outdoor traditions: winter 2015

WINTER 2015

o Wintertime saunas o Cross-country skiing

o How to hunt late-season ruffed grouse

o What’s Ron Lindner up to these days?

o Ice fishing for walleyes, pike and panfish

Winter trekking, yurts help make most of winter

Inside

Trekkin‘

www.northlandoutdoors.com

NILSON’S HARDWARE207 DeGraff Ave | Swanville, MN 56382

(320) 547-2241 | (320) 630-1153www.nilsondirect.com

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Gear up for Ice Fishing!Gear up for Ice Fishing!Trade-Ins Welcome!


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Make the ice on the lake your play-ground! Nilson’s Direct provides the Ice Castle Fish Houses, parts and accessories you need to maximize your Ice Fishing experience. We outfi t the entire State of Minnesota and the surrounding States with the latest products and have the most expansive inventory in town! Check out the newest Ice Castle Fish Houses and products now and choose from hundreds of parts and accessories!

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3www.northlandoutdoors.com

NILSON’S HARDWARE207 DeGraff Ave | Swanville, MN 56382

(320) 547-2241 | (320) 630-1153www.nilsondirect.com

Search “Ice Castle

Fish Houses”

Gear up for Ice Fishing!Gear up for Ice Fishing!

Instantfinancing

available to qualifiedbuyers

ION 8-Inch Electric Ice Auger withReverse

ION gives you power-auger performance without the hassles. ION is powerful.

ION is fast. The 8-inch ION will drill up to 40 holes through 2 feet of ice on a single charge.


2000 Watt Portable Generator is super quiet, fuel effi cient,

and light weight.

Gear up for Ice Fishing!Gear up for Ice Fishing!Trade-Ins Welcome!


Honda Generator

Make the ice on the lake your play-ground! Nilson’s Direct provides the Ice Castle Fish Houses, parts and accessories you need to maximize your Ice Fishing experience. We outfi t the entire State of Minnesota and the surrounding States with the latest products and have the most expansive inventory in town! Check out the newest Ice Castle Fish Houses and products now and choose from hundreds of parts and accessories!

Nilson’s Direct is committed to pro-viding you with the best possible Ice Castle Fish Houses at the best possible price. Ask about our Price Match Guarantee!

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ContentsIssue 10 • Edition 4

5 Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian S. Peterson�e end — and just the beginning

6 Hitting the trails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kate PerkinsCross-country tips from an experienced skier

10 Similar tactics, different locales . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave CsandaCatching winter bluegills, perch and crappies

14 Winter hunting for the birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill MarchelHow to �nd ru�ed grouse during late season

18 Off the beaten path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kate PerkinsWinter trekking, yurts make for winter adventure

22 No slowing down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim KalkofenAgeless wonder Ron Lindner is still at it

24 All eyes on the ’eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave CsandaHard-water walleyes at �rst ice

26 The hot seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kate Perkins�e joy of the sauna in the heart of winter

On the Cover: Grant Schnell treks through fresh powder with his gear and dog Leidy. Photo by Ashley Schnell

Features

32 Tipping the odds in your favor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Csanda�rough the ice, tip-ups and pike go hand-in-hand

F Bill Marchel

www.northlandoutdoors.com4 O U T D O O R T R A D I T I O N S

Outdoor Traditions is a trademarked magazine published by the

Brainerd Dispatch, P.O. Box 976, Brainerd, MN 56401.All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

® 2010 © 2006

A publication of the Brainerd Dispatch

Publisher . Tim Bogenschutz

Editor . . . . Brian S. Peterson

Marketing . . . .Leo Miller

Designer . . . Becca Clemens

Advertising . . . Nikki Lyter

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By BRIAN S. PETERSON

BRIAN S. PETERSON Director of Content, Northland Outdoors Network

WelcomeIt’s not so much an end as it is a beginning. Maybe even a bit of a continuation.

But de�nitely a beginning.It’s �tting that, a�er almost

10 years, this winter edition is the �nal issue of Outdoor Traditions. Winter is an ending, much as spring is a beginning. And for Outdoor Traditions country — and well beyond — a new beginning will come with Northland Outdoors magazine, which debuts in the spring of 2016.

For the last decade, readers of the Brainerd Dispatch — and, recently, the Dispatch’s sister paper in Bemidji — were treated to outdoors features and news through Outdoor Traditions. A quarterly, Outdoor Traditions typically was 30 pages or so with a glossy magazine-like cover followed by heavier newspaper-stock pages �lled with stories of outdoor life in the area. It was a nice little publication that was embraced by the local outdoors community.

Earlier this year, the Dispatch’s parent company, Forum Communications, started the Northland Outdoors Network. Currently based in the Dispatch o�ces, Northland

Outdoors features a website (www.northlandoutdoors.com) encompassing all things outdoors, and soon, that also will be embraced in television and radio, all playing to an audience that spans four Upper Midwest states (Minnesota, Wisconsin and North and South Dakota).

And then there’s the magazine.While Outdoor Traditions

covered a variety of things outdoors, it was heavy on hunting and �shing. �ey’re two important components of the outdoors here, and remain important across Forum Communications country. But, simply put, Northland Outdoors will be much more — the goal is a minimum of 64 pages, for starters.

Also a quarterly, it will be glossy from cover to cover, with an emphasis on the photos and

visuals that make the outdoors and magazines a perfect complement. A co�ee-table addition, for sure.

And instead of stories from just right here in the lakes area from local outdoors journalists, writers from Northland Outdoors and Forum Communications will take you across the north country.

And for free — complimentary one-year subscriptions are now available at http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/subscribe/.

Outdoor Traditions was a pioneer publication of sorts for the Dispatch and the local outdoors landscape. And plans are to give it a tip of the camo cap in Northland Outdoors, with a regular piece paying tribute to our many outdoor traditions here in the Northland.

�is new magazine will be all of that.

And so much more.

Brian S. Peterson, right, rides the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area mountain bike trails for the Northland Outdoors television pilot.

F Greg Kaiser/Northland Outdoors

Welcome

the Northland the Northland Outdoors television pilot.

F F Greg Kaiser/Northland OutdoorsGreg Kaiser/Northland Outdoors Goodbye, Outdoor Traditions;Hello, Northland Outdoors MagazineHello, Northland Outdoors Magazine


“�en my son Mark started cross-country skiing and I went out and watched him,” Miller said.

He was 58 at the time, and saw that there were a lot of people his age enjoying the sport. It looked like they were having fun, so he gave it a try.

“I became very passionate about cross-country skiing, and I’ve loved it ever since,” he said.

He’s now 79.More than 20 years a�er his

start in skiing, Miller has now competed in Worldloppet cross-country ski marathons in 16 countries, with races ranging in distance from 26 miles to nearly 56 miles. He’s skied all over the world, and he’s also been the volunteer coach for the Osseo High School Nordic ski team for 20 years.

Miller, who has a cabin in Crosslake, o�en skis the area. He

loves to promote cross-country skiing, and o�ers advice to any-one who’s interested in the sport.

Getting startedMiller suggests that anyone

wanting to cross-country ski give it a try with borrowed or rented gear before spending hundreds of dollars on skis and boots. He also recommends taking a class or lesson or getting some instruction from a friend who knows what they’re doing.

“It’s much harder to unlearn bad habits than learn to do something right the �rst time,” Miller said.

While it’s not necessary to take a lesson, it’s wise.

�ere are two types of

cross-country skiing — classic and skate. Classic is the more common type, which involves keeping the skis parallel to each other. Skate skiing is just like it sounds

�ere are two common types of classic skis. One has scales at the middle of the ski, just under the boot, which point toward the heel. In forward movement, the snow glides over the scales; when the skis slide backward, the snow catches. �e other type of classic ski uses kick wax, rather than scales, to keep the skier from sliding backward. Miller recommends trying cross-country skiing with the scaled skis �rst as �nding the right kind of wax to match the temperatures and conditions can be a pain for the beginner. �e scaled skis, however, tend to be slower. Skate skis use neither kick wax nor scales, but use glide wax to help

Hit the trails

Although he didn’t start cross-country skiing until he was 58, Monte Miller has made up for lost time — and in a big way.

Although he didn’t start cross-country skiing until he was 58, Monte Miller has made up for lost time — and in a big way.

Cross-country tips from an experienced skier

Mexperienced skier

Mexperienced skier

MMonte Miller hated win-ter. He hated the snow, and he hated the cold. He spent most of the winter daydream-ing about summer days spent in his canoe.

Hit the trailsBy KATE PERKINS

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KATE PERKINS, a former Echo Publishing staff writer, is a freelance writer from northern Minnesota.

them move along the snow. Basic pointers

“As in any sport, there’s some basic fundamentals you have to learn,” Miller said.

Kicking is one of them. In classic cross-country skiing, kicking is a motion that combines the work of both feet, pressing down with one ski and kicking the other forward. Many people don’t know how to kick while classic cross-country skiing. O�en skiers end up simply walking with the skis on. Miller said this is �ne, but not nearly as fun or e�cient.

Transferring weight from one ski to the other also is an important aspect of both skate and classic skiing. By transferring your weight, you gain glide. �e more glide, the less e�ort needed. When skiers keep their weight spread out over both skis, skiing becomes much more di�cult.

As for skate skiing, the motion is much the same as ice skating. Miller said that the motion of skate skiing is similar to skating with hockey skates. However, in hockey, you push back with your feet, while with skate skiing, you push out to the side. Many people �nd skate skiing to be easier than classic cross-country skiing, though Miller personally did not �nd that to be the case.

Trail etiquetteJust as in biking, skiers passing

one another should call out, “On your le�,” to signal the pass.

Cross-country ski trails generally are groomed with two parallel tracks for classic skiing. Miller said it’s important that skate skiers not skate over those tracks, which would ruin them.

Snowshoers also should stay o� the tracks made specially for classic skiing

�ere’s nothing wrong,

though, with classic skiers leaving the tracks. O�en, Miller said, it’s safer to hop out of the tracks when going down hills to o�er the skier a bit more room.

Next steps“If you’re serious about the

sport and enjoy racing, it’s pretty important that you train most of the year,” Miller said.

Skiing year-round might not be possible, but cross-training year-round can improve winter skiing. Miller suggested swimming, biking, li�ing weights or even simply getting out and walking.

Roller skiing is a popular summer activity among skate skiers. Roller skis are like rollerblades but are longer, have only two wheels and have bindings that allow skate ski boots to clip on.

“If you’re serious, you’ll want to stay in shape. If you’re just out for the fun and enjoyment of winter and skiing, you can pick your own level,” Miller said.

Where to goMiller, with a cabin in

Crosslake, favors the Nordic Ridge Recreation Area, which is near the Crosslake Community Center. However, there are many trails in the area groomed for cross-country skiing.

While some trails such as Nordic Ridge are free to use, others require the Minnesota Ski Pass, which is available through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. It’s $20 for a year or $6 for a day. �e pass may be purchased online or at any location that sells DNR licenses. Money from the passes goes toward grant-in-aid ski trails, including the Northland Arboretum in Brainerd and several others in the area.

Miller is living proof that it’s

never too late to start a new sport and never too late to hit the trails. He encourages anyone with an interest to give it a try. Strap on the skis and hit the long, snowy trail.

Area ski trailsNordic Ridge Recreation AreaLocation: Adjacent to the Crosslake

Community Center, 14126 Daggett Pine Rd, Crosslake

Fee: None, MN Ski Pass not requiredTrail distance: about 10 kilometersNorthland ArboretumLocation: 14250 Conservation

Drive, BrainerdFee: $5 for parking (free to

Arboretum members), MN Ski Pass from DNR required

Trail distance: 12 kilometers groomed; 4.5 kilometers lit until 10 p.m.

Cut LakeLocation: 10.5 miles west of Pine

River on County Road 2Fee: MN Ski Pass from DNR

requiredTrail distance: 16.5 kilometersFrench RapidsLocation: Use the Brainerd Airport

exit from 210; watch for signsFee: MN Ski Pass from DNR

requiredTrail distance: 16 kilometersPine BeachLocation: South of Gull Lake, with

parking at Kavanaugh’s Resort or in Pillsbury State Forest

Fee: MN Ski Pass from DNR required

Trail distance: 40 kilometersSki rental

Martin’s Sport Shop: 25451 Main St., Nisswa; 218-963-2341; Cost: $20 for 24 hours

Easy Riders: 415 Washington St., Brainerd; 218-829-5516; Cost: $15 for 3 hours, $20 for 24 hours, $40 for 3 days, $60 for one week

www.northlandoutdoors.com

By

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TIM BOGENSCHUTZPublisher of the Brainerd Dispatch, and avid outdoorsman. He has a passion for Photography while spending time outdoors.

Last summer while I was sitting on our porch, I had a chance to see the world anew through the eyes of a 6-year-old. It was one of those special times when you have the chance to excite the learning instincts of a young mind.

My curious grandson and I were sitting there, watching birds coming and going from the bird feeder, when we heard the distinct call of a red-bellied woodpecker. It caught my grandson’s attention, and he asked, “What was that, grandpa?”

I said, “�at is one of my favorite birds,” and pulled out my iPhone. “Listen to this, Omar.”

I quickly brought my iBird Pro app to life, typing into the search box R E D - B E L LI E D … And there it was. I hit the sound button, which immediately played back a recording of the bird’s call. �en, even to my amazement, within a couple of seconds, a real-life woodpecker

appeared eye-level, right there on the tree in front of us. To my grandson’s delight, it mimicked

my call perfectly, and loud enough to even startle him a bit. His eyes were wide open in awe and wonderment, and he blurted out, “How did you do that?” I had to be honest and told him. We were lucky this time — using recorded calls of a bird or animal

will do the trick sometimes, but not all the time.

But I knew this was extra-special in that, this time it worked, and the two of us had just shared something that we probably will remember for the rest of our lives. Plus, to my delight, I had got him hooked a little more on the outdoors. Instead of playing games on his iPad in the house, he was now reaching for my iPhone. He was pushing the sound button of the app to hear what other sounds this pretty incredible bird can make?

A footnote: �e iBird Pro app is just one of many apps that can enhance your outdoor learning and experiences. Many of these apps are free. �is one might not be for you because of the cost. I found it to be excellent in content, but more expensive than any I have ever purchased.

asked, “What was that, grandpa?”

favorite birds,” and pulled out my

I quickly brought my iBird Pro app to life, typing into the search

my call perfectly, and loud

is just one of many apps that can enhance your outdoor learning and experiences. Many of these apps are free. �is one might not be for you because of the cost. I found it to be excellent in content, but more expensive than any I

For bird-lovers, and the curious, an app provides the “voices” of our feathered friends.

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This red-bellied woodpecker, as if summoned by a bird-call app, appeared at the bird feeder put out by the author.

F Tim Bogenschutz/Northland Outdoors

By TIM BOGENSCHUTZ

app, appeared at the bird feeder put out by the author.app, appeared at the bird feeder put out by the author.app, appeared at the bird feeder put out by the author.F Tim Bogenschutz/Northland Outdoors

Calling a favorite bird in from the wild – and a child into

the outdoors

AAA


Ask pan�sh anglers how they �sh during winter, and most bluegill �shermen would opt for a teeny, tiny jig tipped with a waxworm; most perch anglers, a small spoon baited with a minnow head; and most crappie �shermen, either a tiny spoon or a jig, dressed with a live minnow.

Downsized lures in combination with livebait tend to rule the ice �shing game, especially where livebait and multi-species �shing interest go hand-in-hand.

Which species you catch depends upon where you �sh, because each displays its own depth and habitat preferences, even under the ice.

Beginning with bluegillsBluegills have darned-near

microscopic vision, and o�en approach within inches and stare at your lures for long periods before deciding to ease in and lightly inhale your bait. But if anything looks phony — such as placing too much action on a lure, or using too heavy a line — they refuse to bite. �at’s why pan�sh ice anglers o�en rely on 1- to 2-pound test

By DAVE CSANDA

A depth finder can come in handy for winter blugills.

A variety of panfish jigs.

A depth finder can come in

Similar tactics,different locales

Catching winter bluegills, perch and crappies

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A variety of panfish jigs.A variety of panfish jigs.

mono�lament line, teeny jigs tipped with live waxworms, and plenty of patience for bluegills. Dangle them near motionless, with only the occasional slight quiver to attract ’gills to come in for a closer look; then try to hold them still to get fussy �sh to bite.

�at being said, pint-size so�baits are increasingly capturing the imagination of ice anglers, particularly for pan�sh. As mentioned earlier, a growing number of pan�sh ice anglers are replacing minnows and grubs with tiny, �exible so�baits that retain their quivering, lifelike appearance, even in ultra-cold water.

Northland Fishing Tackle’s Bro Bug lineup is tough to beat. It features teeny jigheads with size #14 or #12 hooks, dressed with so� plastic imitations of natural forage items: Bro’s Bloodworm (reddish bloodworms), the Slug Bug (general insect larvae), and the Scud Bug (shrimp imitation).

“Sometimes, the biggest bluegills, crappies and perch eat the smallest critters that camou�age themselves in drab colors,” said pan�sh expert and lure designer Brian Brosdahl of Max, Minnesota. “Especially in clear waters, where �sh can detect the smallest faults in your presentation.”

Weeds, weeds, weedsProminent mainlake

weedbeds and moderately deep weedy bays tend to draw the largest bluegills. Fish may be atop �ats, along deep weedlines, or even lying in a deep carpet of sandgrass adjacent to the deepest tall weeds. So you have to do some hunting to �nd

them. �e good news is, you generally don’t have to �sh too deep, so you can quickly check a variety of areas until you establish contact.

Watch your depth �nder to spot the presence and depth of �sh, drop your lure down, and then reel up your bait so it’s right above their heads. Hold it there, then jiggle it up slightly, and hold again. Patience is a virtue; don’t be in a hurry to move it. In ice �shing, subtle movement attracts, but pauses indicate vulnerability and trigger the bite.

Underwater cameras greatly enhance your e�ectiveness and angling experience for �nicky bluegills. �ere’s nothing quite like the con�dence that comes with actually seeing �sh, and how they react to variations in lure motion.

Proceeding to perchPerch, by comparison,

are less fussy, and usually more aggressive than bluegills. Like walleyes, they o�en strike a �uttering spoon tipped with a minnow head, although smaller 1-inch spoons tend to favor perch, while slightly larger 1½-inchers tend to be better for walleyes. Still, 4-pound-test and a bit more jiggle and wiggle tend to make perch bite spoons. Li�, then �utter the spoon downward to attract their attention. �en let it dangle, spinning ever so slowly due to line twist unfurling beneath the hole. �e li�-�utter attracts, but the vulnerable pause is what triggers strikes.

By comparison, when you’re using so�baits, keep the action to a minimum and let the so�bait work its natural magic. Impart occasional quivers, followed by

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extended pauses, letting the lure hang near-motionless in place. �ey’re especially good when perch are using shallower water and �ats. Spoons are tops when the �sh are deeper.

O� the edgeWalleye anglers tend to

tightly hug dropo�s rimming the perimeters of large mainlake structures meeting fairly deep water. Hard bottom along these edges o�en concentrates walleyes along twists and turns in the contour. Perch, while o�en nearby, do not �nd these areas as inviting.

Perch are more so�-bottom basin critters, likely to munch on

bloodworms or other insects and larvae emerging from the mud. Yet they o�en are found very close to structure — like just o� the edges. As such, the transition from hard bottom at the base of a dropo� to the so� bottom of the adjacent basin is a perfect place for walleyes and perch to interface.

Fish vertically, right on the dropo�, and you’re likely to catch walleyes, especially during the lowlight transition periods of sunrise and sunset. Fish a few feet or yards out onto the adjacent mud �at, and you’re probably going to run into perch,

chie�y during the day. Perch are active and on the prowl when the sun shines. But once light levels drop, they tend to settle to the bottom, resting their little �n tips on the basin, like a kid plopping his elbows on the table at dinnertime. Magically, just about the time the perch bite begins to taper, the walleye bite begins to kick in, with bigger ’eyes munching on their smaller relatives.

�e best way to �nd perch is to �nd the dropo� along a prime midlake bar or hump, and then drill a swiss-cheese pattern of holes across the nearby basin. True, this is a relatively �at area,

but don’t worry. �is is where perch live and feed on critters that live in and emerge from the mud, or on little minnows that happen to wander through their territory, making perch equal-opportunity feeders.

Catering to crappiesBasically, smaller “bluegillish”

so�baits of an inch or so in length will catch shallow in weeds or deep weedlines. But once crappies move deep to their usual winter haunts — down the edges of dropo�s, and out across so� basin areas of 30-odd feet in depth — tiny jigs tipped with so�baits become very di�cult to

�sh e�ectively in deeper water.For sheer e�ectiveness,

slightly heavier baits like small spoons, #5 Jigging Rapalas, and perhaps 1/32-ounce jigs tipped with live minnows tend to work better for crappies. It’s just too hard to �sh tiny so�baits on featherweight 1/64- or 1/80-ounce jigs in deep water.

Not too deepDeep is a relative thing,

however. Crappies don’t like cavernous deep basins; in lakes where 70 to 100 feet of water is available, they typically ignore these sections in favor of lake areas where the basin is considerably shallower. �us, the portions of the lake bottoming out at 30 or 40 feet tend to hold the most crappies. Leave the deeper stu� to walleye anglers.

In shallow soup-bowl lakes with little structure, crappies routinely roam and prowl their way across the open basin of the lake, settling temporarily in areas with the best combination of food. On an extremely shallow lake, a small, deep hole of the proper depth might draw most of the crappies in the lake into a very limited area. Each lake is di�erent, so you need to evaluate what they o�er to the �sh, and plan your �shing accordingly.

In early winter, crappies o�en are very bottom-oriented. By midwinter, however, oxygen depletion begins taking place in the deepest portions of the basins. Rather than leaving these areas completely, the �sh usually respond by rising higher in the water column, perhaps suspending 20 feet down over 30 feet of water, where oxygen is still suitable. Crappies now patrol these levels in search of minnows, which likewise roam, occasionally moving into the area


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DAVE CSANDA is a veteran outdoor communicator/TV co-host who works at Lindner‘s Angling Edge Television in Baxter. He has been inducted into both the Minnesota and National Fresh Water Fishing Halls of Fame, and volunteers with the Brainerd Lakes Area Chapter of Let’s Go Fishing.

A tiny spoon got this bluegill through the ice.

A tiny spoon got this bluegill

beneath your hole.As they do, these �sh

become clearly visible on your electronics, indicating not only where to �sh, but how deep to �sh. You never want to dangle your lures below the level of the �sh, where they won’t see them. Rather, position your lures or baits at or slightly above the �sh eye level, where they can visually detect them, becoming interested as they rise to examine your o�ering.

Crappie anglers �sh for these suspended �sh in several ways. �e �rst, and perhaps easiest method, is with a slip-bobber rig, suspending a live minnow at the �sh level. Nick the minnow lightly below the dorsal �n on a small #6 hook, and send it down. As the minnow dangles and struggles, it tempts crappies to move in for the kill. When a crappie inhales it, the resulting quiver imparted to the bobber may be so subtle that you barely see it. At the slightest suspicious motion of the bobber, set the hook.

Anglers also use tiny ice spoons for crappies, tipped with a minnow, minnow head or live waxworm. �e idea is to drop the spoon down to the �sh, then let it settle. Jiggle it a bit, then let it settle again. �is lures them in for a look, while the pause entices them to move in even

closer, hopefully to bite.You can readily witness this

phenomenon on a good portable depth �nder like a Humminbird ICE 45 or 55. �e spoon appears on the screen as a small, brightly colored mark, and the crappie a larger one. When the big mark moves up toward the smaller one, and the two merge, you know the �sh is barely inches away, eyeballing your lure. Shortly therea�er, if the rod tip suddenly dips, indicating a strike, set the hook.

Tempt and teaseIf the �sh doesn’t strike within

a few seconds, however, don’t just let the bait continue to dangle — especially if you see the �sh begin

to lose interest and start dropping toward bottom. Instead, reel the bait up a foot or two, jiggle it, and then pause again. Many times, the �sh will become reinterested and rise to follow. Sometimes, you need to do this a few times to convince �sh to bite. You’ll notice that every time you can get them to rise, they tend to become more active and interested. �e same trick works for bluegills, perch — even walleyes.


How To Find ruffed grouse during late season

By BILL MARCHEL

December grouse hunts, though, bear little resemblance to October jaunts.

Locating grouse during December can be di�cult since the birds are usually concentrated in small areas. Once found, they o�en are wary, rarely holding for a pointing dog, let alone for a hunter trudging through noisy, crusted snow.

Despite those adversities — in some cases, because of them — I love hunting grouse during late season.

Many hunters have trouble �nding ru�ed grouse during December, even with the aid of snow. Since ru�s are usually grouped around any available food sources, it may take a bit of walking to �nd them. �erefore, I �nd it best to hunt at a fast pace until tracks in the snow indicate a group of grouse has been feeding in an area. �en I slow down and hunt that territory thoroughly.

Since the fruits and greens

favored by grouse earlier in the fall will have all but disappeared by December, the birds will be feeding mostly on buds and catkins. Grouse will pick away at a variety of edibles, but the catkins of hazel are their favorite early winter food.

Ru�s de�nitely prefer the larger catkins plucked from hazel shrubs growing in areas exposed to the sun. �us, look for the best hazel thickets to be in forest openings and on woodland edges. Overgrown cattle pastures are almost always good spots, especially when close to typical ru�ed grouse cover of aspen, alder and dogwood.

Ru�ed grouse also feed on ironwood and birch buds during December and, as winter progresses, aspen buds.

A ruffed grouse is perched in a tree in stretched-out position. Hunters call it the bowling pin position.

BDecember grouse hunts, favored by grouse earlier

BBRAINERD, Minn. — For the versatile hunter, October in Minnesota has much to o�er — ducks, geese, bow hunting for deer. �at’s the reason I tend to wait for December to hunt ru�ed grouse.

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A ruffed grouse hunter displays a bagged grouse during a late-season hunt.

Grouse also relish highbush cranberries, and unlike many other woodland fruits, the colorful red berries remain on the stems through the winter, or until hungry grouse pluck them.

Examine the crops of the birds you kill because that will help you determine what they are eating.

On cold days, grouse will o�en feed only in the late a�ernoon, forgoing their breakfast. �ey will, however, usually be loa�ng within a quarter mile or so of their favorite food source.

If the snow is deep, grouse may spend the day roosting under a blanket of powder. Otherwise they o�en will hunker next to a log or tree trunk in a sunny spot out of the wind. O�entimes, they may hide in evergreens such as balsam �r or spruce.

Once �ushed, late-season grouse o�en land in a tree.

F Bill Marchel


BILL MARCHEL is a wildlife and outdoors photographer and writer whose work appears in many regional and national publications as well as the Brainerd Dispatch. He may be reached at [email protected].

Astute grouse hunters check the crops of bagged birds to determine what the birds have been feeding on. This bird’s crop contains primarily hazel, catkins and aspen buds.

When snow and cold invade the uplands, grouse often sit in a sunny location close to a tree trunk or log.

F Bill Marchel

F Bill Marchel

When attempting to follow and re-�ush a grouse, a hunter should watch for the telltale “bowling pin” (an alert grouse standing tall) perched on a branch.

Since late-season ru�ed grouse are o�en jumpy, hunters should consider using a tighter choke and larger shot than they would use earlier, when leaves are on the trees. I go with a modi�ed choke and No. 6 shot.

It’s easy to overdress when hunting late-season grouse. Active hunters require surprisingly little outwear.

A good rule to follow is, if you aren’t a bit chilled when you initially enter the woods, you’re probably wearing too much clothing.

Enjoy your time a�eld during late season, even if you don’t �ush many grouse. I really like observing the tracks of woodland creatures while hunting December grouse.

�e season on ru�ed grouse continues through January 3, 2016. �e daily limit is �ve birds, with 10 in possession. Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise and sunset.


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Did you know:• Each year MDHA chapters provide nearly $180,000 in scholarships to MDHA Forkhorn Camps across the state which provide outdoor and hunting education for nearly 900 youth annually.

• MDHA, through partnerships, has spent over $27 million to restore and rehabilitate critical wildlife habitat and high quality deer and wildlife habitat on public lands.

• MDHA’s Hides for Habitat Program has collected over 820,000 hides and raised $4.9 million for habitat projects throughout Minnesota.

• MDHA is a Forest Legacy Initiative Partner, obtaining easements on large private corporate forest lands to allow public hunting for generations to come.

• MDHA employs a full time lobbyist in the St. Paul to uphold MDHA members’ interests from across the state. Annually, MDHA invests about $50,000 in direct legislative efforts. More importantly, we inform and enable MDHA members to become involved.

NOW is the time to join one of MDHA’s 62 Chapters and be part of the largest Minnesota based conservation organization to

preserve our deer hunting heritage.

For more information on MDHA programs and to become a member, please visit our website www.mndeerhunters.com or call 1-800-450-3337

• MDHA is a Forest Legacy Initiative Partner, obtaining easements on large private corporate forest lands

• MDHA employs a full time lobbyist in the St. Paul to uphold MDHA members’ interests from across the state. Annually, MDHA invests about $50,000 in direct legislative efforts. More importantly, we inform and enable

NOW is the time to join one of MDHA’s 62 Chapters and be part

BE PART OF AN ASSOCIATION THAT GIVES BACK!

Late-season grouse hunters should learn to recognize the tracks of ruffed grouse in the snow. Concentrate your hunting efforts in areas where grouse tracks are prevalent.

F Bill Marchel

F Bill Marchel


Grant Schnell treks through fresh powder on a winter camping trip in Chippewa National Forest. He tows his gear in a pulk, or a sled pulled by rigid poles, that’s harnessed to his waist. His dog, Leidy, runs alongside him.

By KATE PERKINS

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Winter trekking and warm, cozy yurts are allowing summertime explorers to see the coldest season in a new light.

Grant and Ashley Schnell, of St. Cloud, are passionate winter trekkers. Carrying their gear behind them on a sled, Grant says that winter trekking includes many of the same enjoyable aspects of backpacking or canoeing.

“I would consider it fairly similar, just with a di�erent mode of travel but with the same bene�ts of being outside and being in the wilderness,” Grant said.

Grant and Ashley own SkiPulk.com, a website devoted to selling gear specialized for man-powered trips through the snow. �ey sell pulks, which are sleds that are pulled with two rigid poles that attach to a harness at the puller’s waist. Rather than carrying the weight on one’s back, the pulk transfers the weight to the ground to be pulled through the wilderness.

�e Schnells got into the ski pulk business through Grant’s work with Ed Bou�ard, a wilderness enthusiast who developed his own pulk system for wilderness travel called

Ed’s Wilderness System (or the “EWS”). When Bou�ard retired, the Schnells purchased Bou�ard’s business, which has continued to grow. SkiPulk.com now sells various pulk systems to winter enthusiasts all over the world. �ey also o�er a free PDF book on their website about how to make your own pulk.

Grant said pulks o�en are towed while on skis or snowshoes, though some pull them behind snowmobiles, while kite skiing, or even behind fat bikes. �e Schnells recommend trekking the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Winter trekking, yurts help make the most of winter

Winter trekking and warm, cozy yurts are allowing

Grant and Ashley own SkiPulk com, a website devoted

Ed’s Wilderness System (or the “EWS”) When Bou�ard retired,

FFWinter trekking and FWinter trekking and

For adventurers who love to backpack or visit the boundary waters in the summer, the winter season can seem a bit bland. But there are other ways to get out in winter.

(BWCAW), Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest, among other areas.

“And that’s just Minnesota,” Grant said. “You head west into the mountains and the sky’s the limit.”

Much of the SkiPulk business, he said, goes to the mountain

states. But why go on a multi-day camping trip, with no motorized transportation, in the dead of winter?

“For me, winter travel is enjoyable because it’s much more slow-paced than summer. �ere’s more emphasis placed on being outside.”

Grant said that, in the summer, o�en the goal of making a destination or travelling a certain number of miles can make a trip more fast-paced and, in some cases, stressful. But, in winter, the concerns of the day are whittled down to the basics: staying warm, hydrated, well-fed, and enjoying the surroundings.

�e Schnells load their pulks with a tipi-shaped “hot tent” — a tent equipped with a woodstove.

“When it’s zero out you can have it 80 degrees in there if you want to,” Grant said. “It’s comfortable.”

“Cold camping,” or camping in an unheated four-season tent, also is an option. With a hot tent,

though, Grant points out that the risks of winter camping, such as staying warm and dry, can be minimized.

But the cold, in general, can be prepared for.

“You can dress for most cold temps,” Grant said. Having the right camping gear, like a good sleeping bag and a good sleeping pad, also is necessary.

Grant’s favorite trip to date was one he and Ashley took several years ago into the BWCAW with friends. A�er hiking in, they set up a base camp where they stayed for four nights, �shing, exploring, cooking and generally enjoying the wilderness.

“�e feeling you get gliding through the untracked snow for miles is just great,” Grant said.

But for those who still are easing their way into winter, or perhaps don’t want to undertake so much work for their trip, other options are available throughout the state. Boundary Country Yurts, o� the Gun�int Trail in northeast Minnesota, o�ers cozy dwellings in the woods — and they’ll carry your gear in for you.

Ted and Barbara Young own Boundary Country Trekking, which includes two yurts located along a ski trail on the border of the Boundary Waters. Yurts are round canvas tents with wood frames and wood �oors. Boundary Country o�ers trips in which visitors start at the Boundary Country Bed and Breakfast and ski from yurt to yurt before �nishing their trip at the end of the trail. When skiers arrive at each yurt, their food and gear is waiting for them and a �re is roaring in the woodstove.

�ree Minnesota state parks also now o�er yurts. At A�on State Park and Cuyuna Country

State Recreation area, the yurts are only a few hundred yards from the parking lot. At Glendalough State Park, the yurts require a quarter- to half-mile hike on the trail or ski across the lake.

Peter Hark, the state parks and trails operations manager, said the Glendalough yurts were purposely place a little ways o� the beaten path to o�er extra solitude. Yurts at all three locations have been even more successful than the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources expected.

�e DNR yurts are equipped with a woodstove, bunk beds, and a table and chairs. Wood is provided in the wintertime, and most yurts sleep up to seven people. Cooking and open �ames are not allowed inside the state park yurts, but a �re ring with a grill is outside the yurt for cooking.

Hark said that while the yurts have seen just one winter season so far, they’ve been very popular. Boundary Country Trekking, meanwhile, has been renting yurts for more than 30 years, and winter is their best season.

Winter trekking and yurts share a common goal — o�ering the ability to enjoy the wilderness in what might be Minnesota’s least popular season. Grant recommends it to anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

“For those of us who seek that sort of adventure, it’s de�nitely something people should experience,” he said.


“”


“For those of us who seek that sort of adventure, it’s de�nitely something people should experience.”

- Peter Hark

Grant Schnell is shown trekking through Chippewa National Forest pulling one of his company’s pulks. Pulks are sleds towed by rigid poles. They transfer weight that would have been on Grant’s back to the ground.


Resources • Ski Pulk: www.SkiPulk.com• Boundary Country Trekking: www.boundarycountry.com; 800-322-8327• DNR State Park Yurts: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/yurts.html; reservations available online or at 866-857-2757

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�is legacy has been built with 60 years in the trenches of the �shing industry. He has seen it all, written about it all, coined terms for most of it, created some of the best tackle, shared concepts with dozens of manufacturers for better products, and more.

Most people at age 81 would be sitting on the beach or playing cribbage with their buddies. Linder is not retired; never will be (he said); and busier than ever.

His brain churns out plans. His command of social media is amazing. He pushes those around him to achieve new heights. And he’s always thinking.

Fishing was always his game. Still is. His waking moments revolve around �shing. Likely, �shing occupies his dreams. He knows everyone in the business. When he calls, they pick up the phone. Now, he is busy with a new project, and wants everyone to join him at targetwalleye.com.

Open-water walleyes and all species during the ice �shing season are covered extensively in Lindner’s new project. It is a free digital format, which means subscribers get the �shing information a couple times each week via emails on their

smartphones, tablets, computers or related devices.

Lindner started and published In-Fisherman with his brother, Al. It developed into one of the most famous educational �shing magazines. He knows a thing or two about delivering news to anglers.

He is one of the creative forces behind Lindner Media Productions, Lindner’s Angling Edge TV, and now Target Walleye.

Now, he distributes the news without paper, mailing or subscription renewals. Most importantly, the news is NOT six months old when it reaches subscribers.

“With Target Walleye, they get it when it’s happening,” he said.

�e di�erence between his new project and the paper format is that everything is digital, and it’s free.

“I love delivering these emails. �ey’re loaded with tips and information, and up to the minute,” he said.

Target Walleye now is transitioning into its winter version called Target Walleye/Ice.

“Walleyes most of the year, but with more ice �shing – all species

– in the winter. Sportsmen don’t stop �shing, they just trade in their boats for their ice �shing houses and shelters. �ey chase whatever bites in the winter,” he said. “Fishermen in the north country don’t stop �shing, they just change tactics from open water to hard water.”

�e innovations, gadgets and gear for ice �shermen have expanded at an exponential rate, with so much available to make a trip on the ice comfortable, warm and productive.

“We cover the tactics and how to use the new tackle, plus cover what’s biting and where,” Lindner said. “And, you won’t believe the photos of really nice �sh coming from all across the ice-scape.”

�at’s one of his projects. Another is examining closely the latest �sheries knowledge combined with mapping and many other sciences. With considerable research, he cra�ed a map showing where walleyes swim today, their original range, and the southern “border” of the normal ice range, and formalized a picture of the popularity of walleyes.

“Some states don’t get it, and are doing their utmost to destroy

Ron Lindner has done it all during his prolific career. But he’s not done yet — far from it.

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R60 years in the trenches of the R60 years in the trenches of the �shing industryR�shing industry

By JIM KALKOFEN

�is legacy has been built with 60 years in the trenches of the

smartphones, tablets, computers or related devices.

– in the winter. Sportsmen don’t stop �shing, they just trade in

Ron Lindner has done it all during his prolific Ron Lindner has done it all during his prolific career. But he’s not done yet — far from it.career. But he’s not done yet — far from it.

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R�is legacy has been built with R�is legacy has been built with 60 years in the trenches of the R60 years in the trenches of the RR

By JIM KALKOFEN

Ron Lindner deserves every accolade ever bestowed on him. Inventor. Idea Man. Original. Hall of Famer. Salesman extraordinaire. Publisher. TV host. Writer.

RON LINDER Ageless wonder, – and still at it

23www.northlandoutdoors.com 23www.northlandoutdoors.com

Walleye popularity as a game fish, as a great fish to eat and one that challenges serious competitors, continues to grow. They swim in a very broad range throughout North America.

They can be caught in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the Great Lakes with tactics that sometimes demand a simple bobber and a worm to the most advanced electronics, gear and skills. Walleye boats could be 14 feet with a small outboard to a pontoon or kayak to a 20-foot deep-vee hull loaded like a spaceship.

Walleyes fascinate anglers and have a reputation for confounding fishermen. Where they go, why they move, how to find them and when to fish are some of the answers revealed at Target Walleye/Ice.

This map, compiled by the experts at Target Walleye/Ice, shows where walleyes live. It also outlines the typical “ice” line, because Target Walleye/Ice covers everything about walleyes, and in winter, all aspects for all species pursued by ice anglers.

Target Walleye/Ice sends free emails twice a week to subscribers (targetwalleye.com to sign up).

populations of giant walleyes, despite strong opposition, but that’s another story for another day,” Lindner said.

With the growing subscriber base of Target Walleye, more people will be made aware of some of these local issues.

Target Walleye/Ice now is reaching 9,000 subscribers twice each week, Facebook followers number in excess of 150,000 per week, and the Instagram site is the largest walleye-only site in the social media world. For those wondering why they haven’t heard about Target Walleye, it could be because it’s not yet one year old.

Lindner arrived at this point in his life the old-fashioned way – with hard work. When he began the journey, he was �shing from 12-foot boats with 5-horsepower outboards (or oars). Depth �nders were weights tied to strings. GPS was lining up two trees with a cabin on shore.

“Times sure have changed,” he said, as if not realizing he was responsible for many of those changes.

�e top three �shing innovations Lindner has observed over the last six decades may not be what most anglers would expect, but No. 1 is a slam-dunk.

“�e Colt of the west was called the equalizer,” he said, “And today, the GPS combined with the depth �nder is the equalizer. What took some guides 25 years to learn, any angler can do by looking at a map and punching in a destination and going right to it.”

�e second greatest innovation in his estimation has been the transfer of information. �e media (with radio, TV, magazines, seminars and a

tournament trail, the Lindner empire was a forerunner in all this info-sharing) and now social media quickly tells people everything they need to know.

“A guy with plenty of money and time and a few skills can now enter the tournament game and do fairly well rather quickly, because his quest is shortened by a decade or two. �e spread of information is a game-changer,” Lindner said.

�ird on his list is safety. With GPS, maps, depth �nders, boat sizes and boat �oatation, big outboards, kickers, and cellphones, anglers can safely �sh big waters with an eye to the sky, but weather conditions are not as much a factor with today’s equipment.

Talking about Lindner in general doesn’t do him justice. Following are some of the projects and innovations where his hands and brains came into play:

• Invented the Lindy rig.• Invented the “R” bend for

spinner baits.• Invented the stand-up jig.

WALLEYE WHEREABOUTS

• Invented the stand-up jig


In the North Country, �ve months of ice cover is common, and ice �shing is a way of life, complete with its own unique clothing, equipment and strategies.

As soon as the ice becomes thick enough to walk on, generally right a�er �anksgiving, ice �shermen are ready, willing and eager to make their �rst few tentative steps across the glassy surface.

Some folks wait for 5 to 8 inches of �rm, new ice to form, which the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says is necessary for supporting the weight of snowmobiles and four-wheelers. Yet treading lightly on foot across 2 to 3 inches of clear ice has major advantages.

First and foremost, you’re the �rst ones on the prime spots, and early birds de�nitely get in on the best bite. During the last few weeks of open water, blustery winds, cold weather, and a rim of ice along shorelines makes it nearly impossible to get your boat out to deep mid-lake structures. �e �sh enjoy a two- or three-week reprieve from �shing pressure, and become ripe for the plucking for the �rst few lures dangling below an ice hole.

Toss a modest amount of equipment on a lightweight plastic sled: a Styrofoam minnow bucket with a few dozen minnows; a portable depth �nder; an ice scoop; a spud bar (5-foot-long chisel) or 8-inch diameter hand auger; a couple of jigging rods and reels spooled with 8- to

10-pound-test and thin, �exible mono�lament; a small 5- x 8-inch tackle box with an assortment of tackle; pliers and nail clipper; a pocket-sized GPS, �ashlight and a Coleman lantern for night �shing; a couple of granola bars in your pocket; a cell phone, rope and ice picks for emergencies — and not much else. With air temperatures still mild — 30 degrees during the day, in the teens at night — insulated boots, gloves, hat or hood, and a moderate-weight snowsuit or jacket and bibs combo should be su�cient. Wear a lifejacket for added warmth and safety.

Towing your gear on a lightweight sled across clean, smooth ice isn’t di�cult, and the �rst brave souls go in light and savvy with just the right amount of gear. A few weeks later, once the ice thickens, you’ll see a parade of folks with portable shacks, gas augers, portable heaters, and a vehicle to ride on and tow it all. In the meantime, however, you’ve been jerking jaws in relative solitude.

For walleyes, start �shing in the same areas you last contacted walleyes in late open water: namely prominent main-lake structures with steep drops to the basin. Major points, deep humps — somewhere that deep water swings up tight against a sharp dropo�, within modest walking distance (a half-mile or so) of shore.

Tip-toe your way out to a potential area, tap-tap-tapping the end of your spud bar atop the ice as you walk along, probing and

testing the worthiness of the ice surface. If the bar pokes through, slowly back up, and reconsider your plan of attack. Wait a day or two and try again. Or switch to an area with �rmer and safer footing.

With 2 to 4 inches of clear, safe ice, though, you should be able to creep out to nearby spots. When you get close, use familiar ri�e sights on shore — lining up a tree and a house over this way, or perhaps a �ag pole and a big tree over there — the same way you relocate your spots in open water.

If you have a portable GPS, even better. �e same waypoints you stored in your unit during late-fall �shing forays should be good places to start ice �shing now. If you don’t have pre-located, pre-programmed hot spots, use a GPS mapping screen or cellphone app to walk out to potential areas indicated on a lake map. Major underwater structures are easy to �nd and �sh, even if you’ve never �shed there before.

Don’t bother trying to locate little secret spots at �rst ice. Stick to big, prominent, obvious, classic structures that attract numbers of

IIn the North Country, IIn the North Country, �ve months of ice cover is I�ve months of ice cover is common, and ice �shing is Icommon, and ice �shing is a way of life, complete with Ia way of life, complete with

By DAVE CSANDA

In the North Country, 10-pound-test and thin, �exible 10-pound-test and thin, �exible IIn the North Country, IIn the North Country,

By DAVE CSANDA

Hard-water walleyes at first ice


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walleyes due to their sheer size. �en look for walleyes along concentration points along their edges.

Splash a little water from your minnow bucket atop the ice, rest your transducer atop the surface, and see if you can send a signal through to get a good depth reading of the bottom. Brush away light snow cover if necessary. Repeat the process in 20-foot increments in all directions, reading the depths to establish the contour below. �en drill some holes in likely places and get ready to �sh.

If you can’t get a good bottom reading through the ice, start drilling or chopping holes in a swiss-cheese pattern. Scoop the remnant ice out of the holes and lower the transducer into the water to establish a depth reading. If there’s a little light snow cover atop the ice, reach down with your gloved �nger and simply draw the depth in feet in the snow crust: 23, 18, 21, 37 — hey, there’s the dropo�. Now drill more adjacent holes to establish the contour, and prepare for action.

For �shing out in the open without a portable shelter like a Fish Trap, Clam or Frabill, use a fairly long, 32- to 40-inch ice spinning rod, medium action. If you’re inside the con�nes of a lightweight portable shelter, a shorter 28- to 32-incher will be more feasible. (When you li� to set the hook, you won’t bash the ceiling.) A small, light or ultralight spinning reel spooled with limp 8- or 10-pound-test mono is on the money.

Move to the �rst hole, insert your transducer into the water, and rest your depth �nder atop the ice. Floating transducers get a good bottom reading, and establish the presence and depth

of bait�sh and walleyes.Lure choices are simple,

a�ording di�erent levels of jigging aggressiveness. A simple 1/8- to ¼-ounce jighead tipped with a 2½- to 3½-inch minnow is a subtle presentation. Try colors ranging from subtle, like white or yellow, to bright, like �uorescent orange or chartreuse. Either hook the minnow up through the lips, or insert the hook through the tail, midway between the dorsal and tail �ns. Tail-hooking usually increases minnow activity. Nose-hooking restrains it.

Lower your lure to the bottom, engage the reel, and slowly li� it up and down a few inches. �en pause. Watch your depth �nder to reveal the lure’s distance o� bottom, and for the approach of any �sh into the area. If a �sh comes in to examine the

o�ering, indicated by the sudden appearance of a prominent mark on your screen, li�-drop a couple more times, then pause, suspending your lure in place. Motion tends to attract �sh, but lack of motion tends to trigger strikes — an important element of ice �shing.

Switch to a small ¼- to 1/3-ounce ice jigging spoon (nearly 2 inches long) for a more aggressive approach. Tip a minnow head (pinch it o� between the thumb and fore�nger) on one tine of the treble hook. Lower the lure to bottom, watching for the line to stop or jump if a �sh strikes during the fall. Upon reaching bottom, engage the reel, take up

continued on page 31


“When I was a kid, the sauna would get �red up in early a�ernoon,” he said. “It was part of our normal operating schedule.”

It was an outdoor sauna with a wood �replace. A�er dinner, Hautala’s mother and sisters would go out, and when they were �nished, Hautala, his dad and his brother would sauna. Finally, his grandparents would

take a turn. �ey went in this order, Hautala said, because generally, the sauna would get hotter as the evening went on. Each group would sit in the heat, and then soap up and rinse o�. It was their time to clean up.

“I still can’t remember to this day if it was my only bath for the week or not,” Hautala said.

His family is Finnish, and the

sauna was part of the culture and the routine.

According to Hautala, the word is pronounced “sow-na.”

Hautala said that where he grew up, near Biwabik, the sauna tradition is kept alive today, mostly by Finns whose relatives came to that area and worked as miners.

�e concept of using a sauna

Awould get �red up in early Awould get �red up in early a�ernoon,” he saidAa�ernoon,” he said

A sauna sits covered in winter snow. The sauna continues to offer warmth and therapy to many Minnesotans who carry on the tradition.

F Aaron Hautala

By KATE PERKINS

“When I was a kid, the sauna take a turn. �ey went in this sauna was part of the culture and A“When I was a kid, the sauna A“When I was a kid, the sauna

Aaron Hautala said that growing up, every Saturday night was the same: It was sauna night.

By KATE PERKINS

The hot seatThe joy of the sauna in the heart of winter


Your Local Benelli Dealer

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Shooting SportsThe hot seat

Aaron Hautala, photographer for the book “The Opposite of Cold”, found this sauna boat on a lake while photographing saunas in Finland.found this sauna boat on a lake while photographing saunas in Finland.

F Aaron Hautala


as a method of bathing may be confusing to some who aren’t familiar with the tradition. A�er all, saunas cause sweating, and the general notion is that if you’re sweating, you really ought to take a shower.

But the sauna, Hautala said, is a deep cleanse. It opens the pores and gets the dirt out. �e standard American shower might be e�cient, but the sauna is rejuvenating.

“Once you do it, it becomes therapy,” Hautala said. “If you have a bad day, take a sauna. If you’re not feeling good, take a sauna. My parents to this day still, every Saturday, �re up the sauna.

Hautala doesn’t have a sauna today, but remains educated on saunas a�er taking photos for a book about what once was his weekend ritual. It’s called “�e Opposite of Cold,” written by Michael Nordskog. �eir work on the book took Hautala across the Midwest and to Finland to photograph saunas. Hautala found that communities with

a northern European heritage tended to have saunas, especially in the Keweenaw peninsula of Michigan. In Finland, Hautala found that saunas are the norm, that public saunas are common and apartments are expected to include a sauna.

Hautala, of Cuyuna, knows of saunas across the upper Midwest, but knows of few in the immediate lakes area.

But there are a few.Mike and Jenni Sommerness,

of Breezy Point, built a sauna in their backyard. �ey built it a�er being inspired by a friend, who also had built a sauna.

�e Sommernesses had seen and used saunas before, though. Mike grew up with one — his step-dad had built one at the family cabin. And Jenni’s friends in grade school had saunas.

�e Sommerness sauna has a small changing room with a bench and a door that opens into a small, candle-lit room with no windows, one large woodstove and two sets of benches set at two levels, one higher than the other,

which is useful for temperature control.

Because heat rises, the upper bench is a hotter seat than the lower bench. �e stove is topped with rocks that are doused with water to create steam

Hautala �nds that, in the sauna, conversation tends to fall �at as the occupants soak up the heat.

“For me, it was always a time to reboot,” he said. “You just slow down. It’s not like you’re in the sauna with your cell phone, hopefully, and it’s hot enough that you don’t want to talk your head o�. You might want to for a while, but then you throw water on and the steam comes up, and you stop.”

�e Sommernesses, too, �nd the sauna relaxing and bene�cial.

“It’s the best sleep ever a�er a sauna,” Jenni said, with Mike adding, “It’s kind of meditative.”

On the coldest days of winter, the Sommernesses say the sauna is the best way to beat the cold. �eir son, River, 10, loves the sauna, too.

Mike and Jenni Sommerness built their own sauna nestled into the woods in their backyard. They sauna at least once a week, especially in the colder months.

F Submitted photo


Though it is no longer in business, Biwabik was once home to a public bar and sauna.home to a public bar and sauna.

F Aaron Hautala


“It’s like going to Arizona for a month,” River said. “It’s so good.”

A�er a sauna, they said they can stand barefoot in the snow, hardly feeling the cold.

“You wear your boots out and you walk back barefoot,” Mike said.

�ey recall a 40-below day when they stoked the sauna to 160 degrees, creating a 200

degree di�erence between inside and outside.

For them, the sauna makes Minnesota’s notoriously di�cult winters easier.

“It feels like you defeat winter for a little bit.” Mike said.

“You can take the next cold snap with a smile, not a groan,” Jenni added.

For Hautala, the sauna goes with his history and heritage,

but it’s also part of many people’s lives in Minnesota. “It’s just part of you at some point,” Hautala said. “And it’s not gone from this culture in the upper Midwest.”


“It’s like going to Arizona for a degree di�erence between inside and outside

In the winter, the temperature difference between inside and outside a sauna can be more than 200 degrees.

A stoked wood stove brings the heat in a sauna. In the winter, the temperature difference between inside and outside

F Aaron Hautala

F A

aron

Hau

tala

A stoked wood stove brings the heat in a sauna.

JIM KALKOFEN has been director of the largest walleye tournament circuits for two decades and was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

• Part of the Twister tail craze.• Developed what today is

considered modern foul-weather gear.

• Intimately tied to transom splash guards.

• Invented the No-Snagg sinker.• Helped various lure

manufacturers design products.• Handled rods and reels years

before they went to market.“Today’s anglers want to know

what’s happening, what’s biting, where they’re biting, new tactics, thoughts and comments from pro anglers and tips from the people who are on the water and the ice,” Lindner said.

For instance, with little

or no media about walleye tournaments, even though more of them are being conducted in a much wider area than ever before, the knowledge seems to

stop at the water’s edge and is not transferred from Montana to Michigan.

“I wanted to change that,” Lindner said.

And, he did.

“Target Walleye was created to remedy this situation.”

To subscribe, fans punch in their email addresses at targetwalleye.com and start receiving emails about walleyes and ice �shing.

“�e information is set up so readers can scan the contents and check out what interests them. With two emails a week, there is plenty of that to check out,” he said.

When asked about how he saw himself in the �shing world, Lindner said, “Been there, did that. Am doing it again.”

“”

“Fishermen in the north country don’t stop �shing, they just change tactics from open water to hard water.”

- Ron Linder


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A stoked wood stove brings the heat in a sauna.


slack, and give the rod tip a more aggressive, foot-long upward surge. �en let the spoon �utter back downward, following it down with the rod tip to retain a taut line without sti�ing lure action. Let it strike bottom, kicking up a little silt and making a commotion, then li� a few inches and hold.

Repeat a few times, then instill that all-important pause to turn a looker into a biter. Suspend the lure a couple inches o� bottom, allowing any twist in the line to slowly spin it before the �sh’s eyes, giving it the illusion of life.

If that doesn’t work, try using a whole, live 2-inch minnow, nicked lightly under the dorsal �n, to provide a bigger target and a struggling action when the spoon hangs at rest, just o� bottom. For really deep water, upsize to a ½-ounce spoon, maybe 2¼ inches in length. Silver, silver-blue-back, chartreuse, pink, orange, perch pattern, and anything with phosphorescent glow paint are good options. Charge the paint by exposing it for a few seconds to a small Lindy Tazer light to make it glow brightly amidst the deep murk.

For a wider-moving approach, switch to jigging a swimming minnow like a Jigging Rap or Jigging Shad Rap, and add a minnow head to the bottom treble hook. Lower it as with the other lures, and when it reaches bottom, li� if up a few inches. �en give it an upward pump, followed by lowering your rod tip at the same speed the lure descends. �e lure will shoot out to the side and descend in a circular swimming pattern, ever-decreasing in diameter until it comes to rest. Added or stronger

pumps increase the side-to-side coverage and swimming activity. Smaller pumps decrease the motion.

Underwater cameras like the Aqua-Vu have revolutionized ice �shing, since they not only reveal the presence and depth of �sh, but also their attitude. You can literally watch �sh come in and study your lure, and see how they react to changes in lure motion, style, color, pauses, etc. Fine-tuning presentations can really make a huge di�erence between catching and not. When you’re hunkered down in a good spot, drill another hole 2 or 3 feet from your �shing hole, and lower a camera lens. Twist the cable between fore�nger and thumb to rotate it for a 360-degree view and evaluation of the surroundings, and then let it

settle, pointing at your lure.Seeing what goes on below

provides a huge advantage in locating and triggering �sh to bite. And when it comes to �shing with a camera, angling from a still platform atop the ice is by far the easiest way to �sh and view at the same time. It will revolutionize the way you �sh through the ice, and likely spur you to explore the use of an underwater camera in open water as well.

continued from page 25


A large pike taken by tip-up.

By DAVE CSANDAW

F B

ill Lin

dner

Pho

togr

aphy

Play the odds game: Avoid small weedbeds or areas of sparse cover at �rst ice. Prominent weedbeds at the mouths of bays, or in the deeper centers of bays, provide big pike with plenty of habitat and room to feed and roam. If you’ve �shed open water there during summer or

fall and remember which areas o�ered the best

weedgrowth, make those your starting points for ice �shing. If the weeds still are healthy, pike are likely still using them under the ice.

If you’re unfamiliar with the lake, note large underwater structures on your GPS map or lake map o�ering broad areas, perhaps 6 to 18 feet in depth, bordered by deeper water. Chances are, these will have the proper bottom content to grow the most weed growth, typically broadleaf cabbage or coontail. More weeds typically equals more pike.

Tip the odds in your favorTo catch pike, focus along or slightly inside

the deep edges of weedbeds, and dangle a live or dead sucker below a tip-up, using a wire leader to prevent bite-o�s. Hook the

sucker lightly beneath the

dorsal �n in mid-back so it hangs

level.

Using a two-hook, quick-strike rig, rather than a single large hook, maximizes hooking e�ciency — dual trebles of modest size, positioning one hook near the bait’s head and another at the balance point near the dorsal �n, letting you set the hook soon a�er the strike, mouth-hooking the pike in most instances. In comparison, waiting for �sh to fully swallow a large sucker before setting a single hook increases hooking mortality.

If you �sh quick-strike rigs in Minnesota, make sure there’s a small spinner blade incorporated into the rig, which technically makes it a lure. �e blade is non-functional, but ful�lls the letter of Minnesota law, which forbids the use of multi-hook (aka snag) riggings unless the hooks are part of a “lure.”

Pike anglers typically use several tip-ups, rather than �shing rods, to suspend multiple baits just above the weed tops, or alongside the deep edge of the weeds. Tip-ups basically are wooden or plastic boards that lie across the top of your holes, angling baited lines below, much like setting a trapline.

Set your traps in likely places,

WWPike on ice —

that’s niceW

Play the odds game: Avoid weedgrowth, make those your Using a two-hook, quick-WW Whenever you’re ice �shing for bluegills, bass or pike, weedbeds are your prime target areas.

Large bays, in fact, provide good early ice options for all three because they tend to freeze �rst, well before main-lake areas, and o�er the safest early ice, o�en just a short walk from shore.


A quick-strike rig.By DAVE CSANDA

F B

ill Lin

dner

Pho

togr

aphy

and simply wait for a pike to cruise along and pick it o�, popping the �ag and unspooling the line. When that happens, quietly walk over to the tip-up, li� it out of the hole, grab the line between thumb and fore�nger, feel for the presence of a �sh, and set the hook with a �rm upward jerk of the line.

At that point, it’s hand-over-hand combat, �ghting the �sh during powerful runs by letting the line slip under pressure between your �ngers, then hand-over-handing it back, again and again, until it �nally tires.

�e moment of truth comes when trying to get a big �sh up and out of the hole. �e trick is

li�ing when you see its nose pass below the hole. Immediately li� upward, getting its nose pointed upward and the �sh moving toward the surface. Once its head pokes above the surface, reach down, carefully but �rmly grasp it below one side of the lower jaw, and li� it out. Unhook it, take a quick horizontal photo, and then send it head�rst back down the hole, to live and �ght another day.

Some anglers question the use of deadbait for large pike, assuming that lively minnows would be better. �e fact is, large pike are as much scavengers as they are predators, and regularly pick up and eat freshly killed bait�sh o� the bottom. A 10- to 12-inch dead sucker, cisco, alewife, shad, goldeye or other oily bait�sh is high on their preferred menu. And the nice thing is, you can obtain these baits in advance, keep them in your freezer, and pack up a su�cient amount for your next trip at a moment’s notice. No need to haul a bucket of water and minnows.

All that being said, you can

obviously catch pike through the ice by jigging a large spoon, sinking rattling lure or jig and minnow combo. Yet the fact remains, it’s almost impossible to out-produce a trapline of several tip-ups placed at key spots and depths along a weed edge. It allows you to cover large amounts of water in quick fashion. And every time a �ag pops, everyone nearby will notice and immediately yell, “Tip-up!” You won’t miss a bite.

Ice safety�e Minnesota Department

of Natural Resources website recommends not walking out onto ice that’s thinner than 4 inches, snowmobiling on less than 5, or putting a car or light truck on less than 8 to 12 inches of solid, clear ice. Fish in pairs or groups to enhance safety.


Pike on ice — that’s nice

To catch pike, focus along or slightly inside

the deep edges of weedbeds, and dangle a live or dead sucker

below a tip-up, using a wire leader to prevent

bite-o�s.

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