SECTION CDECEMBER 7, 2013

ESTHERVILLE NEWSOUTDOORCONNECTION

STORIES, ADVICE AND INFORMATION FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS

2013 Christmas Bird Countjust around the corner

BY CAROLE LOCHMILLERBIRD HAVEN

Conservation was in the beginning stageswhen the first Christmas Bird Count (CBC)was held in 1900. Many conservationistsand observers were becoming concernedabout the declining bird populations. OnChristmas Day of 1900 Frank Chapman ofthe newly formed National Audubon Societyand 26 birders from across the country col-

lected data with 90 species recorded. Mr. Chapman would be thoroughly

astounded at the thousands of people whonow participate, both experts and novicesduring the CBA each December.

The National Audubon Society organizesthe CBC each year with the entire countrydivided into counting circles with a main per-son responsible for gathering the counts andforwarding them on to the National Society.This insures that birds in open areas such aslakes and parks will be counted as well as thebirds in your yard and my yard.

All of this data tells a story--such as declin-

ing populations, come back of populationssuch as the Bald Eagle, migrations such asthe Eurasian Collared Dove, which was inFlorida a little more than 10 years ago and isnow north to Alaska and, of course, myfavorite, the Northern Cardinal, which con-tinually follow the nation’s river systems andfan out from there.

Here at Bird Haven a pair of Cardinals suc-

Forthe

birds

Christmas onthe Farm

nears

TargetingNorthern

Pike

Archersready for

club

First ice nowappearing

See COUNT on Page C4A female cardinal enjoys cedar berries byBird Haven.

Photo by Wendell Hansen

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA C2

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A best kept secret revealed: Targeting Northern PikeM

ention ice fishing theIowa Great Lakes,specifically West

Okoboji and Big Spirit Lake, toanglers and their eyes light up asthey envision chasing theirfavorite game fish. Yet, there isone prolific game fish that is oftenoverlooked: the northern pike.Bays on both West Okoboji andBig Spirit hold excellent pikenumbers.

Mike Hawkins, Iowa DNRBiologist at the Spirit LakeHatchery, says the northern pike isoften overlooked and if targeted,the pike is usually a secondary tar-get, often an afterthought. “Thepike is really an untappedresource. Anglers just don’t seemto target northern pike. Numberson Big Spirit are incredible rightnow. ” Hawkins estimates at least10,000 adult pike (and probablymore) are in Big Spirit.

Certainly, some anglers will fishfor bluegills in the weeds andplace a chub down a hole in case apike might take the offering. Thereare only a few anglers who actual-ly target these fish. When I thinkof pike fishing through the ice, Ialways think back to the expertiseof fellow outdoor enthusiast, JimMcDonnell, the Fishing Professor.He had that canny ability to targetpanfish, while at the same time

setting out a plan for capitalizingon the pike opportunities.

Where to start? Think of it in terms of where

their food source is located. Thebays on both West Okoboji andBig Spirit have plenty ofweedbeds and weedlines, whichmean they are host to lots of pan-fish. Where there are panfish,there are northern pike. This is thebest of both worlds for anglers: theopportunity to catch quality pan-fish and quality pike. Plus, the ginclear waters, especially on WestLake, allow anglers the chance tosee what is going on beneath theice. One moment it’s trying toentice a big gill to bite, and thenhere comes that huge floating log:a big pike. Now what?

Game PlanSuccess, as it comes with other

fish, begins with a solid gameplan, which can change as the win-

ter season progresses. Early in theice season Smith’s Bay (east sideof West Okoboji, Emerson Bayand Miller’s Bay (both on the westside of West Okoboji) hold excel-lent number of pike. Look for

good weedbeds that will holdbluegills. Most often the actionwill take place in as shallow as 3-4 feet and up to 10-12 feet ofwater. After drilling several holes,a good way to do a preliminary

search is with an underwater cam-era (Vexilar Scout) to check outeach of the holes to see what fishare using the area.

Dave Genz, Mr. Ice Fishing is a

STEVEWEISMANOUTDOOR EDITOR

Gills and pike: the best of both worlds. Photo by Kevan Paul

See SECRET on Page C3

Emmet CountyConservation is excit-ed to offer students in

grades 4th-12th that reside inEmmet County or attendEstherville Lincoln Central orNorth Union an opportunity toparticipate in an after schoolarchery club!

As part of theirEnvironmental EducationProgram, Emmet CountyConservation provides archeryinstruction as part of thePhysical Education curricu-lum for high schools located inEmmet County. This is oftena week long program thattakes place at the conclusionof the basketball and wrestlingseasons.

This year they will be able toexpand their archery programthrough the help of a NASP(National Archery in theSchools Program) equipmentgrant through the Iowa DNR.The NASP program “pro-motes international-style tar-get archery as part of the in-school curriculum, to improveeducational performance andparticipation in the shootingsports among students ingrades 4-12.” It’s all aboutgetting students inspired “to

spend more time with wildthings in wild places!”

Archery is one of the sportsthat everyone can gain a suc-

cessful experience from. Itcan help build confidence,ability, dedication, unifyingrelationships, and inspire inde-pendence in a safe andrespectful environment.Archery doesn’t discriminateby gender, ability, or back-ground. It’s all about theeffort and concentration putforth by the archer.

We are excited to offer thisopportunity to students inEmmet County. As we get theclubs going, they will be stu-dent-driven. Archery Clubwill be a different outlet foreach individual participant.Some may choose to competein tournaments throughout theseason. Others may choose to

take part in the camaraderieand opportunity to practicearchery skills without compet-ing.

A sign-up sheet for archeryclub was available in theschools in early November.Currently, we have 85 stu-dents from Estherville LincolnCentral and 45 students fromNorth Union signed-up.

We’re eager to see how thearchery clubs evolve over theyear as interest grows witheach successful practice expe-rience. The competitivearchery season runs fromDecember through March.The state competition takesplace the first week of March.

Our archery clubs will jointhe Spencer, North Iowa, andLake Mills Archery Clubs inNorthwest Iowa.

Informational meetings arebeing held at each respectiveschool for students and parentsinterested in archery club.Practices will be held twice aweek for each club. Studentscan learn more about practicetimes and tournament sched-ules by following@EmmetCoArchers on twitterand liking the “Emmet CountyArchers” facebook page.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA C3

JENNAPOLLOCK

EMMET COUNTY

NATURALIST

proponent of mobility. Mobility isa big key for pike. It’s pretty sim-ple. If the fish don’t bite or if thereare no fish, move. This does notmean moving to the other side ofthe lake. No, it means moving alittle deeper or maybe furtheralong the weedbed or weedline. Alot of pike anglers will probablyspend the extra for that third fish-ing line. It simply increases theodds! You can either use all threelines to fish for pike, or you canstill fish for panfish with one andpike with the other two. Size ofpike vary, but expect to find 2 to 5to 10 pound fish cruising these

shallows.

The rigTypically, you out a series of tip-

ups trying to pick areas where pikewill be cruising around searchingfor an easy meal throughout theday. Spool the reel with 20-poundbraid and then use a Bigtooth Rigmade by Clam Outdoors with achub for bait. Color choicesinclude good and red blades.Shallower than 10 feet, manyanglers do not use a leader, but indeeper water they often use a twoto three foot Flurocarbon leader(20 pound test).

A good lively chub is a great baitfor pike. Take one treble hook andsecure one of the hooks just underthe skin just behind the dorsal fin

on one side. Then do the samething with the other treble hook onthe side. To help attract the pike,some anglers will clip the tail offwhere the tail meets the body ofthe chub. This gives a ‘blood’scent trail, and if a pike is in thearea, it’ll come to the chub. It’s notnecessary to get the bait on thebottom because pike often cruiseup off the bottom.

The strikeThe Bigtooth Rig is a quick

strike rig, so don’t wait a long timeto set the hook. When the flagtrips, get over there and lift the tip-up out of the water, letting the piketake the line (you don’t want themto feel resistance). At the sametime, strip off some extra line just

in case it’s a big fish and makes abig run. Probably the best adviceis to set the hook when the fish ismaking a run. Then work the fishtoward the hole.

I have also seen anglers have atip-up ready with an alreadyhooked lively chub in a bucket ofwater. When a pike enters the fish-ing area, take the chub and put itdown the hole. You never know, itcan trigger a response from thepike.

As the season goesThings change as the ice season

goes. By mid-season, the biggerpike often move into deeper water,say a rock pile or a deep weedlineup to 20-feet or so. At late ice,things change again. Pike are get-

ting ready to spawn, often timesspawning beneath the ice. Inpreparation, they will move toareas where water is flowing intothe lake. “On Spirit Lake, thismeans the Buffalo Run area, LittleSpirit area and Hale’s Slough.”

What a rushCatching pike on West Lake and

Spirit Lake can make for realexcitement. As Hawkins alludedto earlier, pike are plentiful andsuch great fighters. They are alsoexcellent eating. Anglers have theopportunity to fish the best of bothworlds at the same time: qualitypanfish and quality northernpike!”

It just doesn’t get much betterthan that!

SECRETContinued from page C2

Archers ready for after school archery club

If the fish don’t bite where you are - then moveNorth Union archers take aim at a recent practice.

Photo by Jenna Pollock

cessfully raised five youngones. The young males arenow fully colored and thefamily group visits the feed-ers everyday. Next springthose young will find matesand their own territories.Good for Cardinal-deprivedyards like mine.

Northern Iowa PrairieLakes AudubonSociety count details

The Northern Iowa PrairieLakes Audubon Society willconduct the count for thecircle, which includes theIowa Great Lakes onSaturday, Dec. 14.

Lee Schoenewe willorganize the group, beingsure all that want to be areincluded and all the countsare forwarded to theNational Audubon Society.The group will meet at Hy-Vee in Spirit Lake between7-8 a.m.

There will be expert bird-ers to lead each group, andwe encourage all that areinterested to come and helpno matter your level ofexpertise. This is yourchance to help the NationalAudubon Society and per-

haps explore areas of thecounty where you've neverbeen. The group will meetback at Hy-Vee at noon tocompare notes and organizefor the afternoon. If you justhave an afternoon to spend,then come at noon.

Another option is to stay athome and count the birds inyour yard. For example ifyou see two chickadees at

8a.m., six at 9:30 a.m., andseven at 11 a.m., then usethe highest count of sevenchickadees for the officialcount in your yard. Use thatexample for the count ofeach species in your yard.

I have a very large maleRed-bellied Woodpecker inmy yard, but since I only seeone at a time the officialcount would be one. Unless,of course, a female showsup.

You can either call BirdHaven (336-2473) withyour count or come into thestore. We will be sure yourcount numbers are forward-ed to Lee so they can be for-warded to the nationalcount.

Another option is to e-mailLee directly, and he will tab-ulate the counts of the wholecircle. His e-mail islschoe@smunet.net.

Outside the Lakes area

For our customers andreaders who are outside ofthe Lakes Area, you can goto the National AudubonSociety web site and clickon the Christmas Bird

Count. From there youshould be able to find out ifthere is going to be an activeCBC in your area or organ-ize one. All Christmas BirdCounts are conductedbetween December 14 toJanuary 5 with each localcount occurring on one daybetween those dates.

Weather conditions willplay a huge factor in the typeof birds you will see. At thispoint in time there are stillsome open areas of water.

Perhaps there is a largesnow event north of here,which will encourage north-ern birds to head south tovisit us. If we have no snow,such as now, there will benot so much feeder activityas there are still a lot of openareas where the birds are eat-ing. We have noticed ourcustomers talking aboutmore birds coming into theiryards to eat. Mr. Red-belliedis extremely fond of mixednuts.

Have a good ChristmasBird Count and call BirdHaven at (712) 336-2473 ifyou have questions or needhelp.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA C4

Manley’s Taxidermy

Jason ManleyBusiness: 712-866-2600

108 W. Maple StreetRingsted, IA 50578

Feathers & Furs

COUNTContinued from page C1

Well, it’s here, andit arrived byThanksgiv ing

weekend: ice on our arealakes. It’s not often that wereally get to try a little icefishing on Thanksgivingweekend. However, thathappened this year.

With single digit lows andhighs in the upper teensscheduled for late this week,I think we’ll have some ofthe best early ice in years.

So, yes, I did try fishingLittle Emerson last Sunday.I found between 3 and 4inches of ice wherever Idrilled a hole. However, theice was so clear that I couldsee the weedbeds and opensandy areas as I walkedLittle Emerson from theCamp Okoboji area.

I believe that’s the reasonfishing was on the SLOWside. I only saw three smallbluegills. Each bit, but theywere the only fish I saw innearly three hours of fish-ing. Knowing how clear itwas going to be, I arrived atdaybreak in hopes that Icould use the low light con-ditions to my advantage.However, I didn’t even see abluegill until around 8 a.m.

In visiting with otheranglers, I heard the samething was happening atAngler’s Bay on Big Spirit.As the ice thickens, I thinkfishing should get better. Atleast we will be able to getout into deeper water. As amatter of fact, I did see

anglers begin walking out tothe deep water off of ReedsRun. Still not certain justhow good that ice is. Checkout the Dave Genz article“Check the Conditions andBring Safety Gear”.

It seems each year pro-vides its own unique chal-lenge. Last year it was thelate, late ice conditions. Thisyear it’s the clear ice!

Hunting seasons still going

This weekend the firstshotgun deer season opensand runs from Dec. 7-11.That will be followed by thesecond shotgun season fromDec. 14-22. The DNR esti-mates 140,000 hunters willparticipate in these two sea-sons. The bow season,meanwhile, closes duringthese seasons and thenreopens on Dec. 23 and laststo Jan. 10, 2014.

Although the duck seasonconcludes on Thursday,Dec. 5, the Canada gooseseason is open until Jan. 3,2014. Currently, the geeseare keeping areas open onthe deeper bodies of water,and until a storm comes, Ithink they will stick around.The DNR waterfowl surveyfor the last week inNovember showed a countyof 18,000 Canada geese inthe Spirit Lake area, 2600in the Ruthven area and5000 in the Ingham area.Most of the hunting now istrying to find the geese in afield or pass shooting themon those cloudy, windy daysas they leave the water.

If you want to follow theduck migration, the southzone is open through Dec.12, while the MissouriRiver zone is open untilDec. 19 and the Canadagoose season is open until

Count for Iowa Great Lakes area is Saturday, Dec. 14 First ice nowappearing

See ICE on Page C6

STEVEWEISMANOUTDOOR EDITOR

A young male cardinal sits in shrubs near Bird Haven.Photo by Wendell Hansen

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA C5

BY MARK STRAND

When it comes to ice safe-ty, Dave Genz hasalways said essentially

the same thing: if you move more,you will catch more fish. He wantsice anglers to be mobile, but becareful.

He’s a picture of consistent safetyprecautions, wearing a life jacketoutside his Ice Armor parka, usingice cleats for solid traction, punch-ing the ice with a chisel ahead ofhimself, testing for thickness, as hewalks on early or questionable ice.Today, he wants to talk ice safetyover the entire course of the winter.“You never know when it couldhappen, that you could fallthrough,” he says, “but if you havethe right stuff with you, you shouldbe able to get out alright.”

Two Aspects of Ice SafetyReally, there are two aspects to ice

safety.1) Learning to identify situations

that have the potential for produc-ing unsafe ice.

2) Being ready with the right gear,should you or someone around youfall through the ice.

Let’s look at both aspects.

Potential for Unsafe IceIce conditions can and do vary

from spot to spot on the same bodyof water, and vary tremendouslyfrom region to region. In some partsof the ice belt, cold weather comesand goes – so safe ice forms, thenmight erode, even at midwinter.Especially in today’s connectedworld, where we all see Facebookposts with pictures of good catches,the fever can sweep over people liv-ing in fringe areas. It can be tempt-ing to try to add your own picturesto the reports, even if the ice is iffy,at the moment, where you live.

Iffy ice conditions can alwaysoccur in places where water is mov-ing due to currents or aerationdevices, and around springs. This istrue even in the ‘True North’ wherecold weather usually remains formonths on end.

Also avoid expansion cracks, or‘pressure ridges’ as they’re called.

It pays to know when significantsnow fell on top of the ice you are

about to venture onto. All thingsbeing equal, it’s thought that iceshould be at least six inches thickbefore the first good snow settles ontop of it. If heavy snow falls on thinice, the blanket of snow can insulatethe ice, preventing it from gettingthicker. Even with sustained coldtemperatures, you can have thin iceunder the snow. Again, it alldepends on when that snow fell.

It’s easier than ever to gatherinformation on known currents,springs, and other traditionally iffyice areas, and to get details on whatwent down, weather wise, as icewas forming. Seek this informationbut couple it with your own obser-vations, precautions, and commonsense.

Flotation, Picks, and a Chisel

Genz has always thought itstrange that safety experts switchadvice abruptly after ice forms. “If

you’re going out in a boat on coldwater,” he says, “they tell you towear a life jacket. Then, a weeklater, after the ice comes, they tellyou to stay home. Why can’t wetalk about wearing a life jacketwhen you go out on the ice?”

He makes a good point. Oncetemps chill off into ice-makingrange, it takes little time for safe iceto form. (It can happen overnight, inperfect conditions, and certainlywithin a few days, with cold tem-peratures, safe walkable ice canform.) And first-ice fishing can beexcellent. Read this clearly, exactlyhow it’s intended: check ice care-fully, and wear flotation clothingabove the waist just in case.

“We have a new life vest,” saysDave, referring to the Clam lifevest, “that’s Coast Guard approvedand cut to fit over your suit. It has alot of features, including a quick-release velcro holder for ice picks.It helps keep your core warm, and

has soft pockets for drying andwarming your hands. And we havefloating ice picks.”

Dave advises people to go icefishing with at least one partner, andstay close enough to each other tobe able to help if one falls through.It’s rare for this to happen, but if itdoes, a second person can be instru-mental in getting the dunked anglerback up on safe ice and headed in towarm up. If the assisting person canapproach on safe ice but keep dis-tance while rendering help, the oddsof a good outcome are greatlyimproved.

“That’s why we made the emer-gency throw rope,” Genz said,referring to another new accessorynow readily available at retail. “Youcan make your own, or this oneworks really well. It looks like adog dummy that’s packed withrope. You hang on to the loose endof the rope and throw the thing tothe person in the water, and the rope

plays out as it flies through the air.It stores 50 feet of rope in a neatpackage, and you can keep it inyour Fish Trap or strap it to an ATVor snowmobile.”

For the ultimate in protection,Genz talks about the Lift Suit, anice-fishing specific suit made withextra flotation that helps you stayupright and floating in the eventyou break through. He finishes thethought by adding that floating icepicks and chisels have also beenbrought into the lineup, to makesure anglers can find everythingthey need easily.

We almost forgot: spikes.Sometimes called ice cleats, orcreepers. They strap onto yourboots, fitting you with ice-grippingtraction. They’re crucial any timethere’s no snow on the ice. Theycan prevent slipping and falling,which can (and does) lead toinjuries. Genz mentions MicroSpikes by Kahtoola, but stressesthat the most important thing is toget some and use them.

“This is the stuff that doesn’t gettalked about enough,” says Genz,“because it’s not really fishingequipment. And it’s not that we’resaying that ice fishing is dangerous.You’ll probably fish your whole lifewithout needing most of this stuff,but if somebody falls through andyou don’t have it along, you’ll wishyou did.”

Amen, and a major understate-ment.

For more fishing tips and to orderhis new info-packed book, IceRevolution, go towww.davegenz.com.

Check the conditions and bring safety gear

Clam and Ice Team pro Rick Johnson nears the edge of early ice. Itʼs hard to tell, but he is wearinga life vest over his Ice Armor jacket, has floating ice picks around his neck (now they velcro to thevest), and his boots are fitted with Micro Spikes. The object in Johnsonʼs right hand is a chisel, so hecan strike the ice ahead of him as he walks out slowly. If the chisel goes through with one sharp strike,heʼll turn around and go back where he came from. There is a light dusting of snow on the ice, butnot enough to cause slush or slow ice formation. Dave Genz, the photographer, will be going fishingwith Rick.

Photo by davegenz.com

Editorʼs note: As ice beginsto cover area lakes, iceanglers can hardly wait forice to become thick enoughto navigate. Dave Genz,known as Mr. Ice Fishinghas been the driving forcebehind the modern ice fish-ing revolution. Here heshares some commonsense ideas for making icefishing safe!

AA BOUTBOUT DD AVEAVE GG ENZENZ

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA C6

1907 18th St.Spirit Lake

www.greatlakesmarineservice.biz

Turn-overYou have heard of it, what is it?

BY JOHN H. WILLSCLEAN WATER ALLIANCE COORDINATOR

Have you ever wondered why water doesn’t freeze onthe bottom of a bowl? Why doesn’t it freeze on the bot-tom of a lake? Turn-over -- It isn’t always a deliciousdessert that we can buy at one of our terrific restaurants.This turn-over is part of a process that involves some-thing called the thermocline and has a significant impacton one of our lakes almost every year; that lake is WestOkoboji. In colder climates, such as ours, somethingcalled stratification causes warm water to “float” on topof colder water with the thermocline separating them.

Many people who have dived in West Okoboji tell us that they can clearly see the ther-mocline when they move through it. It is a thin layer of water, with warm water above andcold water below, that has little mixing of warm and cold water. As the summer moves onthere is less oxygen below the thermocline as it never circulates to the surface; so there arefew “critters” below the thermocline during the summer.

As the temperature drops for the water on the surface, during the fall of the year, it mayget cold enough to freeze and the lake begins to ice over. Cold water gets heavier and sinksas it gets close to freezing and thus “replaces” the deep water that has been sitting all sum-mer and not being mixed. At this point we have the turn-over. Nutrient rich water andsometimes trash that has been sitting below the thermocline are brought to the surface.

This is a process that happens twice a year; once in the fall and once in the spring. Tocomplete the cycle, water that is almost ready to freeze is the lightest in weight so it floatsto the surface where it freezes for the winter.

BY BEN LEALRECYCLED FISH PROGRAM

DIRECTOR

Editor’s note: Each monththe Outdoor Connection tabwill feature a column byRecycled Fish, a nonprofitorganization founded byTeeg Stouffer in 2003.Originally a Catch andRelease education organiza-tion, it is now a nationalmovement of anglers wholive and promote a lifestyleof stewardship both on andoff the water.

With cold weather settlingearly across the Ice Belt, it’sa good time to make theannual reminder about icesafety: fish with a buddy,use a spud to check the iceevery few steps, wear a PFDand have a throw ropeattached to a buoy at theready.

But good stewards are alsomaking sure that they’reprotecting not just them-selves but the water theyfish when they head out toslice ice this winter.

Check your sparkplug. Replace it if the electrodes

are pitted or burned. Also,check the porcelain, if it iscracked, replace the plug.Set the electrode gap to theengine manufacturer’s spec-ification. Use a hotter spark-ing plug to burn gas more

efficiently. For example, theTecumseh engine modelsTC-300 or TMO40XA, youcan use a Champion CJ6Yor CJ8Y sparkplug. TheCJ8Y will spark hotter andwill burn gas more efficient-ly. Make sure to check thesparkplug specifications foryour engine before selectingan alternate plug.

Use fresh gasoline. If youhave a two-cycle engine, usethe proper oil/fuel mixture,typically the ratio is 40:1,but always follow theengine manufacturer’s spec-ification. If your gasolinesits around for more thanthirty days, pour the fuel inyour truck or car (even ifcontains two cycle oil) andpurchase fresh gasoline. Itwill burn more efficientlyand help start the enginefaster. Use winter mix, 91octane, or higher, gasoline.It will burn more efficiently.

Clean your filter in accor-dance with the engine man-ufacturer’s instructions. Aclean filter will help theengine run more efficiently.

Take care of spills Fuel your auger off the ice.

Fuel that is accidentallyspilled on the ice can killfish.

Add a fuel absorbent mator pad (available at mostauto parts stores) to your kit

and place it on the groundwhen you fuel up to containany spills.

Check the hoses on yourauger before you take it onthe ice. Make sure that thereare no leaks. Check yourauger on dry ground by lay-ing it on its side.

Make sure your blades arerazor sharp. Put an edge onthem before you go out onthe ice. Cover them as youtransport your auger so youdon’t bump the bladesagainst something and inad-vertently dull them. Sharpblades will cut more effi-ciently. Also, tighten theblade screws before eachouting.

Looking for a new auger?Consider an electric alterna-tive. Ice Fishing Today(Vexilar) has the new K-Drill, Ion and Strikemasterall make great electricaugers. Clam just released adrill plate kit & auger bitthat lets you drop on any18V drill and run the augersimilarly to a gas auger.

An efficient auger will notonly help you catch morefish, it will also help the fishby keeping pollutants off theice and reducing the emis-sions from the engine.

For more, visitwww.RecycledFish.org/OnIce.

Stewardship Tip:

PREPARE YOUR ICE AUGER

Jan. 17, 2014.Pheasant season continues, and with the

open fields, the pheasants are “whereverthey want to be!”

They might be along the edges of com-bined fields, on the fringe of grasslands orin the cattails. It’s wherever they want tobe.

Plus, these survivors have been huntedenough to have figured out where it is safe.

Their escape becomes flying out wayahead, running, running, running or sitting,sitting, sitting…or a combination of all ofthe above.

We had one last weekend that actually satwithin 10 yards of where my hunting partywas looking for a downed bird. One of thegroup members actually went over to theside and stood there for nearly five minutesand reached down in a clump of cattails tocheck it out. Out burst a rooster-less than afoot away-and three shots later it was stillflying to safety!

ICEContinued from page C4

Pheasants are ‘wherever they want to be’

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA C7

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9

SPIRIT LAKE - Juvenile zebramussels have shown upattached to boat hoists

removed this fall from East Okoboji,West Okoboji and Lower Gar lakes.

This discovery comes after fourjuvenile zebra mussels were found inEast Okoboji Lake and Upper GarLake, last fall.

Mike Hawkins, fisheries biologist forthe Iowa Department of NaturalResources, said he was contacted bya lake service provider in the IowaGreat Lakes on Nov. 1st after the con-tractor spotted suspicious shellsattached to a boat hoist.

“After closer examination it becameevident that many of the recentlyremoved hoists had juvenile zebramussels attached,” Hawkins said. “Isuspected that other hoists from the

area may have zebra musselsattached as well.”

Summer monitoring for zebra mus-sels resulted in little evidence of anexpanding population, but effectivesampling is difficult when populationsare low.

“Inspection efforts are continuing onhundreds of boat hoists and shouldprovide additional information on theextent of the infestation within theIowa Great Lakes,” Hawkins said.

As the infestation develops it will beimportant for boaters to clean, drainand dry their boats and equipmentbefore moving from the Iowa GreatLakes to other bodies of water. It isrequired by law for boaters to removeall invasive species and to drain allwater from boats and equipmentbefore leaving a waterbody.

ZEBRA MUSSEL POPULATIONRISING IN THE IOWA GREAT LAKES

Christmas on the Farmjust around the corner

BY JENNA POLLOCKEMMET COUNTY NATURALIST

Snow dusted evergreens, frosted windows on an old farmhouse, a steady stream ofsteam rising from the chimney, and the gentle chime of sleigh bells jingling as the horsesdraw near…Are you ready for Christmas on the Farm at the Historic Peterson PointFarmstead?

The Emmet County Conservation Foundation is gearing up for the annual Christmas onthe Farm celebration. Join us for a fun-filled afternoon of camaraderie and pioneerChristmas traditions from 1-4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14.

Activities include horse-drawn sleigh (wagon if no snow) rides, outdoor games foryouth (all afternoon) and a fun holiday craft activity. Plus, of course, those delightfulrefreshments will be available.

Historic Peterson Point Farmstead is located at 2349 450th Avenue, Wallingford, IA51365. Call the Emmet County Nature Center for more information: (712) 867-4422.

Lisa Hansen conducts the horse-driven sleigh rides at a previous Christmas onthe Farm event at Peterson Point Historic Farmstead.

Photo submitted

BY BOB JENSENFISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING TEAM

Ice-anglers, just like openwater anglers, have lots ofoptions when it comes to

lure selection. There are a bunchof different lures we can use tocatch walleyes, perch, crappies,and whatever else under the ice.But if you were to look in thetacklebox of most ice-anglers,you would probably see somespoons.

Spoons come in all colors, sizes,and shapes. You might wonderwhat the difference is in the vari-ous spoons, and if those differ-ences really matter. They do!

When the fish are hungry andwilling to bite, they’ll eat justabout anything you put downthere. But when they get a littleselective, the shape and color andaction of the spoon can make abig difference. Here are somethings you should consider whenyou’re trying to decide whichspoon to tie onto your line.

Size should probably be yourfirst consideration. If you’re afterwalleyes, a larger spoon willprobably be a good starting point.Eighth ounce is probably as smallas you would want to start with:

The quarter ounce size is usuallya good starting point.

For perch and crappies, start atthe eighth ounce size. If theydon’t go for that, work smaller.Usually the sixteenth ounce sizeis as small as you need to go forperch or crappies, but you neverknow.

Next consider color. In darkwater, brighter colors are usuallya good idea, but again, notalways.

In clear water a more naturalcolor is often a good start, butagain, you never know. Keep try-ing different colors until the fishshow you what they want.

Now, perhaps the most impor-tant consideration: Action. Somespoons fall pretty much straightdown, others have a very distinctflutter or wobble. The ForageMinnow Spoon has a unique

design that enables it to flutterslowly as it falls. When it’s doingits thing, this spoon looks justlike a wounded minnow. I’vetaken a bunch of walleyes on thisbait when nothing else wouldwork.

The Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon isone of the most popular and pro-ductive spoons in existence. Itfishes heavy and has a prettymuch straight drop. It wobbles abit, but not as much as the ForageMinnow Spoon. The Buck-ShotRattle Spoon will get to the bot-tom faster, and the rattles reallyturn the fish on at times.

New this year is the UV Buck-Shot Spoon. It has some colorsthat really “shine”. In stainedwater or when the fish have beenpressured, this spoon is a killer.

Another action is a spoon thatglides as it sinks. It covers awider area as it falls, so it is visi-ble to more fish. It also falls slow-er than most spoons. Again, it’s adifferent action that will appeal tofish that want a slower movingbait. A good example of a glidingspoon would be the new Buck-Shot Glider Spoon.

Presentation may be even moreimportant under the ice than it isin open water. Remember, thefish can really get a good look atyour bait under the ice. Give themthe bait they want they way theywant it and you’ll be a more suc-cessful ice angler.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA C8

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Spoons for action

under the ice

Experiment with spoons of different shapes, colors, and actionsfor more ice-fishing success.

Photo by Bob Jensen

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