Woods & Water (267)
This past week we received some much needed rain, which could go a long way towards easing the burning restrictions we have been under in the area. I was pleased to hear that the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners did what I felt was the right thing and voted not to issue a permit for a gravel pit by Lower Twin Lake which, in my opinion, would have had a negative ecological impact on the area and would also have taken away precious habitat. As it is, far too many acres of valuable wildlife habitat have already disappeared.
Whenever I drive north on Bridge Avenue and pass over the place that kids who grew up in that area referred to as “the bridge,” I get a good feeling. We would spend many hours exploring the slough and enjoying the wildlife that lived there. I have mentioned before the unmistakable call of the red wing blackbird and each spring the return of those birds surely meant that “spring had sprung” as my dad used to say in his tongue-in-cheek humor. The feeling I get today when passing by this area is one of gratitude to the DNR and many local habitat groups for making sure that this area and others like it are preserved even though the land surrounding this area is slowly being developed.
This is the place where I used to spend my Saturdays tromping through the slough while I explored the vast wilderness of the area. To a kid, at least this one, this really was a vast wilderness that was enhanced by a good imagination and a desire to create my own fun. I spent many Saturday mornings watching kids shows on the old Zenith that on a good day could pull in three channels or maybe four if the tin foil was in the right place on the antennae wire. Once I had grown eye weary from watching that snowy screen I would be out of the house in search of another adventure that involved the slough.
Whenever I drive past the slough I can look to the south and see that the hill we used to slide on is still there. It really wasn’t much of a hill because it was short but very steep so the thrill, like the hill, (poet) offered a quick but exciting ride. After dragging our sleds through the slough to reach that hill we would spend a couple of hours taking the steep climb to the top so we could zip down the hill to that sudden stop at the bottom. In those days I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
I had a neighbor named Roger who was a couple of years older than me and in some ways kind of a bully. When he had friends or cousins visiting him he treated me like the enemy and would from time to time for no apparent reason give me a good pounding. When I was the only one around, we were friends and he would let me hang out with him. Roger had an old duck boat that his dad had given him and one spring when the water in the “crick” was extremely high, he asked me to go along with him to explore the slough.
I jumped at the chance because, after all, he was the oldest kid on the block and wanted to hang out with me, so life was good. As we set out on our adventure I found out that the boat had a couple of pretty big leaks in it and he had thoughtfully brought along a 2-lb. Hills Brothers coffee can especially for me so that I could bail water out of the boat while he rowed and enjoyed the sights. In hindsight I could have probably passed for one of those guys on the slave ships that I used to see at the movie theater. When we returned to his house at the end of the day, both me and my new best friend were soaking wet. Even though Roger and I were now friends, I for some reason took pleasure in hearing his mother scold him for taking that boat out in that fast running current and for getting us both soaking wet.
Although Roger and I didn’t always agree on things (especially me when I was getting pounded on) we both had a great appreciation of that slough, its wildlife and the habitat that it provided then and still does provide today.
Until next time, it's time to get outdoors, wet a line whenever the opportunity arises and if you don't want to fish, just take a walk or ride your bike around the lake; it’s all good.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
I do believe we have finally turned the corner when talking weather; the only exception being the wind, which never seems to give us much of a break. Wind permitting, I will be taking time out to wet a line somewhere on one of our area lakes. I am talking shore fishing, which on most lakes in this area is a very good way to fish, especially early in the season. There was a time when shore fishing consisted of a can of worms, a heavy sinker and a snelled hook. Before beginning my quest for fish I would search for a tree branch with a nice “Y” so I could drive the single end into the ground and, after loading my hook with a gob of worms from said can and casting it out as far as possible, I would rest my rod in the Y and wait. In my younger years this was fishing at its finest, and it usually yielded good results.
I even tried this method while trout fishing with my family at Stockade Lake in Custer State Park in the Black Hills. We’d bought a one-day pass, which was good from noon one day until noon the next. I had talked to some folks that had fished there before and, while the method they used was a little different, it still sounded an awful lot like fishing bullheads to me. I rigged everyone’s line with a Lindy Rig and a gob of worms, then we just cast it out as far as possible and waited. It didn’t take long before we were catching trout. I was busy taking fish off everyone’s line when one of the boys yelled that my rod was being dragged into the lake. I dove for it and grabbed the handle just as it was about to disappear into the depths. On the other end of the line I found a nice largemouth bass. The boys still get a kick out of bringing up that time when Dad almost lost his rod and reel to a fish.
I have fished many different ways over the years and I can’t really say which is my favorite because each one is different and they all have their up sides. I covered how I usually bottom fished as a kid, but in those days I also liked to use a bobber or a cork as it was called way back then. I don’t really believe that there is a more peaceful feeling than watching a bobber as it drifts slowly in a slight summer breeze as the guy on the other end (me) anxiously awaits the moment that it disappears into the depths below.
Trolling is probably the method I use most when fishing out of a boat. When you troll, you cover a lot of water in a short amount of time and you catch most any species of fish using this method. There is nothing more fun than having a large pike or musky almost rip the pole from your hands when it strikes. Over the years I have definitely enjoyed some very good luck while trolling and, up until a couple years ago, I had caught my own personal best walleye while trolling at night.
Casting a jig with plastics, a spinner bait or a jerk bait can be a very rewarding way to fish. I do believe that it’s hard to match the thrill of having a lunker explode from the depths with your lure in its mouth at almost the same exact moment that it hits the water. It is always exciting when you get a follow from a big fish when you are casting. I probably have some of my fondest fishing memories while casting. One summer afternoon I was in a secluded bay on Spider Lake casting to an open area which surrounded by heavy cover when a musky hit my lure about a foot out of the water. I can still see the water exploding as that fish jumped with its tail about a foot above the surface and my lure hanging out of its mouth.
When it comes to early season walleye fishing, on most lakes I would have to say drifting with a jig tipped with a minnow or a Lindy rig tipped with a shiner or leech is your best bet. I have fished the Governor’s Fishing Opener since 1995 and have fished with many different folks and these two methods are, by far, the ones most preferred. I actually caught my personal best walleye just a couple years ago while drifting Leech Lake with a live bait rig called a “Slow Death.”
These are just some of the many memories I have from many years of fishing various waters across this great state of ours.
Until next time, it's time to get outdoors when the weather permits. Wet a line whenever the opportunity arises and if you don't want to fish, it's still a great time to take a walk or ride your bike around the lake.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
With the weather being as it is I have not had much incentive to wet a line on area lakes. It seems as if when the days are sunny and warm the wind is blowing at a brutal pace and when the wind dies down it is cold and rainy. I guess that this is just the price we pay for living in our beloved state. On the other hand; we could live in "tornado alley" or in a place where hurricanes are always a threat.
Late last summer while I was at the cabin I mowed and used the weed eater to widen the path going down the hill to the lake. After I had finished I was taking a little break sitting on this love seat that we have facing the lake at the crest of the hill. As I stared down the path I thought of all the fun that the grandkids had over the years during the summer months. My wife Jean had bought an inflatable Kayak and later a paddle boat; both of which the kids, especially Trevor the oldest, enjoyed for many years. The boys would take turns with the kayak but Trevor, being the oldest and the most dedicated fisherman got the most use out of it. I believe that the last time that he used it was when he went to fetch it out from under the cabin and disturbed a hornet’s nest. He got numerous bites and after that he was never too anxious to retrieve the kayak from under the cabin again. I can see how that would make a kid just a little skittish. The paddle boat also got its share of use over the years but that eventually gave way to the 12 foot Lund that I had bought just to use on our lake. I eventually purchased a 14-ft boat that we leave on shore by the lake. The boys not only used the boat for fishing but also for exploring the lake and swimming out of on hot summer days.
I now use that 12 foot Lund for lake hopping and that is the boat that I like to fish out of when I am alone or with one of my sons or grandsons. We have a 1959 5.5 hp Evinrude that works good for fishing many of the small lakes that I like to fish. Most of the lakes that we fish have little or no boat traffic for the majority of the time so you usually aren’t competing for your favorite “hot spot”. This type of fishing is “right down my alley”, as my dad used to say. I like the solitude and have never been one to stand elbow to elbow on the bank of a stream or lake fighting for a spot to plop my lure in.
The lakes that I usually fish aren’t known to hold many walleye; bass, northern and panfish fill that void very nicely. I live spending time on a small lake enjoying the scenery and doing my best to find a lure or bait that will entice a fish to bite is what it is all about to me. Watching the sun rise while listening to the loons, watching a beaver busily swimming across the lake with a tree branch or spotting an eagle soar overhead is what it is really all about; catching fish is just a bonus.
Saying that it’s all about the experience may seem like a cop out but that is not really the case. I know others will disagree but the coach that says winning or losing doesn’t matter and that it’s just about playing the game is sending the wrong message. When it comes to sports like football, baseball, basketball or hockey and others you play for a reason; to win and if you act like that doesn’t matter then where is the competitive spirit that you need not only in sports but to carry you through life. Granted, winning is the goal but it’s more about being competitive and the winning is what keeps you coming back.
Fishing to some is all about how many pounds of fish you can put on the table and granted I like to eat fish but I don’t judge a successful fishing outing by how many fish I can put on the stringer, yes I still use one. The fishing experience alone is great but subconsciously, that one chance that I may catch the fish of my lifetime is what keeps me coming back for more.
As I sat on that bench staring down that path at the lake I would swear that I still could hear those kids laughing and yelling as they scurried up the hill to tell me about a fish that they had caught or of an animal that they had seen. I long for those days even though I know that they are gone. I still have hope that my two little granddaughters will be spending a lot of time at the cabin with us in the coming years.
Until next time, it's time to get outdoors when the weather permits. Wet a line whenever the opportunity arises and if you don't want to fish, it's still a great time to take a walk or ride your bike around the lake.
Remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms we have today.
All the lakes are open in our part of the state and when that happens I look back to the days when the bullhead was king of early season fishing. As a kid there were a few times when my uncle Harvey would take me with him to Pickerel Lake to fish bullheads. In those days folks learned about any area fish bite strictly by word of mouth.
Spring is when the bullheads are the best eating and that is also when the bite is usually the best. I can remember how folks would line the shore of Pickerel Lake and the cars would be lined up along the roadside on Highway 69. All of the "old timers" would await the day that ice out occurred so that they could pursue that whiskered fish. I can remember how pumped up my father-in-law Orv Johnson would be when one of his card playing buddies at the Twin Lakes Liquor Store would tell him about the latest hot spot where those big old yellow bellies were biting.
I have to say when I was growing up the bullhead was, beyond a doubt, the most abundant fish in the area. There was actually nothing better than a meal of early season bullhead pan fried and served with fried potatoes and Van Camp's pork & beans; yum, yum, mighty tasty. A lot of rural bars and service clubs would hold bullhead feeds and smelt feeds, both of which have become pretty much a thing of the past.
As a kid I paid my dues like all of the other kids who fished the whiskered one; that is getting stung by the dreaded stingers that the bullhead has which inevitably end up poking even the most careful fisherman. It wasn’t just a poke, but something that would stay with you for awhile, just as a reminder that you had been had by the bullhead.
Every once in a while I look back and remember fondly those days gone by and more importantly I wonder where are the bullhead? Folks used to also line the shores of Albert Lea Lake, especially by the Jugland Dam. Catching the whiskered one was pretty simple and there used to be an abundance of them. I know that times have changed and you won't find a guy in a $30,000 bass boat bobber fishing bullhead but they should still eat as good today as they did years ago. Bobber fishing was a favorite for a lot of bullhead fishermen & women but using a simple hook and sinker with a gob of worms letting it lay on the bottom was pretty darned effective; if you didn’t get snagged up on the bottom. When I worked at Conger Creamery me and a couple of my co-workers would go to Pickerel Lake and fish at night. We’d start a bonfire, cast out a gob of worms and wait for the line to go tight. It was simple fun that yielded results without a whole lot of effort.
I’d noticed a gradual decrease in the number of bullheads where I kept a seasonal camper on Lake Tetonka in Waterville. The year before I moved the camper up north I talked to some folks from Iowa who came up to the lake each year to fish bullhead for their annual feed. They’d said that the bullhead numbers had declined so bad that they had to go to the Morristown Dam to get their fish. On that same note they also said that the city of Waterville had folks fishing in Morristown so that they could have fish for bullhead days. Not a good thing for a town that called itself "the bullhead capitol of the world".
I spoke with a gentleman who has lived on Albert Lea Lake for many years and he told me that he used to catch a lot of bullheads every spring while fishing off his dock. He said that now he’s lucky to catch any. I am no marine biologist so I won’t guess as to what has caused the decline but I would sure be interested in finding out. I know that during my last few years at Best Point Resort on Tetonka Lake I would occasionally see a bullhead swimming just below the surface with a sore on its side. There could very well have been a disease of some sort that took its toll on that species. I am sure that the bullhead population or lack thereof is not at the top of the DNR list of things to worry about.
Speaking of a fish of a different color; I have seen some folks catching perch while fishing from the Front Street Bridge and I have also heard of folks catching and releasing some nice walleye while fishing the channel below the dam on Bridge Street.
I plan on taking a few days and heading up to the cabin to check and see how many trees are down and if the cabin survived the winter. I could wait until the opener but the little kid inside of me wants to get up there and like I do with my grandkids I will probably give in to the old kid’s wishes.
Until next time, it's a good time to drop a line in for some perch and panfish.
and, who knows, you may even catch a nice mess of bullhead. If you don't want to fish, it's still a great time to take a walk or ride your bike around the lake.
Remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
The 9-13 inches of snow predicted for our area thankfully did not materialize. We did, however, get more snow than needed at this time of year. Luckily for me, two of my grandsons, Trevor and Grant, came and shoveled my driveway and walk. I really appreciated it and I know that my back was extra thankful. It’s nice to have good grandsons!
In March of 1965 I was working at the Conger Creamery as a milk truck driver when we had the worst storm that I personally can remember in my lifetime. It started out as rain and sleet, which caused a lot of trouble for me as I was hauling a load of skim milk to Freeborn Foods and the roads turned to glare ice about the time I had gotten half way to Albert Lea. The Conger road was gravel at that time, and with the spring thaw we’d already experienced, the frost was out and there were deep ruts in the road. The gravel was every bit as icy as the pavement and as I rounded the curve at Upper Twin Lake, the rear of the truck was sliding toward the ditch but my tires were in the rut. I had the door open and was driving half-standing with my foot on the gas ready to bail if the truck went over the edge; luckily I made it. After I unloaded I headed back to Conger on Highway 16 and slowly but surely made it back to the creamery.
As the sleet turned to snow, it turned into a full-fledged blizzard so me and a couple of my fellow workers who all rode together spent the night at the creamery. After the snow subsided I picked up milk at the farm places that I could access. When the snow finally let up we were able to drive back to Albert Lea. Shortly after I arrived home, the blizzard got its second wind and howled for a couple of days, so I was going nowhere. One evening my dad said he was going to walk to the Northside Confectionery so he could buy smokes, bread and milk. There was no way I was letting him go alone, so I went along. We walked on top of the snow, which was almost on the level with the top of the hill on Bridge Street by the fairgrounds, and the power and telephone lines weren’t very far from the top of the snow.
When the storm finally subsided and Hwy. 16 opened, my co-workers and I headed back to Conger. Driving on the road was like going through a tunnel and along the way there were graders, semis and snowplows buried in the snow on the side of the road. Once in Conger we had to try and get the milk from the farms we could access. There were places south of Conger where only a few feet of telephone poles were sticking out from the top of the snow. Farmers dumped a lot of milk down the drain that week because they only had so many cans and so much room in their bulk tanks. I know that I shoveled more snow that winter than I probably have the rest of my life. That was the worst blizzard I can remember and it was surely one winter I will never forget.
Mille Lacs regulations designed to keep walleye fishing open
Regulations designed to protect the fish needed to rebuild Mille Lacs Lake’s walleye population will require that walleye anglers use only artificial bait and immediately release all walleye when Minnesota’s 2016 fishing season opens Saturday, May 14.
“A catch-and-release walleye season allows us to protect future spawners yet acknowledges the desire that fishing remain open,” said Don Pereira, fisheries chief for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Not allowing harvest is a difficult decision, but it provides our best option.”
From May 14 to Thursday, Dec. 1, anglers targeting walleye must use artificial bait and immediately release all walleye caught. Anglers targeting northern pike and muskellunge may possess and use sucker minnows longer than eight inches, but all other anglers must not possess any other bait that is live, dead, frozen or processed.
Other changed regulations:
• Walleye — Night closure beginning Monday, May 16, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and continuing through Dec. 1. Muskellunge anglers may fish at night but all baits, live or artificial; in possession must be at least eight inches long.
• Northern pike: Five fish with only one longer than 40 inches. All northern 30-40 inches long must be immediately released.
• Bass: Four fish with only one longer than 21 inches. All fish 17-21 inches long must be immediately released. This year’s safe walleye harvest level established by the DNR and Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission remains at 40,000 pounds, with 28,600 allocated to state anglers and 11,400 for tribal fishing. Allowing fishing beyond those limits puts the walleye population at risk and a federal court decision requires that walleye fishing be suspended.
“These new regulations reflect the DNR’s commitment to continue providing world-class fishing at one of Minnesota’s premier vacation destinations,” Pereira said.
Launch operators receiving a permit can use live bait provided they agree to participate in efforts to collect data from fishing trips, launch customers and cooperate with the hooking mortality study. Their permits would be suspended if walleye fishing on Mille Lacs is closed.
Although I am not an expert on much of anything I do feel that the total catch and release plan for walleye fishing on this big lake coupled with the no live bait rule could be devastating to many resorters and bait shop owners. I don’t know of too many folks that would pay to go out on a launch to purposely catch fish that they can’t keep. I don’t really believe that you could hype up the musky, northern and bass fishing enough to make up for the walleye fishing.
Until next time, after a little setback in the weather we may once again be able get out and enjoy some outdoors activities that don’t involve a shovel. Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers while we are enjoying our freedoms that our men and women serving their country are preserving for us. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
This is probably the earliest date I can remember that the ice has been gone from both Fountain and Albert Lea Lake. What effect, if any, this will have on the upcoming fishing season remains to be seen. Once the “hard ice” season draws to a close I am always anxious to see what the open water season has in store. Whenever the ice disappears from area lakes unusually early or late, I tend to be a little apprehensive.
Looking back to some of the Governor’s Fishing Openers I have attended, there have been times when the ice has been out fairly early — like the one in Red Wing when I fished the opener on the Mississippi River in a T-shirt — but there were more times than not where the ice had gone out only a few days prior in some instances, like the one about three years ago when there was still ice on part of the lake I fished. I guess what I am really trying to say is that each year can be a little different. This is what makes living in Minnesota so interesting; you never know what lies ahead, so it’s not all that easy to predict the weather or the fishing.
When my three oldest grandsons were younger I would take them shore fishing shortly after the opener. Usually the three oldest, Trevor, Taylor and their cousin Dylan, would stay overnight and we’d rise early the next morning and, after Grandma fixed us a nice breakfast, head to the channel by Frank Hall Park. Most of my time would be spent untangling fishing lines or retrieving tackle out of overhanging tree branches. We would never usually catch much more than a few small bullheads and some perch, but they never seemed to mind. Trevor had and still does have the patience and the knack for fishing, but Taylor and Dylan not quite so much as in their younger years. As the years have gone by Dylan, like Trevor, has developed into a very good fisherman and Taylor, although he still likes to fish, isn’t quite as obsessed as the other two. Having the grandkids enjoy the sport that I love makes me feel like I have passed on a very important part of our family’s heritage to yet another generation.
If you are like me, you are looking forward to and already are getting outdoors and experiencing nature and the many things that our great Minnesota outdoors has to offer. Minnesota has 75 nice state parks and recreation areas for us to enjoy and since our family built our cabin in northern Minnesota. I have to admit I have not visited as many of our state parks as I would like. I do plan on purchasing a sticker this year and will make it a point to check out a few state’s parks starting with the one we have right here in our own back yard.
Minnesota State parks to make customer service improvements
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced that some key customer service improvements are coming to Minnesota state parks and recreation areas this summer.
According to DNR Parks and Trails Division Director Erika Rivers, the following changes, which begin taking effect in early May, are important steps to modernize services and meet the needs of today’s visitors to the state’s 75 parks and recreation areas.
Summer 2016 changes include:
Campsites that are 100 percent reservable at all Minnesota state parks and recreation areas
Previously, up to one-third of state park campsites were not available for advanced reservation and could only be rented by walk-in guests at the parks on a first-come, first served basis. In a 2014-2015 pilot project, about a quarter of state parks made all of their campsites reservable. Based on positive customer response, the Parks and Trails Division decided to expand this service statewide in 2016. Campsites can be reserved online at www.mndnr.gov/reservations or via phone: 866-857-2757.
Same-day reservations
For spontaneous travelers and families with busy schedules, same-day reservations will soon be available at many of Minnesota state parks’ most popular destinations (some locations will require infrastructure upgrades before implementation). Previously, the cut-off for making reservations was midnight the night before arrival day. For walk-ins, if there’s a campsite available, they’ll be able to book it either online or at a self-serve kiosk right in the park after arrival, with no reservation fee.
Easier, more convenient registration and orientation
Minnesota state parks and recreation areas are also investing in improved orientation and registration systems, which will allow visitors to register themselves and get other information without standing in line waiting for a staff person. Signs, maps and publications are being redesigned to be easier to use and to appeal to a new generation of visitors.
In moving to 100 percent reservable campsites, Rivers noted that parents previously may have been reluctant to pack up their cars and haul their kids some distance to a park that may not have a campsite available by the time they get there. “Moving to 100 percent ‘guaranteed camping’ and accepting same-day reservations is a step toward becoming even more family friendly,” she said.
Ice shelter permits for 2015 remain effective through Saturday, April 30.
Until next time, the weather is warming and the ice has disappeared from area lakes so it’s a great time to get out and enjoy walking, biking or maybe even wet a line and catch some early season panfish or perch.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers while we are enjoying the freedoms that our men and women serving their country are preserving for us. They are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms we have today.
As the weather warms, so do my feelings about getting in some open water fishing. I have seen a few folks trying their luck on the Front Street bridge and in the channel by the Bridge Street dam. Although the walleye, northern and bass seasons are closed the season is ongoing for perch, crappie and sunfish. It seems that although we had upper 60-degree weather on Tuesday of this past week, the ice is not quite ready to go away. If you are like me, you are anticipating the day when you can cast a line with the hope of catching some tasty perch or panfish.
When I close my eyes I can drift off and put myself on any one of the many lakes that surround the area in Northern Minnesota where our cabin sits. I know I may be getting the cart in front of the horse or, in this instance, prematurely firing up the old Evinrude. If you can’t wait for open water fishing, a trip east to the “Mighty Mississippi” may be in order.
It has been many years since me and some coworkers from Wilson’s would head to the river for a day of fishing. It only seems like yesterday we were taking an early-morning trip to that river where I have to say, we usually caught fish. I also went there with my old neighbor, Gene, on one occasion and if I recall correctly it was usually a good experience no matter who I fished with.
My first trip to the river was as a youth when my Uncle Ben asked me to go along to Wabasha. Once there, we were to meet Harry, one of his good friends from Cedar Rapids. We stayed at a resort on the river and our plan was to catch some of the “slab” crappies that were biting at that time. I can remember catching crappies as fast as I could pull them into the boat. Uncle Ben reminded me many times about that time when I was so excited that I’d pull a crappie out of the water on one side of the boat and fling it back into the water on the other side in one fluid motion. We came home with our limit of nice crappie, and that was one childhood memory I cherish to this day.
Not only did I catch a lot of fish on that trip with Uncle Ben, but I caught an alligator gar, a fish I had read about before the trip. As soon as I found out I was going to the river I read up about what type of fish we could find in that area of the mighty river. To me, catching a gar was a dream come true because I knew none of my friends had ever experienced catching one. In those days I would invest a lot of the money that I’d get for doing chores or lawn mowing in hunting and fishing magazines. These books would fuel my daydreams where I’d go to fish bonefish or tarpon in Florida or muskies in Canada, so catching a gar was considered a dream fulfilled to me.
I guess it didn’t take much to satisfy me when it came to hunting and fishing, but catching that gar made that trip extra special. I was a kid who fished bullheads and sunfish at the old mink farm, which is what folks used to call Coney Island in those days. Give me some fish line, an old thermos bottle cork, a few weights and hooks, and I was good to go. In the same token, my hunting experiences at that age evolved around my trusty old Red Ryder BB gun and traipsing through the slough looking for an adventure that could only be found in my imagination.
2015 fish, game and trapping licenses expired Feb. 29
Minnesota fishing, hunting and trapping licenses for 2015 expired Monday, Feb. 29.
Licenses for 2016 now are available wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold, online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense and by telephone at 888-665-4236. All 2016 fishing licenses became effective Tuesday, March 1.
New licenses are required for 2015 hunting and fishing seasons that continued past Monday, Feb. 29.
Anglers who purchased the new three-year individual angling license in 2013 when it first became available must renew their license this year.
Anglers can help maintain and enhance Minnesota’s famed walleye fishing by adding the $5 walleye stamp validation to their licenses. The stamp is not required to fish for or keep walleye.
Customers who purchase online via smartphone won’t receive a conventional paper license. Instead, they’ll receive a text message or email that serves as proof of a valid fish or game license to state conservation officers. A printed copy of the text or email also can serve as proof of a valid license.
Ice shelter permits for 2015 remain effective through Saturday, April 30.
Until next time, the weather is warming and the ice is slowly disappearing from our lakes, so it’s a great time to get out and enjoy spending time in our great Minnesota outdoors.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
Last weekend I had a chance to catch a few fishing shows on Fox, and on one of them they were doing some fall musky fishing on Lake of the Woods. If this doesn’t get an old fisherman’s adrenaline flowing, nothing will. I’d guess you could say that I have come down with that dreaded virus some call “cabin fever.” That trip was followed up by a trip to Cass Lake where they were catching smallmouth bass, walleye and big pike. This was definitely a show that could get a guy lost in his daydreams.
I am afraid there will only be one cure for this dreaded virus and that is a trip to the cabin. I am not sure how much snow we have at the cabin, but I will probably not be going until I know that the road in will be passable. Our road does not get plowed out in the winter, so it can be pretty tough to get a vehicle back there. I have passed the point of no return as far as the snowshoe thing goes, so a clear drive is about my only option.
Once we had the cabin built, Trevor and Taylor, my two oldest grandsons, and I would take a weekend trip north in April. I always said that it was to check and see if we had any damage over the winter, but I have to confess I really couldn’t wait any longer and just had to go there. I guess I was like a little kid at Christmas time who is waiting anxiously to open his presents. We did this for two years running, then the boys decided that it was too far to drive just to spend two nights in a cabin that had no insulation and only a kerosene heater to keep us warm. If the lakes would have been open and you could have fished, I have no doubt that Trevor would have kept going, but with the lakes still frozen and a grandpa who wasn’t much of an ice fishermen there was just not much for them to do. It was a short-lived tradition, but a tradition nonetheless and one that their grandpa surely enjoyed and will always remember fondly. I have to say that any time I can spend time with one or more of the grandkids, it’s a good time.
Getting back to the fishing and looking forward to it; I have to say that either I wasn’t in the right place at the right time or the crappie bite just wasn’t as good this past year as it has been in previous years. The summer didn’t start out quite the way I’d like when it came to the weather and there were times when I’d try fishing crappie, the only thing biting were the deer flies and mosquitoes. On the upside, however, the pike and bass fishing was actually pretty darned good this past year.
The slow bite even carried over to some of our favorite lakes of the area surrounding our cabin. We fished a couple of bays that always produce on one of my favorite lakes and came up pretty much empty-handed. One particular nearby lake we have always had good luck on was very stingy when it came to giving up fish. I have to look at the age old saying “it’s not you it’s me” when it comes to laying out blame for a bad day of fishing.
I did, however, have very good luck on some of my other favorite fishing spots and once again Spider did not disappoint. I hit Spider a couple of times and both times the pike were there and waiting for me to drop them a line. On one particular trip I had my grandson Dylan and his little brother Caiden along. Dylan has become a diehard pike fisherman and his little brother wanted to follow in his footsteps.
On this particular day, grandpa was king of the pike fishermen. I absolutely couldn’t lose on that day. Every so often a fisherman, for some reason or another, will catch fish after fish while the other folks with him aren’t quite so lucky. I use the term “lucky” because that is what I attribute most of my success to. I am a firm believer that catching fish all boils down to being in the right place at the right time with the right lure or bait.
I know that most fishermen these days have all the sophisticated technology you need to take the luck factor out of the equation, but that’s not me. I have a low-end locator, which I use primarily to tell me the water temp, depth and if there are any fish in the area, which can sometimes be misleading. There have been many instances when I have spotted fish holding on an area and not gotten a bite. Then there are the times when I have seen absolutely nothing on the screen and have caught fish. Would I call that skill or luck? I attribute my fishing prowess to the latter with time spent on the water also factoring in.
You may have noticed I did not mention anything about walleye fishing when talking fishing success. This can be attributed to the fact I usually don’t spend very much time seeking the wily walleye. I would rather fish for bass or northern when I am fishing, but then that may be attributed to the fact that I take the easy way out by trolling or casting, which are my two favorite ways to fish.
There were many years when I would go to Spider Lake and fish walleye right out of the gate and there were times when it paid off, but other times it took me a couple of days to realize they just weren’t going to bite. Over the years I have caught more walleye on that lake while trolling Shad Raps, Beetle Spins tipped with a minnow or Little Joe spinners fished with a minnow or crawler.
Just thinking about the upcoming season gets the old adrenaline flowing. I guess the only thing to do is to break out the tackle boxes; it’s time to organize and take inventory. I just know that there have to be some lures or jigs that need replacing and if not I know that someone has come up with a new “sure fire” lure that I just have to add to my collection.
Until next time, the weather is warming, the snow is melting “again” so it’s a great time to get out and enjoy spending time in the great Minnesota outdoors.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
A couple of weeks back I was having coffee with some friends and one of them asked if I remembered the “free shows” that a lot of small towns around the area put on many years ago. I told him I did indeed remember those times. The thought of those days gone by brought back many memories of my youth and when we attended those free shows. My Aunt Violet and Uncle Oliver lived in Twin Lakes and when the free show was held in Twin Lakes they would be held right in their front yard. I can remember anxiously looking forward to those warm summer nights and the fun of watching a movie on an outdoors screen. There would usually be a popcorn vendor who accompanied those shows, and a nickel would buy you a bag of that popcorn. It just wouldn’t be a movie without popcorn.
If I remember correctly, those shows were usually held on a Saturday night. Emmons would also host a free show, but not at the same time as the one in Twin Lakes. I think they alternated from town to town so everyone had a chance to host it. The one in Emmons was on the northwest corner if you turned north going toward the school.
When the movie in Twin Lakes was shown on my uncle’s front yard, it was right next door to the local beer joint (it’s what they were called in the day), so some of the adults would frequent that establishment while the kids and others watched the movie. What a great way for a kid to spend a summer evening! I can remember going to Bath for a movie, which I believe was on a Sunday night, but I don’t think we stayed for the whole thing because my dad had to get up for work the next morning.
In those days we didn’t have a lot of money for extras, but my dad always had horses and he also liked westerns with John Wayne being his favorite actor. One Saturday night my dad said we were going to the Starlight Drive-in movie theater, which I don’t believe had been open all that long. I can remember looking forward to my first drive-in movie and how excited I got when my mother popped up a big bag of popcorn to eat while we watched the show. As my dad drove our old ‘48 Buick, I stood up behind the back seat anticipating the big event. As we neared the drive-in, he turned down a gravel road behind the Starlight and parked on the crest of a hill. He sounded pleased with himself as he proclaimed we could see the screen perfectly, and it actually wasn’t a bad view; but where was the sound?
I have occasionally thought about that night, but I’ve never really tried to overanalyze it. I do wonder, though, if we were really that poor or if my dad was just trying to see how enjoyable watching a movie from atop a nearby hill would be? I can’t really remember if the movie was a John Wayne, Hopalong Cassidy or Cisco Kid movie, but I do remember the hero wore black clothes and the usual white hat; I’m sure my dad could have told you about every horse in the movie. Although my mom and dad grew up with silent movies, it just wasn’t the same to a kid when there was no sound.
I haven’t heard much about the fishing on our area lakes, but I do know the crappie bite has been pretty good on Hall Lake in the Fairmont area. From what I’ve been hearing, the area by the beach on Fountain has been giving up a few sunfish, perch and crappie, but not much size. With the approach of warmer weather, I don’t know what the next few weeks will have in store. If a person wants a little open water fishing, a drive east to Lanesboro could be productive if you want to do a little trout fishing. The stream trout season in the southeastern part of the state is catch-and-release only and runs until April 15.
Tax time provides opportunity to help wildlife
Line 21 of the Minnesota income tax form – marked by a loon – provides people with an opportunity to help more than 800 species of nongame wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. When taxpayers designate an amount they would like to donate to the Nongame Wildlife Program, their tax-deductible donations are matched 1:1 by state conservation license plate funds.
“The Nongame Wildlife checkoff offers a rare opportunity to direct funding to something we all care about,” said DNR Nongame Wildlife Program Supervisor Carrol Henderson. “It’s an investment in a future where kids can still chase a frog or a snake through the grass, hear a loon at night or see a bald eagle – in person or on a webcam.”
For more information on the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program, its success stories and ways to volunteer and donate, visit the nongame page.
Until next time, enjoy the outdoor rinks, sledding and fishing our area lakes, but always be careful when you decide to venture out because no ice is ever 100 percent safe.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, not only during the holiday season, but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
All fun and games until somebody breaks an arm
Written by Jim LutgensI happened to come across some old pictures the other day that reminded me of the good old days attending Hammer School. One of the pictures was of all the classes and was dated 1955; the other was of just my class, but dated. Looking at those pictures brought back fond memories of my early school days. Those were simple times when a kid didn’t have any worries outside of school, and back then my only other concern was what I was going to do after the last bell rang.
We started each day by standing, facing the flag with hand over heart, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, which never offended anyone back then, but only taught us to respect our country. I have mentioned in past columns about the seating order which went from youngest by the inside wall to oldest by the window. There were only two rooms in the school with the library and restrooms on the north end. Other than books, the library was also where they kept the construction paper, glue, scissors, writing paper and paper cutter. The basement was used as a lunch room where I ate many an egg salad or peanut butter sandwich. That part of the school was also used for recess whenever the weather was bad.
Our school still had some of the older desks with ink wells in them. Ink wells were where you would put a bottle of ink and you would then take a fountain pen and draw the ink out, filling the pen for writing on paper. We all had to have a “Big Chief,” which was a heavy, coarse paper in which you could almost see the grain. It had two sets of lines, one for capitals and the dashed line for lower case. This also worked well for learning to write in cursive. I can’t believe they don’t want to teach that anymore.
Recess, like lunch, was usually a time when we went outside and were allowed to play without structure. When kids are left to find their own fun they can actually become quite creative. One of the games we played we called “chicken,” and in it one kid rode on another’s back and would challenge two other kids with the object being to knock the opponent off the other kid’s back. This was fun and seemingly harmless until someone (me) broke their arm. From that time on we were forbidden to do this type of “fun.”
Not to be deterred by this setback, we moved on and created another fun thing to do at recess. We were not even 10 years removed from WWII, so playing army was a popular game. We used sticks for guns and took turns being the enemy, but of course the older kids were usually always the good guys even if the younger kids felt they should really have been the bad guys. The thing that brought us all together wasn’t necessarily the game itself, but the digging of fox holes. Now, we didn’t just pretend to dig fox holes. We actually dug some pretty elaborate holes and to keep them from being noticed we dug them at the far end of the playground and spread the dirt out. We even found some old plywood to cover them up with so they wouldn’t be found. This went on for a couple of weeks until someone ratted us out or the custodian found them when he was mowing. Either way we were made to stay after school and fill our creation with dirt and were told, in no uncertain terms, that it was not to happen again.
Yes, school was fun and most of the time uneventful, but once in a while our creative genius would kick in and we would try to push the envelope. One of my favorite things to do on an indoor recess was to play with modeling clay. I could take that clay and make anything from army men to football players or even stock cars. The best part was when you were finished you could roll everything into a ball for the next time. I carried my modeling clay habit home and found that, although I didn’t have much money for toys, I could buy a box of modeling clay at the Ben Franklin store for a quarter and make almost any toy I wanted. Even though I had long outgrown the modeling clay thing, my mother would always make sure I got a new box every year for Christmas.
When I was overseas in the service I received a package from home at Christmas time. It was from Mom and Dad, and when I opened it up I found some clothes and, there in the bottom of the package, was a box of modeling clay. Even though I was halfway around the world, that box of clay sure made it feel just a little more like Christmas. I guess that’s just what moms do.
Once the school day was over, I would walk home and sometimes Larry Hubbell, who was a little older than me, would ask if I wanted to stop in for a while and watch “Crusader Rabbit” on TV. I always looked forward to that because we didn’t have TV at our house. We still hadn’t evolved from the entertainment-by-radio era.
Until next time, there is still time to enjoy the outdoor rinks, sledding and fishing on our area lakes, but always be careful when you do decide to venture out because no ice is ever 100 percent safe.
Please, remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, in not only during the holiday season, but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
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It looks like an early spring is in store if you believe that chubby little rodent named Phil. I am however, a bit skeptical about the whole thing, especially after last year when one of his weather predicting brothers in fur proceeded to bite an unsuspecting mayor on the ear during his town’s copy-cat ceremony. I am surprised that PETA hasn’t stepped in and claimed it was animal abuse for making the little rodents hang out with folks that have nothing better to do on that day.
Locally, our big storm with up to 12 inches of snow predicted didn’t quite come off as advertised, but we did get enough snow and wind to warrant plowing, shoveling and various closings. If I sound somewhat disappointed, I am not, although the kid in me always feels a little nostalgic whenever I see a fresh snowfall, the old guy part of me finds that shoveling snow has gotten to be a little more like work as each year passes.
I have always gotten that somewhat cozy feeling when sitting in the old chair with the sound of the wind whipping the fresh snow into a frenzy. In those instances I tend to envision myself sitting in an overstuffed chair, reading a book while a warm fire crackles in the fireplace. As I awake from my fantasy I find that I have been dozing off in my recliner, the remote in my hand while the heat register is blowing warm air on me. Ah, reality, no overstuffed chair, no book of classics and no fireplace, but what I do have isn’t really all that bad. One of these winters I’d like to drive to the cabin and spend a few days in the woods feeding the fire and just enjoying being a little closer to nature. Our road doesn’t get plowed out in the winter so that might not be realistic, but what the heh, it is fun to dream.
As you can probably tell, I am a pretty basic guy with simple needs so my dreams aren’t all that large. As a kid I always had a vivid imagination and that part of me has never really changed much. My dream of becoming a star football player went away in about 10th grade, but my love for the game is still there. It can be pretty tough being a Minnesota sports fan, but if you don’t set the bar too high it’s not such a letdown when the team loses. I have an app on my phone that gives me periodic updates of Wild, Wolves, Gopher and Viking games, but lately I’ve been trying to ignore the first two. It could be worse, I could be a Cubs fan; my wife has cousins who live in Illinois and are diehard Cubs fans. I can’t even imagine how hard that would be.
This winter the best walleye fishing seems to be in the northern part of the state on lakes like Winnie and Lake of the Woods, but there are still fish to be had right here close to home. We have lakes right here at home that have many more fish than folks might imagine. Even when a lake freezes out, it never, in most cases, really ever totally dies off unless it is a man-induced kill.
Locally, there have been folks fishing by the access on the channel by Frank Hall Park. I’ve heard of some walleye and a few jumbo perch being caught. I’ve also heard the beach area was giving up a few jumbos, some sunnies and an occasional bass or walleye. If I were to do any hard water fishing I might try Fountain Lake by one of the bridges or in Edgewater Bay just to get away from the crowd. I’ve fished Fountain since I was a kid and, in my opinion, it has always been underrated when talking fishing lakes.
Although I have never been a hardcore ice fisherman, I usually manage to go once or twice a year and that is only on area lakes. My grandson Trevor has taken me a couple of times in the last year and I went with my friend Mark a couple of years ago.
Looking back to my childhood, my folks would take me to St. Olaf Lake every year for their annual ice fishing contest. Once we got there my mother would take me out to the spot, find a hole and line up the bait before disappearing inside the store/bar to relax with my dad and their friends. I would stay out on that cold ice staring religiously at that hole, hoping for the slightest sign of a bite. Mom would come out and check on me from time to time, but I didn’t really seem to mind that it was cold and the fish weren’t doing much biting because I was doing what I liked to do, and that was fishing. I can’t really remember catching much more than an occasional small perch, but even that was considered a victory in my world. I don’t really remember ever fishing Beaver Lake in the winter and actually one fishing contest a year was probably enough to pacify me until spring when the creeks, streams and lakes opened up.
Until next time, enjoy the outdoor rinks, sledding and fishing our area lakes but always be careful when you do decide to venture out because no ice is ever 100 percent safe.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, n not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
I know if you are anything like me when it comes to winter, you may be starting to feel some of the symptoms of the dreaded “spring fever” as January draws to a close and we head into February. In all reality however, we still have a lot of winter left and for the “hard water” fishermen maybe not enough considering the slow start to the season.
I have been hearing some fishing reports from area fishermen regarding Fountain and Albert Lea Lakes. Although it has been spotty, there have been some walleyes caught in the channel by Frank Hall Park. On Fountain the beach has been the place for sunnies using wax worms and a small jig. I have also heard reports of walleye and crappie being caught in Edgewater Bay. I haven’t heard of any big numbers, but there are fish to be had by spending a little time.
Something to do while sitting indoors waiting for the snow to melt is to plan a visit to one or more of our many state parks this summer. A onetime sticker will get your vehicle into any state park for the whole year. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy nature and the outdoors than visiting one of the 75 state parks we have available for us to enjoy. There are many special events planned for our state parks this year in lieu of their 125th anniversary.
State officials have invited Minnesotans to take part in a 125-mile challenge, a state park “Total Takeover,” picnics, summer “samplers” and other special events throughout the coming year as part of the 125th anniversary of Minnesota state parks and trails.
On hand at Fort Snelling State Park to kick off the year-long celebration were Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr, DNR Parks and Trails Division Director Erika Rivers and 30 fourth-grade students from Northrop Urban Environmental Learning Center, representing the next generation of park and trail visitors.
“Minnesota is blessed with a remarkable system of state parks and trails, which have allowed generations of Minnesotans to enjoy our state’s many natural wonders over the past 125 years,” said Smith. “As we celebrate this anniversary, I encourage all Minnesotans to get out and enjoy their state parks and trails this year.”
In the 125 years since Itasca State Park was established in 1891, the system has grown to include 75 state parks and recreation areas, 49 state forest campgrounds, 34 state water trails, more than 360 fishing piers, more than 1,500 public water accesses, more than 600 miles of paved state trails, and many additional miles of off-highway vehicle, snowmobile, equestrian and cross-country ski trails.
“There’s a state park, trail or water trail within 30 minutes of just about every Minnesotan,” Landwehr said. “We hope the anniversary events that we have planned in 2016 will encourage new people to discover these special places.”
The anniversary celebration will include:
• A State Park “Total Takeover”—An effort to fill up all of the campsites at Minnesota state parks and recreation areas by encouraging experienced campers to invite a family of beginners to go camping with them on Saturday, June 11, which is National Get Outdoors Day.
• 125 Miles by Bike, Boot or Boat—A challenge to visitors of all ages to track the miles they bike, hike and paddle at Minnesota state parks and trails throughout 2016, with a goal of reaching a total of 125 for bragging rights, an exclusive “Finisher” sticker and an opportunity to have their photo included in a Finishers Gallery on the website.
• Summer Samplers—For anyone wondering what there is to do at Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, these events will provide opportunities to try paddling, archery, nature photography, fishing and other activities all in one fun-packed day.
• Picnic in the Park—An invitation to return to the days before soccer, hockey and dance took over on the weekends, and to carve out time for a family picnic, followed by games and activities for all ages.
• A contest—to design an official Minnesota state parks and trails license plate.
• A commemorative quilt—which will pay tribute to Minnesota’s natural and cultural resources.
• Merchandise—Limited edition 125th anniversary mugs, apparel, pins and other items will be available for purchase at Minnesota state parks and recreation areas.
Visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/125 for more information about the celebration. Check back for updates throughout the year or contact the DNR Information Center at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Until next time, enjoy the outdoor rinks, sledding and fishing our area lakes but always be careful when you do decide to venture out because no ice is ever 100 percent safe.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, n not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
Why are the best ideas also the most dangerous?
Written by Jim LutgensThere are times in the winter when I look back to my youth and remember the little things that used to fascinate me; things as simple as rabbit tracks in the snow or watching the birds of winter foraging for food. My yard today is full of tracks from rabbits, squirrels and even birds which can be seen pecking away at the fallen snow in search of food.
All of these signs are made even more nostalgic when I am seeing them on a clear, calm, moonlit night. As a kid I always found something magical about playing outside in the moonlight, especially in the winter. Sledding at night on my neighbor Roger’s hill was always fun and it usually seemed to turn into another great adventure of some kind. As kids, our houses never had much for outside lights, except for a small yard light we used as a way of finding our way home. We didn’t really need a lot of light because the moonlight shining on the snow lit up the whole outdoors and gave a real meaning to the phrase “winter wonderland.”
To this day I still find a sort of tranquility when outside on a winter’s night with the moonlight reflecting off the snow. I guess there will always be a part of me that refuses to give up that feeling I had as a kid. There are certain things I see or hear, like an old song, that bring me back to those carefree days of youth.
At times it seems like only yesterday when as a kid I never seemed to have a care in the world and about all a kid thought about was what kind of fun adventure he could come up with next. We neighborhood kids were pretty creative, especially when it came to sledding. There was one time when one of us must have seen one of those RKO newsreels at the movies that showed bobsledding at the Olympics. We decided to make our own sled run at Roger’s hill and we worked feverishly for the next week or so watering and grooming this run for our Radio Flyer sleds to zoom down.
Once finished, that sled course was almost totally glare ice and a real thing of beauty in our eyes. The speeds we could get up to were almost scary, but alas, all good things must come to an end. On one of those bright moonlit nights when we were sledding down that course, Kenny, one of our friends, wiped out and another sled was too close behind him and smashed into him putting a deep gash in his cheek that required stitches. This is when the neighborhood moms declared the course unsafe and made us destroy it. Looking back, it seems like most of the fun stuff we did was always a little dangerous, but what was wrong with speeding down a sled run made of glare ice with only moonlight to guide us?
I still have my old sled hanging on the wall in the garage along with my Red Ryder BB gun with the broken stock that no longer shoots. You might wonder why I still keep those things around, and I really have no practical answer other than the fact I can look at them, hold them once in a while and go back, if only for a fleeting moment, to those carefree days of youth.
I have a small tree in my front yard that needs to be pruned and I was curious as to when the best time is to do that. Well, lo and behold, I was looking at the DNR Web site the other day and found an answer to all my pruning questions.
Winter is the best time to prune trees to keep them healthy and protect them from disease, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
“Pruning trees when they are dormant is a way to protect them from diseases such as oak wilt or Dutch elm disease that are active during the growing season,” said Jennifer Teegarden, DNR forestry outreach specialist. “Also, it is easier to see which branches to remove when there are no leaves on a tree.”
Additionally, pruning in winter allows the tree to begin sealing the wound immediately at the start of the growing season. This decreases the amount of sap flow and provides a longer healing period.
Trees should be pruned when they are young because: Small branches create small wounds that will heal quickly. Defective branches are easier to spot on smaller trees. Most branches can be reached while keeping both feet on the ground.
Visit the Web site www.mndnr.gov/treecare/caring-pruning.html for information on best pruning practices, step-by-step instructions and to watch videos on how to prune trees.
Common pruning mistakes include cutting branches flush to the trunk, leaving a branch stub and nicking and ripping the tree’s bark.
All of these situations lead to rot inside the tree and are likely to create a hazardous tree that is costly to remove.
Teegarden recommends hiring a certified arborist to prune trees for both safety and a tree’s health. Professional tree experts are trained to use best pruning practices that will keep trees healthy and looking good. Arborists can identify branches that have problems and ones that could be a future hazard.
A little investment into trees when they’re young can lead to beautiful trees that help cool homes in the summer, block them from winter winds and add character and property value.
Until next time, enjoy the outdoor rinks, sledding and fishing our area lakes but always be careful when you do decide to venture out because no ice is ever 100 percent safe.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, n not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.
Over the years I have always asked myself many different questions pertaining to nature and wildlife. Luckily, I didn’t ask the questions out loud, nor did I mumble what I thought to be the answers out loud, for this could very easily have resulted in a visit to a shrink. Fortunately for me and any other person curious about what goes on in the outdoors, there is a magazine called the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. This magazine is published six times a year and is all about the many natural resources we have in this great state of ours.
One question I have asked myself many times over the years is, how do you tell the difference between a raven and a crow and is there a magical dividing line that says “no crows beyond this point” or when do crows start being called ravens? In the latest edition of the afore-mentioned magazine, one writer explains the difference between a raven and a crow and the range at which each will travel. He says that if you are traveling north on I-35, ravens will start to appear at about the Pine City area and north where crows can be found in pretty much any area of the state. This writer also went on to say it is not uncommon to see crows and ravens together.
Some of the main differences in the two are that a raven is about twice the size of a crow and it also has a deeper, throatier kronk or quorak call compared to a crow, which makes a more screechy type of caw sound. There are other differences, but these are a couple of the more noticeable ones
This answered a question I have often asked but never bothered to research for myself. I really do think this magazine is a valuable asset for anyone interested in our state’s natural resources.
With all the information available to a person online I find it refreshing to be able to pick up a book and find so many good articles about our states resources. I am still “old school” when it comes to reading because I like to have the story in print and in my hand.
Nature is always a mystery in itself and something that many try to and most can’t actually predict what will happen next. Fishing is a great example of the unpredictable nature of our environment. A guy can have all the latest technology like a big, fast boat with graphs, flashers and underwater cameras, but if the fish aren’t hungry, they won’t be biting.
For years our family would camp and fish at Spider Lake and I can recall this older gentleman who lived on the lake. Each evening he would take his little fishing boat and go a little ways from his cabin and anchor on the edge of the weeds where the lake narrows before going into the next part. He would be there every evening catching fish as the folks with the big boats and all their electronics flew past him on their way to the far end of the lake where the fish must be.
Every evening he would be in his fish house cleaning his catch while the folks with all the toys were in the lodge talking about how tough fishing was. This is not always the case, but most of the time when you know the lake it makes it that much easier to catch fish. On one particular trip to Spider the old guy was not around, so I decided to check out the area where he always fished and found that just outside the weed line there was a small rock pile which explained why he was catching walleyes in that spot when no one else even gave it a second thought. I am kind of set in my ways when it comes to another fisherman’s “hot spot” because any time that old boy was on the lake I steered clear of “his” spot. It does seem kind of funny how a person always seems to think that you have to go as far as possible away from camp in order to catch fish when in all reality they may be only a cast away, but then where is the adventure in that?
Speaking of a cast away it looks like our area “hard water” fishermen are out in full force on our local lakes. I have heard some mixed results from catching walleye through 3 inches of ice in the channel to some jumbo perch being caught on Fountain along with an occasional bass, small walleye and northern. It wasn’t that long ago there was a regular village of fishing shacks on the channel by Frank Hall Park. Unfortunately the last big freeze-out meant re-stocking and starting over once again. The old saying “that’s water over the dam” must have meant that there were a few fish in that water, because there are some larger fish being caught in the channel that couldn’t have been from the recent stockings.
Until next time, be careful when you do decide to venture out because no ice is ever 100 percent safe.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers, n not only during the holiday season but for the rest of the year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.