The Frugal Fisherman

The Hidden Gem

2012-03-30T15:13:00.002-07:00

I have a trout stream where I live , almost in my back yard. Its small and in tough shape as far as streams go. Banks are eroded and much run off exists from farm fields which it suprises me it has trout at all. I fished it when I was younger and it never gave up many but I fished it recently and I killed em. It was full of wild flowers and trees with unusual bark which I had three . It had beautifully shaped rocks that danced in the sun and sounds of small songbirds which I had two of.So I had 5 in all,....ah.... my limit ... Of course I'm not talking about a limit of fish. When I was younger I never new that these sights and sounds were part of my daily bag. So along with my lone brookie I had a limit of........

I never knew leaving could look so good!

Opener

2012-03-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

Opening Weekend

My son and I arrived in the Driftless with a snow storm baring down on Wisconsin and we thought we were in for a wasted trip but the western part of the state was spared from any real accumulation. We were greeted Saturday morning with temps in the low 20's and winds over 15 mph which made things a little challenging . We thought brook trout would be biting right off so we targeted them for a large portion of the day, After fishing what seemed like several miles on the stream and nearing a huge berm that climbs several hundred feet ,my son looks at me and says,” I'll race you dad” and up the hill he ran..Man,I wish I was 13 again.

Many people have the misconception that early season is brutally cold , standing in the water and waiting for hungry trout to bite but its really very cozy. For me there is something very peaceful about the stream no matter what the season. This year with little snow cover we moved down the riverbank fairly quick so that helped us stay warm. Catching fish helps and we found many hungry trout for the weekend. My son caught a fish on the very first cast of the year . He also caught the most and the biggest . I took him on his very first trout fishing trip when he was five and he has become a very good angler. I love sharing the stream with him and I think I have him hooked for life. Yahoo!

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

Sturgeon Spearing Under Way

2012-02-12T05:10:00.000-08:00

“Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Report – Opening Day Saturday February 11, 2012
by Ron Bruch WDNR
Opening day of the 2012 sturgeon spearing system on the Winnebago Lakes lived-up very close to pre-season expectations: Significantly reduced numbers of spearers on Lake Winnebago and fair water quality resulted in a modern record low harvest for an opening day on the big lake, while close to normal effort and clear water resulted in a higher than average opening day harvest from the Upriver Lakes lottery fishery which began in 2007.
Today’s totals:
                                    Juvenile Females – Adult Females – Males
Lake Winnebago   5                                    18                            16
Upriver Lakes        17                                 66                            88
System Total          22                                  84                           104
Grand Total for System for the day and season thus far: 210
Click here to download Feb. 11, 2012 totals by registration station
Click here to download opening day sturgeon spear harvest totals for 2007-2012
Nine more adult females need to be registered on the Upriver Lakes to trip the 90% closure trigger on those waters. If 17 adult females are registered on the Upriver Lakes tomorrow (Sunday), the 100% trigger will have been tripped and the 2012 Upriver Lakes season will close tomorrow at 12:30 PM, and spearers will have till 1:30 PM to get to an URL registration station to register their fish. Given 66 adult females were registered today on the URLs, it is very likely 17 or more adult females will be registered there tomorrow hitting the 100% closure trigger to close the Upriver Lakes season at the end of fishing tomorrow.
On Lake Winnebago we are a very long way off from tripping any harvest closure trigger and likely may not trip any trigger before the season maximum of 16 days is reached.
Opening Day Totals since 2007 (first year of the Upriver Lakes lottery fishery)
Despite purchasing a record 12680 licenses for the 2012 season, many spearers elected to stay off Lake Winnebago this opening day due to variable ice conditions and less than optimal water clarity. Spearers that did go out primarily used four wheelers and snowmobiles to get to the 2197 shanties on Lake Winnebago, while a mix of 4 wheelers and vehicles were used by spearers to get to the 418 shanties on the Upriver Lakes. Normally spearers set over 4,500 shanties on Lake Winnebago, and about 500 on the Upriver Lakes. Water clarity was good on the Upriver Lakes. A record 4597 spearers applied for a 2012 Upriver Lakes license. The Department authorizes the purchase of 500 licenses for the Upriver Lakes each year through a lottery drawing. Spearers who applied but not drawn receive a preference point that increases the odds they will drawn for a future season.
The registered harvest today of 39 fish on Lake Winnebago was the lowest since 2007 when 183 were registered opening day that year. The registered harvest of 171 on the Upriver Lakes ties the most fish recorded opening day on those waters since the lottery began in 2007 when 171 were also registered opening day that year.
Out of the 210 fish registered system-wide today 12 fish were 100 pounds or larger in weight (5.7%), 2 from Lake Winnebago and 10 from the URLs, with the largest a 79.6 inch, 179.9 pound female taken by a lady spearer Chris Haedt of Oshkosh. Chris’s fish is the 5th largest fish on record since the fishery began in 1932, now number 5 on the all-time list right behind a 180 pound fish taken by Elroy Schroeder of Appleton in 1953 that stood as the Winnebago record until 2004. The current record is a 212.2 pound fish speared in 2010 by Ron Grishaber of Appleton. We have consistently seen fish in excess of 200 pounds in our spring spawning assessments over the last 10 years so we know they are out there and it is merely a matter of time before another 200 pounder shows up in the harvest. We estimate our Winnebago sturgeon stock is probably in as good of shape it has been since the 1800s.

The Fish Fry!

2012-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

I have had a couple article published here as of late. Makes me hungry reading it .Can't say enough about shore lunch!
http://midwesterngentleman.com/fish-fry/

First was the Best!

2012-02-08T17:17:00.000-08:00

Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin plays host to a sturgeon spearing season every year.Here is my very first one and I have not been able to match it since.

It was 1995 at about 10:10 a.m. and music from the Jerry Schneider radio show was playing . After a 2 hour stint that morning and 6 previous seasons worth of looking down the hole it finally happened . A shadow appeared from the bottom of the lake and it lifted to meet my decoy. I didn’t have much time to grab the spear and throw but I connected with a perfect mid body shot which drove three tines deep into the fish and then it was,” game on”. The fish put up a nice battle but I was able to wrestled it out of the hole and out the shack door. My first fish, a 86 lb beauty . I have speared several since but this one is etched inside forever!

The right kind of Drug!

2012-02-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

So true!

ICEMAN JIGS at CaveCrafts

2012-02-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

ICEMAN JIGS at CaveCrafts

Signed, Wisconsin

2012-01-31T04:31:00.000-08:00

Certain things come to mind when you think Wisconsin. I would say people first think Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, Harley Davidson, Cheese, Wisconsin Badgers and America’s Dairy Land . But how does Wisconsin sign its name? What puts the ink in the stamp of Wisconsin .There are countless ways Wisconsinites punctuate their existence and sign their names. Here’s one of the best I’ve seen in a long time! How about Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, 2089 Atwood Avenue, Madison, WI. A Bloody Mary served with a cheese curd! Here’s a link http://www.montysblueplatediner.com

First times a Charm

2012-01-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

When his dad called and quizzed me about my plans to take his boy out ice fishing I could hear the hesitation in his voice. The recent accidental drowning of Packers coach , Joe Philbin’s son and several other deaths related to the ice, safety has been brought to the forefront for most fisherman. I assured him we would be on our best behavior for his first outing. Right now Lake Winnebago has a few bays on the West

side that have ice but the main lake basin is still looking like Swiss cheese.The bays have ice varying from 3 to 7 inches. I felt pretty honored that someone put enough faith in my outdoor talents to release their child to me for his very first ice outing.Its really the ultimate complement for a guide or just a person in general .

Although fishing was slow Peter Streblow managed his very first perch through the ice. Ice fishing is as safe as you make it and taking chances usually ends up getting people in trouble fast. The recent cold snap is great for making ice but don’t get a false sense of security.Last week ,there was open patches on the lake that now are iced over and covered by a layer of snow. Who knows how much ice is under that snow so we still need to use caution . The fish are biting on Lake Winnebago and most can come up and enjoy it if they use common sense and extreme caution .

Contact the sport shops, talk to a guide or other local fisherman before you venture out. Go in a group and don’t be the great explorer . If you have questions pertaining to Lake Winnebago I can be reached at fdloutdoors@gmail.com or visit our site www. fonddulacoutdoors.com to see updated reports. We didn’t catch a lot today but the boys had fun .

A first of sorts

2012-01-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Can you remember your first fly rod?

After years of fishing walleye and bass tournaments and having three kids I knew the pace of my fishing was going to come to a screeching halt. There wasn't a weekend that went by and I was off on some pre fishing trip or at home fishing Lake Winnebago fine tuning my tournament approach. Often friends would ask how I got started fishing and my mind always
shot back to trout fishing on the Mecan River in Wisconsin when I was eleven. To this day I can remember the very hole and that first "thump" on my pole. I'll never forget throwing that trout on the bank and looking at the colors and thinking how beautiful it was. It was cold that day and my fingers were froze and my toes were so cold in my rubber boots. I also remember the guides freezing up and how good the sun felt on my face when it finally shined on the river bank.
I trout fished on and off over the next thirty or so years but it was never anything meaningful and it always felt like a race to the stream and back home again. One Christmas a few years back my 8 year old son so proudly gave me a neatly wrapped package that he bought at a school charity event. Every year his school ran a "Elf's are Us" event where the children bought presents for their
moms and dads and proceeds would go to help cut cost of tuition. So I unwrapped my gift and low and behold my first fly rod...... a seven dollar fly rod. I looked it over, hugs and kisses where exchanged and Christmas went on and a new tournament of sorts was on my mind. I needed to catch a fish on that fly rod.
Well come spring, our annual trips to the Driftless area of Wisconsin was the perfect place to give my new fly rod a whirl .So it was packed among other spinning gear and I made halfhearted efforts over the next five or six trips to catch a trout and I was unsuccessful . What I didn't realize was happening as time went by was that I was finally slowing down and soaking things in. I stumbled onto a fly shop in Virouqa WI called the Driftless Angler. I knew in my mind if I was going to catch a fish on this rod I needed to seek "Professional Help", so to speak. So I talked to Mat and Geri, the shop owners, and they hooked me up with a few basics, They fixed this thing you call a leader and tippet and asked if I had a thermometer at which point I held up my index finger . A few pink squirrels, blue wing olives and a midge or three later out the door I went with more confidence than ever. Map in hand, I headed to the north fork of the Bad Axe. After working out a few casting issues I proceeded to catch my first brook trout on that fly rod.
Since then, I make even more trips to the driftless area with my two sons and always have my fly rod along. I have moved on from the seven dollar version and I will never buy one of those thousand dollar sabers. I still am very frugal and just like that trout I caught when I was eleven, I will never forget my first fly rod.

http://www.cofisher.blogspot.com/2011/12/windknots-fishing-timeline-contest.html

LUMIX DMC-TS3 A Camera for the Outdoors

2011-11-30T09:41:00.000-08:00

After destroying two inexpensive point and shoots this year it was time to invest in a little better outdoor camera. My camera is almost like my wallet and I usually have it with me or near me all the time. This means it sees tree stands,trout streams, ATV rides and every condition mother nature wants to throw at it . Outdoor photography is dirty work and the camera falls in the snow,lays on stream banks and is handled with fish slimy hands .I took some great photos in the past with my point and shoots but It was time to search out a camera that was shock proof and water proof. I chose the LUMIX DMC-TS3(FT3) by Panasonic. Quad Protection-waterproof, dustproof, freezeproof and shockproof, this should have me covered wherever Wisconsin takes me this year. The built-in GPS function, compass, altimeter and barometer are some of the extra bells and whistles of the camera. Did I forget to say WATERPROOF ? If you think you’ll be seeing blog posts of underwater walleyes and beatitful brown trout from Wisconsin FINtastic Outdoors you’ll have to wait awhile . I like the notion of having a little extra protection if I drop my camera into my favorite trout stream or lake BUT that’s as far as it goes for now.You can get a mountain of information off the internet about buying a camera but I almost found it annoying . Its SO much information to sort through it left me feeling exhausted after a night of research . Go to the stores,talk to other outdoor bloggers and photographers , and ask the camera experts to explain the features and it will help you . WWW.Fonddulacoutdoors.com

Almost Nuts

2011-10-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

America's Mental Health, State By State

The report shows 24.2 percent of Rhode Island residents experienced some form of mental illness.Worst in the Country

The report shows 16.7 percent of Maryland residents experienced some form of mental illness.The Best in the country!

The report shows 21.2 percent of Wisconsin residents experienced some form of mental illness which is number 11 on the list.

That means I'm only three percentage points away from being certifiable !

What can I say, I'm crazy about fishing!

If you haven't heard, Hank has a new song.....

2011-10-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

If it doesn't get your foot tapping, I do have a defibrillator.

Don't Forget to Charge!

2011-10-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Every 3 months or so when your in the down season, make sure to charge your Vexilar and camera batteries. The worst thing for a vex battery is non use or sitting there for months dead. I charge them at the end of ice fishing season and maybe twice in the summer. Now is the time to take the battery out and make sure your contacts are clean . The small connectors can be replaced if needed and just go over the whole unit . You can wash the outer case in mild detergent and the same goes for the unit itself. Even though its 80 degrees ice fishing is right around the corner. If you follow these simple steps it will increase your battery life substantially .There is nothing worse than hitting the ice with a dead battery or having to invest in a new one to kick off the season. Work on the shanty starts Monday and I’ll post some tips for shanty upkeep later in the week. Until then get out and enjoy our Indian summer.

Hank Williams Jr. Ditched By ESPN Over Obama Hitler Comments

2011-10-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

‎"Hank Williams Jr. Ditched By ESPN Over Obama Hitler Comments"

Hey ESPN, its the other way around!
“After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.”

I encourage all bloggers to repost this in their own

blog!

ESPN can't sensor the bloggers!

please pass it on....

That's Life

2011-10-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Twenty five years ago we had:

Ronald Regan
Johnny Cash
Bob Hope

Today

OBAMA

NO CASH

NO HOPE!

What a Year! 2011 trout Season

2011-09-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

Male Brown Trout

The 2011 trout season is in the books and for me it was filled with many events that will make for great campfire tales for years to come.Wading through chest high snow to get to the stream, I started the season with a grand 20 inch male brown trout on my third cast and proceeded to land at least another 30 trout that day. It was a great day on the river, tucked away in the pines, the wind howled on that day and the fish were really biting .The celebration would be short lived ,for on my way home my foot was heavy which landed me a nice speeding ticket. It kind of brought me into the cellar for the day but I was still excited and looked forward to my next trip to the stream . The very next outing in the same area I wound up driving into a four foot ditch that was marked as a road to the parking area .We ended up needing a wrecker to winch us out and adding insult to injury ,we never caught a fish all day. Revisiting my recent trout fishing memories, I was very alert obeying all traffic signs on the way home and thank goodness because officer friendly was waiting at the same intersection for me .I smiled and waved with all my fingers extended as I passed.

Opening weekend went fine with many trout caught and it was fairly uneventful. The boys and I camped and we were greeted with sunshine and mild temps the entire weekend. Between us, we must have caught over 200 trout over a three day span and my son landed his first fish on a fly rod at the ripe age of twelve .Both my sons have become very savvy trout anglers and I always look forward sharing a piece of the stream with them .
That brings us to Fathers day weekend. Fathers day weekend started low key but by Saturday night, after 5 inches of rain , we ended up in the middle of a flash flood in Vernon county . It was a near panic situation for me and two boys as we abandoned the tent and sleepng bags as the river rose to a trechorus level in a matter of minutes. We ended up sleeping the night in a parking lot in Virouqa, Wi and traveled home the next day .

Flash flood

As I sit here and recount my tale of trout I realize that it was a fairly wild year for me .No broken bones or horrific accidents but enough added stress to put a few more gray hairs atop my head. I'll consider myself lucky but I will do it again and again until every last hair on my head is silver . So how do you put a exclamation point on a year as such?One last trip and a quad super slam of course! A rainbow,brown, brook and a tiger trout all in the same day,Saturday September 24.

It has been a year of great highs and lows but as I put my gear away tonight I can't help but think what stream I will hit first come February.

One Last Shot

2011-09-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Going to hit the stream one more time before it closes. Soon we will be counting the days until we can fish again and I will be struggling though the snow banks to catch a glimpse of trout that have been untouched and resting in their deep dark log filled holes in the off season. That is also a peaceful time on the river so its something to dream about after that last day of September . I think its 8 days to go.

I'm off......

Yes, fish bite twice!!!

2011-09-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have on occasion thought I have caught the same fish twice in an outing in my many years of fishing but could never really prove it other than saying I did. Well I had a surprise when cleaning fish yesterday. I was perch fishing on Lake Winnebago and I was using a technique called dead sticking. Its nothing more than hanging a bait over the side of the boat and watching your rod tip but now days everything has to have a fancy name. Anyways, I saw a bite and set the hook and my line broke. Images of a monster perch swirled in my head like a kid on Christmas Eve night. I proceed to catch a nice bunch of perch and headed home to clean. I was on my 5th perch when I saw a line out of one's mouth. Sure enough,there was my tube bait and red hook swallowed by a perch.
When I started to think about it and how odd it might be, its really not unusual for a fish to bite twice. The hook feels no different than sharp spiney fins and the soft tube body must feel no different than a minnow. I did ,however, set the hook hard and thought I rocked him pretty good . I was wrong.

Lake Winnebago remains strong in September

2011-09-12T08:51:00.001-07:00

Fisherman on Lake Winnebago will remember the summer on 2011 as one of the best on record for ALL species. Anglers have been blessed this year with perch, bluegills and a great walleye bite that has lasted through September. Years ago the lake bite for walleyes would start around mid April and by the 3 week of June it was tough going for walleye fishing. We have always had a strong shad and trout perch hatch and by the third week of June they would be perfect eating size for the walleyes thus the bite died . Many things have happened since then to change how and when fish are feeding on the lake. The shad and trout perch are still here but competition from whitebass, smallmouth and a huge Largemouth presence might be making it harder for the walleyes to find a meal.Don't forget the ever present sheephead and perch are also at the buffet table competing for food. The spring hatches have to last all the species into next spring when the young of the year arrive once again . Besides some competition for food, Lake Winnebago simply has tons of fish in it right now. We are in great shape on the lake and I think ice fishing will be just as good if not better. I would look to areas not often fished because new patterns are emerging on the lake every day. Look for perch,bluegill and white bass to provide great early ice action . Here are some pictures of 2011 catch

EASY CANVAS PRINTS REVIEW

2011-09-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Wow people , I've been slacking . Its been at least a couple weeks since my last chance to really sit down
and give a meaniful post.The last few weeks I have always felt rushed or had poor content so I opted to not post at all .Fishing hasn't been on the top of the list ,kids back to school, and redecorating the living room, the fishing poles have been neglected. Oh, the damn priorities. Well, in the past weeks I got the opportunity to do a review for http://www.easycanvasprints.com/ The great people there contacted me so I jumped at the chance. The idea is that you provided them a photo and they turn it into a piece of art on canvas. A few weeks back you might have looked at my "Lighthouse in a Storm" picture. I took 50 photos that night and I got a couple gems out of the batch that I thought would work great. So I went to their site Followed the diretions and within a week I received my print.
They shipped UPS and the box came well packaged, nice and neat. I was awestruck when I opened my box. . I chose the 16 X 20 canvas and It is absolutely gorgeous . Cant wait to get it hung in our newly painted living room. I know my buddy Trout Magee would love this stuff. He has so many great pieces of art work just screaming to jump on a canvas. http://fishing-catchingchronicles-troutmagee.blogspot.com/.
Cofisher at Windknots & Tangled Lines got a chance to review this product as well I believe. This would make great stuff for family portraits and gifts for Grandma and Grandpa . Hoping to get out fishing again soon and maybe get a photo of a monster trout or walleye
for another canvas. Well until next time,
Good Fishin!!!!

Lake Winnebago Bluegills

2011-08-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Looking over a body of water the size of lake winnebago can seem overwhelming if your looking to find bluegills.Don't let the size of the lake scare you into thinking its a needle in the haystack approach to finding fish. Weeds...weeds...weeds..... The much cursed zebra muscle has cleared the water on lake Winnebago. The result was sun penetration which gave our lake some beautiful weed beds . I'm looking for weed beds in front of feeder creeks,man made channels and bays. I fish directly outside any place that typically holds fish in early spring. After the bluegill spawn and are done feeding they move out to the weeded flats directly adjacent to theses creeks and channels. Now of course not all weeds are created equally. . You will find floating weed masses and if you can motor to the middle of these often you will find pockets . I anchor in these pockets and fish a small ice jig under a float.Typically it takes a while for a area to settle down after you approach it with a motor. Big gills area very spooky in these weed flats so a stealth approach is needed.Give a spot at least 15 minutes and move on. On calm days I will just use a trolling motor and 14 foot cane pole and flip weed pockets or weed edges in 3 to 5 feet of water . Staying mobile is also advantageous on days . It seems you'll catch a few big ones and the school breaks up a bit and moves. Other days the fish will hold tight and the same spot will produce all day. When the bite dies don't just assume the fish quit feeding ,move until you find some additional active fish.

Summer Time Trout

2011-08-06T14:32:00.001-07:00

So what makes a guy leave the comfort of home and all the fishing on Lake Winnebago and trade it for 8 foot tall nettle plants, biting flies and mosquitos? The love of trout I guess. My son and I had a couple days before his fall football begins so we took a trip over to the southwest corner on the state to get some last minute trout fishing done. We had the pleasure to camp at Kick

apoo Stump Dodger Campgrounds in Gays Mills, Wisconsin . This place is really nice and quiet, very clean and out of the way. They are equipped with RV sites and tent sites. They all include a fire pit and picnic table and firewood, water and electrical hookups are also available The rates were 10.00 for a tent and 18.00 for a camper which are super cheap . Jim Showen is the owner and a great guy. They even have a swimming pool and nice hot showers. I really recommend this campground as its one of the the cleanest around. . Be sure to check out their web page at http://www.ksdcampground.com/.

The trout fishing this time of year is all what you make it. You need to be prepared to fight the bugs and itch weed and super tall grass. Gnats are a big problem but a 50/50 mixture of vanilla extract and water in a spray bottle does the trick. Be sure to have mosquito spray along too as there is no lack of those biting devils either. The fish are still there and are plenty hungry but early fishing is a must. The cool temps of the morning are easier on the fisherman and the fish. Fish were feeding on top in almost every pool we fished early. By 9:00to 10:00 AM you could feel the heat of the day set in and the fish drifted to their day time hiding spots deep under grass covered under cuts.Towards fall the evenings will cool fast also and you can get some evening fishing done as well. Several apple orchards, wineries, and great scenery are just a few of the other things a person can enjoy if you’re not on the trout stream .We never caught any monster trout the last few days but we learned, laughed and had a nice shore lunch .

NOAA Radar picks up fly hatch in Wisconsin

2011-08-03T07:12:00.001-07:00

Is this crazy or what?

Mayfly hatches have been showing up on NWS La Crosse's radar over the past few weeks, with one of the strongest returns showing up on Friday evening. Below is an image from 9:17pm with the high reflectivity being a Mayfly hatch along the Mississippi River.Man, the fish are eating good.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/arx/mayflyhatchjuly292011.png