Heading west for

open water, walleyes

Spring turkey hunting

Things to do to get

ready for fishing

Protecting wood ducks

April 2013

OUTDOORCONNECTION

The temperatures are final-ly moving out of the “freez-er,” so to speak. Yet, the icestill has its grip on the arealakes. For a lot of anglers innorthwest Iowa, lack ofopen water leads them toeye the Missouri River atChamberlain, SD. As I men-tioned in a previous column,open water fishing has beengoing strong for severalweeks. Last week I couldn’ttake it any longer. So, Italked Dick Lineweaver, afriend of mine from ArnoldsPark, into spending a coupleof days fishing on LakeFrancis Case.

The PlanWhat I like most about

fishing the reservoirs on theMissouri River is that theyare a river/dam and fastwater fishery and a lake-likeatmosphere when you get afew miles down from theriver. So, to me it’s the bestof both worlds. Being aSouth Dakota boy, I’vefished all of the impound-ments since I was in myteens. Most of the time Iused my own boat, but thistime with my pontoon stillin winter storage, Dick and Idecided to use a guide serv-ice. I turned to Garry Allen,who owns Allen’s MissouriRiver Guide Service and theHillside Motel inChamberlain. It was a natu-ral since my father-in-lawand I began staying withGarry back in the early1980s.

The only trouble with fish-ing in March is the weather.This year especially, we’vehad cold, wind and snowsqualls just about everyweek. So, I kept watchingthe weather until it looked asif Wednesday and Thursdaywould be in the upper 40s tolow 50s with southeastwinds 5-10 mph.

So I called Garry onSunday and penciled it in

with the option of postpon-ing if the weather took a turnfor the worse. Fortunately, it

was exactly as forecasted.

Allenʼs Missouri RiverGuide Service (www.allenshillside.com)

Since the late 70s, Garryhas built a guide businessbased on catering to hisclientele. He offers a fullguide service, a motel, abaitshop and just plain fish-ing advice. It’s grown to thepoint that seven full timeguides are kept busythroughout the open waterseason. When you stay at aplace year after year, youcan tell if they are the realdeal or not. Allen’s office isone of those places thatanglers head to early in themorning for coffee, somebait and last minute advice.However, it is at the end of aday’s fishing that anglersget together in the mainoffice by the big screen TVat the to share the day’s sto-ries. Add a big spread ofdeer sausage, crackers, andchips along with a beverageand it doesn’t get much bet-ter than that!

Day I – WednesdayOur plan was to leave

Spirit Lake early onWednesday and be ready tofish by 11 or so. When wegot there, Garry had his 20-foot Lund hooked up andready to go. All it took wasgetting on our fishingclothes, grabbing severaldozen minnows and headingnorth to the dam at Ft.Thompson. This pre-spawn

bite usually centers around1/8, 3/8 or 1/4-ounce jigstipped with a lively minnow.Sometimes a short shankand sometimes a long shankjig works best, so we usedboth. Chartreuse and greenare the most common col-ors, but others will work.

Garry told us on the way,“Fishing was really good bythe dam this morning. I hadtwo guides out and they alltook limits with one groupof four getting their 16walleyes by 9:30.”

That was the good news.The bad news: that bite haddied by 10:30. “The bestbite has been in the morn-ing, so it’ll be a littletougher this afternoon,” saidGarry.

That was another reasonthat I wanted to have Garryguide us. We didn’t have alot of time to search andexplore to find the fish. Weonly had a limited time tofish. With nearly 20 milesof water from the dam toChamberlain, that’s a lot ofarea.

Garry actually ran southnearly 12 miles to an areaknown as Kiowa Flats. “I’vehad some good days here,”said Garry. One thing aboutfishing walleyes on the riverthis time of year is that thebite can change constantly.After a little searching atdifferent depths, Garryfound the fish in a deepertrough between 20-24 feetof water. We trolledbetween .2 to .3 mph bounc-ing the jigs off the bottom.In addition, we would putout another jig and just putthe rod in the rod holder andlet the boat provide themovement (dead stick).

After about four hours, wehad nine nice 15-19 inchwalleyes in the boat. Wethen headed toward theramp and ended up pickingup two more before callingit a day. After all, we needed

to be back by 6 p.m. towatch the Hawkeyes andVirginia.

That evening we sataround the office withanglers from Minnesota,Iowa and South Dakota eat-ing horsd’euoveres, sharingfishing stories and watchingthe Hawkeyes’ victory. Ofcourse, there was a littlegood natured Iowa vs.Minnesota “talk” going on!

To end the day, Dick and Itook six fillets to Charley’sRestaurant next door andhad them fix up a meal ofwalleye, along with saladbar and baked potato.

Day IIOn Thursday, we were on

the water by 7:30 a.m. Itwas only 26 degrees, butwith very little wind, it wasstill relatively comfortable.

This time we fished a stretcheast of the campground.After working depths from11-20+ feet, Garry foundthe fish in 11-14 feet ofwater. By 11 a.m., we had12 walleyes in the boatranging from 16 to nearly22 inches. We also releaseda few other walleyes. I didcatch the 22 incher on thedead stick.

A White SightThe majesty of the

Missouri River breaks, thewater and all of the wildlifeis something I always lookforward to when I head toChamberlain. This time,though, I got a huge, hugesurprise.

Snow geese, yes snowgeese. Their migration wason, and it was a sight thateven Garry had never seen

the likes of before. Are youready for this? Several hun-dred thousand snows andblues were using the river asa resting place. The noisewas deafening, and theswarms coming in to theflocks already on the waterlooked like huge swirlingflocks of blackbirds migrat-ing through in the fall.

Toward evening the skywas filled with line after lineafter line of snow geeseheading east to feed in thecornfields. The flocks filledthe sky as far as the eyecould see.

The two days went by alltoo quickly; they always do.However, the photos com-bined with the memorieswill give the two of us plen-ty of stories to tell and re-tell!

2-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, April 4, 2013

STEVEWEISMANOUTDOOR EDITOR

Dick Lineweaver, Garry Allen (guide) and Steve Weisman hold a nice 3-personlimit taken below the dam at Ft. Thompson a week ago. The largest walleye wasnearly 22 inches long.

Photo submitted

HEADING WEST FOR OPEN WATER AND WALLEYES

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, April 4, 2013-3

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For the Outdoors Man

BY ERIC ANDERSONECCB DIRECTOR

On behalf of the EmmetCounty Nature CenterFoundation Board and theEmmet County ConservationBoard members and staff, Iwish to thank all our sponsors,donors and attendees of thesixth annual Emmet CountyNature Center Banquet. Thebanquet was once again ahuge success.

The night was filled withfriends, good food and out-standing support of ourNature Center. This year withthe help from all of our spon-sors, donors and supporterswe were able to generate over$24,000.00 in net profit. Allof money earned goes directlyto the Nature Center to sup-port environmental education.

I cannot thank all of youenough for your generosityand support for this veryworthwhile program. I wouldalso encourage all to come outfor a visit.

Our summer hours willbegin Memorial Day weekendand run through Labor Dayweekend. Summer hours areSaturdays and Sundays from1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Our regularbusiness hours (year-round)

are Wednesday – Friday 9a.m. to 4 p.m.

I also want to thank all of thevolunteers who gave of theirtime last year. Volunteersdonated 410 hours in 2012.

We continue to look for volun-teers to help at the NatureCenter. If you are interested inhelping please contact us formore details: (712) 867-4422or emmetccb@yourstarnet.net.

BY JOE WILKINSONIOWA DNR

Spring turkey hunters in Iowa shouldnotice more birds. Dry conditions in2012 meant a better hatch and first yearof growth for poults. As about 45,000hunters head to the woods through Apriland May, that can’t hurt their chances oftaking a gobbler.

“Across the state, we had about a 25percent increase. North central and north-east Iowa had great increases in reproduc-tion,” notes DNR forest research biologistTodd Gosselink. East central and south-west Iowa showed healthy increases,too…though with fewer overall sightings.

Poults with hens, sighted by DNR fieldstaff and other cooperators during the latesummer, together with fall bowhunterobservations, and eventual harvest of yearold ‘jakes’ the next spring help formulateIowa’s hatch and brood success index.

Iowa’s turkey season opens with theApril 6-14 youth season. The regular sea-sons fall in line after that; April 15-18,April 19-23, April 24-30 and May 1-19for combination shotgun/bow tag holders.A resident archery only tag is goodthroughout the four regular seasons.

The expansion again this year of theyouth season might seem like an earlystart. However, the April 15 opening dayof the first regular season is on track withseason openers in past years.

That nine-day youth season providesextra one-one-one mentoring with

hunters under 16. In earlier years, badweather over the shorter four day seasoncould erase a young hunter’s chances tohead to the woods…especially if he orshe could only go out on the weekend.Youth hunter numbers set a record in2012, with 3,450 licenses sold. And withthe longer season, harvest success was upa whopping 81 percent.

Across all spring seasons in 2012,hunters holding 45,159 licenses in Iowaharvested 10,457 bearded turkeys. AnIowa resident may obtain up to two springturkey tags, so long as one is for use inSeason 4.

Ahead of your first forays into theturkey woods during the season, turkeyexperts urge you to do some subtle scout-ing.

What calls to use? “I will have a couple of mouth calls, a

box call and an owl hooter,” suggestswildlife technician Jim Coffey. “Be con-fident with what you use; practice to buildthat confidence…even if you don’t use iteach time out.”

And while the crack of dawn gobble isexciting, it is not the only time to pursueIowa’s biggest game bird.

“There’s nothing wrong with headingout at 10 or 11 a.m. That turkey liveswhere you hunt. He will still be there!”reminds Coffey….again noting that earlyseason vegetation might have you sittingstill, to minimize movement and beingdetected by the eagle-eyed game bird.

Another successful Nature Center Banquet Spring turkey hunting outlook

Kathy Grussing from Shakopee, MN placed the winningbid for the cedar chest built by Kim Swanson.

Photo by Blair Martyr

BY WENDELL HANSENBIRD HAVEN

Last month we talked aboutwhen, where and how to hangyour Wood Duckhouse. Thistime it's about how protectingthe incubating hen and her eggsfrom predation is extremelyimportant. Checking of thehouse every day is also veryimportant. The best way tocheck your house is to stuff arag or your hat into the entrancehole and open the inspectiondoor slowly.

If the hen is on the nest leaveher alone, close the door andwait 30 - 40 seconds thenremove the plug from the hole,she will stay on the nest. I liketo

wait and watch for the hen toleave the nest to feed. thatswhen I go and count eggs.

There are lots of predatorsincluding raccoons, squirrels,European starlings, feral cats,wasps, owls and woodpeckers.There is not a lot that we can doabout owls, since most of thetime owls hunt at night and theduckling are taken at that time.The ducklings have a far betterchance of surviving owl attacksif the lake or pond shore linehas a lot of cover like brushpiles or reeds.

WoodpeckersWoodpeckers are also a hard

one to control. With them, it a50 - 50 deal. The predation isdone either over a nesting siteor for food. Woodpeckers willeat wood duck eggs if given thechance. If it's predation for foodthere is not a whole lot that canbe done. Now if it's for nestingrights, that’s a whole new storyand an easy one to take care of.

Just put a woodpecker nestbox up a few trees over facingthe same way that the wood

duck house is facing and thewoodpecker will most likelyuse the new box.

Also by checking the boxevery day, you just might driveoff the woodpeckers. If for onereason or another you have dis-covered too late that a wood-pecker has taken over the wood

duck box, you are out of luck.By law removing any nativebirds nest is illegal and they areprotected by federal and statelaw.

WaspsAs for wasps, here is where

checking nest boxes every daycomes in handy. Rip the wasp

nest down as soon as it is start-ed, but you can use a sprayONLY if the hen has not startedto nest yet. Spray the wasp andnest and leave the box open toair out for an hour or so. If thehen is on the nest, spray thewasp while the female is on theoutside of the nest box. The bestway is to be by the entrance holeand spray the wasp on the wayout. Always spray AWAY fromthe entrance hole if a hen is onthe nest.

Feral catsFeral cats, which is a domestic

cat that has gone wild, are onlya threat to the hen and duck-lings after they've left the nest-ing box, when the hen is on theground calling for her youngand after the first few ducklingshave hit the ground there is a lotof clucking and peeping goingon. This is the sound of a dinnerbell going off to feral cats.

Again checking the box everyday can save your hard work. Ilike to check my boxes in thelate afternoon. If I see theyoung ducklings, I know thatthey will be jumping the nextmorning and I can be there tohelp mom get them safely to thelake. Still at times this is notenough.

One of Birdhaven’s cus-tomers had waited 18 years toget a wood duck and on the daythat they jumped, half of theneighborhood was there towatch and they still lost overhalf of the brood to three feralcats before anyone could move.It is this author’s opinion to trapand humanely euthanize allferal cats.

European starlingsEuropean starlings, will break

the eggs and will even attackthe hen and can do severe dam-

age to her. The best way to beatthe problem is to remove nest-ing materials when starlings arefirst noticed using the box, andto keep it up until they leave.(Or shoot the Starlings if youhave a chance.)

The European starling is con-sidered an invasive species andis one of two birds that you areallowed to kill 24-7. Woodducks bring no materials to thenest, so when you find strawand other nesting materials youknow a nest competitor is atwork. Checking nest boxes forcompetitors should be done inthe afternoon rather than themorning to avoid frighteningoff hen wood ducks.

Raccoons and squirrelsRaccoons and squirrels will

both eat eggs. Raccoons willalso eat the hen and ducklings.Raccoons learn quickly, andonce they start raiding unpro-tected nest boxes, they willsoon all but eliminate a localnesting population. A bafflemay help this situation. Tolearn more about baffles, readon!

Squirrels will also take over anest box. Once a squirrel is inthe box it is hard to keep themout and most likely the hen willnever return to that box. Thebest way to protect the Nest boxis with baffles (cones made ofsheet metal.) if the nest box ison a 4x4 or metal pole sectionsof galvanized stove pipe can beinstalled around poles. Also justmake sure that the stove pipewill swing and move around onthe pole. If your nest box is on atree, sheet metal can bewrapped with a 2-feet-wideband of shiny, rust resistantmetal around the tree bothabove and below the woodduck house.

If you have any questionsabout wood ducks or any of ournative birds that use nest boxesstop in at Birdhaven or call712-336-2473 or 712-320-0320 and we will be more thanhappy to help you out. Finally,don’t forget: bluebird nestingseason is almost here.

4-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, April 4, 2013

BY STEVE WEISMANOUTDOOR EDITOR

What a difference a year can make. Ayear ago last March, we were basking inalmost balmy conditions with highs run-ning from the low 60s to upper 70s. Nowthis year, we’ve had a few days in theupper 40s, but for the most part, theyhave seemed stuck around 30 degrees.

That has certainly kept iceout from hap-pening with the ice grudgingly pullingaway from shore and a few holes openingup on the main lakes.

Last year the netting process for theSpirit Lake Hatchery personnel was lessthan idea. Although the season was still asuccess, consistent netting of big brood-stock never materialized because of theearly warm weather not matching up withthe photo light period, which is so crucialfor spawning walleyes. According toMike Hawkins, fisheries biologist at theSpirit Lake Hatchery, a later iceout usual-ly means a much better netting process.

Walleye year classes on Big SpiritDNR data shows the walleye population

on Big Spirit continues to be excellentwith growth rates and recruitment at alltime highs since the 17-22 inch slot limitwas instituted in 2007.

Hawkins notes that the 2001-year classwas a big year class that on average tooksix years to reach 14 inches. Now yearclasses are reaching 14 inches in 3-4years. The 2007-year class was the sys-tem’s last big year class, but nowHawkins says there are back to back yearclasses coming.

“Both the 2010 and 2011 year classeshave good numbers with the 2010 yearclass approaching 14 inches and the2011 year class 12-13 inches. Anglersshould have good numbers of harvestsized fish this year.”

Of course, much of this growth datacomes from the tagging that occurs dur-ing the gillnetting process. The tagginghelps biologists analyze populationdynamics as the fish are caught and re-caught over the years.

This yearʼs additional challengeFinding four juvenile zebra mussels last

fall on East Okoboji and Upper Gar hastotally changed the way the gillnettingprocess is now handled. “Although wehave found no veligers yet and we do notknow if there is a breeding population,finding the juvenile zebra mussels meanswe must take every precaution not tomove mussels or their larval young to

another lake.”So, when the netting crews leave East

Okoboji to head for Big Spirit, everythingmust be treated. “We will bleach all of ournetting equipment, wash down the boatsand trailers and flush the motors beforewe head to Big Spirit,” says Hawkins.

The DNR will set up monitoring sta-tions in the Okoboji chain to check forother signs of zebra mussels. “Theveligers cannot be seen with the nakedeye,” notes Hawkins. “They are the sizeof plankton and can only be seen with amicroscope.” Thus, they make perfecthitchhikers in unsuspecting boaters’ livewells, bilges and motors.

As Hawkins says, ”We try to lead byexample and decontaminate everythingbefore going down the road to anotherbody of water.”

Listed below are reasons why there is somuch concern:

■ First off, zebra mussels cause issuesbecause they filter water, up to a liter aday, to eat plankton. While this does clearup the water, what is left behind oftenleads to huge algae bloom that can beharmful to people and pets.

■ The zebra mussel can change theentire fish eco-system.

■ Zebra mussels adversely affect watersystem by clogging pipes, which, in turn,affects the water cannot flow.

■ Zebra mussels can collect as a“colony” on any firm object. Thatincludes anything from plant life to boatsand motors, to hoists, to docks.

■ Millions of dollars are spent yearly ininfested waters to deal with the problemsassociated with zebra mussels.

Protecting nesting wood ducks PREPARING FOR SPRING NETTING

DNR personnel carefully takewalleyes out of the nets during gill-netting.

Photo submitted

Come April, at least herein winter-weary northwestIowa, thoughts turn to openwater fishing and the manyyears I have been privilegedto be a player in this spring-time ritual.

The image of angling forsunfish with cane poles mayseem archaic to many ofyou. As for me, I couldn’twait for Dad to bring downthose caned relics eachspring from the rafters inthe garage where they hadspent the winter. When theygrew brittle from the ele-ments and were renderedretired, we would hurry toCharlie’s Place along thehighway in town, wherenew ones were displayed inwooden barrels, the oldblack braided line and splitshot included. I think Dadpaid $4 each for them circa1950s.

And off we would go,cane poles in tow, toArrowhead or Swan Lake orsome secret farm pond,adrenaline pumping andchild-hearts beating liketom-toms. It was mostlybluegills, those rainbow-dappled treasures thatwould slurp our hand-dugearthworm presentationsand make the online red-and-white plastic bobbersdance and then disappearinto the water. But alsothere were bullheads andthe occasional largemouthbass and crappies, dark asmidnight. I didn’t know it atthe time, but those would besome of the finest fishingdays of my life, fashionedby innocence.

Closed-faced, push-buttonspinning reels came next. Ibelieve a Zebco 202 Zee-

Bee was my first, teamedwith a rod so stiff you couldkill vermin with it. And thenthe wonderful open-facedspinning tackle revolution!With lawn mowing money,I bought a Langley Spin-Floreel for $12 and mounted iton a sparkling white fiber-glass Shakespeare rod,heady stuff for a 13 year-old. My first fish on that rigcame on a family vacationthe next week to West LakeOkoboji. From a dock atTerrace Park I cast aHeddon Super Sonic untilmy arms ached, until a finesmallmouth smacked thebait, hooking me for life oncast-and-retrieve fishing. Istill have the black-and-white photo of me holdingthat bronze-back, a proud-as-punch smile on my face.

I remember gazing withwonder into my Dad’s oh-so-too-big metal tackle box.It was like opening a historybook, heavily laden withDare-Devils, Lazy Ikes,Hula

Poppers, Jitterbugs, CreekChubs, Bass-Orenos andother fine lures, now con-sidered mostly antique, butmany of which I still useand catch fish with today.

Armed with such arsenals,we would travel toMinnesota lakes, walleyesand northern pike and bass

on our minds: Bowstring inthe north, in the ChippewaNational Forest; Miltonaand Pelican in the middlereaches; and mostly secretshallow prairie lakes likeBenton in the southwest.There was also a fascinationwith the Dakota reservoirsthat lasted a decade or so.But always there was thecaptivation with the IowaGreat Lakes, from child-hood until now, everlasting.

I’m now a sixty-some-thing angler who may havelost touch with the mostmodern aspects of fishing,but not its elemental good-ness. Perhaps I’ve been leftin the technological dust ofthe sport, so to speak, andI’m OK with it, really.High-powered boats, theintrusion of digital gadgetryand competitive fishinghave never done it for meanyway. When I fish from aboat, it’s in my 1978 16-foot Crestliner, with a1970s vintage outboardmotor and a rudimentarydepth finder. Works fineand, truth be told, the fishdon’t care.

Given all this, I’m notready to be called old yet,just seasoned, perhaps, orjust blessed with a lot ofexperience. Fact is, many ofmy outings today feel likebrand new adventures, and Iawait the forthcoming oneswith exuberance. I figureFather Time is still well onmy side, willing to wait inthe wings while I go forth toredefine the afternoon oflife.

Nowadays give me a pairof chest waders, a goodspinning rod and reelcombo and a small box of

lures and I’m the happiestfisher on the face of theearth. Maybe it’s a revert-ing-back-to-my-cane-pole-days thing. Someone elsecan figure out the psycho-logical aspects, I just wantto wade and cast, wade andcast. And give me the coverof darkness, with no oneelse around, spring and fall,and even summertime in thebulrushes. On water withbewitching names like BigSpirit and Okoboji, greatfishes come to me.Walleyes, some real brutesin the fall, are some of therewards of this essentialfishing. But slab crappies,

too, and smallies, none asmagnificent as the 22 ½-incher that pounded myoffering at Gull Point on acold, inky night lastNovember. The sight of thatseven-pound leviathanrolling to the surface, itsblack-barred flanks shim-mering under a full moon,will stay with me the rest ofmy days.

And so it goes in the life ofa wizened fisher. The questis still the same. Searching,always searching. Once Ifind what I’m looking for,will it ever be the same?

Editor’s note: Each monththe Outdoor Connection tab

will feature the powerfulwriting of well known freelance writer Greg Drees ina special column entitled“The Last Word.” Born to afamily of hunters, fishersand conservationists,Drees’s passion for the out-doors and the preservationof natural resources wasnurtured from youth. He hassustained an affinity for theIowa Great Lakes thatbegan as a youngster onfamily vacations and grewas he returned to the areaannually to hunt and fish,making the area his perma-nent home 15 years ago.

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, April 4, 2013-5

1907 18th St. Spirit Lake

www.greatlakesmarineservice.biz

GREGDREES

The Last Word

Time… and these places

BY JASON MITCHELL

No secret that walleyes moveinto shallow water come spring,but a lesson I have had to relearn ahandful of times over the years issimple: don’t be afraid to look forfish in a foot or two of water comespring. Many anglers will fishshallow particularly early in theyear but often stop at that three-foot mark.

Why so shallowThere are probably many reasons

that cause walleyes to positionthemselves into a foot or two ofwater, but I think most of the time,warmer water temperatures andbaitfish are the two biggest moti-vators for pulling walleyes intosuch skinny water. When it comesto finding walleyes in really shal-low water, less than three feet…there does seem to be some mis-conceptions at least from my ownpersonal experiences.

Wind is probably one of thebiggest misconceptions I havefound from my time on the water.Wind and shallow water walleyesis almost cliché, but I seldom findfish less than three feet of waterduring a strong wind that is crash-ing in. The fish may be active andthey may be shallow, but they typ-ically duck right below the reversecurrent that is rolling back off theshoreline.

In three-foot rollers for example,I seldom catch fish in two feet ofwater. Typically they are a touchdeeper like five feet. When I oftendo find walleyes in this same loca-tion, however, in a foot or two ofwater is the next day after the winddies or switches and the water isstill stained from yesterday’s wind.

I think one of the reasons for thisis that walleyes don’t like to posi-tion right up into the turbulence. Inreally strong winds, I have actuallyseen fish like white suckers, bull-heads and even northern pike getwashed up into rip rap, but I havenever seen a walleye get washedup.

What also surprises some anglersis that sunny days often pull fishshallowest especially during thepre spawn period. I have seen thison natural lakes, river systems and

reservoirs. Also, this can be a big fish pat-

tern as it often seems like bigfemales will slide up into a foot ortwo of water just to warm up.Almost seems like some of thesebig fish will move up so shallowthat the sun can hit their backs.

What areas to targetThe locations where we have

seen these skinny water patternsunfold run the gamut. On river sys-tems, for example, most fish locatenear current breaks and seemsmuch of the time. Fish move outinto fast water and they move backinto quiet water, but many fish arecaught on the edge where fasterwater meets slower water.

I have caught some really big fishin rivers, however, far from thisedge quite a ways back into quietwater up along shallow gravel andsand bars or rip rap. Typically dur-ing normal flows, these fish mighthave only been fifty to a hundredyards or less from faster water, butwhere they were sitting was slackenough for a largemouth bass tolive.

On natural lakes and reservoirs,gradual sloping shorelines withfirm gravel to sand bottoms havebeen good. Rip rap is another solidoption at times and shallow sand orgravel bars that have pencil reedscan be dynamite and are one of myfavorite locations for finding wall-eye ultra shallow. Shallow rockscan also be really good but onmany natural lakes and reservoirs Ihave fished, the rocks were oftenright on the shoreline in a foot ortwo of water and then out a littleways. The rocks either got muchsmaller or the bottom turned tosand and often, the fish seemed tohold right on the bottom edge ofthe rocks. The bigger the rocks, themore I found this to be the case.

PresentationWith these really shallow fish,

you almost have to cast to the fish,and there is nothing better than ajig because jigs only have onehook. Most of the time, you haveto slide into spots and slip the jigup into this shallow water withoutmaking a lot of commotion. Bigbomb casts with heavy artillery are

typically not going to work. In fact,there have been many times whereI had to pitch the jig up on the bankand just slide the jig into the water.That is why the single hook on ajig shines as they don’t catch asmuch debris or get hung up somuch.

From my experiences, there aretwo basic maneuvers that reallytrigger these fish. The first is tocast the jig up on the shore and justslide the jig into the water andslowly slide the jig through thezone with a drag or swim wherethe jig is just above the bottommaybe halfway through the watercolumn.

The other method is to pitch thejig up into the shallow water,feathering the line with your fingeras it hits the water and keeping theline semi tight as it falls.

With either method, the key isoften using really light jigs withlots of bulk to slow that jig descentway down. Typically, either 1/8thounce or 1/16th ounce will suffice,but you have to bulk up the jig byeither adding plastic or a largerminnow so that the jig is easier tocast further distances and thanslowly sinks once it hits the water.

Favorite jigs for this presentationinclude the 1/8th ounce NorthlandTackle Rocket Jig for dragging andthe 1/16th ounce Northland TackleFire Ball bulked up with minnowor plastic for the slow fall.

There are times as well when a1/32nd ounce Fire Ball tipped witha live minnow is killer in reallyshallow water. With the lighter jig,hook the minnow on so that it staysalive and after casting the minnowup on the bank, let it swim aroundin the shallow water on semi tightline. This method is a little slowerand takes more time but can oftenpull a few more fish off the spot.

By far, I do much better usingmonofilament, because I thinkmono slows the rate of fall for thejig and adds some subtleness to theglide and fall that just causes thejig to hang in the water longerwhich the fish seem to like. Perfectline for this application is sevenpound Bionic mono. This particu-lar line is easy to cast with lighter

jigs but slows the jig down dramat-ically in the water.

Depending on your height, a sixto seven foot medium light fastaction rod is about perfect forleveraging small jigs up onto theshoreline and the extra length letsyou get a good hook set when thetip of the rod is high.

We have a new line up of walleyerods for this season (www.jason-mitchellrods.com) that are reallyimpressive in that they retail forless than sixty dollars and featureIM8 graphite construction, life-time warranty and Fuji guide train.

Early in the season, do not over-

look sliding up into really shallowwater when conditions dictate andat least check really shallow water.There have been many days wherethe most aggressive and hardesthits I had all day came in water lessthan three feet.

Editors Note: The author, JasonMitchell hosts the popular outdoorprogram Jason Mitchell Outdoorswhich airs on Fox Sports North(9:00 am Sunday) and Fox SportsMidwest (8:30 am Saturday) andis a member of the Ice Team ProStaff. More information can befound online at www.jason-mitchelloutdoors.com.

Rocket Jig Walleye: the author Jason Mitchell shares some wis-dom on how to catch walleyes in ultra shallow water early in theyear.

Photo submitted

6-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, April 4, 2013

Skinny water walleyes

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, April 4, 2013-7

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I am often asked, “Whatdo you like better? Ice fish-ing or open water fishing?” Ilove them both!

But let’s face it, it’s been along winter. Not that muchsnow, not that cold but it’salmost April 1, and I canstill ice fish on WestOkoboji!

I’m ready to get in theboat, but it looks like it’sgoing to be two to threeweeks before iceout here inOkoboji.

What’s a fisherman to doin the meantime? There’splenty to do!

First I’ll get all my ice gearput away for the season. Iam very careful about how Istore my ice shacks. Cleanyour shacks out thoroughly.Nerver leave food or wrap-pers in your shacks. If youdo, your tarp may end up thetarget for nesting mice thatwill destroy your $900quilted ice shack. I’ve seenit happen.

Some people use moth-

balls to repel rodents, but Idon’t like the smell theyleave behind. I like to foldthree or four or more fabricsoftener sheets in my iceshacks. I store all myportable shacks up off thefloor on a trailer making ittougher for mice to haveaccess. So far…knockknock on my desk…I havenever had mice.

I also like to find a place tostore my Marcum depthfinders and cameras in aplace where I will see themand can get to them easilyduring the summer. If I seethem every day, I’ll hopeful-ly remember to give them acharge at least once over the

summer.And I’m particular about

how I store my ice fishingrods. I love the OtterOutdoors ice rod cases, but Ionly have two and I can onlyforce about 11 or 12 rods ineach one. All the rest getstored in plastic storage con-tainers that I buy at Walmart.It makes it easy to throwthem up on a shelf out of theway till next winter. It alsokeeps the rods clean and pro-tected. Chances are you’llonly need to buy one largecontainer.

Once I have my ice gearput away and stored proper-ly, I dig into my open watergear. I love getting my rodsand reels restrung with newline, cleaned, polished andlubed for a new season. I gothrough the tackle box, takeinventory, make a list ofwants and needs, reorganize,sharpen and replace hooks.

Then the boat! Oh my! CanI get all this done in threeweeks? I better get busy!

BY BEN LEALPROGRAM DIRECTOR, RECYCLED FISH

What in the heck do Vinegar andBaking Soda have to do with fishing andstewardship? I can hear what you’rethinking. But consider this. The toilet andthe sink are the two primary avenues thatwe use to dispose of our waste water.Whatever we put into these vessels endsup in our streams, lakes and rivers.

At one time, when the sink was clogged,we’d reach for a can of drain cleaner. Andthe toilet?

When we needed to clean the “can,”we’d reach for the toilet cleaner.

When the sink runs slow, considerreaching for the baking soda and vinegarrather than the drain cleaner. Pour in 1cup of baking soda, then one cup hot,white, distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5minutes or so, then flush with hot water.

And when the toilet bowl needs to becleaned, reach for the vinegar rather thanthe toilet cleaner. Pour in three cups ofdistilled, white vinegar and let it sitovernight. Scrub the bowl in the morning.

Vinegar is a by-product of vegetables,fruits and grains. It is both edible andbiodegradable. Baking soda’s primaryingredient, sodium carbonate, is easilyabsorbed. Both are useful, biodegradablealternatives to caustic household chemi-cals.

Why it is important to the fishDrain cleaners contain sodium hydrox-

ide, chlorine bleach, HFC’s, and sulfuricacid; they are highly caustic. Toilet clean-ers contain chlorine bleach.

When we use these products, we intro-duce toxins directly into our waste waterthrough our sinks and toilets. If a sanitarysewer overflow occurs, these chemicalscan go directly into our watersheds.When they do, they ultimately end up inour fish.

Consider some of the great fisheries thatwe have here in our part of Iowa.Everything that we do on or off the wateraffects these fisheries. By choosing lesscaustic alternatives, such as vinegar andbaking soda, we introduce fullybiodegradable products into our wastewater. Our fish are the ultimate benefici-aries.

The Vinegar Institute has assembled alist of additional ideas for using vinegararound the home.

Editor’s note: Each month the OutdoorConnection tab will feature a column byRecycled Fish, a nonprofit organizationfounded by Teeg Stouffer in 2003.Originally a Catch and Release educa-tion organization, it is now a nationalmovement of anglers who live and pro-mote a lifestyle of stewardship both onand off the water.

Stewardship Tip:

Baking Soda and VinegarTransitioning toward open water

JOHNGROSVENORJTG EXPEDITIONS

BY BOB JENSENFISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING

TEAM

More and more, people aregetting the itch to go fish-ing.

Many areas of the countryhave been covered withsnow and other weather thathas delayed the arrival ofopen water. In conversa-tions with anglers at recentseminars that I've beeninvolved in, you can justfeel the eagerness of thosefolks to get in a boat or inwaders or to get out on adock and get a bait in thewater.

Before you make a cast,following are some thingsyou should do.

Make sure you've got afishing license. In manyareas fishing licenses expirein February or March.Check to make sure you'vegot a current license.

Spool up with fresh line.It's a good idea to startevery season with new line.Your line is the only con-nection between you andthe fish: You want to beusing good stuff. You don'tneed to strip all the line offyour reel when you re-spool.

If you're putting new lineon a reel that's used for cast-ing, strip off enough linethat will enable you to tienew line to the backing (theold line) to have 40-50

yards of new line. We generally don't make

50-yard casts, so that'senough line to cast effec-tively and trim a little lineoff every now and then.

If you're adding line to atrolling reel, you'll want tohave enough line to get yourbait back a hundred andfifty feet or so. Rarely willyou need to get your baitback that far, but again, alittle extra allows for trim-ming line when necessary.

I started using the newBionic Line last year. Itworked fine and is availablein odd sizes, which I havecome to appreciate.Sometimes five or sevenpound test is perfect for jig-ging or rigging.

Check your trailer lights.Make sure the boat battery

is charged.If your waders leaked last

fall and you didn't fix them,they still leak. Get themfixed now.

Check your tackle boxinventory. Replace what isneeded, and if you're inneed of any of the new baitsthat have been introducedrecently, now is the time toget them.

If you use aerated baitcontainers, check those bat-teries. The aeration systemsfrom Frabill are outstand-ing. They keep minnowslivelier than any other baitbucket I've used.

If you're in the market fora new tackle box, considerthe new Flex'N Go fromPlano. This system enablesyou to customize your tack-le box to exactly match yourneeds for the day.

Caution on the water is abig deal. If you need a newlife-jacket, take a look at theinflatables that Cabela'soffers.

They're comfortable, soyou're more likely to wearthem more often.

If you haven't done soalready, you need to makelodging plans if you'regoing to be going on anyfishing trips. In conversa-tions with many resort own-ers, it seems like folks arewaiting later in the year tomake lodging commit-ments, then are disappoint-ed when their resort ofchoice doesn't have open-ings. Make your plans now!

The open water season ishere or near across most ofthe country. Take care ofthe tasks just mentioned andyou'll have a more enjoy-able and productive fishingseason.

8-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, April 4, 2013

If youʼre ready to go fishing when the opportunity presents itself, youʼll be moresuccessful.

Photo by Bob Jensen

To see all the newestepisodes of Fishingthe Midwest TV, visit FISHINGTHEMIDWEST.COM

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