It's Time for the Bluegill Spawn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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’

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

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