UTDOOR CONNECTION
AUGUST 2019 ESTHERVILLE NEWS Find this publication online a t w w w. e s t h e r v i l l e n e w s . n e t under ʻSectionsʼ
STORIES, ADVICE AND INFORMATION FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS
Caterpillars Understanding the differences BY KILEY ROTH DCCB COMMUNITY RELATIONS COORDINATOR
We stress that it is important to plant milkweed because it is the only plant that monarch butterflies lay their eggs on and that their caterpillars eat. However, some people have come to the Dickinson County Nature Center to talk to staff, confused that monarch caterpillars are eating the dill in their yard. Taking a closer look though, it’s not monarch caterpillars eating their dill at all. It is black swallowtail caterpillars. Here are some ways to figure out which caterpillar is in your yard. . Look at the plant the caterpillar is eating. It’s not just a “sometimes” rule, it’s an “always” rule. Monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on species of milkweed, members of the Asclepias family. It could be butterfly milkweed, common milkweed, swamp milkweed, whorled milkweed, but it’s always milkweed. Swallowtails’ host plants are in the Apiaceae family, which include parsley, Queen Anne’s lace, carrots, celery, fennel and dill as well as plants in the Rutaceae family, which include citrus plants. There isn’t any crossover between host plants, so you can definitely tell which caterpillar you’re looking at by what it’s munching on. . Check out the stripes. Monarch caterpillars have thin stripes of black, yellow and white. Black swallowtails have their stripe pattern includes dots of yellow, or sometimes orange. Monarchs never have dots, only stripes. . Note the antennae. Monarchs have what appears to be black antennae on both ends of their body. The ones in front
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Swallowtail caterpillar Photo by Kiley Roth
are antennae, and the one in back are to confuse predators. Meanwhile, swallowtails don’t have obvious antennae. We don’t suggest bothering caterpillars, but swallowtails will only show their antennae when they are poked or prodded. Then their yellow antennae stick out and emit and a strong odor . Look at body shape. Monarch caterpillars have a consistent width all the way along their bodies. Black swallowtail caterpillars are wider in general and also have a wider head than body. If you love monarchs and caterpillars, then you’ll love Dickinson County Conservation Board’s biggest event of the year, the Bee & Butterfly Festival 48 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6. Check out more educational posts and the entire festival event schedule at www.dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com or call 712-336-6352 with questions
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Dan Spengler, with a trophy walleye taken at night. Spengler will provide the fishing seminar at the Okoboji Blue Water Festival scheduled for Saturday, August 10. The fishing seminar is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. under the big tent. Photo submitted
2019 OKOBOJI BLUE WATER FESTIVAL QUICKLY APPROACHING BY STEVE WEISMAN
over to join us on August 10.” As always, chalk stock artists will start early Saturday Aug. 10 is coming quickly! The Okoboji Blue Water morning: Festival, scheduled for Saturday, August 10, is truly the 8 a.m. Local artists will turn the Plaza sidewalk into colorsignature clean water event in the state of Iowa. The ful clean-water themed murals Festival is an “all day-all free” event held at the 10-3 Exhibitorʼs row Kidsʼ and family activities (all having to do with Preservation plaza of Historic Arnolds Park designed to 10-3 raise public awareness of water quality issues, while at the clean water, watersheds, etc.) same time celebrating the significant clean water efforts in 11:30 Fishing Seminar with Dan Spengler, Berkley Senior Bait Development Engineer the Iowa Great Lakes. Tiger Lion Arts (touring group) presents “Nature” Greg Drees, event founder and coordinator, says, “We are 1:00 3:00 Keynote Speaker – Alexandra Cousteau, globally truly excited about the fourth annual Okoboji Blue Water known water quality advocate Festival. Through the generous donations of so many busiMusical Celebration: nesses and individuals, everything that takes place is total6:00 The Firm ly free. What a wonderful statement about the commitment 7:30 Dave Mason of these sponsors working to protect and enhance the water 9:00 Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers quality of our lakes, rivers and wetlands. Everything is Turn to FESTIVAL, Page 2B moving right along. We are excited for people from all OUTDOOR EDITOR
Dove hunting season just around the corner BY STEVE WEISMAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
Can you believe it? We’re already moving into August, which means Iowa’s September 1 mourning dove season is just about upon us. Since the dove season was established in 2011, it has become an extremely popular early hunting season for Iowa hunters. Iowa DNR data shows that on average 104,000 doves have been harvested annually by 10,400 hunters or an average of 10 doves per hunter for the season. In addition to the mourning dove, there is also the Eurasian collard-dove, which is similar in appearance but has a distinctive mark or “collar” on their neck and are a little larger than the mourning dove. The Eurasian collard-dove can be legally bagged. For 2019, dove hunters in all counties can expect to find hunt-
able populations, but according to the Iowa DNR, the highest counties will be in the Loess Hills area and the southern three tier of counties. What’s nice is that even though it will probably be warm and humid is that you don’t need a lot of equipment. Just you, your shotgun, a lot of shells, a bucket to sit on and to carry out the bagged doves and a spot that has doves using the area you plan on hunting. Of course, a good dog can help you find the downed dove when it lands in cover. That’s about the best conservation you can do-make sure that all downed birds get recovered.
Before the season begins Scout! That one word can tip the odds in your favor. Get out at least a week in advance and see where the doves are located. Even though they are pretty much anywhere, concentrations of doves occur based on certain key factors.
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Check spots both early morning and early evening and try to figure out the flight pattern. Mourning doves like feeding on open ground, eating a variety of seeds and grains. As a result, several DNR wildlife areas in each county have food plots that have been planted to attract doves. Portions of these food plots will be cut down/disked a few days prior to the season to help attract doves to the area. The Iowa DNR has a list of public wildlife areas and private land enrolled in Iowa Habitat Access Program (IHAP) where dove plots – primarily sunflowers – have been added. In 2018, the wet weather impeded the planting process and a lot of plots never got planted. This year has also been a struggle in some areas, so don’t go to a public area and just expect the food plot to be there. The results of a great dove hunt. Location, location, location. Photo by Lowell Washburn
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Stewardship Tip
Oxygen depletion BY BEN LEAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RECYCLED FISH
At the time of this writing we are heading into the very first “heat wave” of the year. Temperatures here in Iowa will reach the mid-90’s by the weekend and heat indexes will rise to as high as the mid-100’s. If it’s hot for us, you know it’s going to be hot for the fish. As we enter into the hotter days of summer, it is important to remember that warmer water can be dangerous to fish. Oxygen solubility decreases when water temperature increases. Water that is 90° F can only hold 7.4 mg/L diluted oxygen (DO) at saturation; water that is 45° F can hold 11.9 mg/L DO. In addition, a fish’s metabolic rate and demand for oxygen increases as the water temperature rises. It creates a perfect storm leading to potential calamity. Oxygen is particularly important for a fish that that is recovering after it has been landed by an angler. Without oxygen, a fish may not recover properly and, although it may swim away upon release, it may succumb and die hours, or even days, later. When water temperatures rise, it is important to monitor your fishing hole for signs of oxygen depletion. These signs include: n Fish swimming at or near the surface gulping air. n Fish that suddenly stop feeding. n A rapid change in water color to brown, black or gray, signifying loss of an algal bloom. n A putrid odor arising from the water. n An extended period of hot cloudy weather When you see signs such as these, it is best to give the fish a break, especially for catch and release. Set the fishing pole aside; wait for a cooler day when the water temperatures, and DO, are at more reasonable levels. The fish you release will stand a better chance to survive and thrive. Remember that it’s our responsibility to be stewards of the resources we enjoy in Iowa. Take of what we have today so that generations to come can enjoy it tomorrow. Recycled Fish…anglers living a life of stewardship on and off the water…tight lines all
FESTIVAL, Continued from Page 1B A mainstay of the Festival is Exhibitor’s row. Drees says, “We will have nearly 40 clean water organizations and businesses lined along the sideway on the north side of Preservation Plaza to share the thoughts and ideas about ways we can implement clean water practices. Special kids and family activities will include science projects, T-shirt painting, watershed education and other interactive projects.” At 11:30, Dan Spengler, Berkley Senior Bait Development Engineer will present a fishing seminar entitled “Seeing is Believing”. The seminar will provide information on product design, prototyping, lab and field testing, in addition to final product release to the anglers. Following the seminar, Spengler will invite those in attendance to join him at the dock on the shores of West Okoboji where he will offer presentation demonstrations for a variety Berkley lures. According to Drees, “This is a great opportunity for people to learn about the science behind all of the lures and baits manufactured at Pure Fishing. Dan has a true passion for these waters, and I know people will enjoy his presentation.” Something really exciting for this year will be the appearance of Tiger Lion Arts at 1 p.m. This traveling troupe of actors will walk down through the green space performing a play called "Nature, which is a story of Ralph Waldo Emmerson and Henry David Thoreau. Drees notes, “It's really cool. I think people of all ages are really going to
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RIVERS PRODUCE FISH WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT BY BOB JENSEN FISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING TEAM
The weather has been really hot across the Midwest, and sometimes we equate hot weather with slower catching when we go fishing. That doesn’t need to be the case. Wherever you live in much of North America, there is a river close by, and the fish in that river are willing to eat, even during hot weather. River fish are constantly dealing with current, so they expend more energy, so they need to eat more often. In the summer months, rivers can provide consistent fishing action. Here’s how you can get those fish to eat your lure. River fish like to be near something that breaks the current. It could be a rock, log or a bridge piling. When they’re resting, they’ll be on the downstream side of the object out of the current. When they’re hungry they’ll usually move to the edge of the current, waiting to ambush a minnow or something else that they might like to eat: Just remember that river fish like to be around fixed objects in rivers. Lots of baits will catch river fish, but if you’re after bass, walleyes, pike, or panfish, it’s hard to beat a jig tipped with soft bait. A Thumper Jig tipped with a 2 or 3 inch action tail can be outstanding. The Thumper Jig has a spinner that will attract fish better in stained water, but regardless of water color, river fish like the Thumper.
Our fishing buddy Jim Hunt with a Mississippi River walleye that he caught on a crankbait. Jim works at the Cabelaʼs store in Prairie du Chien Wisconsin and is an expert river angler. Photo by Bob Jensen
time, you’ll want to present your bait so it’s moving into the fishes face. Usually it works well to cast crossstream and retrieve the bait so it washes into the suspected fish-holding area. Many rivers are best fished by wading. Some anglers like to slip into waders and walk around in the river. I’ve To see new and vintage episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, fishing articles and videos, go to been wearing a pair of Cabela’s n e o p r e n e waders. They’re very similar to Small crankbaits can also be very productive. Tie on a ested in eating are usually the current Classic Series II, Series 3 Strike King Pro facing upstream. Fish that for many years, and although Model. You’ll usually do are facing downstream are it’s time to replace them, best with a bait that runs usually going somewhere they’ve served me well. down to about five feet and maybe not so interested If you’re one of those anglers that likes to get in the unless you’re trolling open in eating. Most of the time, not all water, keep in mind that it is water. Color often isn’t important, but something the time, but most of the often most productive to start with brown, orange, or red in it will be a good starting point. Crawdads are an important food source in many rivers, and brown, red, and orange baits resemble crawdads. Lure presentation is important. Keep in mind that river fish that are inter-
enjoy this walking play. In the middle of the whole performance they will customize it, talking about the Iowa Great Lakes and how important it is to protect West Lake and our entire chain of glacial lakes.” Highlighting the day’s events at 3 p.m. will be the keynote address by Alexandra Cousteau, globally known water quality advocate and granddaughter of famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. Cousteau is an award-winning filmmaker, National Geographic Explorer, and global water advocate who continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau and her father Philippe Cousteau Sr. by helping people throughout the world explore and value their everyday connections DES MOINES — Lightning bugs, fireflies, glow worms — no matter with our water planet. what you call them, here are some Oh, for the music! The signature clean water things to know about these special event in the Iowa Great summertime insects: Lakes this summer will cul- Big family minate with another incredi- The firefly belongs to the ble musical concert, kicking Lampyridae family, with an extensive off with The Firm at 6 p.m., family tree — there are more than followed by Rock and Roll 100 species of lightning bugs throughHall of Famer, Dave Mason. out the United States and Canada Then at 9 p.m., legendary alone. These insects are found on singer-songwriter Bruce every continent except Antarctica. Hornsby & The However, in the U.S., it’s uncommon Noisemakers will take the to find them west of Kansas. The difstage. ferent species range in size, but in With a smile, Drees adds, Iowa, they’re typically half an inch to “What a way to end this cel- three-quarters of an inch long. ebratory day!” says Drees. Energy efficient “It’s ‘all day-all free’ and The flashing light on the end of the truly the clean water cele- lightning bug is one of the most effibratory event in the state. cient lights known to exist. The flash We look forward to sharing occurs because of a chemical reaction. all that the Iowa Great Lakes This reaction, which creates a “cold” has to offer to all who attend light, produces nearly all light and the 2019 Okoboji Blue very little heat. Water Festival!” To learn more, check out Light show the Okoboji Blue Water The light on the end of these insects flashes differently on each species. Festival Facebook page.
fishingthemidwest.com
downstream and work upstream. By doing so, you will be presenting your bait in a downstream manner, and you’ll be less likely to alert the fish to your presence. Also if you’re wading, keep quiet and move slowly. Try to keep a low profile. If you’re on the top of the riverbank the fish can see you easily and will spook. Additionally, be aware that your shadow will scare the fish. As much as possible, stay at river level. Rivers are everywhere, and they can provide an outstanding fishing experience throughout the hottest periods of the year. Find a river near where you live and get on it or in it. I’m guessing that if you do that once, you’ll do it again.
Seven cool things you should know about lightning bugs The pattern is genetically fixed and helps same-species lightning bugs find each other for courtship. The flashes can be identified by the fireflies by duration, what motion is completed during the flash and how high it occurs above the ground. In some species, only the females flash and in others, only the males blink. There are a few species where neither gender uses a light at all.
Helpful day job
Day time beetle
Fun to examine…for a bit!
While most people think of lightning bugs blinking through the dark summer nights, black fireflies are active in the daytime. Only the females of this sun-loving species uses their flashing light.
Many people enjoy collecting lightning bugs and watching them in a jar. While this is a great way to see the insects up close, be sure to consider the well-being of the bug. Use a jar with a pierced lid (so the lightning bugs can breathe) and consider adding a damp paper towel or unbleached coffee filter. After getting a good look, let them go after a while, preferably no more than an hour. Adult fireflies only live for a week or two, so staying in a jar for an extended amount of time cuts into their ability to continue the life cycle. With a dwindling population, it’s extremely important to be kind to our nighttime flashing friends.
Where do you winter? While we’re used to seeing lightning bugs in their adult form in June and July, they are still around in the winter. Females lay eggs in mid-summer, which hatch in the later part of the season. Then, the larvae live through the winter before pupating (transforming to an adult) the next summer. Larvae live in moist areas, such as under the loose bark of dead trees and within moist, loose soil.
Lightning bugs are great to have around, especially if you have a garden. The larvae eat soft-bodied invertebrates, like snails and slugs that may wreak havoc on your plants. Their diet helps keep the pest populations under control. Adults sometimes feed on plant pollen and nectar. As the bug buzzes from plant to plant, they help with pollination.
DOVE, Continued from Page 1B Ideal location If you had to pick the perfect spot, it would probably be a harvested/disked sunflower field with a pond or slough in the area and a nearby roosting area. Look for good areas to hide like the rest of a standing sunflower field, standing corn, a good fence line, tall prairie grasses or even a thicket or tree. If you are hunting a public area, expect there will be other hunters in the area. For that reason, make sure there are several different hiding spots. A hiding area that puts the sun at your back is important if possible. Early and late…those are the two best hunting times: the first two hours and the last two hours. Avoid this pitfall: showing up at sunrise or an hour before sunset. You will be disappointed with other hunters around and they won’t be very happy with you showing up at shooting time. Don’t be afraid to check out private land that meets all of the things that attract doves. Find out the landowner and see if you can get permission to hunt. Courtesy and respect for the landowner and the landowner’s property will go a long ways in
nurturing a potential friendship. Weather Weather is very seldom exactly perfect. It might be hot and sticky, foggy, cold and windy…when it’s the opener, hunters just plain go. However, the perfect conditions for a dove hunt would include a cool morning in the 40s-50s or a mild evening with temperatures slowly cooling off into the upper 50s with a slight breeze to keep the bugs away (don’t forget the bug spray) and to keep you cool. The hunt Make sure to get to the area before the “optimum” hunting time and get concealed in a place where you can readily bring the shotgun up for a clear shot. Set up so that the shot will be inside 30 yards. When the doves do come through, expect them to come zipping through like little missiles. They rarely give hunters an “in your face” shot. Rather it’s zig and a zag. For that reason, don’t fall into the trap of flock shooting in hopes of dropping one. Do your best to pick one out of the flock. Realize that if there are lots of doves around, you will probably go through a box
or more of shells. A good hunting dog will mark and then find downed birds. Definitely a good warm-up for your hunting dog, too! If you don’t have a dog, then mark and take a line right to the spot. Don’t wait to get the bird later. Yes, it’ll be hot, so bring plenty of water for both hunter and dog. Dehydration can be an issue. Bring the bug spray and the sunscreen. Dove hunters will often carry a camouflaged five or six-gallon pail for storage and to sit on. Blaze orange is not required. However, it is suggested that hunters wear and orange cap or vest while walking to and from the field for safety Regulations Since doves are considered a migratory game bird, hunters will need to have a plug in their gun limiting them to three shells and must register with the Harvest Information Program before they go hunting. Hunters will need to register with Harvest Information Program before hunting doves and other migratory birds. Go to www.iowadnr.gov and click on Buy a Hunting or Fishing License link and then follow the prompts to get to the screen with a link to register to hunt doves.
Hunters are required to have a valid Iowa small game hunting license and the habitat fee to hunt doves. Shooting hours are onehalf hour before sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit is 15 doves with a possession limit of 30. Hunters must have a plug in their shotgun just as they would during the waterfowl season later in the fall. Great eating You bet, but do things right. It all begins with cleaning the birds soon after the hunt. If you are going to be in the field for several hours, putting the bagged birds on ice will help ensure that the birds will be brought home in good shape. Once home, breast the birds and wash them in cool water. My choice is to marinate the breasts in Italian dressing overnight and then grill them the next day, but don’t over grill and make the breasts tough. How about this one? Cut the breasts in half and wrap them in bacon. Pair them with jalapeno peppers. Mix cream cheese, sharp Cheddar cheese, jalapeno peppers halved lengthwise with seeds and membranes removed and wrap with bacon. Yes, enjoy. Bon Appetit!
MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2019
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
3B
OUTDOOR CONNECTION
Fall fishing patterns typically begin in September and this final period of the season traditionally offers some of the best walleye fishing of the entire open water period. Follow these ten general tips to put more walleye in the net this fall. Photo submitted
10 tips for fall walleyes
BY JASON MITCHELL
Editor’s note: Jason Mitchell hosts the popular outdoor program Jason Mitchell Outdoors which airs on Fox Sports North on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am. More information can be found online at www.jasonmitchelloutdoors.com. Follow on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Lots to like about fishing for walleye in the fall. Traditionally some of the very best fishing of the entire season particularly for trophy class fish. Great fishing, big fish and fewer people… Always amazes us that more people don’t fish in the fall. Fall fishing can be easy and fall fishing can mean big fish but fall fishing can also be difficult. There is no one size fits all pattern in the fall, but there are some general guidelines and patterns that seem to emerge on a wide range of fisheries each year. The following are some of the most valuable lessons we have learned over the years.
Warming trends seem to scatter fish We can pile on the accolades of fall fishing, but there is often that period before these fall patterns set up where the fish can seem really scattered. Unusually warm falls or even a week of warm weather can really unravel some good fall patterns. When the water temps start to rise for consecutive days or if the water temps are still hanging above sixty degrees, we often find that we must simply cover a lot of water and fish through several spots in a day to keep contacting fish. You might not ever find a big concentration of fish doing one thing. Establish a milk run of good spots, fish through the spots fast and be willing to leave a spot after catching a few fish.
The power of current Could be water moving between islands or an incoming feeder creek or moving water around bridges and causeways. Current attracts walleye especially in the fall especially. Many rivers also turn on in the fall. In some situations, fish leave a lake or
reservoir to follow a shiner migration. Shiners will often accumulate up into river systems and around current when the water temperatures drop below fifty-five degrees. Sharp ledges or breaks that coincide with current are perennial locations for finding fall walleye.
Boulders and structure fishing Walleyes will relate to boulders and structure through the open water season, but these locations often just get better and more predictable come fall. Deep structure and rock that protrudes out of the primary basin or off the old river channel in a reservoir is classic fall walleye fishing. If the contour is big, trolling crankbaits can work well. If the spots are small, classic live bait rigging with chubs or fishing vertically with jigs or glide baits like the classic Jigging Rap or Salmo Rail Shad can be deadly. Sharp breaking structure is often the key, but there must be some character to the break. Small ledges, fingers and shelves located within the sharp break often hold fish. Boulders also seem to hold a lot of walleyes in the fall. Could be the edges of shallow water hazards or deep rock over a basin. The best rocks are often round and range in size from six feet in diameter to the size of a bowling ball. Rock piles are good, but big rock piles often show up on everybody’s contour map. What can be just as good is scattered rock or a field of rock that might be as small as half an acre. These rock fields often don’t jump out to anglers on a map chip and can be deadly locations for finding fall walleye especially if they are over deep water or close to a fastbreaking contour.
Tough conditions adjustments Some of the very best fall fishing often lines up with brutal conditions. Expect frost on the gunnel and even snow in the boat. An entire day on the water come late fall can be bone chilling cold. In fact, I would argue
that late fall fishing can be much colder and harsher than any ice fishing adventure. Wear a life jacket when the conditions get brutal. We often find ourselves using presentations that fish well with a rod holder just so we can stay warmer. When the conditions do get nasty, focus on boat control and put your rods in the rod holder. Great presentations include trolling tactics with crankbaits or simply rigging with heavy bottom bouncers or three-way rigs. There are, of course, situations where you have to hold onto the rod and jig, but frigid temperatures and rough water can make standing up all day in a boat much more difficult.
Take advantage of the last full moon cycles
Some of the very biggest walleyes caught each fall are caught after dark during full moon cycles. Trolling shallow running stick baits or jerk baits like an original floating Rapala, Husky Jerk or Salmo Rattling Sting are deadly after dark on clear lakes over rock or around current. There are also great opportunities that emerge on some lakes where you can either cast from shore or wear waders to fish breaker walls at the mouths of rivers or around current areas. If somebody were to put a gun to my head and told me to go out and catch a ten pound plus walleye and I got to pick the day… or night, this Big and slow When the water tempera- pattern would be it. tures start to plummet in the The last green weeds fall, we often find that we Many weeds begin to are much more successful if break down around the end we tone down our speed. of summer and turn brown. What is interesting is that Brown weeds still standing fish are typically much more can still hold fish more than aggressive in the fall when what some anglers would comparing water tempera- imagine if there is good tures and how fish react to water circulating in these what we see with the same dying weeds but what can water temperatures in the hold a tremendous amount spring. With that being said, of fish especially early in the we seldom find situations fall before some of the priwhere we catch more fish by mary fall patterns really take speeding up like what we so hold are still green weeds. often see in July and Could be tufts of cabbage or August. deeper weeds like coontail. Don’t be afraid to knock Weeds that are next to rock your speed down in the fall. are often better, but if you You can still jig aggressive- can find a few areas that still ly and catch fish but we have green weeds come late often seem to catch more summer and fall, they fish when we are trolling almost always have some crankbaits if we hang fish present. For numbers of between a mile and two fish come fall, particularly miles per hour. We often larger schools of eater class find as well that we often fish, it might be tougher to catch more fish by trolling find a better overall pattern up against the current in the than the last green weeds fall. As a rule of thumb, we left on a fishery. might cut our normal boat speed in half as we get late Cold and nasty community spots into the fall. Another overall trend By the time deer season worth noting is how effec- rolls around, you will find tive bigger body baits and most parking lots next to lures seem to work in the boat ramps void of other fall. If you are rigging anglers. As fall progresses, chubs, get the biggest chubs don’t overthink the obvious you can find that range as there is usually some between six and ten inches. tremendous fishing on very community If you are jigging, bulk up well-known spots. These spots get so your jig with soft plastics or good because nobody is left use two minnows to bulk up your jig. Bigger crankbaits fishing them. like the Salmo Freediver 12 Most community spots are big, obvious and are good are money in the fall. but the number of boats that
fish these locations the rest of the year can make these locations deterring. Some of the best fishing on so many fisheries, however, happen on many of these locations late in the fall after all the boats leave. Could be the most obvious reef or point. Might be a mouth to a tributary or feeder creek. Perhaps a flooded roadbed. Big community spots are often at their very best come fall.
Ciscoe curtain call One of the very last big fish patterns particularly in northern Minnesota, Fort Peck Reservoir and parts of the Canadian Shield coincides with the tullibee or ciscoe spawn. Like other members of the whitefish family, ciscoe spawn late in the fall over shallow rock and boulders. The ciscoe often spawn well into November when conditions are difficult, but this activity often attracts big predators like big walleye and musky. One of our favorite ways to fish these locations is to cast a big soft plastic or swim bait up onto the rocks. Trolling shallow running stick baits is another option if the spots are big enough. Shallow rocks that have some wind blowing in are often the best. The peak of the spawn will often happen right before ice up so the conditions can be brutal, but these baitfish will often
move up and stage near these shallow rocks through the fall.
Sunshine bump Fall fishing can so closely resemble spring fishing with some of the locations and presentations and as the temperatures drop during the fall, we so often find that we can struggle during the morning and see the bite pick up as the water temps climb a few degrees during the day when the sun comes out. Typically, each consecutive morning water temp will be a little bit colder as the fall progresses and many solid traditional patterns form. Each day, however, you will see the morning water temps rise a few degrees through the day. On many shallow weed and rock patterns especially, we often catch way more fish after lunch. Because we often must wait for these fish to turn on, our fishing is often methodical, and we often find that we must be patient with some locations. Our best fishing is often in the afternoon and late in the day. There are exceptions to every rule of thumb and some patterns and generalities contradict each other. Each ecosystem is entirely unique and figuring out fish on different bodies of water is what makes fishing so fascinating and fun. These ten tips are just observations from our own experiences.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2019
ESTHERVILLE NEWS/ESTHERVILLE, IA
OUTDOOR CONNECTION
Iowa’s State Bird
American Goldfinch, Iowa's official state bird since 1933, was chosen because it is commonly found in Iowa and often stays through the winter Photos and text by Mike Fredrickson
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Iowa pheasant population survey begun DES MOINES — The extent of impact that a cold and snowy late winter and heavy rains and flooding in April and May had on pheasant nesting success will likely be seen when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducts its annual pheasant counts. The statewide survey takes place August 1-15. The survey is conducted by Iowa DNR staff who drive 218, 30 mile routes on gravel roads at dawn on mornings with heavy dew. Hen pheasants will move their broods to the edge of the gravel road to dry off before they begin feeding, which makes them easier to count. “Conditions for the survey are important as the accuracy of the counts depend on the dew conditions when the routes are run,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife research biologist for the Iowa DNR. What staff see when they drive the routes is anybody’s guess. Winter began mild but ended under heavy snow and bitter cold temps. Spring wasn’t much better – below normal temperature and heavy rain across much of the state. Not exactly a recipe for growing a pheasant and quail population. “We started receiving reports of staff seeing pheasant broods in late May and hearing quail calls through the spring and summer which are both positive signs,” he said. “It will be interesting to see the survey results.” The August roadside survey has been conducted over the same routes since 1962. In addition to pheas-
ants and quail, the survey collects data on partridge, cottontails and jackrabbits. Results will be posted online at www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey by Sept. 10. Iowa’s pheasant season begins Oct. 26.
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