for the kind of variability we might see in the lake levels?” asked Hart. “We want to discuss the possibility that more intense storms are changing the patterns of precipitation events (both in intensity and frequency) and how these communities might be ready for that.”

Some of the checklist discussions will likely center on each community’s comprehensive and hazard mitigation plans, and how much climate adaptation awareness those plans include. Hart realizes that for many Wisconsin coastal communities, climate change may not be resting on the front burner.

“Communities’ budgets are shrinking,” said Hart. “When you’re dealing with issues of maintaining basic community services such as police and fire protection, these types of climate-change issues fall to the background. They’re in the future and it’s hard to know what they are. “

Still, there’s no question that the issues are important—no local official wants to be stuck with a massive cleanup bill because an insufficient or undersized stormwater system allowed runoff to flood low-lying areas or pollute nearby streams, rivers and lakes. Hart said he’s hopeful the opportunity to provide communities with actual products and services to help manage climate change issues will help move the discussion forward into action.

For instance, UW Sea Grant Coastal Engineer Gene Clark and Minnesota Sea Grant Maritime Educator Dale Bergeron have created a port assets matrix and dredging cost estimation tool that assesses the potential infrastructure, dredging and economic risks harbors may face from changing water levels and/or increased storm wave action. In addition, Hart has worked to create visualization models that could help characterize how climate change could affect coastal topography.

“These are changes that are probably going to happen to communities over the next decade,” said Hart. “The longer you’re aware of them, the more likely you’re able to successfully address them. If you put this off for 10-20 years and all of a sudden we start seeing lake levels change even more, it becomes a harder and more expensive problem to solve. Talking about them now just gives us some more time to spread the cost of being able to address these issues, to where it becomes more manageable. “

In addition to the climate adaptation checklist, the project will also help extend climate-change curriculum and partnerships with tribal governments.

Florida snowbird overdoes it in Sawyer County Overbagging: Nearly $6,000 in fines, rights revoked

2011-10-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

State Conservation Warden Tom Heisler of Winter was already working an overbagging case when he spotted another busy angler on popular Lake Chetac in Sawyer County.

“I saw it. There were four fishing lines. The law allows three. And, he was catching a lot of fish,” Heisler said of the moment he launched a summer investigation in what became the case of the Florida snowbird and his Wisconsin son. “I zeroed in on it.”

Months later on October 11 in a Sawyer County courtroom, Ronald Dollevoet of Florida, and his adult son, Jeffrey Dollevoet of Green Bay, were ordered to pay a total of $5,787.75 in fines and to lose some of their outdoor privileges of hunting, fishing and trapping for a few years.

(Above: Some of the fish packets confiscated in the Lake Chetac overbagging case.)

The father, Ronald Dollevoet of Florida, loses his outdoor recreational privileges for three years in his home state of Florida, too, under the multi-state Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. Both Wisconsin and Florida are among the 36 member states in the compact. This agreement calls for license privilege suspensions in the 36 member states. In the case of Ronald Dollevoet, it means his rights revocation is in effect in his home state of Florida, the location of the violation – Wisconsin, and the rest of the member states.

The penalty was less for his son, Jeffrey Dollevoet of Green Bay. Because of his cooperation with the investigation, he lost only his fishing privileges in Wisconsin and for only two years.

“It took a little bit of time to catch them,” Heisler said. “In the end, they faced substantial fines and lost their privileges for hunting, fishing and trapping.”

A familiar story

The case of the Florida snowbird over-fishing is an all-too-familiar story to the conservation wardens on the beat in the northwoods, as well as the local residents and anglers who follow the rules of ethical and legal fishing to preserve their regional natural resources and their tourism economy.

Conservation Warden Andy Lundin of Green Bay says the wardens know the majority of people who enjoy the lakes follow the rules to sustain the resource. However, he says, the Sawyer County case shows how that attitude can change.

“Visitors like this (Ronald Dollevoet) typically are in the north for a limited time. The ones who choose to break the law sometimes feel the need to take as many fish as possible,” Lundin said. “It is certainly one of the more common complaints but not just limited to people who are visiting Wisconsin.”

Heisler agreed. “It is a common problem and it is a workload issue because you must spend so much time on one case.”

The case crosses county lines

Long before Heisler spotted Ron Dollevoet fishing on that summer day, Heisler had been getting citizen complaints from citizens about another fisherman overbagging on certain lakes. But the visiting Florida man wasn’t the fisher mentioned in the other complaints. Ron Dollevoet had been visiting from Florida for several years and had a place on the lake in which he stayed for months each summer.

Yet, on the day Heisler was following up on the complaints, he spotted Dollevoet and gave himself another case.

“The investigation revealed this guy was catching and keeping fish all the time,” Lundin said of the Florida man. Through the wardens’ investigation of the area, the wardens were able to determine there was a family member from Wisconsin – Jeffrey from Green Bay – involved in the case.

This is when Heisler asked Lundin from Green Bay to check in with the adult son.

“I found that Jeffrey had 77 packages of panfish in his freezer, which totaled 687 panfish,” Lundin said. “We were only able to account for possession limits for three people.”

The general statewide daily bag limit for panfish is 25 and the possession limit is 50 fish per person. Take away 150 from 687 and you’ve got 537 too many fish.

“And this is from a lake that already has a more stringent panfish bag limit. Normally, your 25 panfish daily bag limit could consist of all bluegills,” Lundin said. “But on this lake, only 10 of the 25 fish can be bluegills.”

What happens to the fish now? The wardens say the fish are either donated to a food pantry or provided for a charitable event.

Both wardens say another lesson the case shows is the fact every fish caught does not have to be kept. “There is no law that says you must keep every fish you catch,” Heisler said.

Lundin agreed, adding he takes the lesson into his guest lectures and safety classes at schools.

“I tell the kids you can catch and keep 25 panfish today for your daily bag limit and you can catch and keep another 25 tomorrow,” Lundin said. “But now you have 50 which is your possession limit. At that point you should be done fishing for panfish until some of the fish get consumed."

“The goal is to keep it fair, ensure sustainability of the resource and limit things from going to waste,” Lundin said. “ Many of these types of cases are of people being greedy and in part why we have possession limits.”

Heisler says while this case didn’t stem from specific citizen complaints, a high volume does. “The citizens are our eyes and ears.”

To report a violation, call the DNR Hotline at 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367) or cell #367

-- JMH, Bureau of Law Enforcement

Fact Sheet--SS SB24/SS AB24--Alteration of Navigable Waters

2011-10-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

SS SB24 and SS AB24 will have significant adverse impact on Wisconsin lakes and streams and will greatly limit the opportunity for Wisconsin citizens to have public input on lake and stream development projects. Specifically;

SS SB24 and SS AB24 substantially limit Wisconsin Citizen’s ability to protect their lakes and streams. Lake and stream users including hunters, anglers and trappers and riparian owners have the Constitutional right to object and intervene in DNR decisions that adversely affect lakes and streams. The bills specifically:

1. force citizens to evaluate proposed projects on incomplete information from applicants;

2. eliminate notices of applications to citizens in their local newspapers. Many citizens, especially in rural areas, do not have easy access to internet notices;

3. reduce the amount of time that citizens have to review applications from 30 days to 20 days;

4. put the burden of proof on an application on the citizen rather than the permit applicant.

SS SB24 and SS AB24 significantly weaken environmental regulations protecting fish and wildlife habitat. The bills substantially reduce DNR’s ability to evaluate projects that will lead to inadequate application of environmental regulations and also directly remove environmental standards. The bills specifically:

1. limit DNR’s authority to ask the applicant for additional information about a project even when the applicant continues to not provide the needed information;

2. force DNR to make permit decisions on incomplete applications;

3. prohibit DNR from denying a permit application on grounds that the application is incomplete even when the applicant does not provide the needed information;

4. create default permits when DNR is unable to process an application in time even when the DNR has insufficient staff to process the permit or even when the applicant has not provided adequate information;

5. remove DNR’s authority to prevent serious environmental damage by the construction of piers in the state’s most sensitive water areas known as “Areas of Special Natural Resource Interest”

6. require DNR to issue a general permit to any riparian owner to remove five 10 yard dump trucks of material from the bed of a lake or stream on an annual basis for their pier or boatlift. The cumulative affect of this considering the hundreds of thousands of piers in Wisconsin can have serious adverse affect on fish and wildlife habitat and water quality;

7. require DNR to issue a general permit to any riparian owner to remove fifty 10 yard dump trucks of “plant and animal nuisance” (undefined) from the bed of a lake or stream on an annual basis. Once again, individually or cumulatively, this can have serious adverse impacts on fish and wildlife habitat and water quality;

8. remove DNR’s authority to designate additional areas of the most valuable and significant scientific value for protection from development in lakes and streams;

9. require DNR to establish expedited procedures for the approval of certain dams. Often these dams can cause serious environmental damage and block spawning fish from getting to their spawning habitat.

SS SB24 and SS AB24 violate the Constitutionally based Public Trust Doctrine protecting navigable waters by allowing private development on public lake and stream beds. The beds of lakes and the water area of streams are owned by the Citizens of Wisconsin under the State Constitution. Private structures in those areas are to be limited to whatever is necessary to allow riparian owners to use the waters for their navigation. The bills specifically:

1. remove DNR’s authority (prospectively and retroactively) to prevent the construction of private condominiums and other private structures on filled public lake beds and streams which are protected by the Public Trust Doctrine. This provision has been placed in the bills partially because of a lawsuit currently underway in the Circuit Court of Manitowoc County. These bills will directly intervene in that litigation.

2. would grandfather many very large structures such as party decks and gazebos on the beds of lakes and streams that were built illegally. This would be contrary to a legislative compromise that was entered into in 2004 and voted for by several current legislators.

SS SB24 and SS AB 24 weaken environmental standards that apply to metallic mining in Wisconsin. Metallic mines require permits and approvals under many Wisconsin environmental laws. Many of these laws have been weakened by the provisions contained in these bills. The bill specifically:

1. would remove the requirement for the permit applicant for a major new stationary source of air pollution to perform air dispersion modeling before obtaining an air permit. This means that the proposed Penokee mine in Ashland and Iron County would not have to model their air emissions to ensure that their taconite pellet processing facility and their large electrical generating plant will meet compliance with air quality standards;

2. would create default permits for mine prospecting permits in the state.

Mine prospecting can cause significant damage to land and water if done improperly and the bills would grant default permits to applicants if DNR was unable to process the permit in time;

3. would create default permits for high capacity wells. Metallic mining

operations such as the proposed Penokee mine will need substantial makeup water for their operation which they will likely gain through high capacity wells. It would be virtually impossible for DNR to complete the necessary hydrological studies necessary for the mine in the short period of time set out for the high capacity well default permits;

4. would allow DNR to issue general permits rather than individual permits for the many stream alterations necessary for metallic mining projects;

5. would create default permits for the approval of licenses for oil and and gas production wells in Wisconsin. Oil and gas extraction, if not done properly can cause serious environmental damage and authority to do so should not be granted by default permits with inadequate DNR review.

Source: Wisconsin Wildlife Federation

Jobs Bills Significantly Weakens Laws Protecting Wisconsin’s Lakes and Streams

2011-10-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

Poynette: Today, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation announced that it had completed its legal review of SS SB 24 and SS AB 24 that have been introduced as “Job Bills” in the Special Session of the Legislature. The review shows that the bills will significantly weaken Wisconsin laws protecting its lakes and streams and make it virtually impossible for Wisconsin citizens to have meaningful input into DNR decisions that affect their waterways. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, representing the interests of over 170 hunting, fishing and trapping groups, opposes the bills because of the damage that will happen to fish and wildlife habitat critically important to sportsmen and women.

Specifically, in its study of the bill the Federation found that the bills:

------Substantially remove Wisconsin Citizen’s ability to protect their lakes and streams

------Significantly weaken environmental regulations protecting fish and wildlife habitat

------Violate the Constitution-based Public Trust Doctrine protecting navigable waters

------Weaken environmental standards that apply to metallic mining in Wisconsin

The Federation has detailed these findings in the attached fact sheet.

“Whether you are a hunter, angler or trapper, Wisconsin’s lakes and streams are critically important habitat for the fish and wildlife that are the backbone for hunting, fishing and trapping in Wisconsin,” stated Chuck Matyska (Cecil), President of the Federation. “Allowing these lakes and streams to be damaged is contrary to the interest of every sportsman and woman in this state.”

“The Legislature is working hard to increase the recruitment and retention of young hunters, anglers and trappers in Wisconsin, but without quality fish and wildlife habitat, the important heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping will be lost forever,” indicated Betty Borchert, Chair of the Federation’s Environment Committee. “Ultimately, the loss of this habitat will hurt the economy and in fact cost Wisconsin jobs.

The Federation is the state’s largest hunting, fishing and trapping organization and is dedicated to conservation education and the advancement of sound conservation policy on behalf of hunters, anglers and trappers.

Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd

2011-10-24T17:23:00.000-05:00

Minutes from the September 26th Meeting

Since only members were present, President Cliff began our meeting with Fishing Reports.

FISHING REPORTS

Kids Fishing Coordinator Wayne Avery said salmon and browns were active for shoreline anglers. Avery is using a 10’ fishing rod with fly line and a monofilament leader with a streamer fly.

On Lake Michigan, 120’ of water is producing 2 to 3 year old salmon.

The club outing on Lake Winnebago had slow action, but there were enough fish for a terrific shore lunch. In the frying pan were perch, a walleye and white bass expertly cooked by Editor Chuck Fischer.

Sergeant at Arms “Big” Dave river fished the “Blue Hole” area. This is ¼ mile north of Capitol Drive where he caught fish including walleyes between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Secretary & Media Director Larry had smallmouth action in the Oconomowoc River. The fish were hitting Dick Smith’s Panfish Grubs.

The Mississippi River gave up white bass, crappies and sauger for back-up secretary Ray Letourneau.

Vice-President George fished his lake and boated a smallmouth and 4 walleyes.

Per President Cliff, Bob’s Bait has been offering good prices on fishing items so Cliff has been getting a number of door prizes from this store. Bob’s Bait has been contributing the bait used in the Kids Fishing Clinics.

The secretary’s minutes were read and approved by secretary & media director Larry Van Veghel.

Treasurer Dan Freiherr reported that we have $1255.00 in our bank account. The report was approved as stated.

After a general discussion on various forms of energy production including the cons of windmills in the Lake Winnebago and Alaskan skylines, pollution of certain fossil fuels and more, Cliff gave us a rundown on upcoming meeting highlights.

Oct. 10- Bass pro Justin Newkirk will discuss “Fall Bass Fishing,”

Oct. 24- Lowrance Rep. Gary Vanderhill will discuss their products with emphasis in using GPS units,

Nov. 14- No meeting. Watch the Green Bay Packers. The meeting has been moved to November 28,

Nov. 28- Al Hutchinson will talk about custom rod building. His talk has become a club favorite, since it is coupled with a later scheduled rod building get together. Hutchinson is a past president of the Rod Builders Guild.

Dec. 9- Christmas Party Time.

Dec. 12- Back by popular demand. Jerry Opicka gives us his annual ice fishing talk. He emphasizes safety.

Dec. 26- No meeting. Play with your new Christmas fishing toys.

Jan. 9- Andy Stuth on “Whitefish Fishing.” This talk has become another club favorite, as it is combined with an outing now termed “Gary’s Outing.”

Ray Letourneau has thankfully taken on the task of getting our website going. Secretary Larry is computer literate, so he will assist. He’s used computers to design industrial refrigeration units for Vilter Mfg. Corp., has 4 blogs, and writes an online southeastern Wisconsin fishing column for examiner.com out of Denver. Larry used to enter the fishing reports on our former website. Ray’s son will get us going on the website, and Ray will do the website after some training.

For your club roster info., add President Cliff’s cell phone at (414) 388-6888 and secretary Larry’s at (414) 801-1222.

Respectively submitted,

Larry Van Veghel

WFC & WCSFO Secretary and Media Director

http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner

Halloween and Monster Walleye

2011-10-09T07:23:00.001-05:00

Marcel Tourdot, Pittsburgh Fishing Examiner
October 7, 2011 - Like this? Subscribe to get instant updates.

Walleye are widely regarded as one of North America’s most elusive freshwater game fish. Often referred to as marble eyes the walleye is a predator of the night. The sensitive nature of their eye sight forces them to spend the majority of their time at depths much greater than most other game fish. They inhabit these depths where little or no sunlight can reach to accentuate their remarkable eyesight and use the advantage to ambush their prey.

There is however a time of transition for walleyes and it is a time when they are more susceptible because they abandon their typical haunts. It is also a time when the largest of the species begin to feed with reckless abandon in the shallower depths of a river or lake system. That time of year is now and for the next 4 to 6 weeks an angler has the best chance to catch a trophy walleye.

Target gravel bars, shallow weed beds near drop off points, submerged weeds (typically only visible with electronic sonar), and areas downstream from dams. Since Pittsburgh is famous for its rivers (among other things), it is an ideal autumn spot for trophy class walleye.
Since the feeding frenzy that walleye undergo during this time of year is a response to the need to store up food reserves and energy to survive the coming winter months they are looking for large baitfish. It is best to cast jigs with shiners, or creek chubs, and minnow imitation crank baits to hook that monster walleye.

WCSFO Fall Meeting

2011-09-29T18:27:00.000-05:00

Date: October 15, 2011
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Walleyes for Tomorrow Office, 224 Auburn, Fond Du Lac WI

Club Delegates are urged to attend - All Club Members and angling individuals are welcome.

Meeting Agenda:
1. Call to order / Introductions / sign in
2. Minutes from March 19, 2011 Spring Meeting (L.A. Van Veghel)
3. Treasurers Report (Cornell Stroik)
4. Organization Update

Treasury – Transition Update
Membership

5. Dues Notices (2012)
6. WDNR Updates
7. Online newsletter (Need email addresses/subscribers and newsletter content info to disburse). This ties together, but if we want to provide info – we need contacts and info. Majority of info at this time is being provided by the WDNR via news releases and other material from L.A. Van Veghel.
8. Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Update (George Meyer)
9. Lake access news (Ted Lind)
10. B.A.S.S. Federation News (Cornell Stroik)
11. Tournaments/C.A.S.T. – Updates/News
12. “Kids Fishing Klinics,” Update for 2012 (Wayne Avery)
13. Old Business:

WWF/WCSFO Tournament-Seminar Sept./Oct. this year in Stevens Point? Good Idea but never happened.)
Kids Fishing Book

14. New Business:
15. Adjourn

Contact: John Durben, President, 715.745.BAIT
chilihead@frontiernet.net

New Law (Act 21) Delays Implementation of Important Public Safety Regulation

2011-09-29T18:19:00.000-05:00

Poynette: Today, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation identified that a new law passed by the Wisconsin Legislature, (Act 21), which adds substantial delay and red tape in the process for adopting hunting, fishing and trapping rules will cause substantial delay in the implementation of a non-controversial sports fishing regulation designed to protect public safety while sports fishing on the Great Lakes.

In June 2010, a sports fishing boat trolling off of Sheboygan, Wisconsin sank within a minute of having its fishing lines becoming snagged on a commercial trap net in Lake Michigan, resulting in a sports anglers death and the rescue of his companions. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation along with the Wisconsin Federation of Great Lakes Sportsfishing Clubs petitioned the Department of Natural Resources to adopt regulations preventing similar tragic accidents. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board responded by adopting a simple and inexpensive Emergency Rule which required that starting in 2011 all Great Lakes sports fishing boats must have a wire cutters on board to be able to quickly cut any of their lines that become ensnared on commercial fishing nets in the Great Lakes. The cost of compliance for any sports fishing boat to have this life-saving tool is less than $10. There was no sports anglers’ opposition to this public safety regulation.

The emergency rule by law expires at the end of the 2011 sports fishing season and cannot be renewed. Under the former law governing the adoption of administrative rules, the DNR would have been able to initiate a permanent rule process and adopt a non-controversial rule for the 2011 Great Lakes sports fishing season. However due to the extensive delays and red tape built into the administrative rule adoption process by new Act 21, including a detailed economic analysis, it now takes between two and three years to adopt a permanent rule, and the wire cutter permanent rule cannot be put in place until July 2013. That is in spite of the fact that there has not been a single complaint by sports fisherman about the simple, inexpensive requirement.

“While well-intended, Act 21 has already started to cause severe problems in adopting simple hunting, fishing and trapping regulations,” indicated Chuck Matyska, (Cecil), Wildlife Federation President. “Virtually all of the many regulations governing hunting, fishing and trapping in Wisconsin must be adopted by administrative rule and are supported by sportsmen and women and there should not be unproductive delays and bureaucracy in their adoption.”

“In this tragic situation, the Natural Resources Board came up with a simple and cheap rule that will significantly increase the safety of Great Lakes sports anglers, only to find it ensnared by the Legislature’s adoption of this new law,” stated Larry Freitag, (Sheboygan), Chair of WWF’s Great Lakes Fishing Committee. “This was a rule that was unanimously supported by both sports and commercial anglers and needs to be in effect for the 2012 sports fishing season.”

The Wildlife Federation is calling on the Governor and the Legislature to modify Act 21 to allow the adoption of non-controversial and inexpensive hunting, fishing and trapping regulations without the added red tape and delay caused by the new law.

WDNR Weekly News Article - Winnebago walleye fisheries featured in new video

2011-08-03T08:02:00.000-05:00

MADISON -- A new video shows why Lake Winnebago boasts one of the state's premier walleye fisheries and how the Department of Natural Resources partners with anglers and other partners to keep it strong.

Winnebago Walleye Fishery is the introductory piece in a series about this frying pan favorite and the inland lake it calls home. Three more episodes will be posted in August.

Winnebago Walleye Fishery [VIDEO Length 3:25]

A 2006 economic impact study found that walleye were the favorite target by an overwhelming majority of anglers who fish the Winnebago system and say they target a specific species. The study, conducted by UW-Extension, UW-Green Bay and the DNR, also found that angling on the system generates a total impact of $234 million on the local economy and supports 4,200 jobs.

Meeting Minutes from July 11, 2011–Wisconsin Fishing Club Ltd

2011-08-03T07:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.wisconsinfishinclub.com

Our 45th Year

July 11, 2011

Since our guest speaker had neither contacted President Cliff, nor had our guest speaker returned our esteemed leader’s phone calls or emails, we were without a guest speaker. President Cliff didn’t let that ruin our meeting, so he fearlessly dove into the icy waters of the fish reports.

Happily, the water had warmed and so did the fishing for most members who ventured out. Pike Lake, in Washington County, showed activity. This lake has both launches and a boat livery.

Knowledgeable Lake Michigan anglers Treasurer Danny Freiherr and koi/bluegill expert Jerry Opicka landed 2 Chinook, 7 coho, 1 lake trout.

The North lake launch still isn’t being built, but a member had success on largemouth bass. Further down Hwy. 83, Lake Nagawicka, alias “The Nag,” gave up small, largemouth bass on clown color #12 Husky Jerks worked during the morning.

Up north on the Wisconsin/Michigan border, for Sgt-at-Arms Big Dave, the Menominee River gave up smallies and walleyes, plus some good size bluegills and perch.

In the lake with the most surface acres in the state, Editor Chuck Fisher found walleyes on Lake Winnebago. Fisher used nightcrawlers while trolling and drifting.

From out-of-the-state, in the great Upper Michigan trout streams brook trout were active in the Fox River. Smallmouth bass were hot along Door County.

Nearer to Milwaukee and in the river of the same name meaning “Gathering of the Rivers,” smallmouth to 17” came from the Grafton area.

Deacon Jerry McCarty fished Buffalo Lake and had plenty of bluegill success.

While Secretary & Media Director Larry Van Veghel had no trouble catching perch on Oconomowoc Lake. Most perch were small and are found over and in the sand grass. Bluegills were small to keeper size. Smallies into the mid-teens hit Chatterbaits and Booyahs of similar designs. Bright colors were best. Look for thick clumps of coontail plants. Larry and his friend Paul Ridel, of Pauls Professional Painting, found that yellow was working great for the pike. Larry took his fish on an unaltered, chartreuse Booyah type chatterbait while Paul and his catch preferred a yellow Mepps #5 Aglia with a special cutout orange balloon as an attractor. Paul has perfected his technique and has caught hundreds (probably lots more) of northerns.

It was great having so many fishing reports, and even more good reports followed.

Largemouth bass were feeding on Okauchee Lake. Another angler had a 22” northern on Okauchee and added 3 walleyes over 15”.

Once known for big pike, Lake Puckaway northerns in the lower twenties were caught. By Oconomowoc, Silver Lake, once the favorite lake for Joe Ehrhardt, served rockbass to a dandy 13”.

Vice-President George cruised over the Crescent Lake to his home away from home. Our VP used leeches to land walleyes. He also reported perch and some walleyes off of Dykesville on Green Bay.

President Cliff brought up our Wisconsin Fishing Club Big Fish Contest. He emphasized that we need entries. It’s not fair to winners who hear other members brag, at meetings earlier in the year, about catching bigger fish while the winners won with smaller but still respectable fish. This taints the win and the contest. Our club has kept this contest lax because we pride ourselves on our honesty. The one nice thing is that those who won with smaller fish won by actually following through by turning in an affidavit. For this year, include two necessary photos and submit completed and signed form to President Cliff.

Secretary Larry read the minutes and they were approved.

Treasurer Danny followed by giving the treasurer’s report. He stated that we have $1261.00 in our checking account. His account was approved. This is double what we had at this time last year, and it shows that we can handle our budget better than can our politicians, no matter what party of preference.

Being a fishing club, we need to pick a lake or river for August’s outing.

August 20 (Saturday) is our pot luck picnic at President Cliff’s house. We will have a sign-up sheet at our August meeting.

Per Kids Fishing Coordinator Wayne Avery, the next meeting for the Kids Fishing Clinics is in October.

July 13 was scheduled as an afternoon/early evening outing on Lake Nagawicka. This is a good time to fish, wiscfish.org/fishid, this lake for active gamefish. Panfish are also active during these hours.

On September 12, at 6 p.m. sharp so as not to conflict with the start of the members’ meeting, the board members will meet to make brilliant decisions, come up with outstanding ways to use our money and generally just shine as the great leaders we are. Elections, our banquet, plans for the last months of the year and more will be on our docket. Members thinking of running for office should start giving this serious thought. Also, those who know of someone they want to nominate can also begin pondering their planned political proposition.

Nominations are held for 3 meetings, Sept 26, Oct. 10 and finally Oct. 24, per our Constitution. After the nominations held at the third successive meeting, we will hold our annual elections. Members are asked to make an effort to attend the meetings. These elections affect the next year’s operation of your fishing club. Realizing that football games are like the Sirens calling to Jason and the Argonauts, one should also consider which option choice involves creating the personal world you’ll live in for the entire following year. (It is thought that these sirens were actually narwhales.)

We talked about a possible Lake Michigan outing for when the fish start coming in shallower and closer to the Wisconsin shore. Smaller boats can then fish too.

We also discussed our website, which requires constant updating to give prospective members and society a good first impression of our club while providing our members with the information necessary to keep this a terrific fishing organization.

Respectively submitted, a person who has spent over three decades as officers of Wisconsin based fishing clubs and of the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, http://wcsfo.blogspot.com,

Larry Van Veghel

WFC, Media Director & Secretary

http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner

WCSFO MEETING MINUTES–March 19, 2011

2011-06-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

Spring Meeting

President John Durben opened our full moon meeting at just after 9 a.m. at Gander Mountain in Franklin, WI. The attendance of member clubs was poor. Clubs must send their representatives if they want to discuss things with the DNR through the Council. WCSFO remains the anglers’ voice to the DNR.

Secretary & media director Larry Van Veghel read the minutes, and they were unanimously passed.

Treasurer Cornell Stroik said we have $5073.62 in our treasury and the C.A.S.T. account has $3061.18. His report was unanimously approved as read.

Mike Staggs, DNR Fisheries Bureau of Fisheries Management boss, gave a fine talk on what the DNR is doing.

Staggs gave a brief rundown on the Spring Hearings fishing questions, and he said there were not many major questions. The 40” minimum musky limit and the reduction in walleye bag limits with an 18” minimum keeper size in southeast Wisconsin were among them. (Note, male muskies and northern pike often die at about 34 inches per fisheries biologists Staggs, Randy Schumacher and Doug Welch, per my discussions with them. Welch is the senior fisheries biologist in southeast Wisconsin.)

Per Mike, Wisconsin is #2 to Florida when it comes to the number of out-of-state fishing license sales.

Mike Arrowood, chairperson of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, gave us plenty of information on what WWF is doing. He said the Green School Network gets school kids into the outdoors to do math and other courses. These students do much better than if they just stayed in the class rooms. Basically, the program works. The students count tree types, etc. This program gets students into the outdoors where they develop an appreciation for nature.

WCSFO treasurer Cornell Stroik is also our bass and C.A.S.T. representative. He also represents the Bass Federation. He said Joel Clayfish is pushing toward having the legislature look into the tournament situation.

October 15, 2011 is our fall meeting at the Walleyes For Tomorrow headquarters in Fond du Lac. All Wisconsin and visiting anglers are invited, and member clubs should send their representatives. We want to hear from you.

Respectively submitted,

L.A. Van Veghel

WCSFO Secretary & Media Director

Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. Meeting Minutes–May 23, 2011

2011-06-08T09:17:00.000-05:00

http://www.wisconsinfishinclub.com

Our 45th Year

Brass Spoonplug

President Cliff opened our meeting by welcoming our guests. This was followed by an introduction of the officers present.

Fish reports:

Coho were rocking on Lake Michigan. A blue fly worked from north to south between North Point and the Main Gap.

In inland waters, Pewaukee Lake was slow. Winnebago provided three walleyes for Editor Chuck Fischer. He also landed six big crappies by Wendt’s. Limits of walleyes came from Winneconne. White bass were hot at Omro.

Big catfish, whitebass and some keeper walleyes were caught on Lake Puckaway. On the Saturday before the meeting, bass and northerns hit on Wind Lake before the rain. Northerns were active on the next day for Secretary Larry and his fishing partner. Larry also landed a big crappie.

Rarely fished Echo Lake, in Burlington, gave up a fine 15½” largemouth bass. On the Centipedes, Darters & Sliders worked on Pine Lake. A few smallmouth bass were on the beds.

Our Monona outing had some bass action. Some beds were viewed.

Friday before the meeting, Art Schmitt fished from four to six in the afternoon in Taylor Bay on Pewaukee Lake. He caught lots of keeper bluegills. A small hook and a waxie worked. When using a minnow, Schmitt also used a larger orange hook. On the same day, another member had successful bluegill angling on Upper Genesee Lake.

Secretary Larry read the minutes, and they were approved as read. This was followed by Treasurer Dan stating we have $1278.00 in our account. His report was approved as stated.

At our next meeting, President Cliff said we will “figure something out” regarding our next outing. We are looking at fishing on Lake Winnebago.

On June 13, Kyle Drake, of the DNR, will speak on vehicle safety when operated in Wisconsin. This includes boats.

Our speaker was former bass tournament angler Mark Krmpotich. Mark discussed how fishing vastly improved thank you to the work of Buck Perry and Spoonplugging and the Lindners and their version of structure fishing.

Krmpotich said that Pewaukee Lake is eutrophic, meaning it is older, and Okauchee Lake is mesotrophic or newer. (Larry: Okauchee is a flowage or a reservoir.) Both “lakes” have dams. Mark gave us a super fishing tip. He said we should find the old, before flooding, shorelines. This overlooked structure is where the bottom is harder, and it attracts fish.

Per our speaker, some fish stay in shallow for their entire lives. On Pewaukee Lake, for example, this lake has lots of shallow water. Find the rocks and you’ll find largemouth bass in the weeds.

8# Seguar fluorocarbon line, four inch plastic worms and weedless Slider jigs are great. For larger fish, a five inch creature on a Charlie Brewer Slider Jig with a Zoom Centipede by Senko on a Texas rigged plain hook floats smoothly down. Use this when bass are on the beds.

Power Worm’s ribbontail design swims naturally on the fall with twitches

and short hops. Soft but firm texture is irresistible to fish.

Ideal for lakes, reservoirs, streams or rivers.

A good musky bait is a hooked weedless Power Worm. Use without a sinker to look more natural, or use a sinker for more casting distance.

If you are using a locator in shallow water, turn it off. Fish feel the pulses and the fish won’t feel your bait. Keep your trolling motor at the same slow speed so as not to spook fish into nonfeeding moods.

Our speaker said minnows do not have lateral lines. He said suckers do not have lateral lines. Gamefish do and these predator fish know where the forage fish are. Big fish feed at night, because it’s easier. Adding a fish attracting scent at night improves your catch.

If you catch a good fish, such as a spunky smallmouth bass, put it in the livewell. Returning the fish allows it to release pheromones and the rest of the smallies in the school are turned off.

Use Small Rat-L-Trap lures and translucent white Rebel Pop-R baits.In lakes around Milwaukee, fish tend to go for smaller baits.

Krmpotich said that baitcasting reels are the reels on which we should spend our money. Better quality is the most important thing.

If you see a school of carp rooting up the sediment, cast in the middle of or along side of these invasive species. Gamefish gather to feed on what is edible and floating.

Mark ended his talk by ably answering questions from the crowd.

Respectively submitted,

Larry Van Veghel

WFC & WCSFO Secretary and Media Director

http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner

Boat and ATV safety

2011-06-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

June 13- The Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. speaker is: Kyle Drake from the DNR will give a presentation on “Boat and ATV Safety.” FREE! 7 p.m. Yester Years Pub and Grill, 9427 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, 414-476-9055. Contact: Cliff Schulz, President, LindaESchulz@WI.RR.com. (414) 453-9913, . Fishing reports, a fishing equipment raffle, plus hot food and free pool are available. New members are welcome.

Have a great fishing season,
Larry Van Veghel

WFC, Media Director & Secretary and
WCSFO, Media Director & Secretary
414-769-6846

DNR announces temporary, seasonal fishing closures: News Releases: Minnesota DNR

2011-04-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

To protect fish spawning areas, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has begun to close certain portions of a number of Minnesota waters to fishing. The closings are routine and based on local conditions.
Closings occur each year as ice-out begins and waters begin to warm.

Areas closed to fishing are listed on the DNR website. Portions of waters closed to fishing also are posted at access sites and in other visible areas. Anglers may fish in areas that are not posted.

Chinook harvests up 47 percent in 2010, outlook good for '11

2011-04-12T17:47:00.000-05:00

MILWAUKEE -- Lake Michigan anglers had a banner year of chinook fishing in 2010, with favorable winds and other factors helping to increase harvest 47 percent, state fishery officials say.

"It looks like our chinook salmon harvest by Wisconsin anglers was really good in 2010," says Brad Eggold, the Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor for southern Lake Michigan, who just completed analyzing surveys of what anglers caught on that water in 2010. "I don't see any reason that 2011 would not be another solid year."

Eggold found that anglers harvested 315,294 chinook salmon from Lake Michigan in 2010, up from 214,621 in 2009 and 256,796 in 2008. More good news for Wisconsin anglers: they accounted for the bulk of the lake-wide haul.

[Full Story]

Walleye bag limits adjusted for Ceded Territory lakes

2011-04-12T17:39:00.000-05:00

MADISON -- Daily walleye bag limits have been adjusted on 539 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory in response to harvest declarations made by six bands of Chippewa in Wisconsin, the state Department of Natural Resources has announced. These bag limits are effective between May 7, 2011 and March 4, 2012, inclusive.

There will be a three walleye bag limit for sport anglers on 226 lakes, a two-fish daily bag limit on 311 lakes, and a 1-fish daily bag limit on Potato (Rusk County) and Grindstone (Sawyer County) Lakes. [Full Story]

WCSFO Spring Meeting–March 19, 2011

2011-03-16T20:03:00.000-05:00

Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Gander Mountain
6939 5 27th St
Franklin WI

Club Delegates are urged to attend -All Club Members are welcome

Meeting Agenda:

1.Call to order /Introductions / sign in

2.Minutes from March 20, 2010 Spring Meeting (L.A. Van Veghel)

3.Treasurers Report (Cornell Stroik)

4.Dues Notices (2011)

5. Mike Staggs -WI DNR -Spring Hearings, highlights from 2010 and some priorities for 2011.

6.Online newsletter (Need email addresses/subscribers and newsletter content info to disburse). This ties together, but if we want to provide info -we need contacts and info. Majority of info at this time is being provided by the WDNR via news releases and other material from L.A. Van Veghel.

7.WI Wildlife Federation Update -Mike Arrowood Chairperson of the WWF Fisheries Committee

8.Lake access news (Ted Lind)

9.B.A.S.S. Federation News (Cornell Stoik)

10.Tournaments/C.A.S.T. -Updates/News

11."Kids Fishing Klinics," Update for 2011

12. Old Business:

A. Kids Fishing Book

14. New Business:*

15. Adjourn

* Items not listed on the Agenda will be discussed under New Business.

Fishing for young anglers

2011-03-06T08:53:00.000-06:00

Lawrence Van Veghel

Milwaukee Fishing Examiner

Over twenty seven years ago, I was involved in helping to create the Kids Fishing Klinics in Wisconsin. The late, and great, Mike Ross, then president of both the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, WCSFO, and of the Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd, WFR, and Ron Pining of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, WDNR, were the two major players in the creation of these “Klinics.” Mike Ross used the upper case letter “K” to make the word stand out. Over the years, new people who didn’t know why this was so decided to correct the spelling so youngsters wouldn’t misspell it in their writings.

Wouldn’t it be nice if they did the same throughout advertising writings?

How do you spell “relief?” (R-o-l-a-i-d-s).

Today, I’m the secretary and media director for both the WCSFO and WFR. The president of WCSFO is John Durben of the Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sports Fishing club, GBGLSF, and Wayne Avery, WFC, is the able kids fishing coordinator for WFSFO and WFC.

This year, all clinics start at 9 am. The last class starts at 2 pm. The date is Saturday, April 16 for the 27th Annual “Kids’ Fishing Clinics.” Four counties hold these clinics. Member clubs of WCSFO, the WDNR, and the Milwaukee County House of Correction Fish Hatchery, where they raise fish for stocking while helping criminals straighten out their lives combine to make this event possible. Here are the locations:

MILWAUKEE COUNTY

Brown Deer Park, 7835 N. Green Bay Rd., Hosted by the Okauchee Fishing Club.

Greenfield Park, 2028 S. 124th St. Hosted by Milwaukee Area Great Lakes Sports Fishermen, plus Milwaukee Casting Club.

Humboldt Park,3000 S. Howell Ave. Hosted by Lunkers Unlimited.

McCarty Park, 8214 W. Cleveland Ave., Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by Southside Sportsmen’s Club, plus Sunnyside Rod and Gun Club.

McGovern Park, 5400 W. 51st Blvd. Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by Badger Fisherman’s League.

Mitchell Park, 2200 W. Pierce St. Hosted by Bay View Rod and Gun Club.

Oak Creek Parkway, Oak Creek Pkwy. and Mill Rd. South Milwaukee. Hosted by Friends of the Oak Creek Mill Pond.

Scout Lake Park, 5902 W. Loomis Rd., Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by Walleyes Unlimited, USA.

Sheridan Park, 4800 S. Lake Dr. Hosted by Lakeridge Boat Club and South Milwaukee 1400 Fishing and Hunting Club.

Washington Park, 1859 N. 40th St., Wheelchair accessible. Hosted by EB Garner’s Fishing Club.

Wilson Park, 1601 W. Howard Ave. Hosted by Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. Milwaukee Fishing Examiner will be here.

Racine County

Quarry Park Lake, 3800 Northwestern Ave. Hosted by Salmon Unlimited.

Washington County

Sandy Knoll Park, 2064 Wallace Lake Rd., West Bend. Hosted by Trout Unlimited Southeast Chapter, plus West Bend Kiwanis Early Risers.

Waukesha County

No park entrance fee is charged, and parking passes are distributed at the event.

Fox Brook Park, 2925 N. Barker Rd. Hosted by Werr Valley Sportsmen’s Club.

Menomonee Park/Lannon Quarry, W220 N7884 Townline Road., Menomonee Falls, ½ mile north of Good Hope Rd. Hosted by Wisconsin House Outdoorsman.

Muskego Park, S83 W20370 Janesville Road, Muskego. Hosted by Women’s Hunting and Sporting Association.

Sponsored in cooperation with the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, WCSFO, Milwaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha County Parks, Milwaukee County House of Correction Fish Hatchery, and the Department of Natural Resources.

Free instructions for children 15 years of age and younger. Young children need adult accompaniment. Classes are taught by members of local fishing clubs. Fishing equipment is available, but youth can bring their rods and reels. Adults are not allowed to fish, with the exception of instructors. No pre-registration is necessary, but to prepare for groups of 20 or larger, call 414-263-8614. Call this same number or 414-263-5494 for more information.

The Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. hosts a fishing tackle rummage sale

2011-02-19T08:58:00.000-06:00

Feb. 28 - The Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. hosts a fishing tackle rummage sale at Yesteryears Pub and Grill, 9427 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, WI. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. Both club members and vendors will sell fishing equipment. For more information call Cliff at 414-453-9913 or George at 262-408-8919. Free to the public. Hot food & free pool too.

Outdoor Report as of February 17, 2011

2011-02-17T17:05:00.000-06:00

A major warm-up in the last week has caused snow conditions to deteriorate rapidly across the state, but especially in the south. Some areas of the state saw a change in temperatures of more than 40 degrees in one day. Temperatures have been in the 40s to low 50s this week, and snow cover has dropped from 18 to 24 inches last week across the state, to a foot to 18 inches in the north, down to 3 inches in some areas of the south.

Snowmobile trails are now closed in roughly the southern two-thirds of the state and in just fair condition in the northern counties that remain open. Some counties closed trails in hopes of retaining snow on trails so they could be re-opened if temperatures drop as forecast for this weekend. Snowmobilers should check the Department of Tourism snow conditions report for updates or call ahead to their destinations for the latest conditions. Cross-country ski trail conditions have also deteriorated, and some parks and forests are asking skiers to voluntarily refrain from using the trails, again with hopes of retaining what grooming and snow remains.

Big fish and challenging travel conditions were the story during the first five days of the Lake Winnebago System sturgeon spearing seasons. Through the end of spearing hours Wednesday, 1,105 fish had been harvested, with 67 of them weighing more than 100 pounds, including a 185-pound, 80.2- inch female sturgeon was taken Feb. 14,

The Upriver Lakes were still open on Thursday, but could close if the harvest trigger is hit, otherwise the upriver season will be open at least through Friday. The Lake Winnebago closure is not in sight. There were reports of lots of water and very rough going on the roads off Oshkosh. Nine more fish over a hundred pounds were registered Wednesday, largest percentage of trophy fish on any single day in the history of the fishery. One spearer registered one of the infamous "white" sturgeon come on Wednesday. Not a true albino as the eyes were not pink.

Ice fishing on inland lakes remained slow, and travel became very difficult because of the melting snow and build up of slush. Ice conditions can change very rapidly in these warm temperatures, especially near inlets, outlets or natural springs, so people should be using extreme caution venturing out on ice.

Anglers with ice shacks still on the ice should consider removing them now or risk a big hassle getting them off if they sink into the slush and then cold temperatures re-freeze the ice later. The first ice fishing shanty removal deadline is next Sunday, Feb. 20 for Iowa-Wisconsin boundary waters.

Along Green Bay, the Peshtigo Harbor area saw an influx of northern pike anglers pre fishing for

a tournament next weekend. The Oconto breakwater saw a lot of activity this weekend, with some whitefish and a few perch caught along with some good numbers of smelt. Along Door County, Sturgeon Bay anglers had some success fishing perch but most have been small. Little Sturgeon Bay anglers were having success on whitefish.

After the warm weekend the ice conditions below the dams on the Mississippi River are becoming extremely dangerous. Run-off water is also entering many other rivers and the flowing water under the ice can rapidly deteriorate ice. Ice is also breaking up below dams on the Rock River and some decent walleye action was being reported.

Birds heard singing recently include tufted titmouse, house finch, cardinal, and white- breasted nuthatch. Waterfowl are getting more active with longer days triggering increased hormones, and bald eagles have been seen in the north carrying materials back to repair nests.

[MORE]

Deadlines approach for ice fishing shelter removal

2011-02-15T18:04:00.000-06:00

MADISON – The first of a number of deadlines for ice anglers to remove ice fishing shelters from inland and boundary waters is this weekend. All ice fishing shelters must be removed from Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters by Sunday, Feb. 20. This date, affecting the Mississippi River south of the Minnesota-Iowa border, is set to correspond with Iowa regulations.

The deadlines for the other two boundary waters are March 1 for Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters and March 15 for Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters.

For inland Wisconsin waters, ice fishing shelters must be removed daily and when not occupied after the first Sunday following March 1 for waters south of Highway 64 and after the first Sunday following March 12 for waters north of Highway 64. For 2011, those dates are:

Sunday, March 6 for waters south of Highway 64.
Sunday, March 13 for waters north of Highway 64.

One exception to this rule is that on the Fox River downstream from the DePere dam in Brown County, ice fishing shelters must always be removed from the ice daily and when not in use.

At this point in the season, ice conditions start to deteriorate and make removal unsafe and difficult. A shanty that breaks through the ice can create a safety hazard for boaters and anglers during open water season.

Failure to remove a shanty or ice fishing shelter by these deadlines could result in a forfeiture of $263.10. Additional costs may be incurred if the DNR must arrange to have the shanty removed or if the shanty or ice fishing shelter breaks through the ice and must be recovered and disposed of.

After these dates for removing ice fishing shelters from a frozen lake or river, an angler may continue to use a portable shelter but must remove it daily and when it is not occupied or actively being used.

2011 Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearing questionnaire available online

2011-02-15T17:59:00.000-06:00

MADISON – The questionnaire package for the 2011 Department of Natural Resources Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearing and Annual Conservation Congress County Meeting and the list of meeting locations is now available for review on the Department of Natural Resources website.

On Monday, April 11, there will be 72 public hearings, one in each Wisconsin county starting at 7 p.m. where individuals interested in natural resources management will have an opportunity to provide their input by non-binding vote and testimony to the Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Board and the Conservation Congress on proposed hunting and fishing rule changes and advisory questions. Printed copies of the questionnaire will be available after March 1.

The hearings, held annually, are combined with the county meetings during which residents can vote on and introduce their solutions to natural resources related issues.

The spring hearings cover three major areas: elections for county Conservation Congress delegates; proposed wildlife and fisheries rule changes that have been developed through previous Conservation Congress meetings; and Conservation Congress proposals for future rule development.

Among the wildlife rule proposals being considered are: eliminating the archery deer hunting season closure during the traditional November firearm season; allowing normal hunting hours for pheasants on weekends at stocked properties that otherwise close at 2 p.m.; establishing a September firearm and archery hunting season for elk that would run concurrently with the first 30 days of the archery deer hunting season that would be held after the elk population reaches 200 animals; extending each of the spring turkey hunting periods by two days; and allowing landowners, lessees or occupants of private land, or other people with their permission, to shoot a cougar that is in the act of killing, wounding or biting a domestic animal and require that the carcass of the cougar be turned over to the DNR.

Among the fisheries rule change proposals are: increasing the musky size limit on about 600 inland waters from 34 to 40 inches; increasing the minimum size limit from 15 to 18 inches and decreasing the daily bag limit from five to three fish in aggregate for walleye, sauger, and hybrids for most waters in 19 southern Wisconsin counties; requiring the use of “quick-strike” rigs when fishing with minnows 10 inches or longer as bait; and creating a continuous hook and line fishing season for cisco (lake herring), whitefish, and hybrids in the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters with a possession and daily bag limit of 10 in total and no size limit.

In addition to the department's rule proposals, there will be a wide variety of advisory questions that the Congress will be asking citizens to gauge public support on various natural resource issues.

During the Conservation Congress county meetings, county residents have the option to run for a seat on the Conservation Congress and to elect delegates from their county to represent their views regarding natural resources issues on the Conservation Congress, the citizen advisory body to the Natural Resources Board and the Department of Natural Resources. Also, individuals have the opportunity to bring forth new conservation issues of a statewide nature to the attention of the Conservation Congress through the citizen resolution process. Information about the process is also available on the Conservation Congress pages of the DNR Web site.

52 fish over 100 pounds speared in first three days of sturgeon season

2011-02-15T17:56:00.000-06:00

OSHKOSH - Big fish and challenging travel conditions were the story during the first three days of the Lake Winnebago System sturgeon spearing seasons.

Josh Genske of Sheboygan speared this 185 pound, 80.2 inch female sturgeon Feb. 14, the largest fish taken in the first three days of the Lake Winnebago System seasons.
WDNR Photo

Through the end of spearing hours Monday, 881 fish system-wide had been harvested, with 52 of them, or 5.1 percent, weighing more than 100 pounds, according to Ron Bruch, Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor.

That includes the 185-pound, 80.2-inch female that Josh Genske of Sheboygan registered at the Calumet Harbor Station on Valentine's Day, and the 172.7-pound, 76.9-inch female registered by Jeffery Nozar of Oshkosh on opening day.

Those fish weigh in as the third and fifth largest sturgeon speared since DNR began keeping harvest records in 1941. Registration of all harvested fish began in 1955.

Seven of those top 10 fish have been speared in the last three years, Bruch says.

"The big fish we see now began growing into the ‘big fish’ category (100 pounds or more) just at the time when our new regulations were put in place to provide greater protection to them," Bruch says. "That's resulted in the impressive numbers of big fish in an expanded population overall of lake sturgeon we currently have in the Winnebago System."

Bruch says it's possible that the season could run the full 16 days allowed under law.

"Given the changing travel conditions on Lake Winnebago, it appears spearers will have many more days, possibly a full 16 days this year, to add to the top 10 list of biggest fish."

A list of the top 10 largest fish can be found on the Lake Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearing Season page of the DNR website.

Travel will likely be difficult for spearers

The deep snow and drifts spearers encountered on opening day of the seasons, Feb. 12, made it difficult to get around on the lake. That problem was compounded when warmer temperatures melted snow and made travel very sloppy. Windy conditions forecast for this week will push ice around, although colder temperatures forecast for the weekend may freeze up the slop and improve travel conditions by next week. "There's going to be a major adjustment for spearers to contend with over the next few days," Bruch says.

Spearers were closing in on the number of adult females that would trigger closure of the Upriver Lakes season. After Monday, there were 16 adult females left before hitting the trigger for the Upriver Lakes adult female harvest cap.

Lake Winnebago spearers after Monday were about one-third of the way to hitting the trigger for adult females on the big lake. Current updates are available on DNR's Lake Winnebago 2011 Sturgeon Spearing Season page.

Sturgeon Spearing Season Opens This Weekend - February 12

2011-02-10T18:16:00.001-06:00

We're getting right down to the wire now, and I thought you might be interested in some new Lake Winnebago water clarity reports our crew collected over the weekend. As of Saturday February 5, the water clarity has generally improved somewhat across the lake since my last water clarity report two weeks ago, from 12 to nearly 13 feet on average (see report below). The best water appears to be in the south and along the east shore, although I have heard that there may be some other local areas of exceptionally clear water, and some areas where the water is somewhat turbid. The biggest change in the last couple of weeks is the increase in snow on the ice. [Full Story and More]

GBAGLSF Announces February Speaker

2011-02-10T18:07:00.000-06:00

Our February Speaker will be Dale Stroschein, perhaps one of the areas most
recognized fisherman. Dale prides himself on educating fishermen who want to
learn how to fish in Door County and Green Bay waters. Dale has fished the
Pro Circuit for 12 years and has been a Charter Captain for more than 20 years.
Come early to see this great speaker, seats will fill up fast. Don’t forget the meeting is on WEDNESDAY this month.

Meeting WEDNESDAY
Feb. 16th 7:00 PM
STADIUM VIEW SPORTS BAR & GRILL
1963 HOLMGREN WAY – GREEN BAY WI

If you have questions about fishing the Bay of Green Bay – this will be a good one. Guests are afforded free admission but once you get a taste of what’s goin’ on – you’ll want to be a member. Plus there’s a raffle where you can win some great fishing gear.

Statewide Annual Spring WCSFO meeting

2011-02-10T18:00:00.001-06:00

The Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations (WCSFO) hereby announces its Annual Spring Meeting on Saturday, March 19, 2010. The event is held at Gander Mountain at 6939 S 27^th St., Franklin, WI. Meetings normally begin at approximately 10:00 AM and run until 1:00 PM. Meeting attendees will get a discount on Gander Mountain merchandise.

Meeting participation is open to everyone interested in fishing, so membership in WCSFO is not required. Since WCSFO is a statewide organization, we ask for your input on all issues confronting us at this time. This is the place and the time to voice your opinions. We present the anglers’ views to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. You must be a member to vote. New business, club and individual members are always welcomed.

Fishing Club representatives must attend.

Here is a Typical Meeting Agenda:

Introduction of people present
Minutes from the previous meeting
Treasurer’s Report
DNR & Fishery problems, plus Annual Spring Hearing issues

Information on Walleye stocking in the Milwaukee River
Salmon Stocking – what is happening (why and where)
Updates on proposed Fishing Tournament rule changes and permits

Council matters – species updates

Website

Kids Fishing Klinics – etc.

Representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are invited to attend and provide us with updates on our fishery. “VHS” and “Silver Carp” will probably be hot topics. We hope to have representation for the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation as well.

Make your plans now to attend! For further meeting information or if you want information regarding joining our organization, contact: John Durben – President at 715/745-2248 or chilihead@frontiernet.net.

Cordially,

L.A. Van Veghel (Larry)

WCSFO, Secretary & Media Director

Milwaukee Fishing Examiner – fishing column; subscribe for free.

Fishing Seminars at MW Marine in February

2011-02-03T17:32:00.000-06:00

MW Marine

11901 West Janesville Rd.

Hales Corners, WI 53130

www.mwmarine.com

Toll free: (88787) 272-1653

M-W Marine's roots go back to 1959. Originally a hardware, implement and marine store in a small community outside Milwaukee, M-W Marine, Inc. went through many changes as the area developed and new products came to market. Today, marine equipment is the sole product sold at M-W Marine, Inc.

The strength of the company comes from its employees. Longevity of employment and the accumulated knowledge and expertise of its people create the right atmosphere for success. Our sales staff has over 150 years of combined marine sales experience.

M-W Marine is a total customer-care dealership. We have a fully computerized integrated system. This includes major unit sales, parts, service, and our accessory store

At M-W Marine, we involve our people in more than just selling products and services. We involve ourselves with our customers through fishing clubs and fishing tournaments. Every Saturday and Sunday in the month of February we offer free fishing seminars

During the fall we offer our customers free winterizing seminars at our service facility. We explain proper winterizing techniques for outboards, inboard outboards, trailer bearing re-packing, and winterizing the boat livewells. These seminars are usually offered in late September or early October on two separate days for our customers' convenience, and hopefully, trouble free boating.

2011 Fishing Seminars!

Sat. Feb. 5, 2011 Showtime- 11:00 A.M. Jason Przekurat Ranger Walleye Fishing Pro "Today's Tactics for Walleyes"

Sun. Feb. 6, 2011 Showtime- 12:00 P.M. Steve Miljat Mercury/Ranger Pro "Boat Control Means More Muskies"

Sate. Feb. 12, 2011 Showtime- 11:00 A.M. Cary Bever Ranger Bass Fishing Pro "What's New in Bass Fishing"

Sun. Feb. 13, 2011 Showtime- 12:00 P.M. Kevin Dahl Mercury/Ranger Pro "Open Water Trolling With Spinners for Walleyes"

Sat. Feb. 19, 2011 Showtime- 11:00 A.M. Walleyes Unlimited- Serving Johnsonville Brats John Gillespie, Host of "Wisconsin's Waters & Woods" "Fishing Hot Spots in Wisconsin"

Sun. Feb. 20, 2011 Showtime- 12:00 P.M. Walleyes Unlimited- Serving Johnsonville Brats Matt Bichanich Uncle Josh & Mercury Pro "Bass Fishing in Wisconsin" Tackle Giveaways

Sat. Feb. 26, 2011 Showtime- 11:00 A.M. Tom Kemos Mercury/Ranger Pro "Walleye Jigging Techniques- Early Season"

Sun. Feb. 27, 2011 Showtime- 12:00 P.M. Warren Zaren Mercury/Lund Pro "Bass Southeastern Wisconsin Lakes"

2011 Spring Hearing Information

2011-01-22T09:07:00.000-06:00

SUBJECT: Congress Matters: Wisconsin Conservation Congress 20 II Spring Hearing Advisory Questions
FOR: –JANUARY -2011 - BOARD MEETING
TO BE PRESENTED BY: Rob Bohmann, Conservation Congress Vice-Chair

SUMMARY:
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress will present their 20 II advisory questions to the Natural Resources Board . The questions have been approved by the Congress Executive Council for inclusion on the Spring Hearing Questionnaire and will be used to gauge public opinion on an array of natural resources issues. The questions will be presented to the public for their input at the joint DNR Spring Hearings and Conservation Congress County Meetings held in each county of the state on Monday, April 11, 2011.

Click Here… to see 2011 Wisconsin Conservation Congress Advisory Questions

Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations (WCSFO) announces Club Spring Meeting

2011-01-19T14:07:00.000-06:00

The Spring Meeting of the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations is scheduled for March 19, 2011 at 10:00 A.M.

The meeting will be held at:

Gander Mountain

6939 S 27^th St

Franklin WI

A meeting agenda will be posted at a later date.

The N.E.W. Sport Fishin’ Show

2011-01-19T13:51:00.000-06:00

March 4-5-6, 2011

ShopKo Hall, Green Bay

The N.E.W. Sport Fishin’ Show covers it all, from stream trout to lake trout, pan fish to bass and salmon in addition to muskies. The anglers of Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula enjoy an unrivaled variety of fishing opportunities! Tons of tackle, destinations, boats and motors and seminars makes the FISHIN' SHOW the sure cure for cabin fever! The Fishin' Show continues to offer the best where-to, when-to and HOW-TO info for the thousands of multi-species anglers who attend annually.

4th Annual Battle on Bago

2011-01-19T13:33:00.000-06:00

Make Plans to Fish the 4th Annual Battle on Bago

February 25th – 26th at Menominee Park, Oshkosh, WI

Tournament participants may begin fishing at 6am on Saturday, February 26th on Lake Winnebago only. Each participant may register one fish per ticket with no limit to number of tickets an individual can purchase. All state regulations and bag limits apply to this rule and no person may bring in more than the legal limit of fish allowed which include: Walleye, panfish (perch, bluegills, crappies), whitebass or burbot (eelpout).

Cash prizes will be determined by the weight of a single registered fish. In the event of a tie, the first fish registered with the same weight takes priority so participants are encouraged to weigh fish as early as possible. Otter Street Fishing Club will be handling the weigh-in with two scales in order to expedite the weigh-in process. All participants must be in line at Menominee Park no later than 1:30pm. Prizes will be awarded by 4pm and you do not have to be present to win. Cash prizes will be mailed within 7 days.

Click Here… for more information about Battle on Bago

Wisconsin Fishing Club Meeting–January 24

2011-01-19T09:03:00.000-06:00

Jan. 24- Gene Schmitt, Do-it Pro Staff and WFC member, presents how-to make your own baits using Do-it molds and other tackle craft products such as power painting. This will be an on-hands demonstration on making jigs, spinner baits and flies. Gene will also introduce Do-It’s newest items. 7 PM. Free! Yester Years Pub & Grill, 9427 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, 414-476-9055. Contact Dan Freiherr, treasurer, 414-464-9316, lucyfreiherr@yahoo.com. Fishing reports, fishing equipment raffle plus hot food & free pool are available.

Cordially,

L.A. Van Veghel

WFC Media Director &

WCSFO Media Director & Secretary

414-769-6846

Wisconsin Fishing Club Ltd

GBAGLSF Announces January Speakers

2011-01-15T11:25:00.000-06:00

January Speakers
There will be TWO speakers for January. Tammie Paoli, WDNR Senior Fisheries Biologist, will talk about the status of the yellow perch population on Green Bay. Tammie will also describe the annual surveys and most recent results, and give an overview of the perch commercial fishery. Lastly, she will talk about how cormorant nest numbers are responding after 5 years of egg oiling on some of the Green Bay islands.

We will also have Dave Mull, Editor/Publisher of “Great Lakes Angler Magazine”, speak about trends and GOOD fish photos. Dave will also have a hot deal on magazine subscriptions. Don’t miss this one!

All Meetings will be held at The Stadium View Sports Bar & Grill. Board of Director Meetings (BOD) begin at 6:30 PM and General Membership Meetings begin at 7:00 PM. Unless otherwise noted.

DNR produces two new ice fishing podcasts

2011-01-15T11:03:00.001-06:00

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released the latest in its series of audio programs for winter fishing enthusiasts titled “Ice Fishing Tips.”
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released the latest in its series of audio programs for winter fishing enthusiasts titled “Ice Fishing Tips.”

TIP hotline has very effective 2010

2011-01-15T10:57:00.000-06:00

An anonymous call to Minnesota’s Turn-in-Poachers (TIP) hotline recently led a conservation officer with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to a man who had allegedly poached a trophy buck in Hugo.

The man is facing $10,000 in fines and restitution, and loss of his hunting privileges for three years if convicted.

Information from the public leads to the vast majority of arrests for hunting and fishing violations in Minnesota, said DNR conservation officer Alex Gutierrez of Forest Lake.

“With the number of vacant field stations, the extra set of eyes provided by the public has never been more important,” Gutierrez said. “TIP is an invaluable asset to conservation officers.”

Since 1981, TIP has provided a toll-free hotline, 800-652-9093, for poaching information and rewards for arrests and convictions of game and fish violators.

TIP’s aggressive anti-poaching message has been showcased (until recently, see related release on vandalism) in two “Wall of Shame” trailers containing the mounts of wildlife confiscated as a result of arrests for violations of Minnesota game laws.

Minnesota’s TIP hotline was very effective 2010. Investigations into 1,699 TIP calls resulted in 299 arrests and a total of $6,690 in rewards paid. That compares to 1,355 TIP calls, 237 arrests, and $4,350 in rewards paid in 2009.

TIP helps to stop wildlife poachers, but that is only part of what TIP has accomplished, noted Col. Jim Konrad, DNR Enforcement director.

“The TIP hotline actually discourages violations, and with most people carrying cell phones, keying in #TIP can quickly report a violator,” Konrad said. “All sportsmen/women, landowners, citizens and wildlife benefit from poachers being caught.”

When a person calls TIP, information such as how many violators, vehicle description with any license numbers and details of what happened are important to the conservation officer who will be dispatched to handle the call.

2011 Angler Education Workshops

2011-01-15T10:47:00.001-06:00

New Angler Education Instructor Certification Requirements for 2011!

Background checks will be required for adult angler education instructors just like those that have long been required for Hunter Safety instructors and other youth program leaders. The background checks will be administered by the DNR's Bureau of Law Enforcement and reviewed by Recreational Safety Wardens who are not at liberty to discuss their findings. You may download the Mentor Background Check Form [PDF 93KB] here to begin this process. Thank you for understanding our need to provide another layer of protection to vulnerable populations that attend Angler Education Programs.
At a minimum, these Angler Education training workshops focus on teaching basic spincasting and incorporating related topics in a K-12 curriculum or youth development program. School teachers, fishing club members, and community youth fishing program leaders are invited.
Please check back from time to time for updates to this schedule. Unless otherwise noted, all workshops are free of charge and include lunch or dinner, however, we do have a $15 workshop commitment fee to ensure good attendance by registrants. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle in so that we may begin on time. If your plans change, please notify us so that we may plan accordingly and refund your workshop commitment fee. Pre-registration is required.
To schedule a volunteer or teacher training workshop in your community, please contact Theresa Stabo, Aquatic Resources Educator, (608) 266-2272. We need a minimum of 8 to 12 adult participants, depending on location, to hold a workshop.

General Angler Education Instructor Training

Oshkosh

Dates: Thursdays, February 15 and 22, 2011
Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Place: University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, Albee Hall, Room TBA, Oshkosh, WI
Note: This workshop is geared for students in the UW-O Physical Education Program who are training to become teachers. However, other community members are invited to attend. Participants must attend both Thursday afternoon sessions to get certified as Angler Education Instructors.
Registration Form: Download, complete and return the Registration Form [PDF, 95KB] to Kim Anderson.
Questons? Contact: Kim Anderson, (608) 261-6431

Learn to be a Fly Fishing Instructor

Fly Fishing Instructor certification will be offered just prior to the State Trout Unlimited Banquet in Stevens Point. This certification class will be presented by Dennis Vanden Bloomen, UW-Stout Fly Fishing Instructor and Past-President of the WI Clear Waters TU Chapter and Theresa Stabo, Wisconsin DNR.
Trout Unlimited members, fishing club members, youth leaders, classroom teachers, and civic leaders are encouraged to attend as a team or form one at the workshop. Successful models include after-school fishing clubs, summer enrichment classes, school-family events, and Boy Scout Fly Fishing merit badge training.
Workshop participants will receive Scott Rod Company Fly Fishing booklets and materials from the Junior Angler program and Hook, Line, & Thinker that can be adapted to a fly fishing program. Participants will also be given complimentary raffle tickets if they attend State Council banquet, for $25, held later that evening. This class is limited to 25 people. Reserve your seat and register now!
Date: Saturday, February 5, 2011
Time: Noon - 5:00 P.M. Please plan to eat lunch before you arrive as none will be served.
Place: Holiday Inn Convention Center: 3 miles east of I-39/51 on Hwy 10.
Contact: Theresa Stabo, (608) 266-2272 or Kim Anderson, (608) 261-6431.
Registration Form: Download, complete and return the Registration Form [PDF, 176KB] to Kim Anderson by January 31, 2011 (see form for details).
About the photo: Instructors-In-Training test sample non-lead sinkers at a Rhinelander workshop.

Wisconsin Outdoor Report as of January 13, 2011

2011-01-15T10:26:00.000-06:00

Areas of far northern Wisconsin have received up to a foot of snow in the last week, with much of it being very light lake-effect type snow. Most of the rest of the state has only received about 3 to 5 inches of snow, with the southeastern portion of the state once again receiving the least amounts. Snowmobile trails are open in roughly the northern half of the state, with conditions reported on the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR) from good in the northwest to poor in the northeast and more southern counties.

The additional snow has improved cross-country ski conditions, especially in the north, with Brule River State Forest and Willow River State Park reporting the best conditions of the year. The Greenbush trails in the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest received enough new snow for conditions to be good for the Northern Kettle Moraine Nordic Ski Club race on Sunday. The loop at Lapham Peak with man made snow is in very good condition, but all other trails there and at the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine have just a light covering of snow and are skiable but in poor condition. Mirror Lake, Blue Mound and Wildcat Mountain state parks all continue to report good to very good ski conditions.

Ice conditions continue to be good on lakes across the state, with ice thickness ranging from 12 to 14 inches on northern waters and 8 to 10 inches on southern waters, although some southern lakes still have areas of very thin ice. There have been reports of at least four vehicles going through the ice of Lake Koshkonong, which as some ice heaves with very thin spots. Most river systems in the state are now also frozen over, but recreational safety specialists urge people to stay off river ice, which can be highly variable and unpredictable.

Walleye activity picked up a bit on northern lakes with quite a few anglers reporting decent catches, with perch also added to the bag for many anglers. Panfishing has been fairly consistent statewide, and northern pike action has picked up a bit with the low amount of snow cover on the ice increasing light penetration and bumping up feeding activity. Ice is firming up on the lower Green Bay and fishing pressure has been heavy in some areas. Along Door County, anglers have been targeting perch and whitefish with some success. Northern pike anglers were out in full force out of Oconto.

Lake Michigan harbors and ports are icing over and some anglers have been venturing out but people should use extreme caution ice as conditions can change rapidly. Some open water anglers were having luck with brown trout and steelhead near the Port Washington power plant. The Mississippi River continues to be at unseasonably high levels and was at over 10 feet at Prairie du Chien this week. With the high water, sloughs have moderate to strong current flowing under the ice that can can create rapidly changing ice conditions. Ice fishing has been pretty good with nice sized bluegills, perch and crappie reported.

Bald eagles have begun congregating along with Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. A mid-winter aerial survey last week observed a very high number of bald eagles along the Lower Wisconsin River corridor. Biologists counted 473 eagles from the Petenwell Dam downstream to the confluence with the Mississippi River. This should bode very well for the 24th annual Bald Eagle Watching Days this weekend at Sauk City and Prairie du Sac. There will be eagle tours and other events throughout the day Saturday. Check the Eagle Bluff Fairy Council website for a complete list of events (exit DNR).

NORTHERN REGION

Superior DNR Service Center area

Brule River State Forest – The After Hours cross-country ski trail system was groomed and tracked Jan. 12 and is in excellent condition for classic and skate skiing. The conditions are the best so far this season.

Ashland DNR Service Center area

Slush Ice is no longer a problem on Southern Bayfield County area lakes. The slush on most lakes has frozen solid since the rain over the New Year. Ice fishing has picked up with walleye being taken on both the Upper and Middle Eau Claire lakes at dusk and just after sunset; minnows working best on both tip ups and jig poles. Crappie were biting on Lake Namekagon with most people catching their limits in a days time. Panfishing has been fair to good on many of the smaller inland lakes. Snowmobile trails in Bayfield County are in " good" to "excellent" condition. Cable/Namekagon ungroomed trails are fair, groomed trails north and west of Drummond are in "very good" condition, with excellent trails being found north of Delta and Iron River. Snowshoeing conditions are "good" to "very good" in the Drummond, Delta and Iron River areas.

Park Falls DNR Service Center area

Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Ice conditions continue to be good on lakes across the Northwoods and ice thickness is ranging from 12 to 14 inches on most waters. There is 2 to 4 inches of light fluffy snow on top of the ice and there have been no report of slush problems on any of the lakes. An increased number of vehicles have been seen out on the ice, but caution is still urged as there have still been small open-water areas observed around springs, inlets and off of some points. Walleye and panfish have been the main target for anglers in the past week and action could be termed fair. Walleye activity seemed to pick up a bit with the start of the new year and quite a few anglers were reporting some decent catches. The best action has been near dark on the cloudy and milder days, with small suckers or large fatheads fished over the mud flats in 5 to 10 feet of water. Most of the walleye have been in the 12- to 16-inch size, but fish up to 22 inches have also been reported. An added benefit of using the smaller bait this winter has been the catch of perch, which have added a few extra fish to the bag for many anglers. The panfish anglers have seen some fairly consistent action, with some nice crappie and perch being caught 1 to 3 feet off bottom in 15 to 25 feet of water. Northern pike have been seeing increased interest from anglers as action has picked up a bit with the low amount of snow cover on the ice. This has increased light penetration and seems to have bumped up feeding activity for northern. Large golden shiners or sucker minnows fished near deeper weed beds or the med-depth break lines have produced some nice fish, with a few pike up to 32 inches being caught.

Flambeau River State Forest – Both the north and south forks of the Flambeau River appear to be froze over. Local lakes are reporting approximately 10 inches of ice. The Flambeau Hills cross-country ski trail is in good to very good condition. Recent light snow has provided an opportunity to resume classic track grooming. The entire trail was groomed and tracked on Wednesday, with a 4-inchaverage base, with less on a few open hilltops. Pinery Grade's classic track may be icy on short segment along river, otherwise the trail is in good shape. Light snow dusted in recent grooming and will likely slow trail some.

Woodruff DNR Service Center area

Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest - Cross-country ski trails are in fair to good condition. Escanaba Trail is in good condition, with about 4 inches new fluffy lake snow, with 10 to 12 inches on the woods floor. Full track was set throughout Jan. 12. Still firm under new snow but groomers were able to mix snow and have full formed fast track. Trail is very scenic and the beautiful woods are a "must see." Madeline Trail was groomed Jan 7, with all loops tracked and in good condition. Raven Trail was groomed and tracked Jan. 8 tracked and is in fair to good condition. McNaughton Trail skaters loop was groomed Jan. 10 and all other loops tracked and has fair conditions. A section of the skaters loop from the parking lot to the first intersection is closed due to logging. An alternate parking area at the McNaughton boat landing will be kept open for this reason.

Antigo DNR Service Center area

Council Grounds State Park - Cross-country ski trails are groomed, tracked and in fair condition.

NORTHEAST REGION

Cold weather has helped create some good ice conditions for anglers, couple this with sunny days and the fishing pressure has been moderate to heavy in places. As always caution should be used when venturing out on the ice.

Peshtigo DNR Service Center area

Marinette County - Perch, walleye, and whitefish were being caught on the Menominee River in the area of Sixth Street Slip Landing. Anglers report ice conditions on the river at about a foot. Jigging with Moonshines tipped with minnows has been working for walleye while small jigs tipped with wax worms is the bait producing best for panfish.

Oconto County – Northern pike anglers were out in full force from Oconto Breakwater Park to Oconto Park I, using large shiner minnows suspended a foot off bottom and dead smelt in the round fished on bottom. Some perch were being caught in and around Oconto Breakwater Park proper using jigs and perch minnows. There was also the occasional smelt and whitefish reported.

Green Bay DNR Service Center area

Brown County - Voyageur Park anglers have been targeting walleye and perch in 6 to 12 feet of water using jigs and the appropriate size minnow for the fish they are after. Sunset Beach has been producing some perch with sizes running on the small size, along with the occasional white fish and smelt.

Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area

Door County - Stone Quarry anglers have been targeting perch and whitefish with some success. Most anglers have been staying closer to shore due to poor but ice conditions have been improving. Anglers have been fishing along Potawatomie State Park for perch with limited success. Most have been using live minnows for bait. Anglers have been venturing off Bullhead Point for perch as well. Fishing has been sporadic at best with some perch being caught around mid-week, but it has since slowed. A few anglers have been catching numbers of bluegill around the docks at the yacht club. Waxworms and a small ice jig seem to be working the best. Sugar Creek anglers have been venturing off the park with snowmobiles and ATVs. Anglers have been targeting whitefish and perch. Most of the angling pressure has been in 15-25 feet of water. Anglers have been venturing out to deep water off Chaudoir’s Dock in search of whitefish. Anglers that are finding whitefish have reported fishing being on the slow side. Also a few perch are being caught with most being of respectable size. Dykesville anglers have been finding it tough fishing due to all the fishing pressure over the last few days. Most anglers have to move well outside the main group of anglers to catch fish. Anglers that are finding fish are catching perch and whitefish. Fishing pressure has been light at Volks Landing. Most anglers are catching perch with the occasional whitefish or smelt mixed in.

Whitefish Dunes State Park - A number of birds have been sighted on Lake Michigan over the weekend. They include: common and red- breasted merganser, common goldeneye, Canadian goose, and bufflehead. In the forest, downy, hairy, and pileated woodpeckers, white breasted nuthatches, and chickadees are being seen.

Point Beach State Forest - Since the storm on Dec. 12, all the trails at Point Beach State Forest have been cleared of downed trees. The cross country ski trails are currently in poor condition with only a 2 inch base at this time. We still need about 6 inches of new snow in order to groom trails. Some accumulation is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday. Best advise is to call for current conditions. Point Beach State Forest (920) 794-7480.

SOUTHEAST REGION

Milwaukee DNR Service Center

Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit – The area received a little more than 2 inches of snow on Tuesday. All of the ski trails have been groomed. The ski loop covered with man-made snow has a double classical track set and is in excellent condition for skating and classical skiing. Beyond the man made snow loop the trails are generally snow covered and skiable with some areas pretty good for skating. However the snow cover is thin and there is glare ice and other obstacles beneath the surface and exposed in some spots - caution is advised and overall conditions are poor to fair. The lights are on Monday through Saturday until 10 pm. Ski rentals Tuesday, Wednesday nights and on the weekends during the day.

Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit - Recent light snowfall added up to about 2 to 3 inches resulting in sufficient snow to groom the cross-country trail systems. All Zillmer trail loops have been combed producing a generally good product for skating. Skate lanes will be soft for a couple of days. Keep in mind, because of the limited base, we are still fighting forest litter - trigs and some leaves. Classical tracks were set on the green and red loops with marginal success. The recent snowfall really helped the Greenbush trail system. All trails are open and in good condition with a nice base. The course is in great shape for the Northern Kettle Moraine Nordic Ski Club race on Sunday. Crews will be grooming every day in preparation for the weekend. Another snowfall is expected Friday night so the weekend will be great.

Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - Cross country ski trails are in fair to poor condition. Trails were groomed on Tuesday, Jan. 11, but there is not enough snow to set a classical track at this time. Snow coverage is very thin, with lots of twigs and leaves poking through. Call 262-670-3400 for the most current trail conditions. Trail passes are not required for cross country skiers at Pike Lake this winter. When trails are snow covered hikers, snowshoers, and dogs are not allowed on trails east of Powder Hill Road (groomed ski trails).

Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit - All three cross-country ski trail systems at the Southern Unit received about 2 inches of snow on Tuesday. Scuppernong, McMiller and Nordic are all generally snow covered and skiable, but with the thin snow base no classical track has been set and there are places dirt or rocks are exposed. It would be wise to not use your best skis. Nordic seemed to have more ice covering the trails and the snow packed nicely over the ice, but may not adhere well. McMiller did not have as much ice and while it is snow covered it is has more debris exposed. Scuppernong conditions are similar to Nordic. With this layer of snow setting up - it will not take a significant amount of snow on top of it to improve conditions above the poor to fair rating that they have now. Snowmobile trails are not open.

Lake Michigan fisheries team report

Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan, much of the marina around the Deland boat launch is iced over. Ice anglers have been working the areas around the docks, but fishing has been generally slow. Please use extra caution out on the ice as conditions can change rapidly.

Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, the area near the power plant discharge provides good winter open water fishing opportunities. The discharge is currently pumping, and the west slip also has open water. Brown trout and steelhead have both been caught near the power plant on spawn fished on a three-way rig. The north slip is iced over, but it is not safe for foot travel.

Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee open water can be found in the lower stretches of the Menomonee River and canals, and there is some limited open water under the Hoan Bridge near Jones Island. The Milwaukee River mouth and harbor are covered in some broken up ice floes, but Riverfront Ramp is currently open. The lagoon behind Lakeshore State Park and McKinley Marina are iced over, but fishing in both of those locations has been relatively slow.

Racine County - In Racine, much of the Root River is iced over. There has been evidence of anglers ice fishing downstream near the 6th Street and Marquette Street bridges, as well as in the Racine harbor. Use extra caution, as conditions can change quickly, and there are some open spots close to shore in the marina. Fishing has been relatively slow in the harbor, but some steelhead have been caught further upriver on spawn set close to the bottom.

Kenosha County - In Kenosha anglers in Simmons Island Marina have been catching occasional brown trout on spawn. Anglers have been fishing through the ice near the docks, as well as in the open water near the railing on shore.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Dodgeville DNR Service Center area

The holiday gun deer hunt wrapped up this past weekend with many hunters kept out of the woods due to freezing cold temperatures. Hunters who did take to the woods reported seeing quite a few deer in the area. Shed hunting around the area is in full swing and many shed hunters are reporting finding some large antler sheds on both public and private property. Ice anglers on Blackhawk Lake report great crappie fishing using glow jigs. Anglers also reported the perch bite picking up on Long Lake while the bluegill catch remained sluggish. The snowmobile trails in the area remain closed due to lack of snow. Just as a reminder, if you see a deer that appears to be sick please contact the DNR Tip Line at 1-800-TIP-WDNR.

Blue Mound State Park - All cross-country ski trails were groomed Jan. 12 with a new classic track set. All trails are in very good condition for classic skiing (no skating now). Only "problem" areas are a few thin spots on the Pleasure Valley trail where a track was not set due to thin snow cover. The rest of the trail system is 100 percent covered, generally with at least a 5-inch or more solid base. Good skis will be fine.

Fitchburg DNR Service Center area

The lack of snow has closed the snowmobile trails in Dodge, Columbia, and Sauk counties. Area snow enthusiasts are hoping for enough snow this week to re-open the trails. Ice fishing has been slow. Some reports of northern pike being caught are coming out of Fox Lake in Dodge County. Coyotes have been seen frequenting the fields in the daytime in search of a mate.

Jefferson County - Anglers are having fair success on Rock Lake catching some legal sized northern pike throughout the lake. Small perch were being caught as well as bluegill in the 5-7 inch range mostly by Elm Point. Some 14-inch largemouth bass were also being seen. The northern were biting on shiners while spikes and wax worms were the preferred bait for the perch and bluegill. Ice thickness on Rock Lake is in the 14-15 inch range and trucks are being driven across the entire lake. One driver recently drove up to the Glacial Drumlin trail trestle on the south end where there is some flowing water and found that the ice was not thick enough to support the front of his SUV. Ice conditions on the other lakes in Jefferson County are good with ice fishing going on but success is slow overall. . The ice conditions on Lake Koshkonong vary greatly from one area to the next. There have been at least 4 vehicles that have gone through the ice so far this season on Koshkonong alone. Lake Koshkonong also has several ice heaves that have thin ice. Drivers are cautioned to know the conditions of the ice before they venture out especially at night as it is always at your own risk on the frozen waters. On the Rock and Crawfish rivers there is some snowmobiling activity occurring now that a blanket of snow has covered the ice aiding traction. The ice on the rivers is very thin. County law enforcement and rescue agencies are urging the public to stay away from the river ice. This includes keeping a watchful eye on pets to prevent them from falling into the frigid waters. The county snowmobile trails are unfortunately closed due to little snow. The snowmobile trail hotline number for Jefferson County is 920-699-7669(SNOW). A few bald eagles are being spotted along the Crawfish River in the Milford area feeding on whatever they can find. Recently a barn owl (an endangered species) was found dead in the city limits of Watertown after it apparently hit a power line and was found lying dead by the building.

Mirror Lake State Park - Cross-country ski trails are in good to very good condition with a 3 to 8 inch base. Trails are groomed and tracked for skate and classical skiing. Remember, pets and hiking on groomed ski trails is prohibited. Trails open for snowshoeing and hiking include Echo Rock, Lake View, Sandstone and Wild Rice.

Janesville DNR Service Center area

Rock County - Snowmobile trails remain closed despite the snowfall this week. More snow in the forecast for the upcoming weekend could help trail conditions. Ice has thickened up on area lakes, but there are still some thin spots on Lake Koshkonong where there are seams and ice heaves. Fishing success remains low on Lake Koshkonong with reports of abundant bait fish affecting the bite. Storr's Lake continues to produce undersized northern pike and small bluegills. The gun deer season closed on January 9 in the CWD zones, but landowner's can still get permits to harvest deer throughout the winter. Trappers have been having success otter trapping in Rock County. Otter are abundant in Rock County and can be trapped with a valid permit. Several individuals had been checked fishing backwaters of the Sugar River and the ponds in Janesville. Ice seems good in those areas and even a few perch were being caught.

WEST CENTRAL REGION

Baldwin DNR Service Center area

Willow River State Park – Recent snowfall has added about 3 inches to the trail system. Cross-country ski trails were groomed and tracked late Wednesday afternoon. Skiing conditions are excellent, however, the down hills were very fast. The flying S turn on the Brown was "in" and very fast. The entry is marked with a caution sign. This sequence is a fast downhill, a small up hill to enter the turn, the S turn is over the peak of the small hill, and then down another hill. It is typically out of track skiing for the S turn and second downhill. The roller coaster at the bottom of the Brown was a real zoomer in the track. Today's conditions dictate that you bring solid intermediate or better skills to ski the Brown. More snow is predicted which might slow things down. Overall, the excellent conditions should hold up all of Thursday and into Friday. Weekend skiers should find very good conditions. Ice fishing continues with slower panfish action. With all the snow, there are a number of snowshoers that have broken their own trail off trail. Skiers should be aware of the Minnesota Youth Ski League class that meets on Sundays from 2-4pm at the Nature Center. MYSL has around 70 kids this year. Expect to see a lot of younger skiers about during that time frame.

La Crosse DNR Service Center area

According to Dr. Charles Long in his book "The Wild Mammals of Wisconsin," the meadow vole is one of the most abundant mammals in the state and is found throughout the state. Because of these two factors, in addition to its high reproductive rate, this small rodent is an important member of many food chains, supplying a major food item for various raptors, cranes, gulls, snakes, and carnivorous mammals. Meadow vole populations typically exhibit dramatic tree to five year cycles, influenced by breeding rates, litter size, number of litters, predation, and food. About 90 percent of meadow voles die before they are a month old, and few live beyond a year. Look for evidence of voles such as tiny teeth marks low on shrubs and trees, snow tunnels about half an inch in diameter, or short, tubular earth deposits called trail castings or eskers.

Perrot State Park - The cross-country ski trails are in good condition. The Bay Trail and Wilbur Trail have been groomed and tracked. The skate lane in the campground has been groomed and is in very good condition. The upper trails have been groomed but snow conditions would not allow a track to be set.

Wildcat Mountain State Park – The park received enough snow for crews to groom and track cross-country ski trails, making for good ski conditions. A few campsites have been plowed for winter camping with water available at the park office. There is no hunting going on in the park at this time.

Crawford County - All snowmobile trails in Crawford County are closed. For current snowmobile trail conditions please check TravelWisconsin.com. The Mississippi River stabilized around the 10 foot mark for more than a week. As of January 11, the river was at 10.05 feet. Open water exists below the Lynxville dam due to the high water. The Wisconsin River is falling and creating dangerous conditions in some areas. In many areas on the Wisconsin there is an “air gap” between the ice and the water below. This phenomenon exists mainly in the timbered lowlands. Ice conditions remain pretty good even though caution must be used when traveling on the ice. With the Mississippi River being unusually high for early winter many back water sloughs have moderate to strong current flowing under the ice. The current can create rapidly changing conditions. Generally speaking the ice averages around 2 to 14 inches of ice in the backwaters of the Mississippi River and Wisconsin River. Access to most ice fishing locations is much better now that cold weather froze the “sloppy” spots and the river levels have stabilized. Ice fishing has been pretty good at times. In the Prairie du Chien area nice sized blue gills were being caught on Gremore Lake along with some really nice perch. Anglers will have to move around to find them however. Ice conditions on Gremore Lake are pretty good with a foot or more ice. Crapppie action in Gremore has been slow. Anglers have been venturing across the Ambro Slough to Mud Slough and Tilmont Lake. Most anglers are using the DNR boat landing on Ambro Road. The USFWS boat landing was being used to access the upper portions of the Ambro Complex, however Mill Coulee Creek enters there and creates dangerous ice conditions. Caution must be used in this area. This past week Mud Slough has been slow as there appears to be some current flowing through it. Tilmont Lake has produced a few bluegills and perch however it is kind of slow. Those venturing out to Tilmont Lake should use caution as they cross over the Ambro and Black Sloughs as current exists under the ice. Anglers have been venturing up to the Upper Doubles and Big Missouri. Action there has been spotting with a few nice crappie and bluegill being taken. The Lower Doubles, Fish Lake and Big Missouri have produced some fish but they have been very spotty. Spring Lake and the Fennimore Cut have been slow. There is current entering the upper end of Spring Lake and flowing out through the Fennimore Cut. Action there has been poor. Some anglers are fishing in the back waters of Spring Lake and finding action spotty. Sturgeon Slough has been very slow primarily due to the high water. Current is flowing through that area which causes bluegills and crappie to avoid that area. Some anglers have ventured south to McGregor Lake. Action on McGregor Lake has been spotty too. Cold Spring has been slow this week. The best access to Cold Spring is from the handicapped parking area on the south end. The boat landing access is a bit tricky as open water still exists there. Open water shore fishing at the boat landing has been very slow. Largemouth bass action has been good. Most bluegill anglers report catching many bass incidental to their primary target. Some anglers are setting tip up in Gremore, Tilmont, the Upper Doubles and Cold Spring and are having some success. Anglers are reminded that while fishing on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River boundary waters only three (3) hooks, baits or lures can be used. No report on small mouth bass action. Northern pike action has been spotty. Rabbit, squirrel and coyote hunters are finding hunting conditions pretty good. After the rain and warm temperatures a while back access to the fields and woods is better. A pretty solid crust of snow exists. Bald eagles have been moving inland in search of food. Some birds are still hanging around open water on the Mississippi, Wisconsin and Kickapoo rivers. Song birds are actively coming to bird feeders and bird baths. Please keep bird feeders clean and full of food.

Black River Falls DNR Service Center area

Black River State Forest – The forest received an additional 2 inches of snow Monday. Snowmobile trails were groomed Tuesday and are in good condition for sledding. There are some areas in the open that have less snowfall on them so please use caution. When snowmobile trails are open we ask ATVs to stay off the trail whenever the temperatures are 32 degrees or above. This protects the base for future use. Cross-country ski trails were groomed Tuesday and conditions were very good for skating and traditional. Skiers will notice that there has been a fair amount of timber sale activity along the trails this year.

Eau Claire DNR Service Center area

Brunet Island State Park – The cross country ski trail system has a very nice base on the trails. The track was reset on Friday Jan. 7 and is in great shape. Species of birds seen or heard include: ravens, black capped chickadees, northern juncos, piliated and red headed woodpeckers, great horned owls, barred owls, and bald eagles. Anglers are reporting generally good ice conditions in the backwater areas. The park does not monitor ice conditions. The Cornell flowage water levels fluctuate throughout the year and we urge caution when venturing onto the ice.

Red Cedar State Trail and Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area - The Red Cedar State Trail has been groomed and tracked and is in good condition. Hoffman Hills Recreation Area trails have not been recently groomed or tracked but were packed about a week ago. Recent light snows have provided some level of traction but the trails are still icy.

Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area

Buckhorn State Park - Cross-country ski trails are packed, tracked and are in excellent condition! Walking on trails when groomed is not allowed. Snowshoers must stay off to the side of trails and not on the groomed trails. Two bald eagles flew over the nature trail by the lake while out grooming the ski trails.

Roche-A-Cri State Park - The campground and main gate are now closed for the season. Parking is available at the winter lot on Czech Ave and that pit toilet is still open. Volunteers will be keeping the winter lot restroom open, plowing the parking lot, and grooming ski trails.

Sister Bay seeks stewardship grant for Waterfront Park addition

2011-01-15T10:15:00.000-06:00

Sister Bay, Wis. – The Village of Sister Bay has applied for a grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program’s Urban Green Space fund to purchase approximately .96 acres of land along Lake Michigan to expand the Sister Bay Waterfront Park.

Sister Bay will provide the matching funds. The expanded park area will be available for hiking, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, picnicking, fishing, swimming, and boating, including canoe and kayak. Purchase of this property will give the village ownership of the entire Sister Bay downtown shoreline, stretching from the north side of the Marina Park to the Sister Bay Yacht Club; totaling approximately,936 linear feet of public access to the waterfront.

The public can mail written comments on the proposed acquisition to Carrie Mickelson, Director, Division of Customer and Employee Services, care of Chris Halbur, 2984 Shawano Avenue, Green Bay, WI, 54313, or sent by e-mail to Christine.Halbur@Wisconsin.gov. Persons with questions about the project may call Chris Halbur at 920-662-5121. Written comments will be accepted through February 4, 2011.

In accordance with s. NR 52.04 (2) (b), Wis. Adm. Code, objections about the prohibited activities on this property must show that the proposed prohibition is inconsistent with s. 23.0916 (2) (b), Stats., and s. NR 52.05, Wis. Adm. Code.

City of Lake Geneva seeks grant for acquisition of land to protect White River Corridor

2011-01-15T09:59:00.000-06:00

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – The City of Lake Geneva has applied for a 50 percent matching grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program for costs incurred in the purchase of 60.6 acres of land in the city of Lake Geneva, Walworth County. The city will provide match to the grant award.

Preservation of the property will help protect the White River Corridor and provide opportunities for trail development along the White River within the city. The property will be left in its natural state and will be open to the public for low impact recreational activities including trapping, hiking, cross-county skiing, fishing, non-motorized boating, biking, nature study and snowshoeing.

The Department of Natural Resources has made a preliminary determination that the proposed acquisition will not involve significant adverse environmental impacts and neither an environmental assessment nor environmental impact statement will be required for this action. Address public comments on the proposed acquisition to Carrie Mickelson, Administrator, Customer and Employee Services Division, care of Dan Kaemmerer, Community Services Specialist, 2300 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53212, (414) 263-8704, daniel.kaemmerer@wisconsin.gov. In accordance with S. NR 52.04 (2)(b), Wis. Adm. Code, objections about the prohibited activities on this property must show proposed prohibitions to be inconsistent with S. 23.0916 (2)(b), Wis. Stats., and S. NR 52.05, Wis. Adm. Code. Comments must be received by February 7, 2011.

Large-scale effort underway to improve Wisconsin River water quality

2010-12-14T17:59:00.000-06:00

WAUSAU, Wis. -- Water quality problems in the Wisconsin River are limiting recreational opportunities, hurting businesses and creating conditions that adversely affect public health, according to state environmental officials who say the primary problem is phosphorus and other nutrients that enter the river as runoff from agricultural fields, barnyards, urban storm water and wastewater discharges.

Phosphorus fuels massive blue-green algae blooms in Wisconsin River impoundments, some of the worst recorded anywhere in the state, according to Scott Watson, Wisconsin River basin manager for the state Department of Natural Resources. Blue-green algae can be toxic to animals and humans, causing respiratory ailments, watery eyes and rashes. In addition, excessive phosphorus and algae blooms can lower dissolved oxygen levels in the river, harm aquatic life and cause fish kills.

“Waterfront business owners tell us when the algae blooms are present, they have seen customers arrive, then get back in their cars and leave,” Watson said. “This is a problem we need to address.”

Unfortunately, Watson notes, there are no quick solutions to help these businesses, because the problem was a long-time in the making. So the DNR has embarked on a three-year, science-based program to evaluate the phosphorus loads entering the river during various seasons and different climatic conditions to tackle the biggest remaining pollution sources. It will be expensive to fix and the state can’t afford to waste any money on efforts that won’t fix the problem.

Water quality monitoring began this past year from Tomahawk downstream to the Lake Wisconsin Dam near Sauk City.

DNR staff is working with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to collect water quality samples at 21 river and stream sites and 23 reservoir sites. Water quality data is being collected as well by specially trained citizens who are contributing data from the Petenwell and Castle Rock flowages, the two largest impoundments on the river.

The Wisconsin River drains approximately 20 percent of the state to the Upper Mississippi River basin. Along its 430-mile journey, the river provides many benefits to local communities and industries, and it is a vital asset for our recreation and tourism economy.

Many of the historical water quality problems that impaired the Wisconsin River have been substantially addressed since the 1970s, primarily by regulating industrial and municipal discharges. However the river and some of its tributaries, such as the Big Eau Pleine River, continue to receive excessive nutrient loads, primarily phosphorus.

The water quality data collected as part of this monitoring effort will not only be used to determine the amount of phosphorus reduction needed to restore water quality, it will be used to predict how the river will respond to different types of management actions, such as erosion controls, cropping practices and wastewater treatment.

Specific limits will be established for the amount of phosphorus that can be discharged from point sources and from nonpoint sources. The limits are expressed as a total maximum daily load, or TMDL. Actually setting the TMDLs involves a public participation process, including a public comment period. Once comments are addressed, the TMDL must be approved by the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“This study will give us the tools we need to design solutions,” said DNR monitoring coordinator Ken Schreiber. “This is a huge challenge and it’s one we have to take on for our economy and our environment.”

The Wisconsin River has long been an engine of commerce, a boundless source of recreation and the lifeblood of the communities that grew up around it. Its potential for future generations is enormous. This project is critical for reaching the long-term goal of restoring the health, beauty and economic vitality of Wisconsin’s namesake river and its tributaries.

80,000 competed in Wisconsin fishing tournaments

2010-12-14T17:56:00.001-06:00

MADISON -- Eighty-thousand anglers competed in 595 fishing tournaments in Wisconsin in 2010 and reeled in $3.9 million in prize money, according to statistics from the state's fishing tournament permit system.

Larger fishing tournaments have had to get permits since the mid-1990s, but a 2004 law directed the Department of Natural Resources to update rules as tournaments increased. DNR worked with an advisory group to revise the rules to establish limits on the size and number of tournaments on some lakes and rivers to minimize concerns such as crowding, the spread of invasive species, and indirect fish mortality.

In 2010, there were 637 applications for tournaments; all but one were approved, although some applications were withdrawn or the forms incomplete, and some events were cancelled. "Based on what we've seen so far, there doesn't seem to be any major issues with the capacity limits -- tournament organizers are getting the lakes and dates they wanted," says Jonathan Hansen, one of the fisheries biologists who works on tournament permitting issues.

Joanna Griffin, tournament coordinator for the DNR, said the permit system and database have helped reveal just how popular tournament fishing is. "What's interesting is where all the tournaments occur and how much money, time, and effort is devoted to them."

2010 Fishing Tournament Fast Facts

Of the 595 approved tournaments, 61 percent were so-called traditional tournaments. A traditional fishing tournament is one that was issued permits 4 out of 5 years between 2004 and 2008 for the same water or waters and time period.

61 percent of the tournaments were catch, hold and release.
Fully one-quarter of the tournaments were ice fishing tournaments.
Tournaments took place in 64 counties; Winnebago County was tops with 37, followed by Oneida County with 32 and Waukesha County with 30.
Anglers spent 1.4 million hours fishing in tournaments, down from 1.67 million in 2009.
The number of fish registered in bass and walleye tournaments decreased with the decrease in tournaments from last year, however registered catch of Great Lakes salmon and trout, panfish, and musky all increased.
Bass were the target of 421 of the tournaments in 2010, followed by panfish at 324 tournaments and walleye at 204.
99 percent of the musky caught in tournaments were released and 98 percent of the bass were released.

Tournament permits are required when any of the following apply: the tournament involves 20 or more boats, or 100 or more participants; targets any trout species on waters classified as trout streams; has a catch-hold-release format with an off-site weigh-in; or the total prize value is $10,000 or greater.

A full copy of the 2010 report is available on the fishing tournaments page of DNR website.

Ice fishing tournament organizers reminded to apply for a permit

Organizers of ice fishing tournaments will want to apply for a permit for their 2011 event as soon as possible -- applications must be submitted at least 30 days before their event.

And organizers of all tournaments -- open water and hard water -- can apply for permits for 2012 events as soon as April 1, 2011.

That's when the open period for applying for 2012 events starts, and it runs through June 30, 2011. Organizers applying during that the open period have the best chance of getting their desired dates and waters for 2012 events, says Hansen.

After April 1, permits are available on a first-come, first-serve basis so there is the potential of not getting the day and water desired, although that hasn't been a problem in the first two years of the permit system, Hansen says.

All applications received during the open period will be reviewed by Aug. 1, 2011, and in the unlikely event that another tournament conflicts with an organizer’s choice of dates or waters, DNR fisheries biologists will discuss options with the tournament organizers, Griffin says.

Show attracts Canada’s best

2010-12-08T17:40:00.000-06:00

The All-Canada Show – visiting mid-America’s largest cities – will feature Canada’s top fishing and hunting destinations. The 28^th annual event also includes: free seminars, free maps and travel guides, a free magazine with features and tips on Canadian adventures, free Cabela’s hunting simulator and, on opening night, a free Dardevle collector lure.

Adventurers interested in traveling to Canada will find a wide variety of destinations including: canoe outfitters, drive in resorts, remote fly-in outposts, 5-star fly-in lodges and hunting outfitters. The shows website lists exhibitors in each market including links to their websites. Go to AllCanadaShow.com for details.

The show is also a resource for planning the perfect adventure. “The key to a successful Canadian trip is proper planning,” says the shows media manager Joel Prunty, “That’s the whole premise of the All-Canada Show – we have everything you need to plan your trip. The opportunity for show guests to talk, face-to-face, with the owners and operators of these lodge…greatly improves their chances of a successful adventure.

Show staff and featured speaker Norm “the Great” McCreight use their combined 50-years fishing and hunting expertise on the show’s seminar stage to educate consumers. These informational presentations offer insight into selecting for the perfect destination, choosing the right lodge plan, crossing the border, plus tips on saving money and wilderness safety.

Prunty also noted, “There are some misconceptions out there about trips to Canada, the biggest being that it is expensive. Our show does host some of the finest lodges and resorts anywhere in the world, but there are also many housekeeping lodges and camps offering fabulous fishing for $500 per person for a week (and everything in between).”

“If you like Canada, there’s plenty to keep you occupied at the show,” he said, “Although the primary purpose of the show is to select the perfect destination for your adventure, we also offer a variety of information, attractions and entertainment to aid in the process and create a real Canadian atmosphere.”

For a discount coupon and complete details on the All-Canada Show go to: www.allcanadashow.com.

Other show features include:

‘Hanson Buck’ presented by Cabela’s—The World Record Whitetail exhibit ‘Hanson Buck’ visits the All-Canada Show. This life-size exhibit brings you face-to-face with the magnificent buck shot by Milo Hanson of Biggar, Saskatchewan in 1993. The 'Hanson Buck' is sure to capture your attention.

Norm “The Great” McCreight—This icon of the All-Canada Show will talk

hunting and fishing in his beloved Canada at his daily seminars and may even throw in a few hockey comments. Updated seminar schedules will be posted on the All-Canada website: AllCanadaShow.com.

Moose Bay Trading Company – will an expanded inventory for 2010 Moose Bay offers unique Canadian gifts, food items and clothing. Anglers will also find must have lures for their Canadian Adventures. Visit MooseBayTrading.com for more details.

Meet 2008 DU International Artist of the Year—Anthony J. Padgett, rated in the top 10 wildlife artists in the United States, will be present during all show hours in the gallery at the show. Padgett painted “Locked at Lac Seul,” the original artwork of two trophy moose near Lac Seul, Ontario.

Eppinger night—Opening night every paid admission will receive a free

Eppinger Dardevle, one of the best lures to take along on your Canadian fishing trip. Throughout the show, children between the ages of 8 and 16 will receive a free mini-Dardevle with a paid admission.

Other Attractions—The show’s traditional favorites are back: an authentic Canadian shore lunch (for an extra fee) in concessions, featuring Labatt Blue and a Free Cabela’s hunting simulator.

Free stuff—All show guests will receive a free copy of All-Canada Adventures

magazine (a $5.25 value) as well as maps and brochures from exhibitors and the All-Canada Show Travel Centre.

Prizes—Grand prize for all eleven shows is an Anthony J. Padgett original artwork A view from Churchill, plus $1,000 Cabela’s gift card. In addition All-Canada awards a vacation prize to Canada in every city including: three days and four nights for two people, American Plan including all meals, boat, motor, gas, guide (two-day minimum) and tax.

Sponsors—National sponsors for 2011 include Cabela's, Travel Manitoba, Labatt Blue, Yamaha Canada, Tourism Ontario, Eppinger (Dardevle lures), PermaTrophy, and Spectra Print.

Admission--Adults, $10; seniors and children (13-16), $8; and children 12 and under, free. For $2 off coupon and complete show details, log on to AllCanadaShow.com or call: 800-325-6290.

2011 All-Canada Show Schedule: St. Louis, St. Charles Convention Center, Jan. 7-9; Indianapolis, The Ritz Charles, Carmel, Jan. 10-12; Chicago, Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, Jan. 13-16; Milwaukee, Milwaukee County Sports Complex, Jan. 20-23; Madison, Marriott Madison West Convention Center, Jan. 24-28; Green Bay, ShopKo Hall, Jan. 27-30; Sioux Falls, Ramkota Exhibit Hall, Feb. 3-5; Omaha, Holiday Inn Convention Centre, Feb. 7-9; Des Moines, KJJY Event Center at 7 Flags, Feb. 11-13; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Earle Brown Heritage Center, Minneapolis, Feb. 18-20 and Dallas, Irving Convention Center, Feb. 25-27.

Hours: St. Louis, Des Moines and Dallas: 5-9 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday. Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay: 5-9 p.m., Thursday; 3-9 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday. Minneapolis: 3-9 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday. Madison, Omaha and Indianapolis: 5-9 p.m., Monday; 3-9 p.m., Tuesday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Wednesday. Sioux Falls: 5-9 p.m., Thursday; 3-9 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday

Cold weather kicks off Ice fishing season

2010-12-08T17:22:00.000-06:00

MADISON - Cold weekend weather helped firm up ice in many parts of Wisconsin to kick off what is often some of the best fishing of the hard water season, state fish biologists say.

"Early ice fishing can be some of the best fishing for walleye, bigger game fish, for a lot of species," says Steve Avelallemant, fisheries supervisor for northern Wisconsin. "Especially on those lakes that are shallow and weedy. The fish seem to be accessible and biting more early in the hard water season. Any time before Christmas."

Fishing pressure nearly triples in December in Wisconsin after lakes freeze over, based on results from a 2006-7 statewide mail survey of anglers. Fully one-third of the state's 1.4 million licensed anglers reported ice fishing, and they spent about 1,589,000 hours in December alone, up from 624,000 hours in November of that year, according to Brian Weigel, the DNR fisheries researcher who analyzed the survey results.

Ice fishing with your buddies, can anything beat it?
WDNR Photo

Across the entire ice fishing season, anglers caught 14 million fish in the survey year and released more than half of them during the survey year.

Avelallemant advises that ice anglers who want to maximize their chances of catching fish go to a lake with a good northern pike population. "Northern pike, when you look at their distribution worldwide, you'll find them all the way up into the Arctic Circle. They prefer cold water. Pike tend to get cranked up when it gets cold."

He advises that anglers check in with local bait shops to find out what the walleye are hitting on, and fish that. "A pike will take whatever you throw down," he says.

How to fish for panfish, pike and walleye

Panfish, northern pike and walleye are most frequently caught in the winter, with 11.7 million, 866,000, and 750,000, respectively, based on the mail survey results. Four northern Wisconsin fish biologists who are avid ice fishermen share their secrets for success in targeting the big three:

Panfish

"Panfish are creatures of habit and habitat. They tend to be in the same general areas every winter. Don’t waste a lot of time looking for that secret honey hole away from the crowds. You’re probably just moving away from the fish. Instead, getting out there at the crack of dawn may put you on a hot bite before ever-increasing crowd activity puts the fish off. Most any tackle works when panfish are in a biting mood but most of time they will be in a neutral or negative mood. Light tackle is a big advantage to tease out a bite from reluctant fish. Quality 2- or 3-pound test mono with a limber rod to absorb any sudden shocks will handle most panfish situations. The line should stay soft and supple in the cold. If your tear drop can’t pull the kinks out you’re not even going to detect bites that could have been a fish in the bucket. Bobbers are still popular bite detectors but the smallest one possible that barely holds the bait up is best. Even then bites won’t always take the bobber down. It takes some experience to learn when to set a hook on a bobber wiggle. Wire or spring steel bite detectors on the end of the rod are the most sensitive. They also let you detect bites while you raise or lower your bait. Slowly pulling your bait up and away from a fish you spot on your fish finder often triggers a strike. On good bite days, fish are actively milling around and you can sit in one spot and wait for the fish. On slow days, the fish are pretty stationary. If you drop a bait right down on a resting school you’ll often get one or two to bite right away and then nothing bites even if you can still see fish on your finder. Since fish aren’t moving, you have to move from hole to hole picking up a few here and there for a meal." - Larry Damman, fisheries biologist, Spooner

Northern pike

Early ice offers some nice rewards,

like this 22-inch pike caught on

Butternut Lake in Price County

Dec. 5, 2010. Skip Sommerfeldt photo

"When pike are active during early ice there is really no best time to fish. That's one of the reasons pike are so popular during winter - morning, mid-day, or afternoon can all be excellent times to catch pike. My advice? Keep it simple. Don't out-think your opponent. Pike are low on the evolutionary scale and supposedly have a brain that is 1/1305 of its body weight (Becker 1983). No need to get too fancy. Also, split the difference. Many anglers when setting tip-ups place their bait a certain distance off the bottom. For example, say water depth is 12 feet. Find bottom and set your bait one or two feet off bottom. If you are fishing in vegetation, my general rule is to think in halves. Twelve feet of water –put your bait at six feet. This serves two purposes. First, vegetation is still occupying a fair portion of the water column at early ice. If you place you bait based on x feet from the bottom there is a good chance it’s in the vegetation. No sight – no bite. Second, predators like northern pike cruise the water column. Even if they are near the bottom they can find prey above them. The opposite is less likely to be true." - Terry Margenau, fisheries supervisor, Spooner.

Walleye

"Our surveys show that this is the best time all winter to put a walleye on the ice. Caution should be used at this time of year as ice thickness can very greatly even on the same body of water.

Walleye fishing can be fantastic during

the early hard water season, as this 23-inch

walleye caught and released in 2010 shows.

Walleye will be on the feed during this time period and frequenting the same places they were looking for a meal in late summer and fall. Deep weed flats and outside edges are the key sites to look for. Once ice and snow are on a lake finding these sites on your favorite lake may be difficult. Open water scouting and a GPS make finding these spots much easier and saves a lot of hole drilling. Walk softly on the ice and set up and wait away from your tip ups. Too much commotion on only a few inches of clear ice will spook fish.

Most anglers use tip ups, though jigging can also be very effective, baited with small sucker or medium golden shiners. Set some tip ups with each because on some lakes walleye sometimes show a preference for one over the other. Use light monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders (6- to 10-pound test) that are 2-plus feet long. Also try to use smaller sharp #10 or #8 (even #12) treble hooks because this makes the bait look more natural." - Steve Gilbert, fisheries biologist, Woodruff.

"My trick for walleye fishing . . . . just go fishing a lot! Actually, the key for me is that I mostly fish at prime time (the hour before dark), and I concentrate on break lines and substrate edges in 8 feet to 12 feet of water. As for bait, I mostly use medium-size suckers and fish them 4 inches to 6 inches off the bottom with my tip-ups." Skip Sommerfeldt, fisheries biologist, Park Falls.

Check out his predictions for ice fishing in 2010-11 and the daily diary Skip Sommerfeldt kept last hard water season, when he fished 68 days in a row. And learn how to make ice fishing fun for kids and the adults who bring them.

Ice claws: nail heads are ground off to a point and then covered with corks to prevent injury. The cord, made to the correct length, can be worn inside the jacket with each claw inside a sleeve. Or they can be draped over the shoulder and inside the coat. The wooden dowels and nylon cord will float, so they are accessible in an emergency.
WDNR Photo

Take steps to prevent going through the ice

Early ice can also be treacherous ice, so it's important to take a few basic safety precautions, warns DNR Recreation Safety Chief Todd Schaller.

"Check in with local bait shops so you know ice conditions before you go," Schaller says. "Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back, and then go prepared with some basic equipment to help yourself or others should something happen, like wearing a float coat or carrying picks and a rope."

Follow rules to prevent spreading fish diseases

Ice anglers eager to start the hard water season are reminded to take steps to prevent spreading VHS and other fish diseases and aquatic invasive species.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a virus that can infect several dozen fish species and cause them to bleed to death, was confirmed in 2010 in fish from Lake Superior. The disease has now been confirmed in all of the Great Lakes.

Avelallemant credits anglers for helping contain the disease -- it has not been detected in new inland waters since it was confirmed in the Lake Winnebago system in 2007 -- and says that the VHS prevention steps are helping keep Wisconsin fish healthy from other invasive diseases and species.

"Our lakes are under constant threat from invasive species. There's over 200 invasive species in the Great Lakes alone," he says. "The same tactics for preventing VHS will also help prevent the next one."

They are:

Follow bait rules. Buy bait from Wisconsin bait dealers. If you take minnows home after a day fishing and you’ve added lake water or fish to their container, you can return with them only to that same waterbody the next day.
Preserve bait correctly if you catch your own. If you use smelt or other dead bait, preserve it in a way that does not require freezing or refrigeration. Watch the video Preserving Your Bait [VIDEO Length 2:48] for more information.
Don’t move live fish away from the water. Keep the fish you catch and want to take home on the ice until you leave at the end of the day, or carry them away in a dry bucket.
Drain all water from your equipment. That includes all buckets and containers of fish. When you’re leaving the ice, you may carry up to 2 gallons of water in which to keep your minnows.

Following these rules will protect Wisconsin lakes and rivers and anglers’ pocketbooks: a citation for carrying live fish away from a water runs $343.50, while the penalty for failing to drain the water from fishing equipment is $243.

Online fishing resource for the hard water season

Visit Ice Fishing Wisconsin for reports on what's biting where, tips for great fishing and for successful outings with kids, lists of places to go fishing, and more.

Wisconsin Ice Fishing Fast Facts

Wisconsin has 1.4 million licensed anglers, and about one-third that number report they ice fish.
Ice fishing trails only sledding, snowmobiling and ice skating outdoors as the most popular of outdoor winter activities.
Anglers spent 11 million hours ice fishing in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available. That's 21 percent of the total 52 million hours spent fishing across all of the 2006-7 license year.
Anglers reported catching 14 million fish while ice fishing, and keeping 6.6 million of them, or less than half. During the open water season, about one-third of all fish caught are kept.
Panfish, northern pike and walleye, are the top species caught, in order, with 11.7 million, 866,000, and 750,000, respectively.

Source: DNR statewide mail survey of anglers during 2006-7 license year; SCORP 2010

Ice not safe, snowmobile trails not yet ready for riding

2010-12-08T17:06:00.000-06:00

Officials from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are reminding snowmobilers and others to stay off lakes because the ice is not safe yet.

According to the DNR, there have already been several ice rescues involving snowmobiles. Also, one fatality occurred when a man on foot broke through thin ice on Lake Washington in Blue Earth County.

“We’re telling snowmobilers and others to please stay off of lakes until there is at least five inches of new, clear ice,” said Lt. Dave Olsen, DNR Enforcement, Grand Rapids “Early season riders are often tempted to ride on lakes. But they are not yet safe for snowmobiles, ATVs, or even walking, in most cases.”

And even though there is snow, many trails are not yet ready for riding, according to DNR Northeast Parks and Trails Operations Manager Scott Kelling.

Snowmobile clubs and trail crews are out working on the trails now, but it could be some time before all the trails are ready. When the trails do open, people should continue to watch for hazards, especially if they are on unfamiliar ground.

“It takes at least a couple of passes with the groomer tractors to get trails into mid-season form,” said Kelling. “On their early runs, groomer operators often encounter areas that are too wet or not frozen enough to safely get through. Some stretches simply need more time and cold weather before they can be groomed.”

Several conditions must be met before trails are ready and legally open for travel:

Trails must be cleared of dead falls, signs need to be in place and gates need to be opened.
Bridges need to be checked and needed repairs made. Many trails and bridges were affected by heavy rains last summer. Snowmobile club volunteers and DNR crews are finishing repairs.
The ground must be frozen enough to allow crossing of wet areas.
Trails must have adequate snow cover for grooming. Up to 12 inches of snow can pack down to a base of only an inch or two.

Many snowmobile trails cross private land. Generally, landowner permission for snowmobile use on those trails began Dec. 1 and extends through March. That permission is for snowmobiles only and other uses are trespasses, according to the DNR.

Also, riders must follow the snowmobile safety requirements when riding along public road rights-of-way. For example, it is illegal to ride on the inside slope, shoulder, and roadway of state or county roads.

Minnesota has more than 20,000 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. Snowmobile trail maintenance costs are partially funded through snowmobile registrations, trail pass sales, and gas tax attributed to snowmobile use.

Donations, fundraisers, and volunteer work by trail clubs make up the remainder of the costs and efforts to operate these trails. Club volunteers do most of the maintenance. Trail clubs always need more help and welcome new members to help keep trails open and join in other club activities.

Snowmobilers can check state trail conditions, maps and regulations on the DNR website or by calling 651-296-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367. Trail conditions are updated every Thursday throughout the season.

Trail information and local contacts are also listed on the back of DNR Snowmobile Trail maps for each quadrant of the state (NW, NE, SW, SE). Printed maps are available at local DNR offices and also can be ordered, printed or viewed from the DNR website.

WDNR - DNR Outdoor Report - December 2, 2010

2010-12-02T17:31:00.000-06:00

GENERAL | Northern Region | Northeast Region | Southeast Region | South Central Region | West Central Region

Hunters registered a preliminary tally of more than 218,000 deer over Wisconsin’s nine-day regular gun deer season, an 11 percent increase over the 2009 nine-day season. The opener was highlighted by good hunting conditions and no firearm-related fatalities for only the second time on record. Statewide, hunters registered 102,000 bucks, a 17 percent increase over 2009 and 116,000 antlerless deer, a nearly 7 percent increase over 2009. Gun deer license sales totaled more than 621,000, about a 3 percent decline from 2009.
A muzzleloader gun deer hunt is now underway statewide and there is an antlerless deer hunt Dec. 9-12 open to hunters with a valid antlerless deer tag for the unit in which they are hunting. Finally, there is a Holiday deer hunt in CWD zones in south central Wisconsin that starts Dec. 24 and lasts until Jan. 9. Other hunters, including archery and small game, are reminded that the blaze-orange clothing requirement remains in place whenever any type of gun deer season is progress, and all other people enjoying the outdoors are urged to wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing.
Ice is forming on lake across Wisconsin, and many small ponds and marshes have frozen over. In the north, some lakes have a thin layer of ice, while in the south some smaller bays of lakes can have iced over and a few early ice anglers have been reported out. But state recreational safety specialists are urging anglers to stay off the ice until there is at least 3 inches of solid clear ice, and they remind everyone that there is no such thing as completely safe ice. Ice depths can be several inches thick in one location, and just an inch or so thick just a few feet away.
There are still reports of ducks being seen in southern Wisconsin, but as lakes freeze over they will be pushed south. A reminder that the southern zone duck season closes Dec. 5. There are still some pheasants around for late season pheasant hunters, and there were even some pheasant hunters out pursuing their goal of a nice rooster during the nine-day gun deer season.
A winter storm is in the forecast for this weekend that could leave up to 8 or more inches of snow in some areas. While the new snow will be tempting for skiers, most state parks and forests will probably not have groomed trails. Parks and forests with property open to the late gun deer seasons will wait until those seasons have closed to groom trails. Others may begin trail preparation by packing down trails, but it will take additional snow before actual trail grooming can take place.
Rafts of ducks were being seen along the shores of Lake Michigan including scaup, buffleheads, goldeneyes, and gadwall. Flocks of snow geese have also been seen and heard passing through the state in the last week. Pine siskins, tufted titmouse, flickers, and purple finches are showing up at bird feeders.

A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (608) 266 2277 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
A new report is put on the line each week.
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NORTHERN REGION

Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Most of the lakes in the Upper Chippewa Basin currently have a thin covering of ice. However, ice thickness is very thin and all lakes have less than 2 inches of ice in the deep water areas out away from shore. In addition, the rain and mild temperatures of early in the week softened up the ice and has made even the slightly thicker ice in the shallow bay areas very hazardous as well. The ice is not yet considered safe for any kind of travel and all people are urged to stay off of any lakes or ponds. Cold weather later in the week may firm up the ice and add some thickness, and at that point the first ice anglers may start to appear when 4 inches of solid ice are available. The ice thickness at several spots on Butternut Lake over the last couple days was real variable. On Tuesday, Nov. 30, there was still an open-water area out in the middle and thickness ranged from 1 to 3.5 inches up near shore in a couple spots. In addition, the ice had gotten pretty soft from the rain and upper 30-degree temperatures on Monday and Tuesday. No sign of any ice anglers yet – though there were several reports of anglers out on a shallow bay on the Phillips Chain and one on the south end of Butternut Lake. It will likely take a few more nights of temperatures in the low teens to give the shallow bays thick enough ice to walk on (4" or more).
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NORTHEAST REGION

Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Governor Thompson State Park - The first ice anglers were out this past weekend. The park is now closed to hunting for the year. Construction on the new campground has stopped for the winter. In spring the new septic systems, water systems, fire rings, picnic tables, and water fountains will all need to be installed. Our 16 miles of hiking trails are open and now is a great time to go hiking! Leaves are now off the trees, and visitors can see all the hidden geological features that cannot be seen in the summer months.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Whitefish Dunes State Park - Despite the cooler weather, wildlife is out and about within the park. Down on the beach, large waves bring shells. These are invasive species called zebra and quagga mussels. Red-breasted mergansers and buffleheads rafted up in large numbers over the weekend. A flock of snow geese were heard and seen flying over the park one early morning. An immature bald eagle has been sighted during the mornings soaring over the beach. In the forest the rut is near the end and bucks are still moving around. Chickadees and nuthatches can be seen in large numbers throughout the forested dunes. A hike along the black or brachiopod trail will provide a glimpse of various woodpeckers; redheaded, pileated, downy and hairy. Increasing porcupine chewing and sightings have occurred on the red trail. By the creek a bit of green foliage can still be viewed while most of the park has changed to various shades of brown. As winter draws closer, park staff will be working to finish preparing trails for skiing. Mark your calendars for the annual Candlelight Ski on Saturday, Jan. 29. Volunteers are needed to help set out and pick up candles along with staff the shelter building refreshment table. Whitefish Dunes State Park was open for the first time to deer hunting during Wisconsin’s regular gun deer season. The park will not be open to hunting during any other early or late-season deer hunts, included in herd reduction areas, muzzleloader dates, special youth or disabled hunts, or other special hunting opportunities. While hunting enhances recreational opportunities in the parks, its primary objective is vegetative and resource management. The entire beach is now open to dogs. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 8 feet at all times. Once snow falls pets are not allowed on or along side groomed ski trails.
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SOUTHEAST REGION

No reports.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Blue Mound State Park - The Campground is open year-round. Camping is walk in only during the winter months. There will be a candlelight ski/hike/snowshoe on Saturday Jan. 1.
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Dodge County - Horicon Marsh is completely frozen. Large flocks of mallards and black ducks have been see in cornfields in the Horicon and Waupun area. Also a few flocks of snow geese have also been sighted.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Dane County - Some part of the lakes are starting to freeze but ice conditions are definitely not safe to venture out onto to ice fish. Deer season in Dane County seemed to be fairly successful. Hunting numbers seemed to be about average but numerous harvested deer were observed as well as numerous alive deer as well. Hunters are encouraged to take part in the remaining seasons that are open (muzzle loader, 4 day December Hunt and Holiday Hunts). During the deer season several waterfowl hunters and pheasant hunters were contacted and they seemed to be having decent success as some hard to get to spots are freezing up and allowing hunters to get to areas that have not been hunted much.
Janesville DNR Service Center area
Rock County - Most ponds and lakes have frozen over in the last couple days, but hunters and anglers should be careful of thin ice. The regular 9 day gun deer season ended without any gun related injuries reported in the county. The harvest was slightly higher than last year for the opening weekend. The lack of crops and mild weather most of the season allowed for hunters to see the deer and stay in the field longer. There is still time to harvest a deer and put some venison in the freezer as the muzzleloader season opened Monday followed by the four-day antlerless season. The archery deer season is also still open through Jan. 9, 2011. There are still some pheasants around for late season pheasant hunters, and there were even some pheasant hunters out pursuing their goal of a nice rooster during the nine-day gun deer season. Rain has helped deteriorate the little bit of ice that had formed and geese are keeping open some sections of water on ponds. Many large flocks of ducks were still being observed in Rock County. Trappers are out in force trying to catch their last bit of fur before temperatures and snow make things more difficult. Trappers continue to harvest muskrats, mink, and coyotes. The raccoon harvest for trappers and hunters has slowed with the colder nights. A few otter have also been registered the last couple weeks in Rock County.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION

Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Ice fishing has started on the lake. Anglers reported about 4 inches of ice. Archery hunting for deer continues on the open parts of the park. Relatively few people come out for that hunting season. A saw-whet owl was observed this week along the Willow Falls trail. Measurable snowfall is predicted for the weekend starting Dec. 3. Big wind to shake the snow out of the trees is not predicted. Spotty coverage under the pines may not provide enough snow to groom for skiing. Depending on snow conditions trails may remain open to hiking or change to ski trails only. That decision will probably come on Saturday. All trails are open to hiking as of Thursday. Any changes over the weekend will show up on the skinnyski web site before they post here. Non skiers should call the office. Early season skiing has its challenges. Is the trail going to have enough snowfall, or base to support your skis? The first snowfall and subsequent rolling by the groomer can still leave a very thin base with no classic track. On the flats (or anywhere), if classic skis go through the base it can rub on the ground. The ski can get slowed down or stopped suddenly. What if both skis grab ground? How about downhill? Take care when you ski on that early snow if it is thin. Beginners should probably stick to the flatter trails and walk any down hills off trail. Skaters will probably have an easier time on the thin snow. Most skiers in this area don’t own back country (classic) skis, generally 60mm or wider at the narrow point. A wider and softer ski offers more floatation. These would be a better choice than racing or touring skis. Some models are built too wide for track skiing. On the flats by the beach, field, and dam area, skiers can cut their own classic track and the touring skis work fine. If the groomer is reporting a thin base early (www.skinnyski.com), arrive with choices. The Willow River Nordic skiers will resume training on selected weeknights when trails are in skiing condition. Adult ski lessons are planned for Saturdays Dec. 11 and 18. Lessons run 9 a.m. to noon stating at the Nature Center. Learn to skate ski or diagonal stride (classic.) Contact the park office to sign up. Instructors are all active racers or retired from the marathon length events. The student must provide the equipment. Unfortunately, rentals are not available nearby. In the event of not enough snow, a possible alternative could be a ski waxing clinic and some dry land training. Even “no wax” skis need waxing.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
People looking for some late season hunting opportunities, may want to set their sights on squirrels. These abundant mammals are found statewide and offer plenty of challenges for beginning and advanced hunters alike. Squirrels remain active throughout winter but will hole up for several days during the nastiest winter weather. With a daily bag limit of five and an open season that runs through Jan. 31, there are numerous opportunities for hunters. Be sure to comply with blaze orange laws when squirrel hunting during open gun deer seasons. And do not forget to recycle those squirrel tails (deer tails too) by sending them to Sheldon's in Antigo, where they will be utilized for dressing Mepps fishing lures. No other natural or synthetic fiber can duplicate the desirable qualities for dressing spinner baits as squirrel hair. See the Mepps website for details: [http://www.mepps.com/programs/squirrel-tail/].
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest - Winter is fast approaching. Currently there is no snow yet but a few inches are forecast for this weekend. Crews will need a minimum of 6 inches of quality snow to be able to groom cross-country ski trails. Skiers will notice that there has been a fair amount of timber sale activity along the trails this year. Motorized trails will open Dec. 15 as long as the ground is frozen. With current conditions and the forecast this should definitely occur by then. Once trails are open if temperatures get above freezing we ask ATVs to stay off the trails to protect the base. Snowshoers are welcome to enjoy their sport on any ungroomed trail in the state forest. We recommend people try either the nature trail at Castle Mound Campground, a two mile circular loop, or the five mile trail from Pigeon Creek to Smrekar road. This trail can be accessed by the Smrekar parking lot by hiking west on Smrekar road. The trail intersects the road just when the road takes a sharp 90 degree turn north. The trail continues west to Pigeon Creek Campground. Please note this trail is not a loop so you will need to turn around and retrace your steps at some point. If you are with a group one option is to have at least one vehicle at Pigeon Creek and at least one at the Smrekar parking lot so you do not have to turn around. East Fork Campground is closed for the season and will not open until the middle of April. A few select sites will be plowed open at Castle Mound and Pigeon Creek this winter.
Wausau DNR Service Center area
Rib Mountain State Park - The road leading into the main portion of the park is now open. Please make note that construction activities are still taking place at the top of the mountain as we begin work on the new Public Entrance and Visitor Station. Lots of deer, woodchucks and even an occasional turkey have been seen. Trails are in excellent condition, we are working on developing new trails in the quarry area. Muzzeloader deer hunting is going on in certain areas of the park through Dec. 8. The park is open to all visitors, we recommend that non-hunters where blaze orange for safety purposes. Granite Peak Ski Area has begun to make snow in anticipation of the 2010-2011 ski season, please visit [www.skigranitepeak.com] (exit DNR) for more information.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - The park and wildlife areas are open to late bow deer season. The park office registers deer when the office is open. Muzzleloader deer hunting is allowed in the Yellow River Wildlife Area and 1,200 acres of state park north of Cty G and north of 31st St. Waterfowl and small game hunting are allowed in the Yellow River Wildlife Area and Buckhorn Wildlife Area only, not in the state park. Check the current hunting maps for areas and rules. Note: there was an error in the deer regulations. Buckhorn is a REGULAR unit, not herd control. For does you must purchase a 54A doe tag. During the December 9-12 antlerless hunt you must use a unit specific tag (ex. 54A antlerless). The "T intersection" gate and gates on 22nd Ave and 33rd will be closed when roads are snow covered. A few Campsites are open for winter camping.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The campground and main gate are now closed for the season. Parking is available at the winter lot on Czech Ave and that pit toilet is still open. Hunting is not allowed in Roche-A-Cri State Park.

WDNR - DNR Outdoor Report - December 2, 2010

DNR Public Meeting - Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan

2010-11-30T17:03:00.000-06:00

December 2 – DNR Fisheries Staff will present the Draft Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan from 6-8 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. The purpose of the meeting is to review and get feedback on the draft management plan for the Green Bay muskellunge fishery and re-establishment program. The draft management plan identifies fisheries objectives, strategies and management recommendations to achieve the previously established goals for the fishery. For more information, please call David Rowe (920) 662-5480 or Mike Donofrio (715) 582-5050.

WCSFO MEETING MINUTES from October 16, 2010

2010-11-29T18:15:00.000-06:00

WCSFO website

October 16, 2010

President John Durben began our meeting at 9:18 a.m. Long time ex-President Ted Lind was not in attendance.

Secretary and media director, Larry Van Veghel, of the Wisconsin Fishing Club Ltd., read the minutes from our statewide spring meeting. The minutes were approved as read.

New Treasurer Cornell Stroik ably read the Treasurer’s report. He said we have $5384.82 in our checking account, and we have $3,061.00 even in our savings account. The Treasurer’s report was approved as read. President Durben submitted a few bills including that for our post office box.

We discussed our continual meeting topic of attracting more members. We have representative vacancies for Muskies, Panfish, Inland Trout and other species, per our spring meeting. Our mailing and dues lists will be updated. Dues forms for 2010 will go out at the beginning of the year. Clubs remaining behind are more than urged to “catch up.”

Per George Meyer, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (WWF), the musky season still starts in June up north. The legislators must react to change this.

The no phosphorous in fertilizer bill was passed.

The Invasive Aquatic Plants and Species Bill is being enforced by wardens, especially when it is blatantly disobeyed. Boat washers were suggested, as they work quite well, but they are too expensive to have at all state launches.

The Department of Agriculture is still looking into a ban on Mercury usage, per Meyer.

With launch expert Lind not in attendance, Meyer covered the boat launching news. We voted to support having a launch in Rawley’s Bay in Door County. Although having numerous rock piles, per WCSFO secretary Van Veghel’s having fished here, there is a safety need for having a launch as there is a long distance between Lake Michigan launches. Van Veghel said that this has long been the back-up, safety site launch for the Washington Island ferries that cross the dangerous Devil’s Door between the Door County Peninsula tip and Washington Island’s Detroit Harbor.

Meyers said the North Lake launch continues to be hung up in court by the North Lake Association personnel.

The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation is pushing for removing wolves from the Federal endangered species list in our state. We have over 762 wolves. The DNR did not stock any of these wolves. These omnivores crossed the borders of Minnesota and Upper Michigan and have reproduced. Van Veghel stated this is because we have deer with CWD, and wolves prey on sick or weak deer. A majority of members’ present advisory voted to support this removal, even though we are a fishery and fish habitat organization.

Per Treasurer Cornell Stroik, who represents the bass anglers of Wisconsin, it was Gerry McGinnis who bought B.A.S.S. away from ESPN. McGinnis is an avid angler who had a long running family TV fishing show.

The Bass Federation, TBF, is reorganizing with “good” officers. TBF is a WCSFO member organization. Stroik also gave us an update on C.A.S.T., our offshoot tournament education organization.

Under “Old Business,” Meyers offered to work with Stroik on this project. Meyers asked if we should have a meeting. WCSFO members are urged to email their comments on this to President Durben, plus Meyers and Stroik. Secretary Van Veghel, due to having the impatience brought on by having cancer, requested that something finally be done on this, as C.A.S.T. has been bringing this up for years. After many years of service, Warren Zaren has retired from C.A.S.T., and only Stroik continues working toward getting things accomplished.

Meyers will send a draft to Mike Staggs asking to put oxygen requirements into the tournament permit request. He also added that he will state that permit requests require mandatory training before issuance to insure that tournaments are correctly and safely run.

Look for a DNR Advisory Board Question in the 2011 Spring Hearings asking if all lakes in southeast Wisconsin should have a 3 walleye 18 inch bag limit. At this time, there is absolutely no biological reason for this regulation.

Mike Staggs, Director Bureau of Fisheries Management, WDNR, unable to attend in spring was not able to attend this fall due to end-of-the-year state budget restraints.

Our March 29, 2011 statewide spring meeting is scheduled for Gander Mountain in Franklin, WI where attendees normally get a discount. This is the third Saturday of the month. Mark your calendars.

For representation, member clubs MUST send their delegates. New member clubs are always welcome as are new individual and business members.

Respectively submitted,

L.A. Van Veghel

WCSFO Secretary & Media Director

2010 Angler Education Workshops

2010-11-16T17:07:00.000-06:00

These workshops focus on teaching basic spincasting and incorporating related topics in a K-12 curriculum. School teachers, fishing club members, and community youth fishing program leaders are invited.

Please check back from time to time for updates to this schedule. Unless otherwise noted, all workshops are free of charge and include lunch or dinner, however, we do have a $15 workshop commitment fee to ensure good attendance by registrants. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle in so that we may begin on time. If your plans change, please notify us so that we may plan accordingly and refund your workshop commitment fee. Pre-registration is required.

To schedule a volunteer or teacher training workshop in your community, please contact Theresa Stabo, Aquatic Resources Educator, (608) 266-2272. We need a minimum of 8 to 12 adult participants, depending on location, to hold a workshop.

General Angler Education Instructor Training

No general workshops are currently scheduled. We'll post them as we learn of the details.

Teacher Conferences

Look for us at teachers' conferences!

Photo: Instructors-In-Training test sample non-lead sinkers at a Rhinelander workshop.

Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan Meeting

2010-11-16T16:58:00.001-06:00

December 2 – DNR Fisheries Staff will present the Draft Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan from 6-8 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. The purpose of the meeting is to review and get feedback on the draft management plan for the Green Bay muskellunge fishery and re-establishment program. The draft management plan identifies fisheries objectives, strategies and management recommendations to achieve the previously established goals for the fishery. For more information, please call David Rowe (920) 662-5480 or Mike Donofrio (715) 582-5050.

Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: November 15, 2010

2010-11-16T16:50:00.001-06:00

Kenosha Co.

No report.
Racine Co.
On the Root River in Racine fishing remains relatively decent. Water temperatures are in the mid-40s, clarity is good, but water levels are low. Most anglers have been picking up coho salmon and brown trout. Catches of steelhead have been limited, and most have been taken downstream from the weir. Fish have been caught on both spawn sacs under a bobber and on medium sized, brightly colored flies. Fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Monday, November 8, and an additional 34 chinooks, 262 coho, 50 rainbows, and 2 browns were passed upstream. So far this season, DNR crews have spawned 756 coho at the Root and collected over 850,000 eggs. The facility will be shut down on Tuesday, November 16.
Milwaukee Co.
In Milwaukee shore fishing has been relatively slow along the lakefront. In the Milwaukee River browns and steelhead have been seen downstream of Capitol Drive, and egg sucking leeches and yarn have both been effective for fly anglers. Water levels are low and fishing has been slow on the Menomonee River and Oak Creek.
Ozaukee Co.
In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching a mix of rainbows and browns on skein in the north slip and near the power plant. Fishing on Sauk Creek has been slow, and water levels are very low.
Sheboygan Co.
In Sheboygan anglers on the Sheboygan River have been catching a mixed bag of coho, rainbows, and browns between Esslingen Park and the Kohler dam. A few northern pike have been taken as well. Most anglers have been fly fishing, but a few fish have been taken on spawn sacs also.

Lake Mille Lacs walleye regulation to change Dec. 1

2010-11-16T16:46:00.000-06:00

(Released November 15, 2010)

Walleye anglers who fish Lake Mille Lacs are reminded that effective Dec. 1, the regulation allows them to keep four walleye up to 18 inches, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

All walleye between 18-and 28-inches must be immediately released. One walleye more than 28 inches is allowed in possession.

Information about fishing regulations is available online.

Gamefish on the humps

2010-11-14T11:21:00.001-06:00

Humping For Late Fall Open Water Gamefish

A cold wind crept down his back, but he did his best to ignore it. He knew soon that the ice fishing season would arrive. He liked to cast and fight his quarry in open water. It was big fish season, and a real outdoorsman and a veteran of snowy, frigid Packers games could take it.

He continued to cast…retrieve…cast…retrieve. The repetitive motion helped keep him warm as did a thermos of hot coffee. He made a well-honed cast toward and just beyond some broadleaved aquatic plants and began his retrieve.

Paul Redel with a typical largemouth that hit his special balloon tipped Mepps inline spinner.

Photo: Courtesy Paul Redel

Lawrence Van Veghel

Milwaukee Fishing Examiner

Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sportfishing Club October Speaker

2010-10-19T17:46:00.000-05:00

Greg Ellison of Traxstech will speak about boat rigging.. This could be a very interesting topic and good for new boat owners as well as old seasoned owners looking for an update.

The meeting will be held on Thursday night, October 21, at 7:00 PM at the Stadium View Sports Bar & Grill located at 1963 Holmgren Way in Green Bay.

"Open-House" at C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility

2010-10-18T18:16:00.000-05:00

Attached is a short bonus video showing the process used to get the salmon eggs needed for the hatcheries. The fish that are hatched are eventually planted back into Lake Michigan.

John E.Durben video

DNR Hosts Open House at C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility

2010-10-18T16:59:00.000-05:00

By John E. Durben

(Kewaunee, WI.) The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) hosted an "open-house" at C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility on Saturday, October 9. Activities at the open-house included guided tours of the the facility, underwater viewing windows to watch the salmon jump the man-made fish ladder, fly tying demonstrations, fly casting lessons, tee-shirt stamping, Lake Michigan trolling with a boat set up for the sport, various activities for the kids, a chance to learn the salmon egg collection process and more.

The Hatchery is located near Kewaunee, WI., and the open-house was carefully planned to coincide with the salmon spawning cyle. There were many anglers there with visions of catching some of those big fish, I know because I was one of them.

Top Left: One of the workers in the hatchery sorting the fish that have just been released from the fish elevator.
Top Right: Stripping the milk from the maile fish to mix with the eggs.
Middle Left: Mona gets a free fly casting lesson
Middle Right: The lobby area of the building where guests can view what's happening in the hatchery.
Bottom Left: Photo of one of the viewing windows where guests can watch the Salmon as they try to make their way up the Kewaunee River.
Bottom Right: Salmon staging in one of the pools as they rest before trying to make another attempt at getting on more step closer to their spawing area.

All photos by John E. Durben

WCSFO Fall Meeting

2010-10-12T18:46:00.000-05:00

Date: October 16, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Walleyes for Tomorrow Office, 224 Auburn, Fond Du Lac WI

Club Delegates are urged to attend - All Club Members are welcome

Meeting Agenda:
1. Call to order / Introductions / sign in
2. Minutes from March 20, 2010 Spring Meeting (L.A. Van Veghel)
3. Treasurers Report (Cornell Stroik)
4. Organization Update

Treasury – Transition Update
Membership

5. Dues Notices (2011)
6. WDNR Updates – The DNR was unable to provide a representative to attend our meeting this fall however, Mike Staggs provided us with some updates in the attachment that accompanies this notice. (We will review them at the meeting.
7. Online newsletter (Need email addresses/subscribers and newsletter content info to disburse). This ties together, but if we want to provide info – we need contacts and info. Majority of info at this time is being provided by the WDNR via news releases and other material from L.A. Van Veghel.
8. WI Wildlife Federation Update (George Meyer)
9. Lake access news (Ted Lind)
10. B.A.S.S. Federation News (Cornell Stoik)
11. Tournaments/C.A.S.T. – Updates/News
12. “Kids Fishing Klinics,” Update for 2011
13. Old Business:

WWF/WCSFO Tournament-Seminar Sept./Oct. this year (Stevens Point? Good Idea but never happened.)
Kids Fishing Book

14. New Business:
15. Adjourn

Pike, largemouth bass & walleyes remain active into Dog Days

2010-08-05T18:20:00.000-05:00

Roger Stack is the owner of R&R Sports, aka fishin' hole, and he's been in business for decades. His large, current store is at 3115 E. Layton Ave., Cudahy, WI 53110, (414) 481-6888.

My favorite St. Croix panfish rod had suffered a life-ending blow, so I'd retired it to tomato plant stick status. Of almost 70 ready-to-go rod and reel set-ups, this had been my most productive set-up. It was light, and so was the sturdy metal, black Browning spinning reel.

I was replaceing the St. Croix with a longer version, as I had done in the past. I toss light, plastic-bodied Dick Smith Panfish Grubs, so I wanted additional casting distance while having excellent feel of even the lightest bites. I place the line in the crease of my index finger, so as to feel bites that finger tip callouses would not notice. 4# Fireline Crystal line went onto the reel. The line that had been on it when the reel was bought had been the worst line I'd ever had regarding coiling and coming off en masse' from the reel spool. The line had more memory than could a herd of elephants.

At the other end of the spectrum was the South Bend musky rod that had decided to break rather than be bent to fit into a smaller space than was possible. The panfish rod was needed for Friday of the same week, and Saturday required the musky rod.

This time, I asked Stack's advice. I wanted to go into the 7' to 7'-6" range, as current musky pros were using longer rods in place of the old broom stick models. Besides my brass Shimano Calcutta looked awful sad and lonely mounted to the reel seat of the old, broken rod. Not knowing how I'd react to my cancer treatments and with professional fishing rod suggestions from Stack, I again went with a St. Croix rod. It was longer and lighter than the previous rod, and it had excellent backbone. The Shimano reel and this rod were a perfect match. I added some off white crankbaits because new lures always help motivate.

The Fishin' Hole is known for its accurate, over-the-phone, fishing reports. You'll get plenty of fishing related advertising, but the reports are excellent. Stack covers effective baits, depths, active species and lots more.

Roger told me the bass were coming from along drop-offs, and anglers have been catching these fish on dropshots with 7" plastic worms along weedlines during the day. My success had been on black Chatterbaits.

As he has for a few decades, Roger uses the Diving B's, by Berkley, along weedlines in 20-35 feet of water. This is where big pike and muskies suspend and watch for dinner to swim past. Smaller pike and muskies tend to inhabit the weed jungles. As the bottoms of the aquatic plants drop their leaves, pike and muskies have little trouble cruising in search of food.

With the welcomed normal summer weather consistancy, panfish are found in traditional locations including along drop-off and suspended off of drop-offs. Panfish anglers have had excellent success when using ice fishing jigs and Gulp.

By: L.A. Van Veghel - Milwaukee Fishing Examiner

Spiny waterfleas discovered in Burntside Lake

2010-08-03T17:20:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed that spiny waterfleas were discovered in Burntside Lake near Ely last week. They were discovered by an angler when he observed them collecting on fishing lines in the water.

“Spiny waterfleas can spread when boats, fishing or bait harvesting gear become contaminated with egg-laden females or when water from the infested lakes and rivers is transported,” said Rich Rezanka, DNR invasive species specialist. “Although the waterfleas can die between fishing trips, they might be carrying resting eggs that can begin a new infestation.”

Spiny waterfleas are currently found in Lake Superior, Mille Lacs Lake, Fish Lake, and the U.S.-Canadian border waters such as Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake and Namakan Lake as well as lakes on the Gunflint Trail north of Grand Marias.

Spiny waterfleas can collect in masses, entangling on fishing lines, downrigger cables, and anchor lines. The masses can resemble gelatin or cotton batting with tiny black spots, which are the creatures’ eyes or eggs. Individual animals are difficult to distinguish without magnification because they are only one-fourth to five-eighths inch long.

Spiny waterfleas are zooplankton - microscopic animals like the Daphnia in lakes. They have a long tail spine with up to three pairs of barbs. As a predator, they eat other zooplankton, often becoming abundant in late summer and fall.

Anglers are often the first to discover spiny waterfleas because they become attached to fishing gear. The waterfleas can be a nuisance to anglers, collecting in gobs on fishing lines and downrigging cables.

Spiny waterfleas can change the species and numbers of zooplankton, which may harm those lake ecosystems. Native zooplankton are an important food source for small fish.

However, spiny waterfleas are not good forage and may actually compete with fish for desirable native zooplankton.

In response to this new infestation, the DNR will:

Designate Burntside as infested with spiny waterflea prohibiting the transport of water and requiring draining of livewells, bait containers, and bilges.
Update the signs at water accesses on Burntside to indicate the presence of the waterfleas.
Increase watercraft inspections and enforcement efforts at the water accesses
Provide area businesses with information on spiny waterfleas.

Before leaving the water access, boaters and anglers should:

Remove aquatic plants and animals, including gelatinous or cotton-batting-like material from fishing lines, downrigger cables, anchor ropes or waterfowl decoy cords.
Drain water from livewells, bait containers, and bilges by removing the drain plugs. (Those who want to keep live bait must replace lake or river water with tap or spring water.)

Boaters and anglers should also:

Dispose of unwanted live bait, fish parts, and worms in the trash.
Wash/spray the watercraft and gear with hot high pressure or hot tap water for several minutes before transporting to another water.
Dry the watercraft and gear thoroughly for at least 24 hours and preferably five days before transporting to other waters.

Experts believe spiny waterfleas originally arrived in the U.S. from Eurasia in the ballast water of cargo ships. They were first found in Lake Superior in 1987.

Wisconsin Fishing Club LTD to Host Meeting

2010-08-03T16:51:00.001-05:00

Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd.

2010 - Our 44th year.

Aug. 9- Kevin Moore, tournament angler, IMTT 2006 Team of the Year and IMTT 2006 Pewaukee Champion, and guide, speaks on Secret Summer Musky Spots.
Free! Yester Years Pub & Grill, 9427 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, 414-476-9055. Contact
Dan Freiherr, Treasurer, 414-464-9316,. Fishing reports, fishing equipment raffle plus hot food is available.

Kevin Moore's Muskies, Etc. Guide Service website: http:\\www.muskiesetc.com

Our club is an active member of the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations.

Free Internet Milwaukee Fishing Examiner column at: http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner

Inspection data shows minority of boaters increasing risk to lakes and river

2010-07-27T17:31:00.000-05:00

Wardens will shift from education to enforcement of new aquatic invasive species law

MADISON – Surveys at boat landings across Wisconsin in summer 2010 show that 96 percent of people say they are following a new law to prevent the spread of Eurasian water-milfoil and other aquatic invasive species. But a few are leaving boat landings with aquatic plants attached, potentially putting scores of lakes and rivers at risk.

From May through late July, 182 people were observed arriving at boat launches with aquatic plants hanging off their boat trailers or boats, or driving away from boat launches at the end of the day with invasive plants attached, according to statewide reports entered through July 25 by boat inspectors and DNR Water Guards. Boat inspectors advise the boaters of the law and how to comply, but they do not have authority to issue warnings or citations. Survey results are available on the Department of Natural Resources website.

Chief Conservation Warden Randy Stark says that such numbers will spur conservation wardens and Water Guards to shift from educating boaters about the new law, to enforcing it. “Given the extensive media coverage and boater surveys at the landings showing high public awareness of the new law, we’ll begin transitioning to enforcing the law by issuing citations to those individuals who, by not complying, can erase the excellent efforts of the vast majority of boaters.”

The vast majority of Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers are free from the most problematic aquatic invasive species; a case over the July 4th weekend in Vilas County illustrates the threat such waters face from boaters who do not follow laws to prevent spreading aquatic invasive species or fish diseases.

DNR Water Guard John Preuss checked the public launch at pristine Allequash Lake in Vilas County and found a trailer with Eurasian water milfoil and zebra mussels hanging from it. When the boater returned to the launch, he told Preuss he was aware of aquatic species law but launched anyway with weeds attached. The man had fished earlier that week in Shawano Lake in Shawano County, which has aquatic invasives including Eurasian water-milfoil, rusty crayfish and zebra mussels. Preuss cited the man for launching a boat in state waters with invasive plants attached, which carries a penalty of $389.50 for a first time offense.

“The Vilas County AIS Partnership is very happy that (Water Guard) John Preuss chose to visit the landing that day and was vigilant in following through on the incident and issuing a citation,” says Ted Ritter, who coordinates invasive species efforts for Vilas County. He adds that the UW Trout Lake Center for Limnology has agreed to monitor Allequash Lake carefully to see if either zebra mussels or Eurasian water-milfoil get established in the lake from the incident, Ritter says.

Aquatic invasive species officials and public awareness campaigns have stressed to boaters the need to inspect their boats and remove any aquatic plants for the last 15-20 years. It’s illegal to launch or leave boat launches and drive on public roads with aquatic plants and animals attached, according to Bob Wakeman, who coordinates aquatic invasive species prevention and control for the DNR.

DNR conservation wardens, Water Guards, and the paid and volunteer watercraft inspectors statewide made a concerted push in the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July holiday, the busiest boating weekend of the year, to educate people about the laws. The effort netted extensive media coverage and wardens and Water Guards statewide issued dozens of warnings to boaters about the transport law, regional warden supervisors reported.

“Awareness of AIS is very high thanks to the efforts of many individuals and groups around the state that see this as a potential threat to the quality of the lakes in the state,” Stark says. “Enforcement of this new law will help support their work, and the good job most boaters are doing to remove aquatic plants and animals from their boats and trailers. We need everybody to do it, however, and hope the enforcement stick can get those last few boaters to comply.”

Lake by lake breakdown on boat inspections available

People can find additional information invasive species and control efforts in a new, user-friendly aquatic invasives database available on the Department of Natural Resources website.

Web users can find statewide statistics, as well as by county. The site provides data on boat inspection efforts, boater compliance and special projects to prevent or control invasive species. The information is displayed in easy to read pie charts and bar graphs, and it’s updated every 15 minutes to reflect the reports as they’re filed by more than 1,000 boat inspectors, both paid and volunteer, and by DNR Water Guards, according to Jennifer Filbert, who is developing the database and pages.

The site is a work in progress, and more features may be added in coming months, including more information about local projects to prevent or control the spread of aquatic invasive species, and interactive maps.

Keep an Eye on Your Boat Trailer and It Will Treat You Well

2010-07-23T07:44:00.000-05:00

The BoatUS Trailering Club's Top 3 Reasons for Trailer Mishaps

ALEXANDRIA, Va- With the boating season now in full swing, the miles are starting to add up for the thousands of boaters and anglers trailering their boats and fishing rigs to their favorite waterway.

The BoatUS Trailering Club, which offers "Trailer Assist" roadside assistance for both disabled boat trailers and their tow vehicles, says if you want your trailer travels to remain trouble-free, now is the time to keep a close eye on your trailer for wear and damage.

So far this summer, the BoatUS 24-hour dispatch centers (800-391-4869) report the following top three reasons why boaters are requesting help, as well as some tips to ensure a smooth tow to the lake all summer long:

#1 Flat tires: Tires should be inspected before, during and after each trip, and inflated to proper PSI (usually 50 PSI). Having a spare in serviceable condition is key, along with a jack that works with your trailer (most vehicle jacks don't). Waiting to replace a tire that is worn or dry-rotted, or not properly inflated are sure-fire ways to disable a boat trailer quickly.

#2 Bearing problems: Bearings should be inspected, cleaned and repacked at least once a year - more if you boat in salt water or put a lot of miles on your rig. Keeping dust caps in place helps prevent premature wear. The best early indicator of bearing problems is to stop the rig periodically to feel the hubs for heat. It's normal for hubs to get warm, but they should not be hot to the touch.

#3 Axle problems: Axles don't last forever, especially those regularly immersed in salt water. Whether it's a torsion axle or standard leaf-spring mounted axle, pay close attention to any rust and corrosion - and that includes the fasteners (bolts) that keep it attached to the trailer.

Trailer Assist service is $14 annually, plus association membership of $24. For more information on the BoatUS Trailering Club and all of the services provided, visit www.BoatUS.com/trailerclub or call 800-395-2628.
About the BoatUS Trailering Club:

The BoatUS Trailering Club is from Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) - the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with government representation, programs and money saving services. The Club's Trailer Assist program offers over 18,000 roadside service providers across North America with the experience and equipment to handle a disabled tow vehicle and trailer, and will tow both up to 100 miles to the nearest repair facility, safe location, or home. Flat tires, lock out service, ramp-winching are also included. For more visit www.BoatUS.com/trailerclub or call 800-395-2628.

Wisconsin Outdoor Report as of July 22, 2010

2010-07-22T17:59:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin continued to receive ample rain in the last week, keeping rivers and flowages running very high. Some areas of the state received as much as 5 additional inches of rain over the last week. The major rivers like the Black, Chippewa, Fox, Rock, Wisconsin and Mississippi area all running very high. Some northern rivers are high while others are closer to seasonal norms. Canoeists and kayakers on the Lower Wisconsin River should be aware that most sandbars are submerged, making it difficult to find camping spots. Many waters in both Columbia and Sauk counties are under slow-no-wake ordinances. Many of northern Wisconsin’s seepage lakes remain at a relatively low levels, but they have been creeping up with the slowly increasing ground water levels.

The unsettled weather has kept angling success real variable. In the north, musky continue to provide the most consistent action and are showing much more of a typical summer pattern. Top-water baits continue to be the most successful and some nice catches in the 36 to 42-inch size and some up to 48 inches have been reported. Bass and walleye fishing have both generally been slow. Panfish action has been fair, with decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass reported, with bluegill a bit tougher to find.

Despite the storms of the last week, fishing pressure on Green Bay and Lake Michigan was heavy this week. A smallmouth bass tournament on Green Bay had around 100 boats hitting the water. Fishing was slow entering the weekend but picked up for the tournament. The Two Rivers and Manitowoc piers were also packed full over the weekend for a fishing derby. Trollers were averaging seven to eight fish during the week with a few limits reported. Trollers out of southeastern Wisconsin harbors continued to report good success with a mixed bag of chinook, coho, rainbow, and a few brown and lake trout. A angler out of Racine reportedly brought in a 41.5 pound brown trout last Friday. Shore fishing has also been good, with fair numbers of chinook, some browns and a few perch taken off piers.

The nesting season is winding down but some species are still working on late nests or their second or third clutches. Tennessee and Nashville warblers and other species are moving around now that their breeding season is almost over. Bald eagle fledglings are now hunting on their own. Outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife watchers from across the state have reported 422 game bird brood observations during the first month of the survey period.. The most frequently observed game bird species is turkeys with an average of four poults per hen. Ruffed grouse are the next most frequently seen game bird followed by pheasants, with both averaging five poults per hen. People can continue to report observations throughout the remainder of July and the month of August through the Wisconsin Game Bird Brood Observations page of the DNR website. Red admiral and monarch butterflies are prevalent.

Blueberries and raspberries are ripe in the north and bountiful crops are being reported. Mid summer wildflowers blooming include asters, bergamot, coneflowers, compass plant, goldenrods, milkweed, mullein, sunflower, evening primrose, hoary vervain, yarrow, queen Anne's lace and big and little bluestem.

NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area

Brule River State Forest – The Bois Brule River is running at normal seasonal levels. Blueberry pickers (and bear) are enjoying the bountiful crop. Pin cherries and chokecherries should ripen in the next few days. Flowers that have started blooming in the past couple of weeks are campion, sorrel, milkweed, mullein, native sunflower, evening primrose, asters, fleabane, and big blue stem. Invasive species that are blooming now are spotted knapweed, butter and eggs, hoary alyssum, and tansy. Summer seems to going quickly now as there is a little over a month before kids are back in school. It is not too late to get out to the Brule River State Forest to do some camping, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, checking out the Hatchery, or soaking in the sun on the beach. Admission stickers are only required in the campgrounds and the picnic area at the Bois Brule Canoe Landing, everywhere else has free admission…a fun and inexpensive way to spend a summer day!

Ashland DNR Service Center area

Big Bay State Park – The highs have been in the 80s with the lows in the 60s.Trails are in good condition. The raspberries and blueberries are abundant and ripe. Campsites have been quickly filling up, and reservations are highly recommended. Access to Madeline Island and the park is via the Madeline Island Ferry Line service. The ferries depart from Bayfield and carry passengers and vehicles of all sizes. They run 7 days per week

Park Falls DNR Service Center area

Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The Upper Chippewa Basin received about another inch of rain in the last week. This has kept most streams and flowages at a high level and made for some tough fishing conditions. However, many of the seepage lakes still remain at a relatively low level and they have just been creeping up with the slowly increasing ground water levels. Weed densities continue to be real variable, with emergent vegetation such as wild rice, bulrush and water lily appearing to be at typical densities. But submergent weed growth such as pondweed, musky cabbage, coontail and milfoil continues to be relatively light for this time of year on many lakes and flowages. Angling success continues to be real variable and the constantly changing weather seems to be keeping most species pretty tight-lipped. Musky have been providing the most consistent action as the fish are showing much more of a typical summer pattern. The best success has been coming from weed edges and over the weed beds, with top-water baits providing some very good action. Some nice catches have been made, with most of the fish in the 36 to 42-inch size and some up to 48 inches also reported. Bass fishing has been generally slow, with both largemouth and smallmouth being somewhat tough to find. Largemouth still do not seem to be in their typical summer pattern and the fish that have been caught have been found in a variety of different habitats. From deep-water structure, to bog edges, to shallow weeds, to woody cover – all have produced some fish, but none have produced real consistently. The same has held true for smallmouth, and they seem to be even more finicky than the largemouth lately. A few nice fish have been caught on a slow presentation of plastic finesse baits – worked near woody structure in 5 to 8 feet of water. Walleye action continues to be slow and many anglers have just given up trying to catch this species during these dog days of summer. The catches that have been made have come on small weedless jigs, fished with a leech or a piece of crawler that is worked thru the mid-depth weed beds. Panfish action has been fair. Some decent catches of crappie, perch and rock bass continue to be made, but larger bluegill have been a bit tougher to find.

NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area

Lots of rain has the rivers running high and fast, combine this with the heat and humidity and fishing pressure in most places has been light. Lots of debris still hampers river and bay anglers alike.

Marinette County – The Peshtigo Harbor has still been producing some catfish and sheepshead but it takes an ounce or better of weight to keep bait in place. The salmon bite out of the Menominee River has been good from the 3 Sisters to Chambers Island, no one color stands out at this time although green seems to work well. The walleye bite on the Menominee is alive and well with trolling in the evening netting anglers some nice eye’s in the 17 to 20 inch range. With the fast moving water trolling up river is the only effective means of presenting a lure.

Oconto County – A few panfish were being caught up by the dam at Stiles but most of the activity is coming from kayaks, canoes, and rafters enjoying the rivers. The perch bite is spotty out of Oconto Breakwater and Oconto Park II. If you get on a school there are some nice fish, with minnows being the bait of choice. Find the weed beds in 8 to 16 feet of water.

Green Bay DNR Service Center area

Brown County – Bayshore Park anglers have had some good walleye action. Most anglers have been fishing crawler harnesses. Anglers have been fishing water depths ranging 8 to 24 feet of water depending on the day. Perch fishing is still hit or miss. Minnows or worms seem to be working the best for perch anglers.

Manitowoc County – High temperatures in the mid-80s combined with light winds early in the week created excellent pre-fishing for area anglers participating in the Two Rivers Kiwanis Fish Derby. By Thursday, the winds picked up out of the west at 15-20 mph, bringing in cold water to help out pier anglers. Water temperatures varied from the mid-50s to the lower 60s over the weekend which was the biggest challenge for derby contestants. Boats were averaging 7-8 fish during the week with a few three person limits, but fishing consistency slowed for the derby. Pier fishing has been consistent all week, with several of the top fish in the derby being caught off the piers along the lakeshore. Out of Two Rivers, the best action has moved in shallow between 15-30 feet from Two Rivers ranging south to Cleveland. Most boats by the weekend were fishing the gaps of both the Manitowoc and Two Rivers piers. Coolers have consisted mostly of chinook salmon of all age classes, along with rainbows and browns. The brown trout have been relatively big, with many in the 13-18 pound range. The majority of boats have had success using spoons up high with J-Plugs on the down riggers and also up higher on planer boards. Green in both plugs and spoons continues to be the color of choice, but some days any color catches fish. With fishing so shallow, scatter the water column and you will find where the fish are. Keep an eye out for cooler temperature breaks and try working those areas. With the derby over the weekend, the Two Rivers and Manitowoc piers were packed full this past week. The catch has been dominated by three and four year old kings ranging from 12-18 pounds with a few large rainbow and brown trout. Casting with green champs, any type of green spoons, and jigging with gulp minnows have been reported for taking most of the kings, rainbows, and browns. Using alewife on bottom or on bobber four feet down has also been very successful with kings and rainbows. Get out as early as you can, both in the morning and afternoon, considering most fish have been taken near the end of the piers.

Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area

Door County – The third week of July was dominated by a nasty mid week thunderstorm and inclement weather. A large storm cell came through the area Wednesday and shook fishing conditions up a bit. Spotty showers continued through the week and into the weekend. The mid week thunderstorm had some affect on fishing; however, fish were still being caught on both the lake and the bay. Fishing the bank reef has been busy to say the least with most success coming on a variety of baits including flies, spoons and j-plugs. Occasional rainbows were being caught in the upper 70 feet of the water column, but most coolers have been dominated by salmon. A smallmouth bass tournament was held over the weekend with around 100 boats hitting the water. Fishing was slow entering the weekend but picked up for the tournament. Plastics were the popular bait, along with some stick baits and spinner baits. Perch fishing has been decent, finding keepers has been the only obstacle. Minnows have been the most productive bait working in a variety of depths from 15 to 40 feet of water. Most anglers report about one keeper per two or three fish caught. Fishing countywide has continued to be productive. Chaudoir’s Dock anglers have been fishing perch with some success. Most have been fishing south of the landing in 20 feet of water. Minnows have been working the best rigged on a slip bobber or a bottom rig. Anglers were also catching a few walleye with most being caught on a crawler harness. Anglers fishing walleyes have also reported numbers of drum and catfish being caught as well. Little Sturgeon Bay anglers have been having good success on perch fishing in the weeds in the bay. A few walleye are being caught by anglers trolling, most have been caught on crank baits. Sturgeon Bay anglers have been catching some perch. The best action has been in the weeds off the State Park.

Peninsula State Park – All hiking trails and the Sunset Bicycle Trail are open. Heavy and sustained rain over recent weeks has resulted in standing and flowing water across portions of Eagle Trail. Otherwise, trails are in good condition. The off-road bicycle trails are open to riding, but may be wet in some sections. Please report impassable trails to park staff. The American redstart–a warbler which nests in the park–has been frequently spotted by park visitors in recent weeks. Grouse are having second broods. Red admiral and monarch butterflies are prevalent. Self-heal, bergamot, harebell, rudbeckia, herb Robert, and bittersweet nightshade are currently in bloom. Peninsula is currently keeping a record of all salamander observations. Please report any salamander sightings to the White Cedar Nature Center. The bat boxes attached to the exterior of the Welcker’s Point shelter building are home to a nursery colony of little brown and big brown bats. Bats can be observed exiting the bat boxes nightly, about 30 minutes after sunset. Nicolet Beach is open for swimming, but the bathrooms and showers are still undergoing replacement and are not available. The nearest showers are located in the North and South Nicolet Bay campgrounds. A toilet trailer has been provided at the beach for convenience. Construction of the pre-fabricated shower building is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. Mosquitoes are out in full force due to recent rain. Plan to bring insect repellent for hiking Peninsula’s inland trails.

Kewaunee County – Some major storms made their way through the county this week and brought with them varying wind strengths and directions. The wind did not seem to remain blowing in one direction consistently and caused the water temperatures at the surface to change by more than 10 degrees some days. This brought a week of very up and down fishing out on Lake Michigan. The Kewaunee pier had a few reports of king salmon and rainbow trout being caught but the fishing continued to be very slow this week. The most productive lures were spoons that were red with black flecks. This week the fishing out on the lake near Kewaunee continued to show varied success. Some days had reports of fish being caught early in the mornings but shutting down around 6 am and remaining slow for the remainder of the day and night. Other days the bite seemed to be pretty consistent throughout the day and into the evening others. The fish caught throughout the week seemed vary in depths ranging for 70 feet to about 180 feet of water. The anglers that were able to find water temperatures in the mid 50s had consistently caught fish while any temperatures about 56 degrees seemed to be slow fishing. The fish seemed to be split almost 50/50 on spoons and flies with no particular color doing better than others. Once again the pier fishing in Algoma was very slow with reports of only two fish being caught all week. The two reported fish were caught on fire tiger spoons and were both rainbow trout. The fishing all week was hampered by a combination of warm waters and storms that ravaged the area. The average catch per boat this week was down dramatically to only 2-3 fish and the size of the fish considerably smaller as well.

SOUTHEAST REGION

Havenwoods State Forest – Trails are in good condition. Deer, squirrels, raccoon, turkeys, red-tailed hawks, cooper’s hawk, owls, mourning doves, chickadees, nuthatch, downy woodpeckers, flickers, song sparrows, meadowlark, bluebirds, bobolink, Baltimore orioles, American redstart, wood ducks, and mallards are all being seen in the forest.

Kettle Moraine State Forest – Pike Lake Unit – All trails are open. Trails east of Powder Hill Road have some wet and muddy areas. Temporary planks are on the trail in these areas to help hikers avoid the mud. The accessible trail pier is in place for the season. Swim area buoys are in place for the season. The lake water is tested four days a week for elevated bacteria levels. Any warnings will be posted.

Lake Michigan fisheries team report

Sheboygan County – In Sheboygan trollers have been catching chinook, rainbow, and lake trout. Most fish have been caught throughout the water column in 25 to 50 feet of water. Shore fishing in Sheboygan has been good, with rainbow, chinook, and a few brown trout caught off both piers. Spoons and alewives have taken the most fish.

Ozaukee County – Trollers in Port Washington have found a mixed bag of fish between 30 and 60 feet of water. Good numbers of chinook, coho, rainbow, and a few brown and lake trout have been hitting spoons, flashers and flies, and J-plugs. Shore anglers in Port Washington have been catching perch on jigs and minnows fished near the power plant as well as off the harbor side of the pier. Anglers fishing the lake side of the pier have been catching chinook. The most success has been with alewives, but some fish have been taken on spoons as well.

Milwaukee County – In Milwaukee trollers have been catching mostly chinook, along with a few coho and rainbow. Fish have been caught in 40 to 60 feet of water, and spoons have taken the majority of fish. Some boats have also taken chinook while jigging at Milwaukee’s north gap. For shore anglers, the most consistent spot continues to be McKinley pier. Chinooks have been caught off the pier after dark and before dawn, and most have been taken on alewives. Perch anglers have had some limited success at Cupertino pier and the Lake Express Ferry dock. Small shiners have produced the most when fished early in the morning.

Racine County – In Racine trollers have been catching good numbers of chinook and a few brown, coho and rainbow. Fish have been near shore, with the best action in 25 to 50 feet of water. Spoons, flies, and J-plugs have all taken fish, and green and silver have been the most productive colors. A 41.5 pound brown trout was taken north of Racine last Friday. Congratulations to the angler and his crew on this fish of a lifetime! Shore fishing in Racine has also been good, with fair numbers of chinook taken off the piers in the early morning hours. Both spoons and alewives have taken fish. Perch anglers fishing from shore have had the most success near Gateway, and boats have taken a few limits near the DeKoven Center.

Kenosha County – In Kenosha the trolling bite remains consistent, with good catches coming from 20 to 60 feet of water. Nearly all methods have produced fish at times. Fishing in the Kenosha harbor has been spotty, with some chinook taken off the south pier either before dawn or after dark. Silver & green spoons as well as glow in the dark have been catching fish. Perch anglers have occasionally been catching fair numbers off of the south pier and in Southport Marina, and the boats continue to catch some at the bubbler. Both crab tails and minnows have produced.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area

Much of Columbia County and Sauk County are under slow-no-wake orders due to high water. Algae blooms continue to be a problem on Lake Wisconsin and Beaver Dam Lake causing odor and health concerns. The Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers are both running very high, making navigation quite difficult. There is a lack of sandbars to camp on in the Lower Wisconsin Riverway during these high water conditions.

WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area

Perrot State Park - Trails are in good condition. Water levels are extremely variable this summer due to the drawdown on Pool 6. At times, the bay is VERY low, but after heavy rains, the water can be very high. The level can change over the course of the day and large boats may have difficulty reaching the Mississippi River from our boat landing. Caution is advised. Baby toads are hopping around the park. Fledgling bald eagles are learning to hunt in the bay. White pelicans are soaring overhead amid large groups of turkey vultures. Spotted fawns are still prancing about on the North Road. Butterflies and dragonflies are dancing about in the prairies. Plants currently blooming in the park include: hoary vervain, yarrow, compass plant, prairie dock, cup plant, monarda, coneflowers, daisy fleabane, creeping bellflower, mullein, Canada and showy tick-trefoil, swamp milkweed, grey-headed coneflower, wild quinine, leadplant, hoary alyssum, coreopsis, goldenrods, sunflowers and queen Anne's lace. big bluestem, little bluestem and side-oats grama are also in bloom. Mosquitoes are out and about. Campers are advised to remember their bug spray since there is none to be purchased in Trempealeau.

Great River State Trail - The trail is open and in good condition. Prairie flowers are blooming along the sides of the trail and the sweet smell of bergamot fills the air. Goldenrods, button bush, swamp milkweed, and Joe-Pye weed are the stars of the show. Mosquitoes and gnats are out in pretty good numbers and users are encouraged to be prepared.

Black River Falls DNR Service Center area

Black River State Forest - Water levels on the Black River are very high and there is much more water in the channels. Two sections of All-terrain Vehicle (ATV) Trails closed by last week’s storm have reopened. Only the Wildcat loop remains closed. Crews hope to repair this section by early next week and have it open by July 30. The entire trail system has been groomed within the last week and is in good condition with some areas of standing water. Please remember that it is never appropriate to leave the trail system even to avoid a wetter area. This behavior in past years has resulted in short-term closures of the system. The state forest is hard at work upgrading the entire system to make the trails less susceptible to large rainfall events. Those portions that have been upgraded faired very well even with the recent rain. After Labor Day weekend crews will continue work on the section of trail just south of the Highway 54 parking lot and begin work on the section running just south of the Castle Mound area of the forest.

Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area

Buckhorn State Park - Many visitors have been enjoying the warm weather swimming at the beach. People have been catching fish from the pier and at their campsites. The kid's fishing pond has had many visitors using the new parking lot. Kids have been catching and releasing small bluegills , bass and some crappies from the pier at the pond. Trails are in great condition for hiking with the warmer weather and many visitors have been camping, picnicking and fishing. GPS units are available to checkout at the park office. There are not too many mosquitoes but there has been some biting flies. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent at park office. There will be a night hike and naturalist program on Saturday, July 24 from 7-10 p.m. Campfire stories and craft, hike the 1 mile tiki torch lit trail.

Roche-A-Cri State Park - Many wildflowers are blooming in the prairie. Friendship Lake is just a mile down the road and has a swimming beach. The stairway up the bluff is closed due to deteriorating lumber. A $354,600 project to replace it has been approved. We expect to seek bids for the project sometime this year. The petroglyph viewing platform at the base of the mound is still open and several miles of hiking trails are available.

Boats, baits and battling behemoth bass; It's Family Boat Day at the Cudahy Family Library

2010-07-21T19:23:00.000-05:00

Being a city located on the Great Lake we call Michigan, numerous anglers and boaters are residents. So the Cudahy Family Library is featuring "Family Boat Day."

On Wednesday, July 21, 2010 from 4:00 - 7:30 pm, the library will display fishing boats, sailboats, canoes and kayaks. Activities such as crafts and storytimes, plus a representative from the Coast Guard, knot-tying techniques demonstrated by the Boy Scouts and informative displays on fly fishing lures, boating safety, zebra mussels, gobis and other invasive species and possible invasive species such as the big head carp are featured.

The library is located east of Patrick Cudahy at 3500 Library Drive, Cudahy, WI 53110. The phone number is (414) 769-2244.

Pick-up some FREE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES. Step inside and read or check out some fishing books. They are located in the northwest corner in the 799.1 area of the Dewey Decimal system.

NOTES:

1.) Look for upcoming articles on the pike family, the perch family, stonerollers and what panfish are eating.

The stoneroller is a native fish that is both hardy and active when hooked. It is a member of the minnow family as is the common carp. In Tennessee, the stoneroller is a popular food fish.

2.) When aquatic plants, aka "weeds," are cut or poisoned, small fish are immediately in trouble. Aquatic creatures requiring these plants for their survival can no longer do their jobs as food for the creatures and as the "Beanstalks" to the watery surfaces. Fish die-offs, such as the not-too-distant-past crappie die-offs on Racine County's Eagle Lake resulted from heavy weed poisoning that removed a major section of the food chain relied upon by crappies.

3.) Anglers looking to fish in tournaments can find some of the weekly local contests put on by taverns and bait shops.

by: L.A. Van Veghel

Public input for Leech Lake management plan open until July 30

2010-07-21T19:11:00.000-05:00

Citizens interested in the Leech Lake fishery have until Friday, July 30, to provide input to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff on the department’s proposed five-year fish population objectives and fisheries management actions.

The public can review the Leech Lake Advisory Committee’s final report and provide proposal feedback online. Paper questionnaires also are available in Walker at the DNR’s Walker Area Fisheries Office, 07316 State Highway 371 NW, and the Walker Public Library, 207 Fourth St.

For more information on the draft management plan and the public input process, contact the DNR’s Walker Area Fisheries office at 218-547-1683.

Nature’s fish factory: phenomenal, fragile

2010-07-21T19:09:00.000-05:00

When it comes to factory tours, Dirk Peterson, Minnesota’s new fisheries chief, figures his tour rocks, literally.

“You won’t need a hard hat or ear plugs on my tour,” he said with a smile. “Instead, we’ll be on the water - casting lures toward lily pads, bulrush, rock rubble and the rest of the production facility.”

Though many folks don’t view lakes and rivers as factories, Peterson does. He knows they kick out the fish that contribute $4.8 billion a year to the state’s fishing-related economy. He also knows the lakes are incredibly fragile, comprising parts and processes that took thousands of years to evolve.

“You can’t fix a lake with parts from Fleet Farm,” said Peterson. “That’s why we, as a society, must keep nature’s fish factory intact.”

To Peterson, that means maintaining clean water, spawning sites, nursery areas, and the vegetation that provides shelter for some species and ambush lairs for others. “If any of these elements are missing from the production line, fish go missing, too,” said Peterson.

He added that Minnesota’s excellent fishing is not guaranteed and cannot be taken for granted. He said anglers can easily see physical changes in habitat - more lakeshore development, more urbanization of watersheds, more removal of underwater logs and brush in the name of swimming and boating - but it is difficult to detect the subtle interactions beneath the surface.

Peter Jacobson, a DNR fisheries research biologist, explains. “The person who peers into the water and sees rocks covered in a green algal slime may think nothing of it, other than don’t step there because that’s slippery. But a fish manager sees a very different thing in those same rocks. He or she sees the outcome of excessive nutrient-loading, the deterioration of walleye spawning habitat that provides Minnesota’s most cost-efficient way to maintain a walleye population, which is for the fish to simply reproduce naturally.”

Jacobson explained certain algae-laden gravel bars are useless as walleye spawning habitat because the eggs are suffocated in the slime.

“The connection between walleyes and water quality cannot be stressed enough, said Jacobson. “In the century ahead, the lakes that will continue to provide the best fishing are those that remain clean, resilient, and contain all the elements of a complex natural system.”

Peterson, the DNR Fisheries Section chief, agrees. He encourages anglers statewide to get involved in local water policy planning, habitat conservation projects and funding initiatives for water-related conservation. Closer to the water, he encourages riparian property owners to conserve habitat, and to take steps that minimize soil erosion or nutrient loading by maintaining buffer strips or planting deep-rooted vegetation. These actions, as well as helping educate others on the importance of habitat, are in the best long-term interests of the angling and fishing-related business community.

“Minnesota has a very popular and effective $3 million-a-year walleye stocking program,” said Peterson. “Yet we should never forget that 85 percent of the state’s walleye harvest is the result of naturally reproducing wild fish. Therefore, we need to keep those natural factories in good shape. They are the low-cost way to produce fish for they require no labor, no trucks and no gasoline to take fish from here from the eggs to the end of your line.”

Upriver sturgeon season

2010-07-21T19:05:00.000-05:00

An annual lottery for permits to spear sturgeon on the Upriver Lakes began in 2007. Spearers need to apply for an Upriver Lakes sturgeon lottery tag by August 2 and are notified no later than October 1 if they were successful in receiving authorization to purchase an Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing license.

Group lottery applications of up to four persons are also accepted. Group applications must be submitted through the DNR Online Licensing Center. Spearers who applied for but not authorized to purchase an Upriver Lakes license receive a preference point, and can still purchase a license for Lake Winnebago, but must do so by the Oct. 31 license sales deadline (spearers can only buy one tag or the other, not both). Sales for both Lake Winnebago and Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing licenses end Oct. 31. The Upriver Lakes sturgeon lottery fishery limits participation to 500 tags in 2011 and will have a small sub-allocation of the overall sturgeon harvest cap.

Turtle season opens July 15

2010-07-13T17:16:00.000-05:00

MADISON - Turtle season opens statewide July 15 and runs through Nov. 30. The open season does not include those species that are listed as endangered or threatened. The ornate box turtle, Blanding’s turtle and the wood turtle are protected and may not be taken at any time.

Anyone who collects or possess native Wisconsin unprotected aquatic turtles must have one of the following licenses: Fishing, Small Game, Sports, Conservation Patron, Setline, or Set or Bank Pole. See the turtle Wisconsin Amphibian and Reptile Regulations (pdf) pamphlet for more information.

There are also reports in the northern part of the state that turtles are nesting later than the usual May-June period, and motorists are urged to be on the alert for turtles crossing roads and highways.

When turtles are nesting they begin the journey from their aquatic habitat near lakes, wetlands and streams to drier habitats where the female will deposit her eggs.

Although most turtles will stop moving when they feel or see an approaching vehicle, motorists are encouraged to do the following during nesting season:

•Slow down near wetlands;
Stop and help the turtle cross the road if it’s safe to do so;
•Turtles found crossing a road should be carefully moved to the side of the road in the direction they are facing; and
•Use common sense -- and a stick for the turtle to bite -- if assisting a snapping turtle. Slowly pull the turtle across the roadway by its tail.

Turtles are up against tough odds even without highway mortality. Three of Wisconsin turtle species are listed as either threatened or endangered species. As few as 5 percent of eggs laid survive to hatch and of those, only very few may survive to reproductive age. Natural predators of turtles and turtle eggs are many and include raccoons, skunks, fox, opossums, herons, egrets, seagulls, cranes, crows and others.

First sturgeon stocked from renovated Wild Rose Hatchery

2010-07-13T17:08:00.002-05:00

Four waters stocked to open new era in restoration
WILD ROSE – Wisconsin's efforts to restore lake sturgeon to inland waters took a leap forward last week as the renovated Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery sent its first sturgeon out the door to new homes in four Wisconsin waters.

On July 7, DNR fisheries crews stocked more than 6,100 tiny sturgeon in the Baraboo River in Baraboo, returning the prehistoric species to that water for the first time since the 1800s, when dams built on the river, along with overfishing and water pollution, helped doom their populations. An audio slide show recording this historic return is available on the Department of Natural Resources website.On July 9, another 7,400 sturgeon, spawned from fish from the Yellow River in northwest Wisconsin and raised at Wild Rose, were returned to that river, to the Clam River Flowage in Burnett County, and to Minong Flowage in Douglas County.
"This is really good news," says Ron Bruch, DNR senior sturgeon biologist and co-leader of the agency's statewide sturgeon team. "We have the Wild Rose facility online and staff have shown they can produce the quality and quantity of lake sturgeon we need to really look well into the future for our population restoration needs."
The second phase of renovating Wild Rose State Hatchery is about complete, giving anglers and the Wisconsin's fisheries program state-of-the-art facilities for raising cool-water fish including lake sturgeon, northern pike, walleye and musky.

Now, the sturgeon can be raised entirely inside tanks in a climate controlled building where water temperatures, dissolved oxygen, food and others aspects are carefully monitored by staff and by computers.
"It's like going from the stone age to the space age," Bruch says. "Before, we had little tanks outside, and little ability to control water temperatures and other factors. It was terrible. Those guys did a really good job considering what they had to work with, but this renovated facility really is state of the art and we expect it will let us stock more waters with more fish."
The renovated hatchery and the staff who run it are already having an impact. Sturgeon weren't scheduled to be stocked out of the facility until this fall, but so many sturgeon hatched and survived that some needed to be removed from the tanks to allow the remaining fish more room to grow, says Steve Fajfer, hatchery supervisor.

"The staff have done a fantastic job learning a whole new system and producing more fish, bigger fish and healthier fish," Fajfer says. About 60,000 lake sturgeon remain at the hatchery and will be raised to the more normal sizes for stocking, about 6 to 9 inches for fingerlings, and 10 to 14 inches for yearlings. The fingerlings will be planted this fall, and the yearlings next spring, Fajfer says.

Waters planned for stocking from Wild Rose are the Menominee River in Marinette County, the Wisconsin River in Marathon County, the Wisconsin River flowage at Stevens Point in Portage County, Upper St. Croix Lake, Eau Claire River, and St. Croix Flowage, all in Douglas County, and the Namekagon River and Trego Lake, both in Washburn County.Other waters being stocked with sturgeon in 2010-2011 include the Milwaukee and Kewaunee rivers, which will receive fish raised at streamside rearing facilities along those waters, and the Fox River in Marquette County from the UW-Milwaukee Water Institute, and the Manitowish River, which will receive fish from DNR's Woodruff Hatchery.

Lake sturgeon are living fossils, relics from the Upper Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era, and they rank as Wisconsin's largest and oldest fish, confirmed again this winter when an Appleton man speared a 212-pound, 3.2 ounce lake sturgeon that stretched 84.25 inches on opening day of the 2010 Lake Winnebago lake sturgeon spearing seasons.Historically, lake sturgeon were found throughout the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin. They flourished in Wisconsin's boundary waters including the Mississippi, Wisconsin and Menomonee rivers, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Dams, pollution, habitat degradation and overharvest dramatically reduced lake sturgeon populations in some Wisconsin waters over the past 100 years, and eliminated them entirely from other stretches of water. Because female fish don't reproduce until they are 20 to 25, and then spawn only once every three to five years, lake sturgeon populations are very vulnerable to overexploitation and slow to rebuild.
"Wisconsin's Lake Sturgeon Management Plan" (pdf) calls for restoring lake sturgeon to many waters in its historic range. DNR will be updating the plan this year and seeking input from people outside the agency interested in sturgeon management. Wild Rose Fish Hatchery will play a key role in that plan, along with protective regulations, research, dedicated funding for sturgeon restoration, and other factors, says Karl Scheidegger, a DNR rivers biologist and co-leader to the state sturgeon team.
"The new Wild Rose cool water propagation facility will give the fisheries program the ability to restore multiple sturgeon populations for many years to come," Scheidegger says. "And that, we hope, means that down the road more people will be able to experience these remarkable fish."

Pick it or Ticket...

2010-07-01T17:38:00.000-05:00

“Pick it or Ticket.” That’s what will happen if people don’t do their part to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species, according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

DNR conservation officers and watercraft inspectors will step-up enforcement of invasive species law over the Fourth of July weekend. They will also be out educating boaters about a new law that goes into effect July 1 requiring boaters to now remove the plug and drain water before leaving any lake and river in Minnesota.

“Our lakes and rivers are too important to take for granted,” explained Larry Kramka, DNR assistant commissioner. “Boaters need to be accountable and personally responsible to prevent the further spread of aquatic invasives.”

The water draining law is intended to help prevent the spread of fish diseases such as VHS, and invasive species such as zebra mussels and spiny waterfleas that cannot be seen when free floating in the water in early life stages.
Boaters are required by law to:

Remove aquatic plants and zebra mussels from boats and trailers.
Drain all water, including pulling the drain plug, open water draining devises, and draining bilges and live wells.
Drain bait buckets when exiting lakes that have been designated as infested with spiny water flea or zebra mussels. Anglers can keep unused bait when leaving infested waters if they replace the water with tap or spring.

The increased enforcement efforts over the holiday weekend will include an increased presence at public water accesses at infested waters where officers will look closely for violators of existing laws who could face fines from $50 up to $1,000.

Minnesota’s water resources are threatened by numerous aquatic invasive species such as the zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and spiny waterfleas. These species could be easily spread within the state if citizens, businesses and visitors don’t take the necessary steps to contain them.

The zebra mussel populations currently in Lake Mille Lacs, Alexandria chain of lakes
(Le Homme Dieu, Carlos, and Geneva), Pelican Lake in Otter Tail County, Prior Lake in Scott County and Rice Lake near Brainerd are a particular concern as they can be key sources for zebra mussel spread.

DNR to host series of Winnebago walleye management meetings this summer

2010-06-30T17:39:00.000-05:00

Aim is to collect input for next 20 year management plan

GREEN BAY – The Winnebago System walleye population and its world class walleye fishery are the topic of four public meetings in northeastern Wisconsin in July and August as the state starts updating its plan for managing both.

“We’ve worked closely with the public to improve the walleye fishery on the Winnebago System for the last 20 years, and the result has been a tremendous success,” says Kendall Kamke, a Department of Natural Resources senior fisheries biologist in Oshkosh.

“But it is time to take a thorough look with the public at the progress we have made in understanding and managing our walleye population and fishery and look ahead to the next 20 years.”

So DNR will be holding four meetings in July and August to provide people information about the status of the Winnebago System walleye population, fishery, and management program and to collect public input to update the Winnebago Walleye Management Plan.

The Winnebago System, which includes lakes Winnebago, Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan, and the connected rivers upstream, the upper Fox and the Wolf, is known nationally for its outstanding walleye fishery. A 2007 study (exit DNR) by the UW Extension and DNR showed that anglers annually spend up to 2 million hours on the Winnebago System pursing primarily walleye, as well as other gamefish in a fishery that generates a total economic impact of $234 million annually and 4,300 jobs.

Topics to be discussed at the meetings include walleye population and harvest estimates, adult walleye size and age distributions by sex from springs 1989-2010, the impact of spring water flows and levels on walleye recruitment, the walleyes’ movement and migrational patterns, and the assessment techniques DNR uses to develop population estimates.

The meetings are set for the following dates and locations:

•July 13, Shiocton, 7 p.m., River Rail, N5547 River St.
•August 10, Menasha, 7 p.m., Germania Hall, 320 Chute St.
•August 11, Quinney, 7 p.m., Quinney Fishing Club, Quinney Road.
•August 12, Fond du Lac, 7 p.m., Marghael’s Hall, N7688 Van Dyne Rd.

Moving beyond PCBs: improving water quality in the Lower Fox River and Green Bay

2010-06-30T17:26:00.000-05:00

Public has until July 26 to comment on the draft Total Maximum Daily Load

MADISON - The public has an opportunity to comment on a new report that explains efforts to improve water quality in the Lower Fox River and Lower Green Bay and tributary streams. Fourteen water bodies in this watershed do not currently meet water quality standards.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, in conjunction with local stakeholders, has developed what is basically a “pollution budget,” for the Lower Fox River Basin and Lower Green Bay. Known as the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), the plan establishes the total amount of phosphorus and total suspended solids that water bodies covered by the TMDL can receive and still meet water quality standards.

A public informational hearing to learn about the draft TMDL and to provide oral comments is set for July 12, 2010, in Grand Chute. People also may submit written and electronic comments through July 26, 2010, with details provided below.

“This is an important step forward in cleaning up the Lower Fox River and Green Bay,” says Bruce Baker, DNR’s top water quality official.

“In order to improve water quality, all sources of total phosphorus and total suspended solids will need to be reduced,” Baker says. “DNR will work together with stakeholders to find solutions and reduction strategies to meet the water quality goals of the TMDL in concert with the cost effective framework that is in the proposed phosphorus rules.”

The TMDL document details the amounts of phosphorus and total suspended solids each of those waters can receive and still meet water quality standards, and identifies the reductions needed from each source of those pollutants, says Nicole Clayton, DNR coordinator for the lower Fox River TMDL project.

“Once we determine the total amount of a pollutant a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards, we can calculate needed reductions from specific sources,” she says.

Phosphorus is a naturally occurring nutrient that also is found in soils, livestock manure, commercial fertilizers and wastewater discharges. It fuels algae and plant growth, sometimes leading to excessive levels of both. Total suspended solids include small particles of materials such as soil and leaves that get washed into streams and make the water look muddy and cloudy and degrade habitat for fish and other aquatic life. These pollutants reach rivers and streams from polluted runoff from farm fields, barnyards, residential yards and wastewater treatment plant discharges.

DNR developed the TMDL with help from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a private consultant, the Cadmus Group, Inc., and with feedback from science, technical and outreach teams including various stakeholders groups and the public.

The goal for Lower Green Bay is to improve water clarity to support a diverse biological community and expand the area of beneficial bottom-dwelling plants. To meet established targets, a certain percentage reduction is needed in different types of pollutants. Upon reaching these goals the local streams and Green Bay will have better dissolved oxygen levels, less turbid water, and fewer algae blooms. This is expected to improve habitat for fish and aquatic life and improve recreational opportunities, Clayton says.

The public informational meeting begins at 1 p.m. Monday, July 12, at the Grand Chute Town Hall, 1900 Grand Chute Blvd.

As part of the review and submittal process for TMDLs, a 30-day public comment period runs through July 26, 2010. People may submit written or electronic comments to Nicole Clayton at the DNR, WT/3, 101 S. Webster, Madison, WI 53703 or nicole.clayton@wisconsin.gov.

People can view the draft TMDL report and formal public notice on the DNR website.

Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources & Public Health Madison & Dane County Blue-Green Algae Blooms Trigger Health Reminder Avoiding Contact is the Safest Approach

2010-06-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

Madison, WI – June 30, 2010 - Recent warm weather has fueled the growth of noxious blue-green algae on Lake Kegonsa and this has prompted the Department of Natural Resources and Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) to remind folks to avoid swimming in areas blanketed with this type of algae.

On the morning of June 29, most of the lake’s surface area was reported to have been supporting heavy blue green algae growth which can have a paint slick or pea soup like appearance,” noted Susan Graham, DNR Lake Management Coordinator based at Fitchburg. She added that such blooms can be a moving target, since wind and wave action can often make a bloom disappear or appear quickly.

Blue-green algae, technically known as Cyanobacteria, are microscopic organisms that are naturally present in Wisconsin lakes, streams and ponds at low levels. When conditions are favorable, massive blooms can appear. According to Kirsti Sorsa, PHMDC’s Public Health Laboratory Manager, “some species produce toxins that, with exposure, can harm the skin (rashes, lip blistering), liver or nervous systems of people, pets, livestock and wildlife. It can also produce sore throats, headaches, muscular and joint pain and gastro-intestinal symptoms.” In rare cases, the toxins can be fatal to animals although not all blue green algae produce toxins. Anyone who is experiencing such symptoms should contact their clinic or physician. They can report this exposure to PHMDC at 266-4821, and to the State Department of Health Services at this link: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/bluegreenalgae/#NewProg

With the upcoming July 4th weekend, now is the ideal time to remind people that the presence of blue-green algae in a lake or pond is a marker for a potential hazard,” said Graham.

Health officials advise people to avoid swimming in areas of lakes and ponds where a scum or mat of algae is present on the water. People also should keep their children from playing in the water, and keep their animals from drinking or swimming in the water with visible blue-green algal blooms.

“Heavy rainfall causing nutrient rich runoff coupled with sunny calm days create ideal conditions for the growth of heavy blue green algae blooms,” according to Graham.

Blue-green algae blooms are common in Wisconsin, with its 15,000 lakes; about 44,000 miles of flowing rivers and countless small ponds. The presence of the algae does not mean the water is toxic, but large, unsightly blooms with a blue-green cast serve as a warning that blue-green algae are present and may be producing toxin, potentially at concentrations that could be a health threat.

The World Health Organization advises that people who choose to eat fish taken from water where blue-green algae bloom is present to consume such fish in moderation and avoid eating fish guts, where accumulation of toxins may be greatest. Also, anglers should take care to not cut into organs when filleting fish and rinse fillets with clean water to remove any liquids from the guts or organs before freezing or cooking.

Wisconsin Fishing Club Presents "Bass Fishing on Big Muskego Lake"

2010-06-23T17:31:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd.

An all species, instructional fishing club

http://www.wisconsinfishingclub.com/

On June 28 – Jim Lagonowski, guide, outdoorsman and WFC honorary member, will talk on “Bass Fishing on Big Muskego Lake.” Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd., $5.00. 7 PM. Yester Years Pub & Grill, 9427 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, 414-476-9055. Contact Dan Freiherr, treasurer, 414-464-9316, lucyfreiherr@yahoo.com. Fishing reports, fishing equipment raffle plus hot food is available.

Lagonowski uses the latest and the greatest methods and techniques, and his “time on the water” is evident in his talks. Learn what it takes to catch shallow water “hawg” bass. Carpool with your angling friends and relatives. New members are welcomed.

Sincerely,
L.A. Van Veghel

WFC, Media Director & Secretary and WCSFO, Media Director & Secretary
414-769-6846

NOTES: Our club is an active member of the Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations, WCSFO.

Free Internet Milwaukee Fishing Examiner column at: http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner

Fish Watching in Wisconsin

2010-06-23T16:58:00.001-05:00

During this time of year, many fish are moving about in Wisconsin's waters. They are exciting to watch as they dance, wiggle, and sail through the shallow waters of our rivers and lakes to find their breeding places. Here are some hot spots for watching fish.

Northern zone bass harvest season opens June 19

2010-06-17T18:00:00.000-05:00

Bass populations, catch rates at all-time highs

SPOONER – The northern zone bass harvest season opens June 19 with state fisheries biologists saying the bass fishing opportunities arguably have never been better.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass populations are booming in northern Wisconsin, particularly in northwest Wisconsin, and anglers can expect fast and furious action this summer, fish biologists say.

“The densities are extremely high right now,” says Jamison Wendel, fisheries biologist in Spooner. “There are lots of smaller fish, so there’s all kinds of action.”

Surveys of northern Wisconsin anglers who target bass show that anglers are reeling in the bass faster than ever.

Wendel says the fact that catch rates have increased quite dramatically in the last 20 years while harvest rates have been stayed flat or decreased is not typical. “It’s kind of an indication of a few things: changes in regulation as well as smaller fish being caught that anglers are not as interested in keeping, as well as more anglers practicing catch and release.”

Whether it’s the low water levels experienced in northern Wisconsin, which favor bass, warmer water temperatures, or a number of other factors, bass populations and catch rates in many waters are at all-time highs.

Learn more about some of the reasons why bass populations, particularly populations of largemouths, are on the rise in “Sustaining a fishery of fighting natural change?” in the June 2010 Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine, available now on news stands, and online.

Season regulations

The northern bass zone harvest season runs from June 19, 2010, through March 6, 2011. The daily limit is five bass in total, with a minimum length of 14 inches. Check the “Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations 2010-2011” for special regulations on some waters.

Fishing forecasts

The 2010 Wisconsin Fishing Report contains information about how fish populations are faring, particularly on those waters where DNR fisheries crews have recently conducted fish population surveys or done habitat work. Below are excerpted forecasts that mention bass populations in northern Wisconsin, including many in the northern bass zone. These fishing forecasts are not inclusive, but represent what the fish managers want to highlight for the 2010 fishing season.

Ashland County - May and June are excellent months to target trophy smallmouth bass in the shallow waters of Chequamegon Bay. Spring 2009 surveys found 42 percent of the spawning smallmouth bass were greater than 18 inches. - Mike Seider, fisheries biologist, Bayfield

Burnett County - Largemouth bass and bluegill provide the fishing action in Burnett County and it doesn’t matter which lake you fish. Angler catch rates for largemouth run about 10 times higher than the rest of the state. Size limits and a strong catch-and-release ethic caused populations to increase, but growth rates declined. The chance of catching one larger than 16 inches isn’t very good. Still, catching lots of 11- to 15-inch bass on light tackle is a fun day on the water. – Larry Damman, fisheries biologist, Spooner

Douglas County - Anglers looking for a balanced fishery including walleye, small and largemouth bass, northern pike and an occasional musky along with a good bluegill and black crappie fishery should consider Upper St. Croix Lake. Largemouth bass populations have more than doubled since 1997 and smallmouth bass numbers have declined slightly in the same period. Both bass species average between 12 and 13 inches but can reach 19 inches or more in the lake. – Scott Toshner, fisheries biologist, Brule

Iron County - Turtle Flambeau Flowage supports an exceptional smallmouth bass fishery in terms of numbers and average size. Pound for pound, the smallmouth is known for its exceptional fighting ability. “Smallies” found in the flowage are easily caught in summer and are extremely robust for their length. These exceptionally heavy fish provide anglers with an extraordinary angling experience. – Jeff Roth, fisheries biologist, Mercer (Roth has retired since filing that report in December 2009)

Langlade County - The largemouth bass population in Phlox Lake s abundant with many in the 11- to 17-inch range. - Dave Seibel, fisheries biologist, Antigo

Oneida County - Largemouth bass are abundant on Squash Lake, with size centered on 14 inches. On Gilmore Lake, a comprehensive survey found abundant largemouth bass. Largemouth bass eight to 16 inches long were fairly numerous while few smallmouth were captured. – John Kubisiak, fisheries biologist, Rhinelander

Polk County – Largemouth bass are abundant on Big and Little Blake lakes. Bass growth is slower than average and most of the bass collected were less than 14 inches long. Northern pike and musky have been captured in low numbers in each lake, but the fish were in excellent condition. Largemouth bass on Deer Lake are abundant and growth and size structure appears to be declining with many bass in the 11- to 13- inch range. Largemouth bass and northern pike dominate Largon Lake. Largemouth bass provide another quality fishery with larger than average size fish present. Largemouth bass and northern pike are the primary game fish in Poplar Lake. Bass size structure is slightly below average but densities have improved when compared to past surveys. - Heath Benike, senior fisheries biologist, Barron

Rusk County - Strong river currents, canyon-like shorelines, darkstained water and fish moving long distances between dams challenged surveyors in this series of reservoirs, so it is uncertain that results from fall 2008 and spring 2009 surveys reflect the true status of sportfish in Big Falls, Dairyland, Ladysmith, and the Thornapple flowages. Nonetheless, it is possible to cautiously compare findings from those surveys with goals that anglers helped define in 2005.Electrofishing capture rates for smallmouth bass seven inches and longer ranged from 16 to 28 per hour in the four flowages compared to 50 to 100 bass per hour, the measure of desired abundance. Proportions of bass 14 inches or longer ranged from zero percent in Thornapple Flowage to 29 percent in Dairyland and Ladysmith, suggesting that smallmouth did not achieve the target range of 40 to 60 percent. - Jeff Scheirer, fisheries biologist, Park Falls

Taylor County - Netting in spring 2009 showed that largemouth bass were twice as abundant in North Spirit Lake as in Spirit Lake, but Spirit Lake held a greater proportion of bass 15 inches or longer (62 percent versus 26 percent.) - Jeff Scheirer, fisheries biologist, Park Falls

Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. - May 24, 2010 Minutes

2010-06-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

President Cliff opened our meeting by welcoming our guests and then introducing our officers.

Whitebass were active at Orihula. Walleyes on Winneconne for Editor Chuck, plus an 18” smallmouth.

Pine Lake, in Waukesha County, gave up a 16½” largemouth bass. Crappies have not yet spawning. 8-10” crappies and bluegills were taken on Monona. The crappies were bigger. The Olbrich Park launch costs $8.00 now, and it has no attendant or place to throw trash. This was our outing location. Secretary Larry caught some largemouth on a Lightnin’ Shad crankbait, and his friend caught a couple of pike on a Mepps inline spinner. Vice-President George had bass action and Kids Clinic Coordinator Wayne found pike.

VP George took a nice 36” northern from Crescent Lake. He also fished Boom Lake, a backwater of the Wisconsin River, for crappies. Star Lake served some northerns, walleyes and perch. On the east side of Wind Lake, panfish are hitting between the reeds and shore.
A rainbow and a coho were landed in Port Washington.

Secretary Larry read the minutes, and they were approved as read. Treasurer Dan said we have $916.70 in our account. Dan’s treasury report was unanimously approved.

Smaller hats are not yet in. See VP George for the latest rosters.

We will not have a meeting on June 14th, as the special Door County outing is scheduled at that time. Our next meeting is on Jun 28, and it features honorary member and popular WFC speaker Jim Lagonowski who will discuss “Bass Fishing on Big Muskego Lake.” Jim has many years experience on this lake both as a sport angler and a guide.

An extra day has been added to the Door County outing. For those who want to start a day early, the fee is $88.00. A pre-meeting for those attending the outing will be held on June 1 at Yester Years at 6 p.m.

After our raffle, 10 year Pro Bass angler Justin Newkirk, a freelance writer for MidWest Outdoors and for Fishing Facts magazines, and a person who does TV spots for MidWest Outdoors was our speaker.

Newkirk uses weedless jigs for walleye below Winneconne on the east side by the breakwall. He also casts Pointer SP crankbaits for walleyes.

Another Newkirk favorite is a drop-shot rig with a snap-on cylinder sinker and a nose-hooked Gulp Minnow. Cast to reefs and rockbars.

For springtime largemouth bass, he fishes in channels by tossing jigs and pigs, Texas rigged twin tail curly tail rigs. Use 50# braided line when fishing in heavy cover. Cast as weedless frog over matted grass. The Bomber Square A dives 4 feet and Mann’s Minus 1 dives one foot, and it is tested by the manufacturers. For a leader, use 10# line. Crawfish and bluegill patterns work great in channels.

Newkirk next covered smallmouth bass on Winnebago. He said the fishing just keeps getting better. Fish the west side and start with a crankbait. If the water is stirred up, use a Rattle Trap to attract strikes via sound.

When using a tube jig in rocky areas on Lake Michigan. Make sure to hope the jig hops along the bottom as this action imitates a Gobi.

http://www.wisconsinfishinclub.com/

Respectively submitted,
Larry Van Veghel
WFC and WCSFO Secretary and Media Director

Updated fish consumption advice available

2010-06-09T10:48:00.000-05:00

MADISON – Fish consumption advice has been updated for 2010 and the few minor changes made are reflected in “Choose Wisely: A Health Guide for Eating Fish in Wisconsin [PUB-FH-824, PDF 1.25MB],” now available online and at Department of Natural Resources service centers, state fish contaminant officials say.

DNR and the Department of Health Services jointly issue the advice to help anglers and their families enjoy eating fish they catch from Wisconsin waters or purchase, while reducing their exposure to environmental contaminants.

“Everybody who eats fish, whether they’re eating what they caught or what they bought at a store or restaurant, should review the updated advice and follow it to reduce their exposure to contaminants like mercury and PCBs,” says Candy Schrank, the toxicologist who coordinates the fish consumption advisory for the Department of Natural Resources.

People who frequently eat fish should choose fish species and sizes with the lowest levels of contaminants. Panfish and younger, smaller fish are best; older, larger predator and fatty fish accumulate the highest levels of contaminants.

“Fish are an inexpensive, low-fat source of protein that offer many other health benefits,” says Dr. Henry Anderson. “People should put their fish consumption habits in context with the advice found in ‘Choose Wisely.’ Most will find they do not have to change their current fish-eating habits.”

Because fish from most waters contain mercury, statewide safe-eating guidelines provide the same advice for most inland waters, but there are special exceptions for 102 lakes where higher levels of mercury have been found in fish, and for 49 river reaches where higher levels of PCBs and other chemicals have been found.

To update the advisory for 2010, DNR and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission collected new mercury data from 58 sites and new data for PCBs and other chemicals for 31 locations, Schrank says.

These include the following lakes: Spider Lake in Iron County; Bass-Long Lake in Lincoln County; Three Lakes Chain in Oneida County; White Tail Flowage in Jackson County; and lakes Superior and Michigan. The Fox River between Little Lake Buttes des Morts and the De Pere Dam, the Milwaukee River from Grafton to Estabrook and the Estabrook Dam to the estuary on that river, and Pool 4 of the Mississippi River also have special advisories.

The National Academy of Sciences estimates that 60,000 children born each year in the United States may be at risk of neurological and learning problems because their mothers eat large amounts of mercury-contaminated fish and seafood during their pregnancy.

Studies have also found that infants and children of women who frequently ate fish contaminated with PCBs may have lower birth weights and be delayed in physical development and learning. PCBs in adults may affect reproductive function and the immune system, and are associated with cancer risk.

Give the gift of fishing this Father’s Day

2010-06-09T10:40:00.000-05:00

Printable certificate for a future fishing trip with Dad

MADISON – Children looking for that perfect gift for a father or grandfather this Father’s Day can forget the tie and give a present their dad or granddad will really love – a gift certificate to go together on a fishing trip.

Kids of all ages can download the gift certificate from the Department of Natural Resources EEK! - Environmental Education for Kids! website, print and fill it out, and give it to their fathers to cash in later.

“We hope the gift certificate can help solve that age-old dilemma of what to give Dad,” says Karl Scheidegger, Department of Natural Resources fisheries outreach leader. “Fishing is a simple, inexpensive way of getting back to what matters most – family. It’s an opportunity to build memories that will last a lifetime.”

Fisheries teamed up with EEK!, the DNR’s Web site designed for children in grades 4-8, to offer the gift certificates. EEK! provides information about plants, animals, and the environment and receives more than 100,000 visitors a month.

“Kids and fishing naturally go together, so we thought this was a perfect opportunity to encourage kids to take someone important in their lives outside for a day of fishing and fun," says Carrie Morgan, EEK! editor.

“Have a great time, and remember to take a camera and send us a picture, and a big fish story http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/cool/bigfish/,” she says.

After 18,000 fish, bowfisher lands a world record

2010-06-09T10:35:00.000-05:00

MADISON - It’s hard to say what’s more impressive over the sweep of Wesley Babcock’s 40 years of bowfishing: the more than 18,000 carp and other fish he’s taken with a bow and arrow, or the eye-popping lunker he hauled in last month from the Castle Rock Flowage.

Babcock, a biology teacher for the Pardeeville School district for 33 years, shot the quillback/river carp sucker hybrid while bowfishing on the Castle Rock Flowage.

He’s been bowfishing since he was in middle school, keeping his dad company on trips to the Rock River. It was pretty low-tech, but lots of fun, back then. “We used to tape a coffee can to our recurve bow and wrap line around it,” Babcock recalls. “The arrow was tied to this string. You could not shoot very far.”

Next, they moved on to a 3-foot circumference hoop they shot through the middle of and wrapped line around. Now they use a bottle reel which allows longer shots and fast retrieval of the line after shots.

“Carp shooting has always been a fun pastime for me,” he says. “I used to only shoot as many as I could bury in our garden for fertilizer, and then had to stop because of no way to dispose of them. This was normally 100 to 200 a year.”

Eight years ago, when the Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association began offering a 50-cent bounty on each carp shot with a bow, Babcock and his 14-year-old son, Aaron, started shooting over there every chance they got.

“The first year we shot more than 900,” he says. “The next year, it was 2,700-plus, and the third year, we topped 2,300.”

Aaron died suddenly on August 26, 2004.

The elder Babcock continued to find peace and relaxation in bowfishing, shooting more than 2,000 every summer since. The total is now over 18,000. “I plan to back off after reaching hopefully, 20,000,” he says.

A day he’ll never forget…

Babcock was on the Castle Rock Flowage shooting carp and buffalo when he shot the carp sucker hybrid.

“I saw two fish swim in front of the boat in cloudy water. Thinking they were buffalo, I shot at one,” he says. “It took out a lot of line and got tangled in the boat motor. When I managed to get it in, I was shocked to see it was actually a sucker. I thought it was a quillback, but now find out that it was a quillback/river carpsucker hybrid.”

He knew it was huge for a sucker and started checking. The Bowfishing Association state record was 11 pounds and the official state record for quillbacks was 10 pounds plus change.

John Lyons, a longtime DNR researcher with an encyclopedic knowledge of fish and a mission of updating George Becker’s seminal Fishes of Wisconsin, a compendium of information about fish species in Wisconsin, indeed had never seen a bigger carpsucker. He looked at the frozen fish and sent photos and a small fin clip to a Tulane University expert, who concurred that the fish was the hybrid.

But Lyons said it was far larger than any of the thousands of hybrids he has personally observed. That was pretty exciting.”

“This carpsucker is huge,” Lyons says. “Based on my own field experiences and my quick review of the literature, this may be the largest carpsucker ever recorded anywhere.

“I've handled thousands of carpsuckers of all three species found in Wisconsin and various hybrid combinations from all over the state and elsewhere, and I've never seen one more than about 8-9 pounds. Becker lists the largest carpsucker he was aware of from Wisconsin, a river carpsucker, at just over 10 pounds. Other literature sources from other states list the maximum size of carpsuckers in the range of 9-12 pounds; the angling record is a 12-pound quillback, the largest carpsucker I can find in the literature. So this fish, at 18.17 pounds, shatters all records.”

Babcock hasn’t decided whether he will have the fish mounted or have a replica made. In the meantime, he’s back out there bowfishing.

“I have always enjoyed being outside and observing other things in nature as I hunt or fish. No two days are the same. Seeing things like an eagle stealing a fish from a pelican, an osprey diving into the water and catching a fish, muskies swimming around where I shoot, or having an otter get in the boat and eat a carp while I was away shooting in the canoe,” he says. “I also enjoy the hunting experience without the hassle of owning land. I enjoy the peace and quiet and escape from every day work related stress.”

Advice for new bowfishers
His advice for novice bowfishers is to invest in a bottle reel and good arrows.

“They will get frustrated with losing fish and poor shot accuracy with inferior equipment. Also, don't worry about getting a fancy bow. Any used bow with a lower draw weight (45 pounds or less) will work. You will hopefully be shooting a lot of times and often must shoot quickly, so a bow that is easy to pull back works better.”

One more thing, he says, “Make sure you have arrows equipped with ‘slides’ to prevent dangerous line tangles on the bowstring when you shoot. Never tie the line directly to the arrow. I used to do that and almost lost an eye when a loop formed on my bowstring and the arrow snapped back, missing my eye by about an inch. I've used slides ever since.”

Wisconsin Council of Sport Fishing Organizations

Fishing slump, the Internet and casting an umbrella skeleton

L. A. Van Veghel, Milwaukee Fishing Examiner

WI State HS Ice Fishing Championship

Greg Franzen

Appleton West HS

610 N. Badger Ave.

Appleton, WI 54914

Announcing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – Wildlife Health Event Reporter (GLRI-WHER)!

Calling all beachcombers! Get involved in an effort to improve the health of the Great Lakes!

Citizen scientists involved in existing reporting efforts should continue to follow their program's protocols - get in touch if you would like to find out how to get your program's data included in the GLRI-WHER.

Find out more about the GLRI-WHER application online at http://glri.wher.org. Email questions to botnet@wdin.org

glri.wher.org

Photo Credit: USFWS

Online survey looks at angler’s fish-eating habits

Healthy fish recipes being collected for online cookbook

Ice Fishing & Safety by Jerry Opicka - Dec. 12

Root River Report–November 15, 2011

Root River Steelhead Facility

Root River Fishing Report for November 14, 2011

Water and flow conditions

Fishing Report

Making a Climate-Change Checklist. Checking It Twice

Florida snowbird overdoes it in Sawyer County Overbagging: Nearly $6,000 in fines, rights revoked

State Conservation Warden Tom Heisler of Winter was already working an overbagging case when he spotted another busy angler on popular Lake Chetac in Sawyer County.

A familiar story

The case crosses county lines

Fact Sheet--SS SB24/SS AB24--Alteration of Navigable Waters

SS SB24 and SS AB24 will have significant adverse impact on Wisconsin lakes and streams and will greatly limit the opportunity for Wisconsin citizens to have public input on lake and stream development projects. Specifically;

Jobs Bills Significantly Weakens Laws Protecting Wisconsin’s Lakes and Streams

Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd

Larry Van Veghel

WFC & WCSFO Secretary and Media Director

http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner

Halloween and Monster Walleye

WCSFO Fall Meeting

New Law (Act 21) Delays Implementation of Important Public Safety Regulation

WDNR Weekly News Article - Winnebago walleye fisheries featured in new video

Meeting Minutes from July 11, 2011–Wisconsin Fishing Club Ltd

WCSFO MEETING MINUTES–March 19, 2011

Respectively submitted,

L.A. Van Veghel

WCSFO Secretary & Media Director

Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. Meeting Minutes–May 23, 2011

http://www.wisconsinfishinclub.com

Our 45th Year

Respectively submitted,

Larry Van Veghel

WFC & WCSFO Secretary and Media Director

http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner

Boat and ATV safety

DNR announces temporary, seasonal fishing closures: News Releases: Minnesota DNR

Chinook harvests up 47 percent in 2010, outlook good for '11

Walleye bag limits adjusted for Ceded Territory lakes

WCSFO Spring Meeting–March 19, 2011

Club Delegates are urged to attend -All Club Members are welcome

Meeting Agenda:

1.Call to order /Introductions / sign in

2.Minutes from March 20, 2010 Spring Meeting (L.A. Van Veghel)

3.Treasurers Report (Cornell Stroik)

4.Dues Notices (2011)

5. Mike Staggs -WI DNR -Spring Hearings, highlights from 2010 and some priorities for 2011.

6.Online newsletter (Need email addresses/subscribers and newsletter content info to disburse). This ties together, but if we want to provide info -we need contacts and info. Majority of info at this time is being provided by the WDNR via news releases and other material from L.A. Van Veghel.

7.WI Wildlife Federation Update -Mike Arrowood Chairperson of the WWF Fisheries Committee

8.Lake access news (Ted Lind)

9.B.A.S.S. Federation News (Cornell Stoik)

10.Tournaments/C.A.S.T. -Updates/News

11."Kids Fishing Klinics," Update for 2011

12. Old Business:

A. Kids Fishing Book

14. New Business:*

15. Adjourn

* Items not listed on the Agenda will be discussed under New Business.

Fishing for young anglers

Lawrence Van Veghel

Milwaukee Fishing Examiner

The Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd. hosts a fishing tackle rummage sale

Outdoor Report as of February 17, 2011

Deadlines approach for ice fishing shelter removal

2011 Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearing questionnaire available online

6939 S 27^th St

Related Links:

Listen to podcasts

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The two 30-minute shows were recorded in a format that can be downloaded from the DNR’s Web site and listened to on a computer or portable audio device such as an iPod or Zune.