Lodi, WI
3/12/10
by Gary Engberg
©2010 Gary Engberg Outdoors
Early Open-Water Opportunities
A nice Wisconsin River sauger
This is the time of the year for fishing shows after the snow and cold of winter. These consumer shows get anglers in the mood for open water fishing and thinking past the hard water season which will still be around for a few weeks and maybe even longer. Two weeks ago, the Madison Fishing Expo had a great three day run with good crowds and excellent speakers, not to mention all the new equipment and gear for fishers to see for the 2010 season.
This past weekend, the Wilderness Fish and Game store in Sauk City had their 27th Annual Free Fishing Clinic and Sale with three knowledgeable and experienced professional anglers; Dave Ehardt, Adam Oberfoell, and Eric Haataja giving relevant seminars. Big Dave (of John Gillespie’s Woods and Waters fame) talked about fishing the Wisconsin River for early walleyes and saugers. Big Dave is now guiding and fishing the river and says that the good fishing is still down the road a few weeks. But, he is catching walleyes, as I write, with the bite being hot and cold. Adam gave an excellent Power Point seminar on fishing for pressured muskies. He is an area guide and tournament professional who fishes the Madison Chain and local waters for muskies and gave numerous pointers for area waters to try during the early part of the season. Eric Haataja, is a charter captain and guide from Kenosha, who is one of the state’s top multi-species anglers. Eric spoke about where and how he fishes through the seasons starting with spring when he spends the month of April fishing the waters of Green Bay for walleyes. Eric is now fishing the streams and tributaries of Lake Michigan for big trout. This is some of the year’s best brown trout fishing with water clarity and flow being of importance.
There is great ice fishing just before ice-out for perch, bluegills, and crappies. The timing is perfect for the fishing shows, because from now till the end of the month there are more opportunities to fish open water and catch fish walleyes, saugers, northern pike, and panfish. The areas where you are catching fish on the ice are going to be in the same general area as you’ll be fishing once the ice is gone. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
2/26/10
by Gary Engberg
©2010 GAry Engberg Outdoors
Early Walleyes and Saugers on the Wisconsin River
Saugers, like this one, are plentiful in the rivers and lakes around the Lodi, WI area.
This is the time of year when I and I know many of you have “cabin fever” and are looking forward to a true Wisconsin tradition, river fishing for walleyes and saugers. It’s been a typical Wisconsin winter with some cold weather and enough snow to keep you busy shoveling. Personally, I’ve kept busy with my new Lab, Katie, who has to be doing something outside with her boundless energy. Plus, I’ve been doing some ice fishing, looking for eagles and wildlife to photograph, feeding over 100 pounds of bird seed a week, and getting ready for the sport show and seminar season. But, I’ve had enough of winter and the stable and sunny days last week had me thinking of walleye fishing on the Wisconsin River.
It is not unusual to be fishing open-water on the Wisconsin River below the dams at Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin Dells, and Nekoosa in February. In the last decade, there have been a few years where walleye and sauger fishing started this early. Most people think that the “spring walleye run’ starts in March and April when the temperature hits the magic 40 degree mark and all the walleyes in the Wisconsin River system decide to migrate toward the first impassable structure or the dam’s on the river system. The truth is that walleyes and saugers start migrating upriver toward the Prairie du Sac Dam in the late fall and winter and find an area where they will hold till spring. This location is usually a deep water location with access to shallow water feeding flats that have bait fish. These “holding areas” can be close to the dam’s scour hole which is usually the deepest water below the dam that was formed when the water was high from the melting of winter’s snow and rushing through the open dam gates. There is water over 30 feet deep below the Prairie Dam which is deep water for the Wisconsin River where farther downriver 10 feet is considered deep. The scour hole is only 20 to 30 yards below the dam gates. Though many walleyes and its cousin, the sauger, can be very close to the dam, there are locations downriver 2 to 3 miles that will also hold fish this time of year before the spawn. This time of year, many of the smaller males will be active and arrive before the larger female fish. This is why you’ll often go through dozens of smaller, non-legal walleyes and saugers before you catch a legal fish. The legal size for walleyes on the Wisconsin River is 18 inches and the sauger must be 15 inches with a daily bag limit of 3 fish of any combination. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
2/19/10
by Gary Engberg
©2010 Gary Engberg Outdoors
The Sturgeon Spearing Opens and the State Recorded is Smashed
The Wisconsin sturgeon spearing season opened this past Saturday morning, February 14th, to below zero temperatures and a sunny sky. As soon as the sun rose, the temperature rebounded and one could not have asked for a nicer February day. By mid-morning, the sky was bright blue, the warming sun was shining, and thousands of sturgeon spearers were in their shanties waiting for a big fish to come by their hole.
Sturgeon Record the new state record 212.2 pounds and 84.2 inches speared by Ron Grishaber of Appleton
The glorious day turned out to also be a record-smashing day for the opening of the 2010 Wisconsin sturgeon spearing season. DNR fishery technicians have been seeing and handling sturgeon over 200 pounds for a few years, but none have been speared until Saturday. Finally, one of these “super-trophies” was speared by Ron Grishaber of Appleton, Wisconsin on Saturday morning. Grishaber registered the huge sturgeon (212.2 pounds and 84.2 inches) at the Harrison Registration Station, west of the village of Sherwood.
This was not the only record broken on Saturday. There were a record number of lake sturgeons greater than or equal to 100 pounds registered this day with 31 taken from Lake Winnebago and 3 from the Upriver Lakes. And the other record broken was the largest male sturgeon ever registered weighing 116.8 pounds and being 71 inches long. This fish was registered at Critter’s in the town of Winneconne. This sturgeon came from the Upriver Lakes of Butte des Morts, Winneconne, and Lake Poygan.
Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes were gin-clear last week which would have helped the spearer’s by giving them greater visibility. But, the water on the west shore dirtied up from the flow of the Fox River. The best spearing and visibility was on the east side of the lake and up north near Stockbridge. This is the area where the record fish was speared and where the most fish were harvested. Water clarity can change daily and many people were moving their shanties to the east side and north end of Lake Winnebago for the last few days of the season.
I talked to and interviewed Ron Bruch, who is the Fisheries Supervisor for the entire Winnebago System, and Ron said that “the number of these very large fish in the Winnebago population has been increasing over the last 15 years due to the regulations developed by the DNR fisheries staff and the Winnebago Citizens Sturgeon Advisory Committee, and implemented in the late 1990’s and designed to decrease the annual exploitation of adult female sturgeon (which are the largest fish in the fish stock and also the most vulnerable).” There also were large hatches of sturgeon over a 20-30 year period in the early 1990’s that are now entering the “super-trophy” size in their life. Lake sturgeon and especially females are believed to be able to live to be 150 years old or more. The 212 pound record-breaking sturgeon hasn’t been aged yet, but is thought to be well over 100 years old. The previous state spearing record was a 188 pound and 79.5 inch sturgeon that was speared by David Piechowski of Redgranite in 2004. This year’s record fish was not only a record speared fish for Lake Winnebago, but also a Wisconsin state spear record topping a 195 pound fish speared on Lake Pokegama in Vilas county in 1979. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
2/12/10
by Gary Engberg
©2010 Gary Engberg Outdoors
Sturgeon Spearer’s Look Forward to Opener This Weekend
All signs point to a successful sturgeon spearing season on Lake Wiinebago
This coming Saturday, February 13th, the Wisconsin sturgeon spearing season opens on Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes of Lake Winneconne, Lake Buttes des Morts, and Lake Poygan. The spearing season lasts until February 28 or until the pre-set Winnebago System wide harvest caps are reached. Spearer’s had to apply for their spearing permit by August 1 for the Upriver Lakes where only 500 permits are allotted and licenses for both Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes must have been purchased by October 31st. An individual can apply for a permit on either Lake Winnebago or the Upriver Lakes, but not both.
If you haven’t ever tried spearing for sturgeons, it is a tradition that is deeply rooted in the outdoor culture of Wisconsin. Spearing sturgeon goes back many generations to spearing families and groups of friends. Some families have traditions that go back to the early days of spearing with the Stockbridge Indians on the east shore of Lake Winnebago in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The “season’ is much like a huge tailgate party with thousands of anglers and their shanties dotting huge massive Lake Winnebago and having fun outdoors. The atmosphere is festive with families and groups getting together in the outdoors to socialize, see old friends, and hopefully get a chance to spear one of these prehistoric fish. Last year, an aerial shanty count had almost 5,000 shacks on the ice opening weekend. This year over 10,000 licenses have been sold, which shows that the sport is increasing in the number of participants and preserving this Wisconsin tradition.
The first spearing season in Wisconsin was in 1903 and later the season was closed from 1915 to 1931. But, the work and effort of the DNR and many other local groups have helped the growth of the sturgeon population to the point where it is now self-sustaining while still giving people the opportunity to spear. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
2/5/10
by Gary Engberg
©2010 Gary Engberg Outdoors
Enjoy the Outdoors, Even in Winter
Watching eagles at the Overlook on the Wisconsin River at Sauk City, WI
I have a friend who I regularly talk to and sometimes see during the week with problems and glitches with my computer, website, or something technical. When I have problems, he’s a genius at fixing my mistakes. He usually is my savior when it comes to fixing the problems that I encounter on a computer. But, I rarely see this person when it doesn’t have to do with work or business. This past weekend, I thought that I’d ask my “friend” (let’s call him Dave) if he’d like to join me in an outdoor experience or activity. This past weekend looked like it was going to be a nice one, so I thought that I’d ask my friend what he had planned and see if he was interested in joining me for a day outdoors doing “something” like ice fishing, snowshoeing, eagle watching, driving the back roads looking for wildlife, or checking out the many fisherees and trap shoots that take place every weekend this time of year. Now when so many baby-boomer are stopping their participation in outdoor activities that they have taken part in for decades, its time to try and recruit or bring some new and fresh blood into all outdoor activities, not just fishing and hunting.
I asked Dave if he was interested in doing “something” in the outdoors with me over the weekend. To my surprise, he said declined and said no! He said that during the winter he rarely does much outside and usually stays home and watches movies or sports. I was disappointed because there are so many diverse outdoor activities I was sure that I could find something that might get “old” Dave fired up. We get along fine, but most of this is superficial and part of work process. Dave grew up in a big city and never was introduced to anything in the outdoors. To him, the outdoors was taking the dog for a walk in the park or driving in the country to an apple orchard in the fall. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
1/22/10
by Gary Engberg
©2010 Gary Engberg Outdoors
Tips for the Novice Ice Anglers
Grandfather and grandson with their catch at the Yahara Fishing Club Kids Fishing Day.
This past weekend, the Yahara Fishing Club held their Annual Kids Ice Fishing Day at Brittingham Park in Madison, Wisconsin. The milder weather had many children out ice fishing with their parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters. A few of the past ice outings have had extreme cold weather and even poor ice, so this years weather brought out many who other wised might have stayed home.
The members of the Yahara Fishing Club do a wonderful job in giving so many local children and their guardians an introduction to ice fishing and experience the fun of catching fish through the ice. Saturday’s event started at 9:00 am at Lake Monona’s Brittingham Park and those that attended were provided with free gear, live bait, food, and club members to help beginning anglers learn a “little” about ice fishing basics. If you were brought up in Wisconsin or anywhere in the Upper Midwest then you probably were introduced to ice fishing at some time in your life or know people who ice fish.
The one thing that makes ice fishing more accessible to people is that you don’t need a boat to catch fish. Though many ice fishermen and women use ATV’s for greater mobility, many anglers still walk to their favorite fishing hole. Most of the gear that an angler needs can be put into a five gallon pail and pulled on a sled. The pail also can be used to sit on while you fish your holes in the ice. Everything that an ice fisherman needs can be put on a small plastic sled that costs under $10.00. Ice fishing rods and reels can be bought for $15.00 to $30.00 which is inexpensive when compared to what open water rod and reels cost. A beginning angler should get a sensitive rod with a spring bobber on the end to detect the lightest bite. Purchase a small spinning reel with 2 to 3 pound line spooled on it to your ice fishing jigs. Talk to local anglers and those in the know to find out what the best ice jigs are for the area that you’re fishing. Bait can be wax worms, spikes, plastics, or the new Berkley Gulp which is made from real fish and lasts longer than live bait and really catches fish. A new hand ice auger can be purchased for about $80.00 and power augers start at over $300.00, but a thrifty angler can usually find used hand augers for $25.00 at garage sales. You’d be surprised at the good deals you can find at “swap” and garage sales if you spend some time looking for good used gear. Ice skimmers for clearing your hole of ice are less than $10.00 when brand new. Then, about the only other thing that an angler needs is a good assortment of ice jigs and plastics which are inexpensive. It’s nice to have an ice shanty for the real cold weather and recently I’ve seen new ice shelters for under $200.00 for a 2-man tent. But, you can also spend over $400.00 for bigger and deluxe shelters. It’s also possible to find good used shelters for under $100.00, if you do some searching. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
1/12/10
by Gary Engberg
Bald Eagle Watching Days and Keep Those Feeders Full
Wisconsin River Eagle soaring near a local farm.
This coming Friday evening and Saturday, January 15 & 16, 2010 is the 23rd Sauk Prairie Bald Eagle Watching Days in the twin cities of Sauk City and Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. Most of activities with the exception of the Eagle Watching Bus Tours take place at the River Arts Center at the Sauk Prairie High School at 105 9th Street. During the Bald Eagle Days, the bus tours leave every hour on the hour from the high school.
During the rest of January and February, the eagle tours leave from the Cedarberry Inn on Highway 12 (Phillips Street) at 10:00 am. The tour costs $5.00, lasts about one hour going to good locations for viewing eagles, has guides from the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council to answer questions, and make the tour educational and informative. To reserve a spot, which is suggested, call the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce at 1-800- 68EAGLE.
Bald Eagle Days has something for the entire family and is a wonderful way for families to see these majestic eagles and learn about them and the many other raptors that call Wisconsin home. Friday evening, David Stokes, a wildlife humorist, will present a program called “Fun with Animals” which has been a success for years. This family program starts at 7:00 pm in the River Arts Center.
Saturday, January 16th, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council (FBEC) will have exhibits and displays in the River Arts Center Lobby beginning at 8:00 am. Beginning at 9:00 am, Kelly Kearns of the DNR Endangered Resources Department will have many diverse activities for children that will be open till 1:00 pm in the River Arts Center Gallery. Local photographer, Bill Pielsticker, will give tips on wildlife photography in the River Arts Center starting at 9:00 am. Throughout the day, there will also be wine-tasting at the Wollersheim Winery of their new “Eagle White” wine. The winery is located just across the Wisconsin River and only a few minutes out of town. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
1/8/10
Extend Your Winter Time Outdoors by Predator Hunting
Wade Feiner of Sauk City with a coyote.
Predator hunting has been around for years, but the last decade has seen a boom in this hunting which fills some of the gaps between other seasons and gives the hunter and outdoorsman another chance to be in the outdoors. The main predators in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest are; wolves, bears, bobcats, foxes, and now the most common predator the coyote. There is no open season for wolves in Wisconsin, bears are regulated with seasons and harvest quotas, bobcats are also highly regulated, foxes are more common and have set seasons, and the main predator that most hunters hunt, the coyote has a season open all year.
The coyote population has continued to grow with a population of 18,000 to 20,000 animals in Wisconsin. Development and growth into previously rural areas has brought people and coyotes into direct contact with each other and coyotes much like the whitetail deer have learned to adapt and live with man. All one has to do is read the local papers and see the numerous sightings and confrontations people and pets have with coyotes. The westside of Madison has seen coyotes killing smaller pet dogs and “stalking” people while showing no fear of humans. Though, I know of no verified reports of these predators attacking a human. But, small pets, like cats and dogs, should not be left or let outside alone. A few years back, I saw a coyote trotting along the Beltline Highway by Odana Golf Course. There are reports from all over the state about the numerous sightings and abundance of coyotes in every county and most towns and villages in this state.
As I said earlier, predator hunting is a rapidly growing sport for hunters and doesn’t require too much equipment and gear besides a good rifle, a quality scope, a manual or electronic call, and a decoy. Many of the same guns that you use for deer hunting are fine for predator hunting. The most common caliber rifles for predators are; the .223, 22-250, .243, and the .270 in a 50 grain bullet. I suggest a quality long gun made by Browning, Bennelli, Remington, Winchester, or Ruger. The Ruger M-77 is an excellent rifle at a reasonable price. Since most of your shots are going to long ones, you’ll also need a quality scope and the one that you used for deer hunting will most likely fill the bill. If it doesn’t, a Wisconsin company in Middleton, Vortex Optics, makes outstanding optics and has won numerous awards for their products and their quality the last few years in the hunting community. Besides rifle scopes, Vortex makes top-notch binoculars and spotting scopes at most price points with outstanding features. Personally, I’d check out the Viper and Diamondback series of scopes from Vortex if looking for optics that will perform in the worst conditions. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
12/18/09
Early Ice Fishing in Southern Wisconsin and the Madison Area
A nice 10" 'gill from the Madison Chain
The warmer than normal November had ice anglers worrying about when there would be ice on area waters. With the way the weather was going, I didn’t think there would be “good’ ice until at least Christmas. But, the recent frigid blast has angler’s already venturing out on area waters. Wisconsinites love a few things this time of year; first and foremost they love the Green Bay Packers and their second love is ice fishing. The average date that Lake Monona freezes over is usually near the end of December and in 5 years of the last decade the ice wasn’t safe until January. Last weekend, there were many anglers out on Monona Bay and the Brittingham Park area. There were at least a hundred anglers out Sunday afternoon when the packer game finished.
Personally, I’m waiting till the ice is a little thicker, in the 3 to 4 inch range, before I “hit’ the local waters. The vision of fresh bluegill and crappie fillets frying in a cast iron pan is so inviting, but I’m not as daring and bold as I once was and am waiting for thicker ice. Anglers love to be the first one on the ice because fishing is usually good in many areas early before the fish migrate to deeper water structure later in the winter. Now, the fish and I mean most panfish, walleyes, and northern pike are in the same location as they were before the ice formed. The key if possible is to find green weeds because most fish will be close to these spots.
Safety is the most important thing when fishing the first ice of the year! The weather this week looks good with another cold front coming in by mid-week which should continue the ice building process. Use good judgment when going ice fishing because any fish isn’t worth going through the ice for. Here are a few important tips to remember when fishing the year’s first ice: Read more »
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Lodi, WI
12/11/09
A Valiant Attempt to Increase the Muskie Size Minimum
A nice Wisconsin River musky.
Many anglers now know that the Lower Wisconsin Riverway has seen an increase in its muskie population during the last decade. Muskies have always been present in the Wisconsin River and in Lake Wisconsin above the Prairie du Sac Dam, but most of these catches have been accidental. Anglers fishing for another fish species (northern pike, catfish, sturgeon, and walleyes) have accidentally caught muskies.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the muskies present in the Wisconsin River have gotten there during periods of high water usually in the spring. Melting snow and spring rains can raise the river’s water to where it is possible for muskies from Lake Wisconsin to go over the top of the Prairie du Sac Dam and into the Lower Wisconsin River. Periodically, muskies have also been stocked in Lake Wisconsin, but the population of these fish has been low making it difficult to “target’ the big fish. There also are muskies in the Mississippi River, but it would be extremely difficult for the fish to travel up river and take up residence below the Prairie Dam. The amount of natural reproduction in these waters is minimal if any, so most of the fish in question are old.
As I earlier said, the population of muskies below the Prairie du Sac Dam has risen for the years to the point where there is a fishable population of good sized muskies. These fish are concentrated in the waters below the dam from the tailrace area to the Highway 12 Bridge in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Everything that a muskie could want is in the area. There is deep water in the “scour hole” below the dam formed from many years of the spring’s high water (over 30 feet), good habitat, and a steady supple of forage fish to their liking. I’ve caught and seen muskies caught for years, but they are almost always caught when fishing for another species and not in great numbers till recently.
The last few years has seen more and more muskies caught to the point where many local anglers have started targeting and releasing the fish. It is not unusual to fish the tailrace area below the dam, the deeper water in the scour hole, and both of the river’s shorelines and catch and release some nice sized muskies.
But, a problem has arisen with the growth of the fishery. The minimum size for a muskie in the Wisconsin River below the Prairie du Sac Dam is 34 inches which is the state minimum unless there are local regulations. The Madison Chain of Lakes has a minimum size of 45 inches and the Bay of Green Bay has a 50 inch minimum. A vast majority of muskie anglers practice catch and release anyway, so over-harvest has not been a problem till recently. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
12/4/09
The Tradition Continues
Tyler Ruhland of Sauk City with a 17 point deer with a 22 inch inside spread that will score very high.
This past weekend, November 21 and 22 was the opening of the 158th Wisconsin Deer Gun Season. There have been many changes in all of these hunting seasons with some of the major and significant changes from the 1980’s and on being; the movement of large numbers of deer from the northern third of the state to the southern agricultural counties, the growth of the deer herd to over 1 million deer in the late 1980’s, the creation of antlerless deer permits, the allowed use of handguns for deer hunting, extended seasons, the beginning of hunter discontent over the “announced” DNR deer herd numbers in the 1990’s, the addition of the Earn-A-Buck (EAB) requirement in the mid 1990’s, the early antlerless deer hunts in October which began in 1998, record deer harvests in the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s, a record 528,494 deer harvested in 2000, the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in 2001, the millions of dollars spent on CWD testing and research, increased deer populations in many of the state’s deer management units (DMU), unlimited antlerless permits in 2005 for Zone T and CWD units, over 1 million antlerless permits issued in 2006, and this year a traditional buck only hunt in 13 northern units and the new Mentor Hunting Program allowing children over 10 years of age to hunt one on one with a ‘Mentor” even before taking Hunter Education. These are just a few of the many important changes and landmarks that have occurred in the last few decades which have impacted deer hunting and deer hunters.
After spending all of Saturday and Sunday registering deer in Sauk County, I got the opportunity to talk to hundreds of deer hunters of all ages and sexes. This year, there is a couple of questions on the registration forms that ask deer hunters how many deer were observed while hunting, how many hours were spent hunting, and how one would rate the weather while hunting. As with most questions, there are always a couple of different ways that hunter’s interpret the questions and answer them. Saturday, many hunters complained about the early morning fog which was intense depending on where you were, the above normal temperatures were welcomed by some and disliked by others, many hunters wished for a little snow as always, some hunters reporting seeing many deer while others saw few, many hunters reported seeing numerous “smaller’ bucks, and there was a continuation, from the bow hunt, of large trophy bucks being harvested. In talking to hunters, hearing their stories, and seeing the deer harvested showed me that people (hunters) can “see’ things differently. There are many varying and diverse opinions of the deer hunt, the rules and regulations, and the deer numbers among deer hunters. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
11/6/09
by Gary Engberg
©2009 Gary Engberg Outdoors
November is Big Fish Time
Author with a big walleye caught on Lake Erie during late November.
November is the best month of the fishing season for the angler looking to catch a trophy fish of any species. The largest fish of the year are usually caught from the beginning of November until freeze-up which varies from lake to lake. Many anglers put their boats away for the year around Labor Day and a few others wait till sometime in October. But, the hard-core and serious fishermen wait till sometime in November (and sometimes later) and just before the area’s lakes freeze solid for the ice fishing season to store their boats.
When and Where
Every year there may be a “little” variance in the exact time that the local lakes freeze solid. The variables that affect a lake freezing over include; the size of the lake, the lake’s depth, and if there is any current or flow that runs through the lake from any rivers and creeks that enter and exit the lake. Large lakes, like Madison’s Lake Mendota, usually don’t freeze until December and there have been some years when Lake Mendota isn’t frozen till Christmas time. But, Lake Mendota is 10,000 acres, over 80 feet deep, and has some current running through it from the Yahara River that enters and exits the lake. A smaller lake, such as Madison’s Lake Wingra, will freeze weeks and even a month before some of the other area waters because it is only 345 acres, has a depth of roughly 15 feet, and only a little flow from Murphy’s Creek.
There also are waters, like Lake Wisconsin, which is actually a flowage much like the Petenwell and Castle Rock Flowages, which are actually impoundments of the Wisconsin River. These lakes or flowages have dams at both ends that control the current and flow throughout the year. The current is less during the winter months, but never worth the risk of ice fishing over its deeper water. The point is that most lakes in southern Wisconsin are open for fishing throughout the month of November. When fishing late in the season, try to find any green weeds because these are fish magnets this time of year. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
10/23/09
by Gary Engberg
©2009 Gary Engberg Outdoors
A Perfect Weekend for the Local Outdoorsman
Catfish playing his guitar at the Madison Fishing Expo.
The last week or so Mother Nature threw a curve ball at the thousands of hunters, anglers, and outdoors people who look forward to being outside with much cooler than normal temperatures, rain, and the occasional snow shower. But, this past weekend was gorgeous for any soul who lives for the outdoors and particularly for those who like to hunt and fish. The mornings were cool, but a warming south-west wind and clear skies brought in milder weather that had my thermometer pushing 60 degrees on Sunday afternoon. The norm for this time of fall is still almost 60 degrees with the early morning lows around 40 degrees. This weekend was an outstanding time to be outdoors in Wisconsin.
Last Thursday, the Antlerless Deer Hunt opened for four days and again (like during the Youth Hunt last week) I was busy registering deer the other side of the Wisconsin River in Sauk County. Since my registration station was at the Wilderness Fish and Game store in Sauk City, I got to speak to many men, women, and youngsters who were outdoors taking advantage of a perfect fall weekend. Besides those who came to register deer, I had hunters and fishermen coming by the Wilderness store to buy supplies and gear for their weekend and later fall pursuits. Hunters were buying guns, ammo, decoys, clothing, and other assorted outdoor supplies. Anglers were purchasing live bait, jigs, terminal tackle, crankbaits, and having fresh line spooled on their fishing reels. Birdwatchers and photographers were busy looking at binoculars, spotting scopes, and blinds for concealment in their activities. The awesome weather had people out in mass taking part in what many Wisconsinites do this time of the year; enjoy and participate in the numerous outdoor activities that are available at your fingertips. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
10/16/09
by Gary Engberg
©2009 Gary Engberg Outdoors
Young Hunters Take to the Woods During State Youth Hunt
Justin Juan Lara with father, and a 13 point buck with an 18 inch inside spread.
Last Saturday, October 10th was the opening day of the two-day Wisconsin Youth Deer Hunt in all of Wisconsin’s deer management units with the exception of the state park units and deer management unit 48. I was going to be registering deer in Sauk City at the Wilderness Fish and Game store both days of the youth hunt. I was up early on Saturday morning taking my new Labrador puppy, Katie, out to do her “thing.” I knew that the day was going to be chilly, but not the 23 degrees that my thermometer read before 6:00 am that morning.
Since I was going to be outside registering deer, I dressed for the coldest day of the fall by wearing long underwear, warm boots, a down jacket, and gloves. Before heading to the registration station, I did a tour of the public hunting grounds that surround my Wisconsin River domain. I was mildly surprised at the large number of vehicles parked around the Mazomanie Public Hunting Grounds on this first frost of the season morning. There were young hunters dressed for the weather with their fathers, grandfathers, and mentors entering the woods and fields at most of the parking areas around the 4,000 acre parcel of woods, fields, savannahs, and marsh that make up this public hunting area. Despite the chilly weather which included a stiff wind and occasional snow showers, this new generation of hunters were out in good numbers to shoot what for many would be their first deer. It looks like the great hunting tradition that Wisconsin possesses is in good hands for the future generations with what I witnessed this weekend. Read more »
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Lodi, WI
10/9/09
by Gary Engberg
©2009 Gary Engberg Outdoors
This Fall’s Pheasant Prospects in Wisconsin
Pheasants, like this beauty, may be harder for hunters to find this fall with the expiration of CRP acres.
The key to pheasant numbers in any state and particularly Wisconsin and the Midwest is habitat. Wild pheasant numbers are driven by habitat and the loss of over a million habitat acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands in the main core of Midwest states will have hunters finding fewer pheasants than they have the last few years. Another 3.8 million acres of CRP will expire this fall, 4.4 million acres next fall, and 21 million acres will be gone from the program by the end of 2012 and without a new CRP general sign-up- of which none are scheduled by the Department of Agriculture hunters worried.
The CRP Program has been one of the most successful programs that the Government has ever implemented with benefits of improved soil quality, cleaner water, less soil erosion, and increased habitat for game animals, game birds, and even song birds. The continued loss of CRP acres in key states will be a disaster for the conservationists. If you are a pheasant hunter (over 60,000 pheasant hunters in Wisconsin and 2 million nationally) and conservationists it is important that you contact your elected officials and “lobby” them for a continuation of the CRP program with a new general sign-up, expansion of the wildlife friendly CRP practice known as State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE or CP 38), and the expansion of the Upland Bird Habitat Buffers practice (CP 33) also within CRP. I strongly suggest that pheasant hunters join Pheasants Forever which is a quality conservation-minded organization that does wonders for all wildlife nationally and within Wisconsin and most others states in their numerous local chapters projects. Read more »
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Fishing, Local, Outdoor | Free Speech | 
March 11, 2010 11:07 AM | 
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