Southwest Wisconsin Outdoor Sports

The Armistice Day Storm

2011-11-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Seventy one years ago today was aday that will always be remembered as a tragic day in the great outdoors. Armistice Day 1940 started out as a beautiful60 degree morning and hundreds of duck hunters took to the marshes of the Mississippi river hoping for some good shooting.

The shooting was not great early inthe morning but as the day progressed the ducks began funneling down the rivervalley in ever increasing numbers. Atfirst there were wood ducks and mallards but soon canvasbacks, red heads,golden eyes and scaup began to show up in huge flocks of hundreds ofbirds. By early afternoon the wind beganto pick up in strength and with it came geese and swans by the thousands.

The bag limit then was 25 birds sothe hunters were having action like they’d never seen before. Then at about 2 o’clock it began to rain. The rain turned to sleet and soon tosnow. The wind picked up and the wavescoming down the river began to grow to 4 and 5 foot rollers.

In the next hour the snow turnedinto a whiteout. The wind grew andtopped out at 70 mph. Waves up to tenfeet tall began crashing onto the islands where the duck hunters soon realizedthey were in very big trouble.

Some tried to get back to land intheir little duck boats, and many did not make it. Some decided to ride it out on the islands,and were found the next day frozen under their upturned boats.

Across the area, over 100 peopledied from the snow and cold. Over amillion turkeys froze in their brooder houses, hundreds of cattle and horsesfroze in their pastures. Three largeships capsized on Lake Michigan and sank. And, on the Mississippi river, 50 duck hunters had their last hunt.

It was an event that couldn’thappen today. With the weather forecaststhis could never happen, but it did happen 71 years ago today and it willalways be remembered as the Armistice Day Storm.

Post by: Dan Bomkamp

www.WisconsinLandValues.com

Tomorrow's Hunters

2011-10-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Veteran hunters have an opportunity to see to it that the hunting tradition is carried on to the next generation. This weekend, October 8 and 9, is the Youth Deer Hunt for kids from age 12 to age 15 who have taken Hunter’s Safety. The program allows one adult who is over 18 to accompany up to two youths and assist them in taking a deer. The adult must be within voice and visual contact with the young hunters at all times.

Another program is the Mentoring program that also allows youngsters to hunt this weekend. It is for kids 10 and 11 years old who have not had Hunter Safety yet. The same rules apply but the kids must be within an arms length, so it’s a little more restrictive.

The whole idea of the Youth Hunt is to give the kids a chance to hunt when the weather is nice, and there are not huge numbers of other hunters in the woods. It has been in existence for several years and is a very popular program.

Anyone who knows of a youngster who might like to hunt should contact them and offer their services. I’ve spent countless hours with kids in thewoods and on the water and nothing is more satisfying than seeing the look ontheir face when they connect with that first deer or fish. It’s better than catching one yourself.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

www.RuralPropertyPro.com

Try Trolling For Fall Walleyes

2011-09-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

Fall walleye fishing, whether on the Mississippi or Wisconsin River is a game of hunting for the fish. Fall walleyes are scattered, and rarely doyou find a lot of them in any one spot, so stopping and casting to a rock pileor to the shoreline, is not very effective.

The way tofind them is to troll. There are manyareas in both rivers to do this. On the Miss. the rocks alongthe RR tracks and riprap along the islands is a good place to try. On the Wis.the rocky shelf areas will hold many fish. In either case, trolling will cover a lot of water and drag your lure infront of a lot more fish.

To trollall you need is a good fairly limber rod, line of 8# or 10# test and a handfulof crank baits. Bomber, Wiggle Wart,Shad Rap, and Storm Thundersticks are just a few that work well. Pick the one you like and then you have toexperiment with speed and the length of line behind the boat to achieve theright formula for success. You must bebumping the bottom with your bait and once you find the right combination,you’ll start getting hit.

Trolling isa great way to cover a lot of water and search out those scattered fish. And usually, when you troll you’ll end upwith a larger overall catch than you usually get jig fishing.

Post by: Dan Bomkamp

Rural Wisconsin Real Estate Answers

Must-Have Fishing Equipment: Cooler/Ice Chest

2011-07-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

One of the best things a fisherman can add to his equipmentduring hot summer weather is a good ice chest.

When youcatch a fish on a hot summer day it’s almost a necessity to put it on iceimmediately rather than on a stringer or into a livewell. Fish on a stringer in warm water will diealmost immediately and in no time they’re bloated and floating. The same thing happens in a livewell. The water that is being pumped onto the fishcomes from just under the surface and its way too warm to keep the fishalive. The result is a bunch of spoiledfish or fish that will be less than appetizing for the table.

Take asmall cooler along and fill it half full of ice cubes or chips. Then when you catch a “keeper” toss him rightonto the ice where he’ll die in a few minutes. Instead of beginning to spoil, your catch will be nice and cool and muchtastier when it comes time to eat it. You wouldn’t take a chicken home from the grocery store and put it intoa pail of hot water to store it, why do that to a fresh fish?

A cooler is a greatthing to have, not only keep your fish fresh, but it’ll keep your refreshmentsand bait cool too.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

www.WiLandValues.com

Sand Sturgeon

2011-07-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

The first time I caught a sand sturgeon in the Wisconsin river I thought I’d caught some kind ofprehistoric monster. It was covered withhard bony plates, had a head shaped like a shovel and a mouth that was underthe head and looked like a suction tube.

Well since then I’ve found that sand sturgeon are not just astrange looking fish, but very tasty too. There are two sturgeons in the Wisconsin,the sand and the lake sturgeon. The lakesturgeon is protected and has a very limited season each fall with size limitsthat make a “keeper” a hard thing to find. But sand sturgeons are plentiful and you can keep 3 per day.

How do you tell them apart? A sand sturgeon is usually between 30 and 36 inches long, and veryslim. They are a brown/tan color and thetail has two lobes, the top lobe being twice as long as the bottom lobe. Lake sturgeon are much heavier in the body,are a dark green to black color and their tail also has two lobes both of whichare the same length. The easiest way to tell is their snout. A sand sturgeon has a shovel shaped snout andthe lake has a blunt snout.

Sturgeons do not have bones and have a primitivebackbone called a notochord. To cleanthem you cut off the head, then cut into the tail but not too deep. Then twist and pull and the notochord willpull out of the back like a big rubber band. Wash the hide and cut them into pieces and boil or broil likelobster. Serve with melted butter. They are much better eating than they arelooking.

So next time you go fishing in the Wisconsin river and catch a strangelooking critter, take it home and have it for supper. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

www.RuralPropertyPro.com

Shorten The Wait At Boat Landings

2011-07-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Our part of the state has many fineboat landings. Normally there is no waitto launch your boat but sometimes at the more popular lakes like Blackhawk,there can be a lot of congestion and a long wait, especially on holidayweekends.

If people would think a bit aboutit, there wouldn’t be any problems or wait time. First thing to remember is to pull into areaand get your boat ready before you back down to the water. Put your lunch in, put your bait in, untieyour straps and put your plug in. Thenwhen it’s your turn back down and get the boat off the trailer. If you’re alone, move the boat to the side,out of the way and then get your trailer parked. If you have someone with you, they can movethe boat while you park.

When you come in do just theopposite. Park the boat off the landingout of the way. Then get the trailerbacked in, load the boat and move it away from the landing. Tie it down, put your cooler away and do allthe other stuff up in the parking lot so others can use the landing.

If everyone uses a little common sense and courtesy, boat landings canbe very fast and efficient.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

www.RuralPropertyLink.com

Hot Northern Fishing

2011-06-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

On those hot humid summer days when a big black storm cloudis building in the west, the last thing many people think of doing is going outfishing. If you like to catch northerns,that is just what you should do on those kind of days. I’ve fished the Wisconsin river bottoms all my life and the best days for fishing are thosewhen it’s so hot you can hardly breathe, so humid you are drenched in sweat,and threatening to storm and blow you off the lake.

There’s something about high humidity, and low pressure that makesnorthern, and bass for that matter go on a feeding frenzy. I’ve been on a local slough many times inthose conditions when you get a strike or catch a fish on every cast. Often if you get a strike and miss the fish,you’ll get another before you get your bait reeled in.

A simple single hook bait is best. Try using a spinnerbait, buzz bait, single hook spoon or top water baitlike a Moss Boss. The reason I prefer asingle hook is that they’re much easier to get out of a toothy northern’smouth.

You do need to keep an eye on the weather though. When you can begin to see lightning in thewest, it’s time to go home. Getting wetis one thing, getting hit by lightning is another.

Try fishing for northerns one of these hot summer afternoons andI’ll bet you’ll be back the next day it’s like that for more.

Post by: Dan Bomkamp

www.Southwest-Wisconsin-Real-Estate.com

Gnats

2011-06-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

If you live in Southern Wisconsinyou know all about mosquitoes. They’re apart of summer life. But this summerwe’ve been attacked by another smaller pest, the gnat. These little devils don’t really bite muchbut they just hum around you and try to crawl into any hole in your face thatthey can find.

One solution is to wear a head net. Of course when it’s 90 degrees, you reallydon’t feel like putting something over your head that will make you evenhotter. So there are a couple of homeremedies that you can try.

One is Avon Skin So Soft lotion. This is a very strong sweet smellingconcoction that keeps the gnats away from you. Just rub a little over your face and ears and they stay away. The only drawback is that for guys, it’s alittle feminine smelling.

Another solution is Vanilla. Yes, the same vanilla you cook with. Do the same with it rub it on your face and ears and it will keep thegnats away from you. I like the vanillasmell much better too, it reminds me of dessert.

Try either one and you’ll be a lot happier outdoors thanlistening to those little gnats humming in your ears and face.

Post by: Dan Bomkamp    

Rural Real Estate: www.RuralPropertyPro.com 

Crappies For Family Fun

2011-05-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

If you’re looking for aninexpensive way to entertain the family some weekend, try taking them crappiefishing. Crappies are an easy fish tocatch, are abundant and usually when you find one, you find a whole bunch ofthem.

There are many places to fish forthem in our area. The Wisconsin River bottoms have nice crappies in every one of the dozens ofsloughs that lay along the river. Lookfor a tree top or a beaver house and you’ll usually find crappies. Also BlackhawkLake or Yellowstone Lakeboth have many nice crappies that are easily caught.

The simplest way to catch them iswith a small minnow, a medium sized wire hook and a bobber. Toss your bait out and you’ll soon see thebobber “sneaking” away. You can also trysmall jigs or small spinners for them. The thing is, crappies are easy to catch for anyone of any age. They make a great fish for a family outingwhere success equals fun.

Take the family out and when youfind a school of crappies, you’ll have a day of fun, and when you get home, youcan have a great fish fry too.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Wisconsin River Smallmouth Bass

2011-05-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

A lot of people don’t realize that we have some of the bestsmallmouth bass fishing in the entire state, right out in our Wisconsin River. There aren’t a lotof places where you can spend a day fishing and catch the numbers and sizeof smallmouths that you can catch in the lower Wisconsin River.

Some yearsago a friend and I put our boat in at Gothamand fished the shorelines back to Muscoda. We only used topwater baits such as the Rebel Pop R and between us wecaught and released 146 smallmouths with half a dozen largemouths thrown in forgood measure along with a few northerns and even a walleye caught on a topwaterbait. Now that was a day of greatfishing!

But, thatday wasn’t unusual. Ever since the DNRput a 14 inch size limit on bass, the size and quality of the fish has justexploded. The numbers of big fish isamazing and there are trophies out there in great numbers.

Fishing for smallmouthson the Wisconsinis a simple thing to do. Get yourself afew topwater baits, a few small spinners and a few jigs and you’re allset. It’s fast simple fishing and whenyou find that first school of smallies, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear asyou fight these amazingly strong fish.

post by: Dan Bomkamp www.WisconsinLandValues.com

Here We Go Again?

2011-05-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

The DNR is worried about the spread of purpleloosestrife, an aquatic invasive plant that is crowding out our nativeplants. Near perfect conditions lastsummer cause this weed to spread and thrive. Now they’re asking people to help control it. Nothing wrong with people helping….but I’mnot sure that their idea of how to help is a good one.

If you’d like tohelp you can contact them and they’ll send you a beetle starter kit that willallow you to grow a beetle that feeds on purple loosestrife. Yay, what a dandy idea, but wait, have theyforgotten the dozens of other “cures” that turned out to be worse than theproblem they were to fix?

It wasn’t too manyyears ago that they found the Asian beetle which was released to eat aphids on soybeans. What a great idea. But then when there were billions of thesetiny little orange critters crawling around our soy bean fields, the fall cameand the farmers picked the soy beans. What happened? The billions ofbeetles had no home, nothing to eat and they headed into town and begancrawling into every crack and crevice they could find. Remember the beetle wars?

There have been dozensof these cures over the years that have ended up being worse than the initialproblem. Maybe I’m pessimistic butreleasing yet another exotic species doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. I’ve got enough beetles in my house already.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Da Plane! Da Plane!

2011-05-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

If you wake up one of these May mornings and see a planeflying low over the hills and woods don’t panic. They’ll be folks from the DNR who arespraying for gypsy moths. They sprayvery early, right after dawn and fly low so the spray is concentrated inspecific areas. The spray will not hurtpeople, pets or wild animals.

They use acompound called Foray which contains a bacteria that is present in soil butthat will kill gypsy moth caterpillars that ingest it. It’s a perfect compound since its natural anddoesn’t affect anything but the gypsy moths.

The DNR hasbeen battling the spread of these little critters for many years. They are just one of the never ending newpests that threaten our outdoors. They’ll probably never be able to stop them but they can slow them downwhich helps.

So if yousee a plane low over your woods, don’t worry, it’s the good guys.

www.DanBomkamp.com

Whiteout is Coming Soon

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

www.danbomkamp.com

Those who are fans of my books have been waiting for thisone for a bit longer than usual. Normally I have a new book ready each fall but I got a little behindthis past summer and didn’t get Whiteout finished on time. But I’m happy to announce it’s now finishedand being printed as we speak.

I’ll havecopies of it for the Morel Mushroom Fest in Muscoda on May 14 and 15. Each year I sit near the Muscoda Theater andsell my books to local folks and visitors from other cities and states who comefor the festival.

Whiteout isa fictional version of the great Armistice Day Storm of 1940. The storm which killed 167 people in Wisconsin and Minnesota bore down onthe area on Armistice Day that year. Themorning started out in the 60’s and hundreds of duck hunters set out for themarshes dressed for warm weather. Byearly afternoon a blizzard blew in and the temperature dropped and whiteoutconditions caught many people unprepared.

I think the readers of my books will enjoy my accountand my characters in this telling of the story of the Armistice Day Storm.http://www.danbomkamp.com/about

Strong Current but Some Fishing Action

2011-04-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

Despite strong currents in both the Mississippiand Wisconsinrivers, there are a few fish being caught. At the dams on the Mississippithey are getting white bass and still getting perch behind the long wall of thedam. These are 12 inch perch and biggerso they’re really worth the effort.

On the Wisconsin the current isstill very strong but the water has dropped back into the banks of theriver. My brother tried it this week andgot one smallmouth and a real surprise, a brown trout. While trout are very rare in the river, theydo show up in the spring, often after a flood. They get washed out of trout streams and the river water is fresh andcool enough for them to survive. Catching one is quite rare but it does happen.

We needsome warm days and nights to get the water temperature up a bit and then we’llsee much better fishing. Next weekend isOpening Day for inland waters and hopefully the weather will be better for alot of anglers who will be heading out to the lakes and rivers.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

The First Turkey Season

2011-04-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

To those who had the first hunting period for turkeys…..mysympathy. Wow, I don’t think there couldhave been worse conditions. I hunted inthe same type of weather many years ago and it was not fun.

Turkeys

are hard enough to hunt when it’s nice out, let alone in the conditions we’vehad this past week. The only way ahunter could have been remotely comfortable was if he had a pop-up blind. Then with a little heater it would have beenok, except for the fact that the turkeys probably didn’t make a peep.

Turkeys

do not like windy weather and we’ve had wind, snow, sleet, rain and cold allweek. If you could design the worstconditions for turkey hunting, it would be what the hunters had this week. It makes it pretty hard to crawl out of awarm bed at 4am to go outinto the woods.

But, notall is lost. There are still left-overpermits available for the 5^th and 6^th seasons. You can buy them at license stations oronline at www.dnr.wi.gov . They cost $10 and you can buy one per dayuntil they are all gone. The way theyear started out, those late seasons may be some of the best we’ll see, so youstill have a chance.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

www.RuralPropertyPro.com

A Flood Is Not All Bad

2011-04-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Right now the Wisconsin Riveris out of its banks and even the river bottoms are running full and with quitea current. It makes fishing very hard ifnot impossible. But this flood will makethings much better in the coming months and years.

Anyone who runs a boat on the river during the summer knowshow hard it is to navigate. The sandbarsare sometimes nearly from bank to bank with a small channel or none atall. A good flood will scour out thosebars and create a new channel that will be deep and easy to run next summer.

The same thing happens in the bottoms when the water comesup and a current runs through the normally quiet waters. The current will loosen big chunks of bogsand move them out of the sloughs. Itwill also scour out some of the weed beds clearing places for the fish to hideand lay eggs. Instead of a solid mass ofvegetation, many of the sloughs become small lakes with open water for muchbetter fishing.

The current will also wash out some of the smaller bluegillsand bass and those that are left behind will have more food and a better chanceof growing up to be a “keeper” fish.

Floods are nature’s way of restoring things in the waterworld. While they sometimes areinconvenient, they do a lot of good too.

Wisconsin River Properties For Sale

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Turkey Hunting for the Kids

2011-04-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Youth Turkey Hunt. It’s a great time to take a young hunter outand let them have a chance at a Tom. Theregular season opens next Wed. so this gives the kids a chance before the birdshave been shot at. And there are lots ofbirds out there.

The pastweek has seen many Toms standing in the fields all puffed up strutting for anyhens that will watch them. The weatheris going to be beautiful this weekend so there should be lots of chances for asuccessful hunt.

Any hunterover age eighteen can accompany two youth hunters that are between ages ten andfifteen. The kids must have a validcarcass tag for ANY season. The tag mustbe for the zone they are hunting though. If they don’t get a bird in the youth hunt, their permit is still goodfor the regular season.

If you’venever taken a young hunter out…do so. You get all the fun of the hunt and then get to see the excitement of ayoungster when they see that first Tom. It’ll be something you and your young hunter will never forget.

post by: Dan Bomkamp Wisconsin Hunting Land

Trade That Jig Pole for an Ultralight

2011-04-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

It’s time to put away your ice fishing poles and get out your spring fishing gear. But you don’t have to wait for spring to come, you can go right back to where you were fishing on the ice and keep right on fishing. Those fish are still there, they haven’t gone away. If you had a good spot on late ice, there’s no reason not to fish there now also.

Rig up your lightest rod and reel with the same jigs you used on the ice, and use the same baits and go right back to your favorite spot. In some cases you can fish off the shore, and others you’ll need a boat. But to think the fish are gone is a mistake. Whatever caused those fish to be in that area in the first place is why they’ll still be there. And with a little change of gear, you can go back and catch more of them.

It’s been a banner year on the Mississippi for big perch. Late ice had many fishermen at Cold Springs catching 12 inch beauties along the railroad tracks. If you’re willing to take a little hike down the tracks I’d bet you can come back with more of those golden beauties.

Choose your favorite spot and then give it a try with your light poles and the jigs you used through the ice. And now you don’t even have to drill a hole to get to them.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

http://www.ruralpropertypro.com/

A Ten Pound Walleye?

2011-03-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how many ten pound walleyes there were out there? I can tell you there are not many. The journey from egg to ten pound trophy is a long and hazardous one and very few fish make it to that goal.

In the spring, female walleyes move into areas that have a good gravel bottom and current to lay their eggs. A healthy female will lay about ½ million eggs. One problem that sometimes happens is that the female lays her eggs in high water conditions and by the time they are ready to hatch, they are on dry ground. If the eggs are in a place where they will be underwater, they take between 12 and 30 days to hatch depending on water temperature.

On the average, about 90% of those eggs that hatch will not survive to adulthood. The baby fish that do make it to adult will have a perilous life. Some will be eaten by bigger fish, some caught by fishermen and some just will be injured and die. Less than 1% will live long enough to become a 10# fish. It takes a combination of good genetics, luck and a good habitat to get a fish that big, and that combination is rare.

So next time you go out and happen to catch a big fish, walleye or any species, remember that you’re holding a very special critter. If you want to have a trophy to remember your fishing trip, by all means take it and have it mounted. But if you’re just going to chop it up and eat it, think about letting it go. That fish had all the right stuff going for it and it didn’t get to trophy size easily. Let it pass its luck and genetics onto the next generation and take some little ones home for eating. It’s a cool thing to watch that beautiful fish swim away, knowing that it will live on and make many more fish for you to catch in the future.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

http://www.ruralpropertypro.com/

Ice Fishing is Nearly Over

2011-03-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

The nice sunny days have taken a toll on the ice. While it’s not gone yet, it won’t be long until the ice will be too rotten to fish on. Some places are fine yet. If you have a favorite lake that is sheltered with some trees and gets a little shade it should be fine. Those lakes right out in the sun and those with a lot of springs are getting a bit treacherous.

The first step onto the ice is the worst in most places. The ice gets thin next to the bank where the sunlight warms up the mud and sand and melts the ice. Once you get across that first few feet the ice is usually pretty good. But that first step can be a little scary.

Take a plank or a short ladder along and lay it across that long step and you’ll be safe to get out to the good ice. And it’s worth it. The fishing for the next week or so will be as good as it has been all winter, and the fun of sitting out on a nice spring day is just what we’ve been waiting for.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

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High Water Woes

2011-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

As usually happens, just when the walleye fishing was getting good below the dams, the water began to come up and the gates were raised. When that happens, the current gets fierce and the fish get blown away. This happens nearly every year and especially in years when we have a lot of snow like we had this year.

The only thing a fisherman can do is look for places where those fish have gone. They are out there somewhere and if you search long enough, you may find them. You want to look for places where the fish can get out of the strong current, feed and rest. Often side channels are good places to look. Check out slack water behind islands and anything else in the water that makes an eddy. The fish will get into those slack places and wait for an easy meal to swim past.

Also look for places where the water temperature may be a bit warmer. Check out side streams and below power plants where the warm water discharge runs into the river. On both the Wisconsin River and Mississippi, there are lots of places for those fish to hold, and if you find them, you’ll find a bunch of them. It’s worth the time to go looking.

Post by: Dan Bomkamp

Outdoor Sporting Properties For Sale

Jigs for Walleys

2011-02-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

If I had to choose one lure to use for the rest of my life it would be a jig. Jigs can be fished many ways, come in lots of configurations, and are cheap. And, they are the best way to fish for spring walleyes that you can find.

The vast majority of walleye fishermen fish their jigs vertically. That is, they try to keep them right below the boat and in contact with the bottom. Boat position is vital and a good trolling motor will give you the chance to move the boat along at the same speed as the current, which will let you keep your jig vertical. Why worry about that? Because if your jig is bouncing straight up and down it’s less likely to get snagged than if it’s way behind or in front of the boat dragging on the bottom.

Use a jig that will allow you to keep in touch with the bottom but no heavier than it takes to keep that contact. Why again?....because a walleye bites by flaring its gills and sucking your jig and a bunch of water into its mouth. A lightweight jig will pop right into the fish’s mouth while a heavy clunker will not. The result with a very heavy jig will be missed strikes and bad hook-ups.

Choose a plastic tail or hair tail that you like and you’re in business. In the spring the water is cold and the fish are sluggish so work your jig slowly. Be alert for that little tic on your line and in no time you’ll be reeling in a walleye or sauger. Spring walleye fishing can be fast and lots of fun. Get out and enjoy it while the water is still in good shape. With all the snow we have this year we’ll probably have a flood and many times that ruins the walleye fishing. So get out as much as you can while the getting’s good.

by: Dan Bomkamp

http://www.ruralpropertypro.com/

Spring Walleyes + Cold Water = Stinger Hooks

2011-02-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

The ice is out below many of the dams and many fishermen are out after spring walleyes. When the water is cold these fish bite very lightly. Often you feel a tic on your line and reel up to find your minnow is gone or missing his tail, or that your twister tail has been pulled partly off your jig. That’s because walleye and sauger hit short in the cold spring water.

The solution is a stinger hook, which is nothing more than a small treble hook that is attached to the bend of the jig hook. The stinger hangs at the tail of the minnow or twister and often catches the light-biting fish in the chin. Without them, the fish per strike rate is very low.

You can make your own by buying a box of #8 or #10 treble hooks. Then cut an 8 inch piece of mono and double it, putting the two cut ends together. Tie the doubled line to the treble hook and you end up with a treble with a loop of line on it. Then cinch the loop over the bend on your jig hook and you have a stinger hook that cost you about a dime. If you compare that to a price of about $1.50 for a package of “store bought” stingers, you can see it’s much cheaper to make your own….and they work just as well.

Make up a bunch of them at home and stick them in a piece of Styrofoam and you’ll be ready to fish. I guarantee you’ll get more hook-ups than with a plain jig hook.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

http://www.ruralpropertypro.com/

The Perch Are Biting

2011-02-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

I called one of my old fishing buddies who lives on the Mississippi and checked to see how the fishing has been. He reported that the big perch are still biting and so are the bluegills and crappies. This has been a great year for perch, with fish from ten to eleven and even twelve inches being caught. A twelve inch perch is a fine fish and great eating.

A couple of places that have been really good are Green Lake at Blackhawk Park just north of DeSoto, and DeSoto bay. Both have been consistently good this winter.

The water is open below the Genoa dam and many fishermen have been fishing for walleyes there. They are catching mostly sauger and a few walleyes right now and most are small but it’s pretty fast fishing. Some are catching fifty to sixty fish per day.

Spring is just around the corner and soon we’ll see some really great fishing after what has seemed to be a never ending winter.

by: Dan Bomkamp

Time To Get Ready For Walleyes

2011-02-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

The spring walleye season is just around the corner. Yes, I know the rivers are covered with ice but all it takes is a week of warm weather and we’ll see them begin to open up. You can get your summer fishing gear ready now and then when we have open water you’ll be all ready for fishing.

The most important part of your fishing equipment is your line. The boat, motor, rods, reels and lures are very important but the line is what connects you to the fish and keeps him there until you get him in hand. If you have old rotten line, you’re taking a chance of loosing a trophy walleye this spring.

If you use mono it needs to be changed. Monofilament line wears out in a short time and gets brittle if it’s not worn out. The super braided lines are much tougher and last a lot longer. They’re a bit more costly to purchase but last longer so in the long run they’re more economical.

If you use the super braided lines you MUST use a good knot to tie your lure on. A fisherman’s knot will slip because the line is so slick. The best knot to use is a Palomar knot. They’re easy to tie and very strong.

Get your lines changed and then you’re on step closer to spring fishing. Then if you hook into a trophy walleye, you’ll have the confidence to know you’re not going to break her off because of some old rotten line.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Wisconsin Waterfront Properties

Turkey Permits Are Coming

2011-01-28T07:07:00.000-08:00

The DNR has held it’s drawing for spring turkey permits and the successful hunters will be notified by post card this coming week. They drew over 145,000 permits for the 6 hunting periods starting April 13. But don’t despair if you forgot to apply or didn’t get a permit because there are over 80,000 leftover permits still available. They go on sale on March 21.

The leftover permits cost $10 each and you can buy one per day until they’re gone. This gives the avid turkey hunter a lot of chances for a long season. Last year hunters took over 47,000 turkeys in the spring hunt. When you think back about 30 years to when they first brought Missouri birds to Wisconsin, that 47,000 figure is astonishing. Before that time there were no wild turkeys in Wisconsin and now they are everywhere in the state. This is one of the most successful programs the DNR has run in many years. Of course the wild turkey is a tough bird capable of living almost everywhere, so that helped a lot.

There are thousands of turkeys in our area of Wisconsin. If you’ve never experienced the thrill of a spring turkey hunt, you really should give it a try. We have some of the best turkey hunting in the state, right here in our back yards. It’s a glorious time of year and a hunt that you’ll long remember.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

The Perch Are Back

2011-01-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

Many years ago an ice fisherman could go to the Mississippi river and if he was willing to take a long walk or a dangerous ride out across the ice he could come home with a pail of jumbo perch. There was a place about two miles out from Ferryville called Brown’s lake that produced huge perch in the 12 inch range. An enterprising fellow there in Ferryville took the doors off an old car and hauled fishermen out to Brown’s for a buck a piece. Those were the days before snowmobiles.

For many years perch could be caught at a place called Shady Maple near Stoddard with great regularity. That all came to a halt when we had a flood in the 80’s that filled the spot in with sand and mud.

Until this year perch have been pretty hard to come by but this year they have come back. Many people caught nice perch and lots of them below the dams at Lynxville and Genoa this spring. Now they are getting 12 inch perch at a new spot just above Stoddard that was built by the Corps of Engineers just for fishing. It is a series of rock dams that have been dumped into a big bay north of town and those rocks have drawn in lots of bluegills, crappies and big perch.

Anyone who has ever gotten into a school of perch knows how much fun it is to fish for them and then to eat them afterward. They are delicious and when you have fish 11 and 12 inches, they make some dandy fillets. Get some minnows or big flashy jigs and give them a try.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Good-Bye 2010

2010-12-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

I’m sure many will be glad to see 2010 over. It was a year that many struggled with bills and finances. Those who live in big cities worry about just putting food on the table, but those of us who live in this part of the world can go down to the Wisconsin river or one of the river bottom sloughs and catch supper almost any day of the year.

If you’re a hunter, you can fill your freezer with game in the fall and feast for a long time on your stored up meat. If you spent enough time hunting squirrels, ducks, geese, turkeys, deer and rabbits you’d be surprised at how much game you could amass. And it’s good food, fresh, wholesome and best of all….free.

We’re lucky to live in a place where there is such bounty. And no matter what the economy is doing, there is always something to draw you to the woods or waters that you can take home and feed your family with.

I hope the new year is better for everyone. But even if it isn’t, you can be glad that you live in such a beautiful part of the world where you can feed yourself with the bounty of Mother Nature. Happy New Year to all. Best of luck in 2011.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Our Christmas Cat

2010-12-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone who knows me knows that I’ve been a Golden Retriever lover for over 40 years. I’ve had dogs my whole life but never a cat. That changed this spring.

Last fall there was a stray cat hanging around my birdfeeders and I felt sorry for her. So, I started feeding her. She stayed around and this spring she showed up one day with a tiny gray tiger kitten. As the kitten grew it became more and more friendly and soon it was following us into the house. The mother still allows me to feed her but won’t let me touch her.

Eventually the kitten became Tigger and moved in. I quickly changed my mind on cats. The dang thing is more darn fun. My old golden Kate even gets along with her.

Saturday we decided to put up the Christmas tree. We were stringing lights when the tree began to shake and rock back and forth and there was Tigger climbing up the center of it. We kept decorating and removed Tigger from the tree and finally finished.

Within half an hour, Tigger had managed to remove every ornament between the floor and the first three feet of the tree. Most were broken and some just batted around until they ended up under something where she left them alone. Then she began scaling the tree again to get the rest of them.

We decided to have a minimalist tree this year. All it has on it is an angel at the very top, and a cat that lounges in the branches at mid-tree. She keeps trying to get up high enough to get the angel but for now, she hasn’t succeeded. I’m not giving odds on the safety of the angel though. Actually the tree looks kind of nice au natural and Tigger seems very happy with her new jungle gym.

Merry Christmas

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Are Your Animals Safe?

2010-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

When the temperatures drop into the -20 range like they did earlier this week you have to think about the comfort and safety of your outdoor animals. Many people have dogs that live outside all year. They need a good warm house to get inside on these cold nights. One mistake that many make is to get a dog house that is too large. The house should be just large enough for the dog to get in, turn around and curl up. A heavy flap on the door is also a good idea to keep out the cold wind. You need to provide good clean dry bedding for them too.

Dogs need extra food during the cold winter too. They should be fed half again as much as usual and need clean water at least once a day. Better yet, if you can feed them twice a day and water them it’s even better. They need a lot of food to create body heat to keep them warm.

On those really cold nights when it gets to -20 or so, bring them inside. Even a garage or basement will be a big improvement over staying out in the cold outdoors. These animals depend on you to keep them safe and sound. If you see someone neglecting their animals, don’t just overlook it either. Call the Humane Society or Sheriff and see to it they get some care. They can’t do it for themselves, they need our help.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Don't Forget The Birds

2010-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

If you’re one of those who enjoys feeding the birds, now is not the time to let your feeders go empty. This deep snow and harsh weather will be hard on our little friends and they will depend on you even more than usual. And of course if you feed birds you probably feed squirrels too, whether you want to or not.

I feed about 1,000 pounds of bird seed each year. I’ve been doing it for years and enjoy it immensely. I gave up on trying to keep the squirrels out of my feeders years ago and just bought a few more feeders so there’s room for everybody.

With the freezing rain and snow I found my feeders in bad shape Sunday morning. Of course they were all empty and covered with ice and snow to the point that I had to take a screwdriver to chip them free so the seed would come out. I wasn’t three feet away from them and the birds began flying to them. It’s amazing how many will come on a day like that.

Birds and squirrels have been around for many years and most likely would get along without us feeding them, but it gives me a lot of satisfaction to see them all clustered around my feeders enjoying themselves and getting enough nutrition to stay alive for another day. I even enjoy watching the squirrels fight and scrap over feeder rights.

If you don’t feed birds you might want to give it a try. If you know someone who doesn’t and they’re on your Christmas list, a birdfeeder and a bag of seed would make a gift that would give them a lot of enjoyment.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Early Ice Fishing Favorites

2010-12-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

For years I used to drive to the Mississippi River every weekend to go ice fishing. Many times my friends and I came home with a pail full of fish, and many times we came home with very few fish. After a while I decided to try fishing the local river bottoms and was pleasantly surprised. There are lots of fish right here and I don’t have to drive an hour to fish for them.

Wisconsin River Ice Fishing
In the early days we caught many fish and most were too small to keep. But then more and more people began fishing here as the gas prices rose and soon a Saturday would have 30 fishermen on Gutweilers or Puffenrots. Those increased numbers of fishermen took out more fish and in a few years the size began to increase. The smaller numbers of fish left behind had more food and grew bigger faster.

There are sloughs from Spring Green to Boscobel and every one of them has fish in them. Of course some are better than others but they are all worth exploring. Crusin Slough is near Lone Rock and always a favorite. It has some good bluegill fishing and plenty of northerns.

Avoca lake is the only slough in the area that has not only bluegills, perch, crappies, northerns and bass, but it also has an occasional walleye in it. Avoca is right off the river and in times of high water, a few walleyes stray in and stay there.

The best early slough in the Muscoda area is Postels, or The Camp as it is known locally. It’s located about 3 miles west of Muscoda and always an early favorite. It produces nice bluegills and often some nice crappies up until about the New Year and then seems to quiet down. Nearly every year there is a northern in the 15# range caught there also.

I’m sure there are many favorites out there and we’ve only covered a few, but don’t overlook the ice fishing in the Wisconsin River bottoms. There are plenty of fish and lots of places to try out.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Hey, Got Any Granola?

2010-12-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

So here you are on a Montana trout stream fishing when you hear a tiny footstep behind you in the stream. You turn to see a fawn watching you from just a few feet away. So you talk to the little critter and it walks right up to you.

Some other fishermen come by and one has a granola bar. It seems that deer like granola because the fawn takes a bite of it right from the guy’s mouth.

These pictures were sent to me by my friend Ed out in Arizona. I don’t know where he comes up with all of these cool things but I enjoyed them and thought the readers would too.

It’s amazing how many things like this you can see by spending time in the woods. Spring turkey hunting here in Wisconsin I’ve seen many really cool things. The secret is to have that camera handy all the time. If the readers happen to get a fun shot of some critter please send it to me and I’ll share it with the others.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Land for sale with trout streams in Wisconsin

Deer Season Wrap

2010-12-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

2010 WISCONSIN GUN DEER HUNT STATS

The Regular 9 day season is over. But if you’re a muzzle loader hunter you started last Monday and can hunt until Dec. 8. And then if you’re still not hunted out, you can participate in the Dec. 9 – 12 Antlerless hunt. Then it will finally be over. It seems like the Never-ending Story doesn’t it?

Early figures show a kill of just over 218,000 which is up 11% over last year.

There were 612,000 hunters who bought licenses for this past season. Of those, 11,000 were kids 10 and 11 who hunted under the Mentoring hunt. There were no gun accidents with any of the Mentored kids. Way to go!

This was also the first year since 1974 with no gun fatalities. The second year in history for that accomplishment, but there were 12 non-fatal accidents. Compare that to the days before Hunter Safety and there were 44 accidents per 100,000 hunters. At that rate there could have been over 2,600 accidents this past year…..what a change.

Congratulations to all who got their buck or doe and thanks to all who helped the Mentoring program and the Donate a Deer Program. You made a lot of folks happy with your generosity.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

If you're looking for your own private place to hunt, check out http://www.ruralpropertypro.com/ for hunting land properties for sale.

Making A Memory

2010-11-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

Hunting is one of those activities that is very important in rural Wisconsin and many other states. Kids grow up around hunters and those hunters pass on the tradition to the youngsters.

Wisconsin has several programs that encourage seasoned hunters to take first timers out and help them get their first deer, duck or other game. Hunter Safety is as common among Wisconsin kids as getting your first bike. The kids taking this class have to be at least 12 years old so one of our enterprising state legislators came up with the idea of Mentoring young hunters. We’ve talked of Mentoring many times and I’ve heard many stories of the great successes it produced.

This past weekend a young Avoca hunter went deer hunting for the first time and the results are shown below. Alex Cole bagged his first deer on the first day of his hunt with a family friend who took him and his brother out hunting. Although Alex is only about 5 feet tall he was walking like he was ten feet tall when telling the story of his first buck. Brother Tyler got his first deer during the Youth Hunt earlier this fall.

Do you think we have a couple of new hunters? I’d bet on it. Oh by the way, Alex is donating his deer to the Donate a Deer Program since they have venison in the freezer from Tyler’s deer. A pretty good deal all around eh?

That first deer will be a memory both of these boys will tell about when they’re old men sitting around a campfire, taking their first timers out. I’d bet on it.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Deer Eve

2010-11-19T10:44:00.000-08:00

Every year on the night before the Opening Day of Deer Season I think back to my first year of hunting. I began in 1963 and the day will always be burned into my memory because it was the day after JFK was assassinated. I’d been watching a one-horned buck and his doe for weeks and knew exactly where he’d go that morning. My plan was to be there first and I’d have my first deer.

After a sleepless night watching a clock that moved like a glacier, I got up at 4 am and drove my mom’s car to the river bottoms. It was over two hours until shooting time with a cold wind blowing out of the north and a cloudy sky that made it as dark as the inside of a cave. I waited a while and then couldn’t stand it any longer and stumbled out through the darkness to my spot.

A few minutes after I got situated it began to sleet and then a bit later it began to snow. The wind picked up and the snow billowed. I sat for about 4 hours and was so cold I thought I’d probably never warm up. I never saw that deer nor did I see any others that whole season. In fact I hunted for 10 years before I bagged my first deer. Things were different back then. Deer were not as plentiful as they are now days.

Despite the cold and the lack of deer, I’ll never forget that first day of deer hunting. I hope the hunters who are going out tomorrow will have better luck but whether you get a deer or not, I hope you make a memory you’ll keep forever. That’s what hunting is all about. Good luck, be safe and be glad you live in such a great place as Wisconsin where there is the opportunity to do all of these great outdoor activities.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

Plan Ahead for Deer Eve

2010-11-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

I’ve always been one of those people who is a half hour early for a fishing trip or hunting trip. I’m always packed the day before, and have my gear laid out ready to go. But there are a lot of people who aren’t so prepared and they are the ones who will be scrambling around next Friday looking for their gear in a panic.

One of the things that always amazed me when I had my sporting goods store was those hunters who showed up Friday evening at about 7pm looking for a box of 257 Roberts, or 3040 Krag shells. Then when I told them I didn’t have any left or had never had any they looked like the most amazed guy in town. Shells like that need to be found early in the season. Those guns are very rare and few stores can afford to carry shells that might be on their shelf for years.

So if you have a 264 Win Mag or a 325 WSM, you better be looking early in the week or you might be disappointed on opening morning.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

http://www.ruralpropertypro.com/

The Armistice Day Storm

2010-11-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

In 1940 they were having an autumn that was very similar to what we’ve had this year. The temperatures were mild and the weather was beautiful. On Armistice Day many had time off from work and school and the duck hunters among them headed out for a day on the marshes of the Mississippi river. They dressed lightly as the temperatures were in the 60’s by mid-day.

But then a front moved in from northern Minnesota and the weather changed fast. First it began to rain and then the rain turned to sleet and then snow. The wind began to blow and in no time it was gusting between 50 and 80 miles per hour. The snow turned into a blizzard dumping over 2 feet onto the ground and piling up 20 foot drifts.

Ahead of the blizzard the ducks flew by the thousands. Hunters who afterward shared their story said they’d never seen so many ducks and geese. Many hunted too long and by the time they realized their mistake it was too late. Some tried to sit it out on the small islands in the river. Some tried to get back to land in their duck boats. For many it was their last day of duck hunting and of life.

When the blizzard subsided two days later 166 people had died in the mid-west. Sixty six of them were aboard three freighters on Lake Michigan that sank in the storm. 50 were duck hunters, found frozen under their duck boats on islands, many with their arms wrapped around their trusty duck dogs. One hunter was found knee deep in a pond with his hands holding onto a branch of a tree overhead, frozen solid.

This happened 70 years ago on the day we now call Veterans Day.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

Plan Ahead for Processing Your Deer

2010-11-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

Once you have made the shot and your deer is lying in the grass dead, it becomes food and ceases to be a game animal. The care you take from that moment on will make a big difference in the quality of the meat that you’ve harvested.

First you must field dress the deer. Take your time and try to keep everything clean. Get the deer opened up so it can begin to cool down. After registering it many take their deer to the locker and pick up boxes of frozen meat a few weeks later. But you can cut up a deer at home, saving the expense and wait time.

If you’re going to cut up your own deer it’s a good idea to remove the hide right away. It comes off much easier when the deer is fresh compared to a week later when it’s frozen solid. Then prepare a good sturdy table for cutting. It’s best to work directly on a table rather than putting down plastic or paper. Fresh venison is very sticky and you’ll spend as much time peeling paper off the meat as you do cutting it up. Then remove a quarter at a time from the carcass and cut it up.

Front quarters are mostly stew and hamburger meat. The rear quarters have large muscles that can be separated and cut into dandy steaks. Remove the tenderloins from the back and you’re done except for taking all scraps off the bones for hamburger or sausage.

When you finish you have several pounds of pure meat that you can freeze, can or make into sausage or hamburger. It takes about an hour and I guarantee you’ll have a sense of satisfaction the first time you fry up a nice steak from a deer that you hunted, dressed and cut up yourself.

post by: Dan Bomkamp
author and host of "How's Fishing"

Wisconsin Hunting Land For Sale

Who's That In My Tree Stand?

2010-11-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

You’ve gotten your gear ready and put your tree stand up in your favorite tree. It’s 4:30 am and you get up, dress, have breakfast and head out to the woods. When you get to your spot you slowly hike up the trail to your tree stand. When you get there you stop and catch your breath after your hike.

Then you decide to climb up to the stand when you see by the light of the stars that there is somebody already sitting there….on your stand. What to do? Well rather than have a big fight you decide to sit down and maybe when the guy sees you down there he’ll come down and apologize and go his way.

As the light strengthens you look up again and then decide to let the stand stealer have it after all. Why? Because the “hunter” on your tree stand is a 300 pound black bear. Oh well.

post by: Dan Bomkamp

http://www.ruralpropertypro.com/

Time for Doe Scents

2010-11-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

You spend hundreds of dollars on a gun, warm clothing, a scope, binoculars, hand warmers, licenses and ammunition, so adding a few bucks to buy a good bottle of deer scent should be a given. Right now is the prime time of the year to fool an old buck into thinking you’re a hot doe. The way to do it is with a doe-in-heat scent.

There are dozens of brands and types of scent on the market ranging from some that will cost you around $6 to some that can cost as much as $20. Is the $20 bottle that much better than the cheap one? Some would say yes, but I think either will work if conditions are right. I guess I’d go for something in the mid-range.

Deer scents have been around for decades and have lured many unsuspecting bucks to the sights of a gun or bow. Used properly they can make the difference between getting a trophy and going home with nothing. The use of a scent surely doesn’t guarantee a deer but it does help.

Probably as important as the use of a scent is that the hunter be scent free himself. That means clothes washed in non-perfumed detergent, and stored away from household smells should be a number one priority. Also the hunter must be scent free, with no aftershaves, cigarette smells or other human smells like gasoline or food. Take care to be as scentless as possible, use a small amount of a good doe scent and you’ll have a good chance at that trophy.

post by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing"

To buy or sell recreational property in Southwest Wisconsin, get the facts first. Visit Southwest Wisconsin Real Estate for free information on rural properties.

A Scary Moment

2010-10-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

I got an email from Lee Van Landuyt and thought I’d pass it along. He was hunting for elk alone in North Dakota recently and got a nice bull late in the day. He used the timer on his camera to delay the shot so he could be in the picture and snapped one of the big bull. When he looked at the picture the next day he was quite surprised to see a cougar standing a few feet behind him in the brush as he knelt by his elk.

“I about crapped the next day” he said. Another of those things that happen in the great outdoors that we just shake our heads at.

post by: Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing"

Finally, the Fishing is Going Strong

2010-10-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

After waiting for weeks for the water levels to go down, we finally have some good fishing to report. If you’re a bass fishermen get over to the Mississippi and try some backwaters or DeSoto bay. The bass are stacked up in those places and are feeding like crazy. My brother John guides on both the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers and he’s had some amazing days lately. On one trip he and his two fishermen caught 166 bass and on another they caught 222……pretty good fishing.

Cold Springs and DeSoto are also producing some nice big bluegills. And if you want to try for some perch, try Genoa dam, behind the fishing float or behind the long wall of the dam. There are some being caught that are 12 inches. That’s a darn nice perch.

On the Wisconsin the water is at a perfect level for fishing. Late season walleyes and smallmouths are feeding in preparation for winter. All you need to do is find that spot where they’ve ganged up and you’re in business.

Fall fishing can be some of the best of the year. Take out a few hours from your hunting and give it a try.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Don't Miss Fall Fishing

2010-10-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Fall fishing is going hot and heavy right now. This past summer water conditions were very bad making fishing slow or non-existent. The water levels are back down now and the fishing is very good. My brother John guides on the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers and he has been having some fantastic action.

The bass are biting now and the fishing for them is amazing. Recently one of his trips with two clients netted 165 bass. The next trip two days later netted over 200 bass. That’s some fast and furious fishing action.

The bluegills are also biting again at Cold Springs and DeSoto bay on the Miss. There is also some very good perch action below the dam at Genoa with some 12 inch perch being caught. Add that to good fall walleye action and you’ve got some fishing you should not miss.

The Wisconsin River is also down to a very nice level again. Fall walleyes are out there waiting for your jig or lure. The water is cooling down so the catfishing is slowing but who cares when you can catch walleyes?

Fall fishing is very overlooked. Many people put away their fishing gear and get their bows and guns out when they should be sharpening their hooks for a day on the river. Take a day and enjoy the great weather, low fishing pressure and hungry fish that you’ll find at this time of year. You won’t regret it.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Pheasant Season Opener

2010-10-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday is the opening day for Pheasants in Wisconsin. There are two types of hunting for those who like to stalk these beautiful birds. The most common is the put-and-take type of hunting. There are many Public Hunting areas where pen-raised birds are released for hunters to hunt. These birds are often raised by local hunting groups and a huge number of them are raised by the DNR. This year State birds will number 51,000.

The second type of hunting is for birds that are natural breeding birds. These birds were stocked many years ago in areas with prime Pheasant habitat. The birds are from stock brought from China and Iowa, can withstand Wisconsin winters and are self-sustaining.

In either case the bag limit is 1 rooster per day this weekend and then the bag limit doubles to 2/day for the rest of the season. There are certain areas where hen Pheasants are also legal. To hunt for them you need a special permit and tags. Both of these things are free from the DNR.

It’s pretty crowded and hectic the first weekend but then if you go during the week you can have some pretty quality hunting. Pheasants provide some good hunting opportunities and a great wild game dinner for those lucky enough to bag a couple.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Where Did The Grouse Go?

2010-10-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

I remember back when I was a kid, I used to carry a neat little side-by-side 410 shotgun when I went in the fall woods. I could pick a squirrel off a branch like nobody’s business and I also was ready when a grouse flew up from a patch of brush. In those days grouse were everywhere where there was some thick brush and they gave hunters a lot of action.

Today I’d have to walk a long ways to find one grouse. No matter where you go in SW Wisconsin the grouse is a thing of the past. What caused it? I’ve thought for a long time it was the introduction of the Wild Turkeys. Twenty to twenty five years ago we had no turkeys and lots of grouse. Today we have lots of turkeys and no grouse. The reason is because both of these species compete for the same food and nesting areas in the woods.

Anyone who has ever seen a flock of turkeys move through the woods knows that they eat every bug, bud, nut and berry in their path….the very same food that grouse used to eat. Hence, lots of turkeys eat lots of grouse food and in the last 20 years the grouse have just lost out to the bigger stronger birds.

Now there’s nothing to be done about it. The turkeys are here to stay. But it’s kind of sad to think we’ll probably never hear the drumming of a male grouse in the spring or get the heart thumping thrill of one flushing at your feet in thick cover.

by: Dan Bomkamp

Wisconsin Youth Deer Hunt

2010-10-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend is the Youth Deer Hunt for Wisconsin youngsters. It takes place on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th. On both days, kids who are 12 to 15 years old and have passed Hunter Safety can hunt for deer as long as they are accompanied by an adult hunter over the age of 18. The adult hunter cannot hunt with a gun for deer but may carry a bow. They also may carry a gun for other hunting like turkey or squirrels.

Mentored hunters also can hunt this weekend. A mentored hunter is a youth 10 or 11 years old who has not taken Hunter Safety. They must be accompanied by a mentor who is over the age of 18 and the mentor must be within an arms length of the hunter.

This gives the young hunters a chance to bag a deer before the opening of the regular season where there will be over 600,000 hunters in the woods. The weather looks to be perfect so if you know a young hunter who would like to give deer hunting a try, get them out there and have some fun. I guarantee there are many kids who’d love to hunt if only they had the chance. If you get them started…you’ll have a hunting buddy for life.

by: Dan Bomkamp
Author and host of "How's Fishing?"

The Duck Season That Wasn't

2010-10-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

This will be remembered as the opening weekend that didn’t happen for duck hunters in Southwest Wisconsin. High water has filled the river bottoms from bank to bank. What normally is marsh and pond is now a free flowing river. Brush that hunters hide behind is under water.

I remember an opening weekend like this back about 20 years ago when I was an addict to duck hunting. I went every day of the season rain or shine and was nearly devastated when we had flood conditions on the opening weekend. Being a bit stubborn my hunting buddy and I waded out to our duck blind in chest waders and found the only part of the blind we could see was the top 2x4 sticking up from the fast moving water.

That’s the same thing hunters will find this year. If you are willing to check out some new territory and take a little hike, there are ducks up in the hills along the many streams that run into the Wisconsin. Wood ducks especially will follow the streams upriver and find acorns to feed on. Walk along the streams quietly and you’ll often find ducks here and there. It can be a way to salvage some duck hunting time and actually be a lot of fun.

Otherwise, go squirrel hunting, turkey hunting or deer hunting with a bow. Living in SW Wisconsin there are many choices of outdoor activities and a hunter or fisherman just has to be willing to change a bit and he’s right back in the game.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author and host of "How's Fishing?"

Wisconsin Duck Season Is Coming October 2nd

2010-09-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin Duck hunters are getting ready for Opening Day which is this coming Saturday, October 2nd.

The river bottoms have had good water levels all summer and have produced a lot of “local” ducks.

The great majority of ducks that are hatched in our area are Bluewing Teal, Wood Ducks and Mallards. Occasionally you’ll see a few Greenwing Teal but they’re not very common. I’ve always loved going down and standing along the high bank of the river bottoms at dusk and watching the ducks come into the ponds for the night. Mallards are returning from farm fields where they’ve been eating grain and corn. Teal also will feed in fields and you can find them in soybeans quite often. Woodies will follow the area streams up into the hills and then land and find oak trees and fill their crops with acorns.

They go out in the morning and evening for a meal and then spend the rest of the time resting on one of the many ponds and sloughs in the Wisconsin River bottoms. When you add in hundreds of geese that also call the bottoms home, you can have a great time watching waterfowl real close to home. The River bottoms are one of the reasons I moved back to this area and spent my life here. I wish I knew how many times I’ve heard the “Eeee Eeee” sound a hen wood duck makes as she comes into a pond just at dark. It’s a special kind of music to a duck hunter’s ear.

Post written by: Dan Bomkamp
Author & Host of "How's Fishing?"

Scents Make Sense

2010-09-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of the most important things that a hunter can do to be successful hunting deer with a bow is to make himself invisible to the deer. That is accomplished by camo clothes and face makeup. But one other thing is necessary to being invisible and that’s being scentless.

A deer has an amazing sense of smell and can identify a tiny amount of scent molecules in the air. Deer hunters take special pains to keep their hunting clothes clean and free of the smells of smoke, detergent and the home. One way to help with that is to use Cover Scents. These mask the human smell with the smell of wet dirt, pines, oak trees and many others.

Food is a big part of every deer’s day and early archers use food scents to help lure in that big buck. There are scents that smell like corn, or acorns that are often used. Then as the season progresses, the Doe In Heat scents become very important to luring in a deer.

Scents are a big part of hunting and a helpful tool for almost all hunters. But then that’s part of the fun of hunting…..collecting toys that help you hunt.

This post was written by: Dan Bomkamp
Author of several outdoor adventure novels and host of "How's Fishing?"

Bow Hunting From a Tree Stand

2010-09-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

If you’re an archer you probably have at least one tree stand in your hunting arsenal. The great majority of bow hunters hunt from some type of a tree stand allowing them the chance to get up above their quarry where their movements and scent will be overlooked by that big buck.

If you own a piece of hunting land you can build a permanent stand. Some are pretty fancy and make it very comfortable for the hunter. Others are just a place to stand or sit. If you hunt on public land you will most likely use a tree stand or a tree ladder stand. The ladders are very popular and not only let you climb the tree more comfortably and safely, but they also have a platform on top where you can sit or stand.

There are double ladder stands that are big enough for two people to hunt from. Even I feel safe in one of these big steady platforms.

No matter which type of tree stand you use, a safety harness is a must. Every year several hunters are injured or even killed when they fall from a tree. Some just fall and most fall asleep and then topple out. The harnesses they make nowdays are very comfortable and you won’t even know you’re wearing one. And, if they save you from falling they’re worth every penny you invest in them.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Wisconsin Archery Season is Upon Us

2010-09-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hunters have been taking to the Wisconsin woods with bows for over 75 years. In the early days you bought a deer license and if you shot one with a bow, you were done for the season and couldn’t hunt during the gun season. That changed in 1966 with a separate license and over 85,000 archers hunted that year. They harvested a bit over 6,000 deer.

Last year 260,000 archers bought licenses in Wisconsin and harvested 87,000 deer…..quite a jump from the early days. Of course gun hunting still is much more popular with over 630,000 gun hunters harvesting over 242,000 deer last year.

Archers have a chance to scout and learn the habits of the deer they’re after and if they do their homework they usually can get that big buck they’re watched for weeks. It’s a more solitary hunt and requires the hunter and deer to be much closer together than with a long range rifle.

Bows have evolved from a simple stick bow to compound machines that are very lethal and efficient. But either way, the hunter has to be skilled and do a lot of practicing to place that shot where it needs to be. Good luck in the woods this weekend. Have fun and be safe.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Be A Mentor - Wisconsin Youth Hunter Mentoring Program

2010-09-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin Hunters have an opportunity to help young kids get started at hunting by participating in the Mentoring Program. This is a way for kids who are 10 or 11 to get out and do some safe hunting. They are too young for Hunter Safety, so this program lets them actually hunt before they take the HS course.

A mentor has to be at least 18 years old and the parent of the kids or have permission from the parent to take them out. A mentor can only take one kid at a time out into the woods. The mentor must have a Wisconsin hunting license of some kind. Any hunting license is fine. One gun or bow can be taken with the mentor/child. And the young hunter must be within an Arms Reach of the mentor at all times.

There are a lot of kids from single parent homes or homes where neither parent hunts that would love to be in this program. By mentoring them you give them a new outlook on the outdoors and open them to the great enjoyment of experiencing nature.

I’ve introduced dozens of kids to the outdoors and helped most of my 32 exchange students hunt for the first time and I guarantee there is no bigger thrill than seeing the look on the face of a new hunter the first time he or she gets that first shot. Take a kid hunting. You’ll have a friend for life.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author and host of "How's Fishing?"

Wisconsin Youth Duck Hunt

2010-09-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

September 18th and 19th are the dates for the Wisconsin Youth Duck Hunt this year. This is a fairly new program where kids from the age of 12 to 15 can go duck hunting with an adult and get a crack at the ducks before the general season opens. The adult hunter can help with decoys, a blind, calling the ducks and helping to identify them but can’t shoot at any birds himself. That’s something that only the kids can do.

But this year it just so happens that the Exterior Zone for Canada geese opens on the same day as the Youth Hunt, so the adult hunters can shoot at any geese that happen past. Both the kids and adults need a goose tag and can get them at a DNR license station.

Duck hunting is a dying sport. In times past the marshes were full of shotgun toting hunters but the numbers have dwindled to just a few in the last decade. Duck hunting was and still is my favorite hunt. For many years I hunted every day of the season with one or more of my golden retrievers. It would be nice to see more young hunters get interested in this sport and carry the tradition on to the next generation.

So if you know some young hunters who’d like to try it, get them rigged up and head to the marsh next Saturday. I guarantee there will be lots to see and you’ll have a grand day in the great outdoors.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

http://www.waterfront-property-wisconsin.com/

Bluegill Weather

2010-09-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

When I think of cooler weather and falling leaves I think of bluegill fishing. It takes me back to when I was a kid and the many times my family went fishing after Sunday church for fall bluegills.

One place that seems to always turn into a bluegill paradise is Cold Springs, just north of Lynxville. Another is DeSoto bay just up the road a few miles. Both of these places fill up with big bluegills in the fall and can be a great place to spend a day fishing.

But you don’t have to go all the way to the Mississippi to catch bluegills. The Wisconsin River bottoms are full of nice sized fish and when the temperatures start to drop a bit they turn on and can provide you with great fishing. As an added bonus you can watch ducks, geese and cranes flying about the marshes.

And don’t overlook Blackhawk Lake near Highland. Blackhawk has a huge bluegill population and if you work a bit and find a “hotspot” you can have some great action. Bluegills provide countless hours of fishing fun each year for millions of fishermen. Not only are they fun to catch, they are great to eat. A big plate full of bluegill fillets a great reward after a day on the water in the fall.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

A Fall Bluegill Standby

2010-08-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

Every year for as far back as I can remember, a lot of big bluegills move into Cold Springs, on the Mississippi River in late August or early September. Cold Springs is a little body of water that has been formed by the Railroad tracks enclosing a bend in the riverbank just north of the town of Lynxville. This little “lake” is also fed by a trout stream that empties from the hills into it and for some reason those big bluegills move in there each fall.

I can remember back when I was a kid and my family would head to Cold Springs each Sunday after church for bluegill fishing. My Dad and Mom and my two brothers and I would meet up with my grandparents and I would go in Grandpa’s boat since I was the oldest. We’d spend the day fishing, have a picnic and then clean lots and lots of bluegills.

That good fishing is still happening each year and hundreds of bluegills are caught there every year. I’ve never figured out what drew the fish into Cold Springs but they show up and if you like to catch bluegills it should be on your list of things to do this fall. What could be more fun than hauling in big orange bellied bluegills while enjoying a beautiful fall day?

by: Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing?"

The Tradition is Passed On - Hunter Safety

2010-08-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Every year new hunters come of age and every year groups of older hunters get together and conduct Hunter Safety classes for the new recruits. In the old days kids went out with the older hunters and learned as they went. But some years back the DNR decided that a formal class was a good idea and it has proven to be a big success.

Hunter accidents have dropped greatly since Hunter Safety became mandatory. Back in the old days, it was nothing to have a dozen or more gunshot accidents during the deer season. Now with Hunter Safety that number may be one or two.

There is a new session of Hunter Safety starting Sept. 13 in Avoca. There is a group there who holds two sessions per year, one in the spring and one in the fall, for kids and adults who want to hunt for the first time. Not only do the students learn all they need to know about being safe in the outdoors, they also get a Small Game license for their effort.

If you’d like to sign up, you can call Terry Yanske at 532-6853. There are limited openings so be sure to sign up right away. And when you see these guys, tell them thanks for taking their time to share the outdoors with the new hunters.

by: Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing"

Wisconsin Cougar Country?

2010-08-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

by: Dan Bomkamp - author & host of "How's Fishing?"

I’ll never forget the day my UPS man came into my sport shop and told me he’d seen a full grown cougar cross the road near Castle Rock while delivering packages. I knew him well and knew him not to be someone who exaggerated. Then a few months later a Grant County Deputy also saw a cougar in the same area. As luck would have it that deputy came into my store to look at a pistol and he told me he’d been within a few yards of the critter as it walked through his barnyard while he was in the barn.

Since then I’ve heard cougar stories from two more people who I know as sane, steady folks who I believe really did see a cougar. The DNR has looked at tracks and said they look like cougar tracks but “there are no cougars in Wisconsin.” Oh?

Now the DNR has released a report that there have been 4 confirmed cases of cougars in Wisconsin based on DNA samples gathered from people who saw the cats. These confirmed sightings have all been more in the north of the state but the closest one was in Juneau County which isn’t that far from here “as the cougar travels.”

Cougars are very secretive and even in real cougar country like the western parts of the USA, the chances of seeing on in the wild are one in a million. The chances of being attacked are even less but it’s still kind of exciting to think one of these big cats could be crouched behind a bush watching you as you sit waiting for a wild turkey or deer. There are some places in our part of the world that are very remote and seldom seen by humans….perfect places for cougars to live and thrive. So next time you hear a branch snap in the woods, look closely, there could be something other than you who is also hunting.

High Water on the Wisconsin River

2010-08-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

by: Dan Bomkamp - author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Normally in August you could roll up your pants legs and walk across the Wisconsin River in almost any place you wanted. Not this year. The river is high and has been high all summer. It’s played havoc with the canoe business since folks who like to canoe the river also like to get out on sandbars and picnic and camp. There are no sandbars this year.

Yesterday I was crossing the new bridge at Spring Green and had to smile. There were about 30 tents clustered together on a tiny sandbar that was inches above the water line just below the bridge. The place looked like a colorful ant hill with people scurrying all over the place between the tightly packed tents. I hope the water didn’t come up during the night or there were going to be a lot of wet people the following morning.

While the high water has made fishing and canoeing on the river a bit difficult it has made the fishing in the backwaters great. Normally at this time of year the backwater sloughs are choked with weeds and nearly impossible to fish. The high water gives fishermen much more open water to fish and makes moving around very easy and pleasant.

There are many fish to be caught in the backwaters from bluegills and perch to northerns and bass. While you’re fishing you can watch sandhill cranes and great blue heron as they fish the shallows and maybe a couple of geese as they swim around and feed. It’s a magical place and well worth a trip in a small boat or canoe. At dusk you’ll be amazed at the number of ducks that return from feeding in the fields to roost on the ponds. It’s really a great place for both fishing and nature.

Wild White Bass Fishing

2010-08-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

August is the time of year when huge schools of White Bass begin to swarm up and down rivers looking for schools of minnows and baitfish. White Bass, often called Stripers or Striped Bass are common in the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. They are very different from Striped Bass which are salt water fish often reaching 6 feet in length and over 100 pounds. Freshwater White Bass grow up to about 16 inches and 4 pounds.

White Bass are not related to either Largemouth or Smallmouth Bass. These fish are actually members of the panfish family while the White Bass are members of the temperate bass group of fish. They are savage fighters and when you find a school of them the action can be amazing. These fish roam in huge packs and usually drive a school of small fish up against a bank or island and then tear into them like a pack of wolves.

When you see the water boiling and small fish jumping that is the time to start throwing a small lure into the fray. Almost anything will work but good choices are a 1/8 oz lead head jig with a white or yellow twister tail, a Ratl Trap, Rebel Pop R, Mepps #1 or #2 silver spinner or a #5 silver Rapala. The action can be amazing and these fish fight like mad. The only time I ever saw teenage boys ask to quit fishing was once after we’d been fighting 4# White Bass for over an hour non-stop.

There are many of these great fighting fish in both of our rivers and they are very active this time of year. When you’re on the river, watch for the water boiling and baitfish jumping and then get in there and you’ll have some of the fastest fishing you’ll ever see. And, they’re not bad eating either.

by: Dan Bomkamp -author and host of "How's Fishing"

Dinosaur Fish

2010-08-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

If you fish on the Wisconsin River long enough you’ll be surprised one day when a huge fish jumps out of the water and does a summersault near your boat. I mean a BIG fish most likely 5 feet long or bigger.

What the heck am I talking about? I’m talking about a Paddlefish. The American Paddlefish is common in the Wisconsin and Mississippi and the other rivers that drain into the Mississippi. They are a primitive fish that date back to the time of the dinosaurs and are in the same general category as sturgeon. They have a skeleton made up of cartilage like the sturgeon and even sharks.

These giant fish are filter feeders. They have a huge mouth and a long flat snout that looks like a canoe paddle and swim throughout the river and filter zooplankton from the water. They also will eat snails and clams.

In the spring you will find many of them below the Sauk City dam. Often when jigging for walleyes one of these giants will swim into your line and then the race is on. Unless you can catch up to them and get them to the surface to get your jig out of their hide, they’ll strip off all of your line from your reel.

They commonly attain about 5 feet of length but the record for a fish caught on a rod and reel was a 144# monster. The largest ever recorded was a whopping 206#. There is no open season on them in Wisconsin.

So if you see a huge fish do a flip next to your boat, now you know it’s a paddlefish. Why do they do it? No one knows for sure but I’ve always thought they were just having fun. Who knows?

by: Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing?"

A Slab Story

2010-08-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Anyone who fishes for crappies knows that a big one is called a “Slab”. Usually a slab crappie is one that weighs a pound or so. This past March 15th, a fisherman from Menomonie caught a real slab. The fish was 19 inches long, with a 16 inch girth and weighed 4# 5oz. Now, THAT’S a Slab!

The fisherman Mike Zimmer went out fishing on that 40 degree morning hoping to get a mess of crappies but was surprised at his catch. Besides the huge 4 pounder, he caught another big fish that weighed 3# 8oz and another that weighed 3# even.

Most crappies that we take home for the frying pan are ¾ of a pound or less. There are many nice crappies in the Wisconsin River bottoms lakes and in many of the area lakes like Blackhawk or Yellowstone. Fish over a pound are not very common but are out there.

Some years ago I was fishing with the real Thunderfoot, Jamie Buroker, in one of the river sloughs for northerns. Jamie was casting a spinnerbait that normally would be considered a bass or northern bait when he had a strike and fought a fish to the boat. It turned out to be a crappie that was almost 15 inches long. We didn’t have a camera and didn’t want to kill the fish, so we put it back. As far as I know it’s still out there.

I guess it goes to show you that you never know when you get that bite on your hook what that next fish might be. That’s the fun of fishing.

by: Dan Bomkamp- author & host of "How's Fishing"

Fall Turkey Hunting Application Deadline Is Near

2010-07-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

August 2nd is the deadline for Fall Turkey permits to be postmarked. If you’re planning on a turkey hunt this fall, you’d better get your application and send it in. It’s easy to miss these deadlines when they come up in the middle of the summer when fall hunting is the last thing on your mind.

You can buy the application form at any license outlet or you can get them online at http://www.dnr.wi.gov/. It’s easy to print the form out from your own computer and it saves driving to the license station and standing in line.

Both of our rivers are very high for this time of year. The Wisconsin River is at spring flood levels. There are not many sandbars showing but boating is great. On the Mississippi the water is muddy and full of debris. Fishing for catfish is most likely the best thing right now.

A new Wisconsin record Brown Trout was caught in Lake Michigan recently. It weighed 41 pounds 8 ounces……quite a fish!

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing?"

Get Out Your Ice Fishing Jigs

2010-07-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Next time you go fishing for bluegills or crappies take your ice jigs along and tie your favorite jig on your line. I’ve been using ice jigs in the summer for many years and I think they not only catch more fish but in the long run they catch bigger ones.

An ice jig adds flash, color and size to your offering and anything that attracts the fish is a good thing. Use a redworm or waxworm as bait just as you did in the winter and you’ll get lots of bites and fewer small fish. The larger size keeps some of the little fish away from your bait.

When using ice jigs in the summer, go to a little larger size than you use in the winter. I usually use a size 12 or 14 jig in the winter but in the summer I go to a size 6 or 8. The fish are more aggressive in the summer and are eating more and larger meals. In the winter they’re pretty picky and don’t eat much because they don’t move around much in the first place.

Pick out a few ice jigs and toss them into a little box and give them a try next time you go for bluegills. I’ll bet you’ll get more fish and fewer little ones.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.myoakpro.com/

Youth Archery Day

2010-07-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Every summer the Scenic Hills Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation holds its Jakes and Jennys Youth Archery Day. Jakes and Jennys is the designation given to young wild turkeys and to the youth organization that caters to kids under 17 years of age who want to become members of the Turkey Federation.

This group of hunters and outdoorsmen take it upon themselves each year to hold this fun day for the kids in the area to give them a chance to do some bow shooting and trap shooting. They get instructions on many outdoor activities and are treated to a meal and drawings for some great door prizes.

The event is held at Gander Hill Country Archery which is west of Richland Center on Hwy 14. If you have a son or daughter who is under 17 and interested in learning about bow hunting or shooting call Dave Guy at 608-647-6908 or Jerry Gander at 608-536-3502.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing?"

Storm Front Northerns

2010-07-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I had a neighbor who closed up his auto repair business on those hot humid summer days when you could hardly breathe so he could go fishing. Those big black thunder clouds would be building in the west and he’d head out for the Wisconsin River bottoms with a little 10 foot wooden duck boat with an old guy who rowed the boat for him while he cast Daredevils.

I don’t think he ever came home without at least 4 or 5 big toothy northerns sloshing around in the bottom of that little boat and to a kid who was used to catching bluegills, they made quite an impression.

Many years later when I acquired a little john boat of my own I began doing the same thing and the results have almost always been the same. The only difference is that I very seldom keep a northern but choose to let them go after I’ve caught them. The catching part is the same and the action is usually fast and furious.

There is something about the pressure change when those storm fronts move through that makes northerns go crazy. Many times you will get a strike on every cast you make. If you miss a strike, slow down and often you’ll get another hit before you get your bait back to the boat. I’m not sure of what makes them so crazy or angry but it sure is a lot of fun. The only thing you must do is keep an eye on the storm. The wind can get pretty serious and it’s not a good idea to be waving a graphite rod around in the air when lightning is flashing.

If you ever get the chance to fish just before a summer storm, do it. I guarantee it will be an hour of fishing that you’ll long remember.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

Grow Your Own Bait

2010-07-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Worms have been used for fishing bait for as long as people have fished. You can grow your own worms with little effort and little cost, right in your basement or garage. All you need is an old cooler or box. If the cooler has a lid, drill a couple dozen holes in it for air…..if not cut a piece of plywood to fit and drill it. Then fill the cooler half full with moist bedding. Spagnum moss is best but if you can’t find it use Buss bedding or something similar. Be sure to squeeze all the water out and leave the bedding moist.

The next step is to buy a couple of boxes of redworms at your bait dealer. Dump them in the box and leave them for a week. Check them for moisture and then sprinkle dry Coco Wheats, Malto Meal or Cream of Wheat on top and put them away. Check them and when all the food is gone, dump them to check their health. By now the box should be full of baby worms and big fat healthy worms for fishing.

From now on, take out the big worms and feed the rest every week or so and you’ll have worms for almost no cost to use the rest of the summer and all winter. If your worm box gets too full, get a second one and divide the worms into it with new bedding.

This is a great way to save money and it’s also kind of fun to do. Try it you’ll be glad you did.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing"
http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

Are Your Fishing Hooks Sharp?

2010-07-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Most people buy a box of fishing hooks and go fishing. Some fishermen buy a box of fishing hooks and then take each of them and sharpen them with a fine toothed hook file. Yes, each hook and each hook on each lure you use should be sharpened.

I never used to sharpen my hooks until I started fishing Walleye Tournaments during the 1990’s. Then I found that most of the “pros” did just that, they sharpened every hook. So I bought a hook file and was amazed at how much sharper my hooks were after a few strokes of the file. There is absolutely no comparison.

Factory hooks are made by a machine that makes them pretty sharp, but not as sharp as they can be with a little touching-up. Does it make a big difference? I guess if you don’t mind a fish getting off now and then because he’s not hooked well, then it’s not a big deal. But if you like to get your fish to the bank or boat almost every time, the sharpened hook will make that happen.

It takes about ten seconds to sharpen a hook and a hook file will cost you 3 or 4 bucks. Unless you leave it out in the rain to rust or loose if, you will be able to use if for years. Not a big expense at all. So, if you want to hook up with more fish get a hook file and touch-up each hook in your tackle box. You’ll be amazed at how sharp your hooks can be.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"
http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

Sometimes It's Not Poison Ivy

2010-07-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Poison Sumac

The majority of the time when someone comes home from an outing in the woods or river bottoms and finds a rash, they usually think they’ve encountered poison ivy. Much of the time they’re right but there are also two other culprits that can cause a rash that is identical to ivy and caused by the same oil on their leaves.

These other plants are Poison Oak and Poison Sumac. While not as common as Poison Ivy they are out there and if you encounter them you’ll end up with an itching rash that will be real uncomfortable for about a week.

Poison Oak

Some people react more to the oils and some do not react at all. Calamine lotion is a cheap, effective solution to the itching. Keep your eyes open when hiking but by all means don’t let the fear of these plants keep you from enjoying our great outdoors.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"
http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

Boat Landing Etiquette

2010-07-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

In the summer, and especially on holiday weekends, the boat landings often get very congested and the wait-time is long and frustrating. This long wait could be shortened if everyone observed a little common sense at the landings.

When putting your boat into the water be sure to get everything ready before you back down to the landing. Get your plug in….your lunch loaded…..your poles and bait ready and in the boat….and THEN back down to the water. Once you push the boat off, park it to the side of the landing and then get your trailer out of the way so someone else can use the landing.

When coming in at the end of the day, park your boat on the side of the landing and go up and get your trailer. Back down to the water, get the boat on, and then get it up and away from the landing BEFORE you begin to unload it. This will again allow someone else to use the landing while you’re putting things away.

If everyone would practice these common sense ideas the wait time at the landings would be much shorter and everyone would be much happier. Keep it in mind the next time you go for a boat ride.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

http://www.myoakpro.com/

Watch Where You Step

2010-06-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

When you venture out into the woods or onto the waters you are stepping into another world from that which you spend most of your time. There are things that should be avoided that can spoil a fishing trip or a camping adventure. One of the things that many people encounter is Poison Ivy. This is one of the plants that can cause a nasty rash on most people. Not all people are allergic to it but most are and they find out the hard way that they should have been more careful.

The islands and shoreline of the Wisconsin River is a place to watch where you’re stepping when it comes to Poison Ivy. It grows abundantly there. If you’re canoeing or boating you needn’t worry but if you go up on shore or onto an island for firewood, watch out for it.

Poison Ivy is one of three plants that have a substance on their leaves called Urushoil that causes a condition called contact dermatitis. The rash can be just an itchy red welt or can be a large itching patch that scabs up and gets very irritated.

I’ve had Poison Ivy several times and tried everything under the sun to cure it. I’ve found that plain old Calamine lotion does the best job of anything I’ve tried. One way or the other the rash will take about a week to run its course. Calamine helps keep the itching at a minimum and dries up the rash.

It’s not pleasant but it’s not the end of the world either. Poison Ivy is one of those little inconveniences that Mother Nature has for us. It shouldn’t keep you from enjoying the great Wisconsin outdoors.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing"

A Weed to Avoid

2010-06-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

I sure don’t want to scare anyone from going into the great outdoors but there is a plant out there that many folks will say, "I’ve never heard of that."

It’s Poison Parsnip. Yes, another plant that can make you pretty uncomfortable for a week or so. Most know about Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac and have seen someone with an itchy rash caused by one of them. Few know about a similar plant that is getting more and more common in Wisconsin and the Midwest.

Poison Parsnip is in about every ditch line on any back road right now. It’s easily recognizable by the yellow flowers on the top of it which are similar to Queen Anne’s Lace. While Queen Anne’s Lace is white, Parsnips are yellow. They are a little different than the other poison plants in that the poison is a photo sensitizer. The oils need light to make them irritable. If you get it on you in daylight, that’s enough. The rash is often mistaken for Poison Ivy.

Right now Poison Parsnip is easy to see because of its flowers. Soon those will be gone and it will look just like any other weed. Be careful of it though, it’s a nasty little pest and can cause some sleepless nights if you happen to get into it.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

Fishing With Slip-Bobbers on Deep Lakes

2010-06-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

If you like to fish lakes (like Blackhawk Lake in Iowa County, WI for example) one of the things you quickly find out is that it’s difficult to cast your line out when fishing deep water with a bobber. The trailing line is hard to work with and often ends up wrapped around something or someone.

Try a slip-bobber for fishing when you need to fish deeper than a few feet. This is a very simple system consisting of a bobber stop, plastic bead and a bobber with a hole in it. The bobber stop can be bought in any sport shop and will slide onto your line and can be adjusted to any depth. The beauty of it is that it can be slid to any depth allowing you to fish as deep as you like. The plastic bead keeps your bobber from sticking on the bobber stop.

Slip-bobbers come in many sizes and styles. Choose the one that you like best and then when you find a place where the fish are at ten feet deep, you will be ready to get them without all the fuss and hassle of ten feet of line dangling from your rod and reel. They’re great for kids too.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

Try a Slip-Sinker for Fishing the Wisconsin River

2010-06-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Many people resist fishing on the Wisconsin River because they like to fish with a bobber. The current in the Wisconsin is too fast to make bobber fishing practical, but there is a way to do it that works really well.

A slip-sinker is the way to go when fishing the Wisconsin. All it consists of is a sinker with a hole in it. For example you can use an egg sinker, a bell sinker or a walking sinker. They all come in many weights and will work very well. You slide the sinker onto your line, pinch a split-shot about a foot above your hook and you’re all set.

When you cast out, the sinker will hold your bait near the bottom where the fish are and when you get a bite, the fish will pull the line through the hole in the sinker, letting you know they are biting.

This system also works well for catfishing where you use a pre-rigged plastic worm with a line on it. Instead of pinching a split-shot on the line, tie a snap swivel on and hook your catfish worm on it.

Try a slip-rig and you’ll have much better success on the Wisconsin or any river with a fast current.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

Black Bears in Southwestern Wisconsin

2010-06-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

The following article appeared in our local paper (The Muscoda Progressive) last week which I found very interesting. The author and chief editor, Wendell Smith, provides unique insight to the increasing bear population in Southwest Wisconsin.

Random Thoughts of the Editor
A weekly column written by Wendell Smith in The Muscoda Progressive - 6/10/2010

The big topic of discussion in this community in recent days is not: "What do you think about the BP oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico?" or "Who is going the be the next Wisconsin governor?" or even the old standard "Think it's goin' to rain?"

It seems everywhere we go, the question is, "Have you seen a bear?" No, we have not seen a bear, but other folks have. The talk of the Town of Eagle Memorial Day morning was the bear sighted in the Richland County Hwy E area at its southern end. On some days it seems as though bear sightings are sprouting up more quickly than morel mushrooms in May. In recent weeks folks have been talking about seeing bears throughout SW Wisconsin.

It kind of reminds me of the excitement a deer sighting could cause in those first years we were in Muscoda. I recall the late Otto Mueller, south-side car mechanic and our neighbor, coming back from a trip to the Hickory Flat area, all excited because he had seen a deer. Believe it or not, in those days, farmers would get on the phone and call the neighbor if a deer was in sight - sort of like what is happening now with bears.

Guys who wanted to hunt deer didn't give this area much thought. They headed to Jackson, Juneau, Wood or other counties to the north. Deer registration in this area was done just at the then Conservation Department (later DNR) nursery in Boscobel. So few hunters were successful in bagging a deer in this vicinity, I would go to the nursery and copy down the names of people who gunned one down - because it was news.

We hear a lot about disappearing habitat. But, you know, as the small farms disappeared, agriculture methods changed, including not pasturing the hillsides. That has resulted in the woods being much more dense. This area has become more wild with large acreages never experiencing a human footprint except perhaps in deer season. When you drive slowly along a rural road, there are many places you cannot see into the woods at all, or maybe just for a few feet. There could be all kinds of things in "them thar woods - maybe a b'ar" for a modern day Davy Crocket. Perhaps soon we will see one of the bears unless some other wild critter gets in the way, like a wolf or a cougar!

Hogs Went Fishing

2010-06-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

This past week the DNR arrested a group of Milwaukee fishermen for being over their fish limit. This happens now and then but not to the extent that these hogs took it. The 13 fishermen, part of a church group, had 2,238 fish in their possession. Yes, I said over 2,000 fish.

They were all upset at being arrested thinking they’d been picked-on by the DNR which acted on tips called in by other fishermen who saw these hogs keeping so many fish. The other fishermen should be given praise for turning these guys in and helping get them arrested.

The fines for the hogs can be up to $71,280 and I hope the Court fines them to the maximum. Anyone who is that greedy deserves to pay the maximum and I think it’s too bad they can’t throw them in jail too.

People like this are stealing from all the law-abiding people who go out and do what they are suppose to do concerning game and fish laws. If you see someone violating, call the DNR and turn them in. They have no right to steal from you and me, and the rest of the people who enjoy fishing in our great state. It makes me sick to think of these guys ever fishing again, and I hope they don’t ever get the privilege.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

http://www.myoakpro.com/

Turtle Crossings

2010-06-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin turtles lay their eggs in June so if you’re driving along any areas near rivers or lakes, be on the lookout for them crossing the road. Turtles leave their homes near the water and go looking for that perfect spot to lay their eggs, sometimes quite a long way from the water. Often you will see them crossing a road half a mile or more from a stream or lake. So keep your eyes open and give them some room to cross.

There are over 260 species of turtles in the world and 55 in the United States. Wisconsin is home to 11 of these species that range from the common Painted Turtles that you see lining logs in the river to the seldom seen Ornate Box Turtle that lives in forests and seldom is found near water.

One of the most recognizable turtles is the Snapping Turtle which is trapped by some as food. These critters get quite large with an adult weighing about 30 pounds on average. They can get up to about 60 pounds and are not to be messed with. They have strong jaws that can do damage if you get careless with them. Best idea is to leave them alone.

So, if you see something in the road in the next couple of weeks and aren’t sure what it is, slow down and give it wide berth. It’ll probably be a mother turtle looking for that perfect spot to lay her eggs. Give her a chance to get across and on her way.

Dan Bomkamp - Author and host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

How to Fish for Bluegills With Rubber Spiders

2010-06-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Fishing in Wisconsin

When the bluegills are on their spawning beds as they are at this time of year, a great way to fish for them is with a flyrod and a rubber spider. Rubber spiders are tiny foam rubber imitations made especially for fishing bluegills. The foam bodies are tied onto a #12 or #14 hook and little rubber band legs are added to make what looks like a water spider. They come in dozens of colors and for my money they all work the same.

When you find a bluegill bed, cast your spider into the area. Male bluegills are guarding the nests and will grab the spider and take it out of the beds. Of course that’s when you set the hook on them.

Catching an 8 inch bluegill on a limber flyrod is great fun and when the fish are concentrated like they are on the beds, you can have a lot of action with them. Do remember that these are the spawning fish for next year so don’t over-fish them.

Rubber spiders are available in most sport shops. Get a few and give them a try….you’ll be glad you did.

Dan Bomkamp - Author and Host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

Look Out for Deer on the Roads

2010-06-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Although you don’t think of car/deer accidents in June, you should. Next to November, June is the second highest month for deer vs. car collisions in Wisconsin. The reason is that does have just had their new fawns and when they do give birth, they chase away last year’s fawns. These yearlings have been with mom their whole lives and now are on their own. They are unsure of what they should be doing and not real savvy about cars and traffic.

The yearling deer aren’t real huge and when they are in the tall grass along the highway they are hard to see, especially at dusk when they move about a lot. So, watch for them and be ready to stop.

The fishing is great on the Wisconsin River. Catfish are biting very well. Successful anglers are using cheese baits and chicken liver. The river is low but with a little care you can get around. Look for a treetop in almost any depth of water and you’ll usually find a few hungry catfish.

Dan Bomkamp - Author and Host of the radio show "How's Fishing"
http://www.danbomkamp.com/

It's Time for the Bluegill Spawn

2010-05-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year for some really fun fishing for bluegills. The next couple of weeks will be spawning time for them and they will be in the shallow water of the area lakes and backwaters. Depending on the size of the lake and the water temperature, there should be beds being made right now.

Bluegill beds look like little moon craters along the edge of the lake. They are formed by the male fish and when the time is right the females deposit their eggs in the little depressions. Once the eggs are laid the males come in and fertilize them and then stand guard until the fry have hatched.

This gives anglers an opportunity to catch these bluegills on a flyrod which is a really fantastic way to fish for them. The fish are guarding their territory and anything that comes into it is attacked quite savagely. A tiny popper or rubber spider is a perfect bait and will give the fisherman a chance to fight these scrappy fish on a limber flyrod.

You must take care not to take too many fish off the beds though. Remember these are the fish that will be making the babies for the next few years. Have some fun and catch them but be responsible in the numbers you keep.

Dan Bomkamp

Author & Host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

Hot Weather = Hot Smallmouth Action

2010-05-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

When the water in the Wisconsin River warms up like it has the past couple of weeks, it’s time to get out the top-water baits and go fishing for smallmouth bass. Smallies love hot weather and school up at this time of year. When a school finds a bunch of minnows or other bait-fish, they tear into them and herd them up onto shallow areas for easy hunting.

When you’re fishing on the Wisconsin watch for minnows jumping from the water. You will also see fish chasing those minnows. That’s when you want to get out your small top-water baits and begin casting. My favorite is called a Pop-R made by Rebel. It’s very small and simple and a killer on river smallmouths. Once you see some fish chasing minnows, cast into the area and begin to twitch your bait. In no time a smallmouth will blast it and the fight will be on. Often two fish will grab the bait trying to take if from each other. The Pop-R has two treble hooks and I’ve caught two at once several times.

There are many other baits available and if you don’t have access to any like the Pop-R, take a small Rapala and cast it and then just twitch it like it’s a wounded minnow. Anything that imitates a crippled minnow will get a look. Keep your eyes open on the Wisconsin. Smallmouth bass are fierce fighters and great fun to fish on the surface.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

Catfish Time

2010-05-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Catfish spawn in late May and right now is a great time to get not only a bunch of fish but a big one. There is a lot of movement by the cats as they migrate up the river to find that perfect spot to spawn. That movement is what gives the fisherman a better chance to intercept a fish or two.

The Wisconsin river is a catfishing paradise. There are huge numbers of them in the shallow river and they are almost always hungry. When fishing for cats, choose a place with a tree top downriver from your fishing hole. Cats like to lay in the treetops waiting for a meal. If you park your boat upstream the scent from your bait will bring them upriver looking for where the smell came from. If you’re fishing off the bank, choose the same kind of spot.

Catfish have a very sophisticated sense of smell. Catfish baits are nasty smelling concoctions of rotten cheese and other smelly ingredients that the fish can find from a long way downriver. The cats follow the scent particles upriver until they find your bait and then grab it and go. Keep your fishing pole close, or you may be going to the store for a new one.

Catfishing on the Wisconsin river is just starting and will be good all summer long. Be sure to take advantage of it. You won’t be sorry.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

http://www.myoakpro.com/

Chickadees in the Wren House

2010-05-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

I've had a little wren house by our patio for 3 seasons now. The first season it sat sadly empty. Last year, chickadees showed interest in it but were soon chased away by a pair of wrens. The wrens were fun to watch and hear their LOUD song in the morning. It was a bit too loud on Saturday mornings when we wanted to sleep in. This year though, the chickadees have prevailed or maybe the wrens just found better accommodations elsewhere.

This is the familiar Black Capped Chickadee that is easily attracted to feeders and sings the cheerful Chick-a-dee-dee-dee song. They are very friendly birds and this pair allowed me to sit quite close to photograph them.

They have seven (7!) eggs in their nest right now. Even though they are little birds, I imagine that nest box is going to be over flowing by the time they're ready to fledge.

Jill Frazier - Marketing Manager at Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin, llc

An Early Morning Wakeup

2010-05-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

I was in the woods both mornings this past weekend trying to fool a tom turkey into thinking I was a prospective mate. Sadly I wasn’t successful but I really don’t have any regrets.

If you’ve never sat on a log in a dark woods on one of the beautiful Wisconsin River hills in our area and watched morning arrive, you’re missing a wonderful thing. When you get there it’s still pretty dark and your eyes play tricks on you making stumps and logs look like deer and other critters unknown. Then as the black sky turns a deep purple and gradually turns deep blue, those stumps become just stumps again.

The birds begin to chirp and sing. It’s amazing how many different birds that are singing and the music of their songs carries through the trees. In no time squirrels begin to tightrope walk across limbs on their way to find their breakfast and then suddenly, there stands a deer looking at you wondering what that big lump is that is sitting on that log.

It’s really quite magical and one of the benefits that come with hunting wild turkeys. Oh yeah, I’d have liked to have gotten a turkey but that would have been a bonus. Watching nature come alive on a spring morning is reward enough for me.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

REALTOR Code Of Ethics Recognizes Land Brokerage as a Unique Discipline

2010-05-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

The REALTOR Code of Ethics now recognizes land brokerage as a unique discipline within real estate. We're glad to see this market niche being acknowleged as unique. It's what we have built our business upon. The changes to Article 11 are shown below. You will see that Land Brokerage was added to the list of specific real estate disciplines.

Revised Article 11

The services which REALTORS® provide to their clients and customers shall conform to the standards of practice and competence which are reasonably expected in the specific real estate disciplines in which they engage; specifically, residential real estate brokerage, real property management, commercial and industrial real estate brokerage, land brokerage, real estate appraisal, real estate counseling, real estate syndication, real estate auction, and international real estate.

REALTORS® shall not undertake to provide specialized professional services concerning a type of property or service that is outside their field of competence unless they engage the assistance of one who is competent on such types of property or service, or unless the facts are fully disclosed to the client. Any persons engaged to provide such assistance shall be so identified to the client and their contribution to the assignment should be set forth. (Amended 1/10)

That REALTORS are expected to be competent in their chosen market niche is evident in this article as well. At Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin, we serve buyers and sellers of rural properties and focus our entire business on just that. Wisdom accumulated over years of concentrating on this niche gives our clients every advantage in the rural real estate market.

We enthusiastically applaud this change to the Code. Land brokerage is something that savvy consumers have long recognized as a "specific discipline" - it's nice to finally have our profession officially acknowlege it.

Jay Frazier - Broker/Manager at Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin, LLC

The Fifth Turkey Season is On

2010-05-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday will mark the start of the fifth week of the spring turkey season. This and the last season (which starts next Wednesday) will finish off the 2010 spring turkey hunt.

Many don’t have much faith in the late seasons because they hear less gobbling and see very few birds. Most of the hens are nesting and many toms are out of the mood. But there are always a few that are still interested in a hen and if you can find one of them, you can sometimes have a very easy hunt.

I’ve hunted the late seasons many times and some of the easiest turkeys I’ve ever gotten were taken in the 5th or 6th season. If you hear one gobble, you can usually get him to come with a few seductive calls. Even if you don’t hear a gobble, the birds are there and often will come in silent. One minute you’re alone in the woods and the next minute, there stands a turkey. It’s kind of shocking sometimes.

Spending a morning sitting in the woods at this time of year is a grand experience whether you get a turkey or not. Watching the sun come up over a Wisconsin river bluff is worth the early morning wakeup call. And if you get a turkey, great! If not, it’s still worth it.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & host of the radio show "How's Fishing"

Southwest Wisconsin has some of the best wild turkey habitat in the nation. Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin is a real estate brokerage specializing in rural property. Helping hunters find that ideal recreational property is one of the things they do best. If you'd like a list of available hunting properties hand picked by REALTORS that are hunters themselves, visit this site: http://www.southwest-wi-hunting-land.com/

The Weeds Are Up In The Bottoms

2010-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Fishing is much better for those who like to fish the Wisconsin and Mississippi river backwaters. The weed beds have come up and that will make it much easier to find and catch fish. Bluegills live and feed in and around the weeds. There are thousands of tiny insects in the thick vegetation and that’s why the bluegills are there.

Northerns and bass like to eat small fish. They hang around the edges of the weed beds waiting for small bluegills, perch and other small fish to make a mistake of getting too close and then they grab them for a quick meal.

Why is this good for the fisherman? It gives you a place to look for the fish. If you are fishing bluegills you fish along the edges and in openings in the weed bed. If you’re fishing northerns and bass you cast along the edges where they’re waiting.

Many gripe about weeds but I’m always glad to see them. They can be your friend and will steer you to a good concentration of fish nearly every time.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Radio Host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.myoakpro.com/

Dan Bomkamp teams up with My Oak Pro

2010-05-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

Knowing that most of our clients and customers love the outdoors, we’ve invited a guest to be a regular contributor to our blog. Outdoor sports fans across southwest Wisconsin will recognize the name Dan Bomkamp. Dan has authored dozens of magazine articles and 8 outdoor adventure novels as well as hosting the “How’s Fishing” radio show for over 2 decades. Dan has teamed up with My Oak Pro to bring his outdoor sports commentary to the web. Check every Monday and Friday for his latest post.

http://www.myoakpro.com/
Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin, LLC

The Morels are Poppin’

2010-05-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

The peak of the morel hunting season usually happens around Mother’s Day but this year things are about two weeks early. Our early spring and plenty of rain has brought the morels popping up from the ground and they are being brought in by the bag full. The Morel Festival isn’t until two weeks from now and it may be a little too late for good supplies of morels to be available for the tourists.

Being a fungus, morels don’t keep forever. They have a shelf-life of about a week under prime conditions and after that they’re not very appetizing. Waiting to pick them also doesn’t work because the longer they sit in the woods the sooner they dry out.

It always makes me wonder just how many morels are sitting out in some woods that no one ever hunts. There must be thousands of them that dry out and go to waste. The Morel Festival is May 15th and 16th and even if the morels are scarce by then there is a lot of other fun and food to sample.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

Bluebirds - A Wonderful Part of Spring

2010-05-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

For the past 4 years we’ve had a nesting box next to our mailbox and each year we’ve had a pair of Eastern Bluebirds nest there. It’s been a joy to watch as they work to build the nest, then notice the flurry of work has stopped. The eggs appear- one each day until there’s 4 or 5. Then you don’t see the female too often after that for about 21 days. The male patiently stands guard and let’s us know we’ve invaded his territory when we go to get our mail. Pretty soon, you’ll hear cheeping when getting the mail and you know the young ones have hatched. The parents are in a flurry again finding food for their young. It doesn’t take too long before they’ve fledged and you see them perching nearby on low branches. Then the cycle begins all over again for the second batch of the season.

September is perhaps the best time to see bluebirds as this is when they’re flocked together. They love puddles when it rains. I’ve also seen them “playing” in the water when I’ve got the lawn sprinkler going. Usually we’ll see 10-12 at a time. That would be Mom & Dad, and two batches of young ones that they’ve raised over the Spring and Summer. Bluebirds are insect feeders so they head South when the weather freezes their food supply; but they’re soon back again in March to start the cycle all over again.

I took a few photos the other day of our resident bluebirds. Since bluebirds often return to the same nesting place if possible, I’m pretty certain this is the same pair that’s been nesting in this box the past 4 years. Four eggs per clutch is the average, but this pair has consistently laid 5 per clutch. You’ll see in the photo, they’re going for 5 again this time. If you have a grassy area near your home, it would be a perfect spot to put up a nesting box. You’ll need to monitor it to make sure sparrows don’t move in first, but when you’re successful in getting bluebirds to live there, it will be worth it.

Jill Frazier - Marketing Manager, Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin, LLC

It's Opening Weekend

2010-04-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

If you like to fish the inland lakes of Wisconsin this is a big weekend for you. Saturday is the first Saturday in May and that is the opener for all game fish. That means you can fish Blackhawk, Govenor Dodge, Redstone, Yellowstone or one of the other lakes in SW Wisconsin and keep a walleye, bass, or northern if you catch it.

If you live in our area and fish the Wisconsin or Mississippi rivers you really don’t care about the opener too much. Both of our rivers are open year round so we can catch and keep game fish any time we fish. On the Mississippi we are either fishing in Iowa/Wisconsin Boundary waters or Minnesota/Wisconsin Boundary waters. The only place on the entire Mississippi in our area that is governed by the Inland Waters rules is Cold Springs. Since Cold Springs is inside the railroad tracks, it is officially an inland water and has a closed season on game fish.

We have no restrictions if we fish on the rivers or in the river bottoms which are considered part of the river. Even the streams that run into the Wisconsin are open up to the first highway bridge, so our possibilities are nearly endless. Just another of the benefits of living in Southwest Wisconsin.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.myoakpro.com/

One of Dan's foreign exchange students with a couple walleyes.

Turkey Blinds

2010-04-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

For years I resisted the temptation to buy a portable turkey blind. I couldn’t get it through my mind that a turkey wouldn’t see that big thing sitting in his woods and run for the hills. Many other hunters told me I was wrong and finally I relented and bought my own blind.

One of the reasons that convinced me was that I usually take my foreign exchange students turkey hunting and no matter how many times I tell them that they have to sit perfectly still….they move and spook the turkey. It’s happened more times than I can count. The other reason is that a blind lets you sit on a stool, which is nice for an old guy like me who has bad knees and needs a crane to get me back up after I’ve been sitting on the ground for a while.

I became a believer the first time we used the blind. A hen walked up close enough that we could have reached out and grabbed her by the neck. And later a Tom came up to our decoy without a second glance at the blind.

They keep you dry on a rainy day, and keep you warm on a cold morning, but most of all they let you get away with a bit of movement so you can get your gun into position for that Tom. Check them out they’re another toy for big boys who call themselves turkey hunters.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin is the premier brokerage for hunting land in Southwest Wisconsin. Try our record-setting service for free with no obligation to buy. http://www.southwest-wi-hunting-land.com/

Fishing is Better and Improving

2010-04-23T06:35:00.001-07:00

While the fishing isn’t what you’d call great, it is improving. Water levels on the Miss are getting to a stage where things will be back to normal soon. The spawn is over for the walleyes but now they are feeding in post-spawn mode and will be active. Fishermen need to do some searching for schools of fish and when they find them they will have some good action.

The walleyes will be in places where there is some cover and lots of food. Places like the cuts that run back into sloughs, side channels and wing dams hold a lot of food. Rocky areas are always good because there are insects which are fed on my small fish, which in turn are fed on by the larger predator fish like walleye, bass and northerns.

The Wisconsin River is in very good shape. Fish are beginning to bite and a mixed bag is possible. As the water warms up things will improve even more.

Look for food and you’ll find fish in the same places. It takes a little more work but it’s worth the effort.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

With Nice Weather Come Ticks

2010-04-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Spring is a beautiful time of year in this part of Wisconsin. The hills are alive with the sounds of wild turkeys gobbling and yelping. The mushrooms are pushing up through the leaf litter. The asparagus is coming up through the grass. Trees are leafing out and turning a gray landscape green again.

But with all the good stuff comes a little pest that you have to watch out for also. That little pest is the wood tick. While regular ticks are not much more than an inconvenience, the deer tick can be more of a problem. Deer ticks are tiny…..about the size of large grain of pepper. They crawl around until they find a spot they like and then burrow into your hide and begin to feed.

That’s nasty enough but some of them carry Lymes Disease which can be very dangerous if it goes untreated. Lymes makes some people very sick with muscle and joint pain and many other symptoms. It’s treatable with simple antibiotics though.

So when you get back from an excursion in the woods, take a good look at yourself from head to toe. If you find any unwanted guests, get rid of them before they have a chance to attach to you and cause problems. For my money, a tick or two is well worth the time spent in the outdoors at this great time of year.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.myoakpro.com/

Passing On The Tradition

2010-04-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has hunted for wild turkeys in the spring knows what an exciting sport it can be. A few years ago the Wisconsin Legislature passed a law that allowed hunters to take up to two young hunters out the weekend before the regular turkey season opened and give them a chance at bagging a turkey.

This Youth Hunt was last weekend and one of the young hunters who had success was Ryan Furstenberg of the Fennimore area. Ryan hunted with his uncle Lonnie Helpin and together they called in and bagged a dandy tom. Turkey hunting is much more difficult than many would think and average success shows that one in four hunters manages to get a bird. I’m sure Ryan will remember that day for the rest of his life. Thanks to mentors like Lonnie and many others who take the time to share the outdoors with youngsters, we will have a great hunting and fishing tradition in Wisconsin for the coming generations.

There are Youth Hunts for deer season and duck season coming up this fall, so find a young hunter and get them ready for some new experiences. In the meantime take them fishing. You’ll have a friend for life.

Dan Bomkamp
Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

Congratulations Ryan!

http://www.southwest-wi-hunting-land.com/

Spring in the River Bottoms

2010-04-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

I’ve poked around in the Wisconsin River bottoms since I got my first two wheel bike. It would be interesting to know how many hours I’ve spent fishing, hunting and just sitting and watching nature in this beautiful place we call the bottoms.

Yesterday I saw something I’ve not seen before despite thousands of hours of time enjoying the diverse nature just a mile from my home. I took my exchange student down to fish for a while so we could enjoy a perfect spring day. When we got there we saw blue winged teal, wood ducks, sandhill cranes, many shore birds and a pair of geese. The Papa goose was patrolling the area around Mama goose who was sitting on a muskrat house, most likely incubating eggs.

After a while we could see a sandhill crane sneaking through the cattails toward the geese and Papa got all excited and began honking and flapping his wings and drove the crane away. A few minutes later a second goose which I would think must have been another male flew in and began harassing Papa goose. The two swam around honking up a storm and then took off flying and Papa flew right into the Intruder and they both crashed to the water. Up they went again and Papa knocked Intruder into the water again. This went on for several minutes and they flew and crashed at least half a dozen times.

Finally Intruder swam off honking up a storm. Papa went over by Mama and they honked and waddled around with him hooking his neck around hers. Then she went back to the nest and he went back on patrol.

We didn’t catch any fish but what a cool show we got to see. That’s the beauty of the river bottoms, Mother Nature is preparing a new show all the time and all you have to do is be there at the right time to watch.

Dan Bomkamp - Author and Host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.waterfront-property-wisconsin.com/

Lions, Turkeys, and Bears . . .Oh My!

2010-04-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Twenty five years ago the sound of a wild turkey gobbling, echoed through the hills of Southwest Wisconsin for the first time since the late 1800’s. A small flock of turkeys were trapped in Missouri and traded for a number of Wisconsin Grouse. Those few birds thrived and now there are thousands of these amazing birds in the hills and valleys of the area.

Fifteen years ago the UPS man came into my Sport Shop and told me he’d seen a cougar crossing the road near Castle Rock Church in Grant County. Later I talked to a Grant County Sheriff, a Doctor and a friend who’d also seen a cougar in the same general area.

A few years ago a black bear denned in Iowa County and was tagged and then followed as it traveled back to the north where it was shot during bear season. Last week a 300 pound black bear was hit by a vehicle in Richland County and killed.

What’s the point? The point is that this part of Wisconsin has some remote valleys, steep hills and deep woods that can support wildlife that is not suppose to be here. The Wisconsin River and its sloughs and the many streams in the area contain every species of fish found in Wisconsin with the exception of salmon. The river bottoms and hills support hundreds of species of birds and waterfowl. We live in a wonderful area and every time you go around a corner you have the potential to say….”Wow, look at that!” How lucky we are to live in this amazing place!

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

The Walleye and its Cousins

2010-04-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

A lot of people get confused between walleyes and their cousin the sauger. If you catch one of each and lay them side by side it’s easy to tell them apart. The walleye is green and has a white spot on the bottom tip of its tail. The sauger is more of a brown color and has a mottled pattern on its back. Sauger also have black spots on their dorsal fin. It does not have the white tip.

To confuse things these two fish will cross breed, producing a critter called a Saugeye. These have characteristics of both their parents. Most of them are green but mottled, with spots on the fin, but sometimes not, and sometimes they have a white tip, sometimes not. But it really doesn’t matter because your bag limit includes Walleye, Sauger and Saugeye. Put them in the frying pan and they all taste the same….great!

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/

Fishing is Improving

2010-04-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

The water is still high on the Mississippi River, but there are a few fish being caught. At Genoa they are fishing around the pillars that the barges tie up to and catching some sauger and smaller walleyes.

There are many people fishing off the wall of the dam and in boats near it for perch and they are doing pretty well. Another week and some warm nights will improve things a lot.

Dan Bomkamp - Author & Host of "How's Fishing"

Best wishes for a blessed Easter from Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin, llc.

$2.00 off admission to Deer & Turkey Expo

2010-03-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo runs April 9th – 11th this year at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI. This show has something for just about everyone- even those who are not hunters themselves. The weekend schedule is packed with seminars, demonstrations, and contests. In between events you can browse a wide variety of unique displays and even try out several interactive shooting ranges.

We look forward to being at the show again this year with a booth and invite you to stop by and say hello. We’ve been provided with $2.00 off admission coupons which we would like to pass on to customers and friends. We will send you the coupon by email which you can print off as many times as you like and take to the show with you. Just send an email to jcf@myoakpro.com and include “$2.00 OFF” in the subject line and we’ll reply with the coupon attached. This is an absolutely free offer – no strings attached. You just have to let us know that you want a coupon.

We hope to hear from you and also see you at the Deer & Turkey Expo.

Jay Frazier - Broker
Mossy Oak Properties of Wisconsin, llc