Travis Carter, Elk Point, S.D., and Dan Foss, Onawa, Iowa, captured first place in the Seventh Annual First Class Cat Attack Saturday.

Forty-five teams of catfish anglers headed out into a rain-swollen Missouri River from the South Sioux City Public Boat Dock at 7 a.m. for the competition.

A heavy rain the night before, put the Big Sioux River at nearly bank full and foiled many angler’s plan of fishing that stream.

The high water made this the toughest fishing of any of the events, but Carter and Foss brought in eight channel catfish for a total of 26.40 pounds.

The pair took home a check for $1,373.

The 45 teams from six states weighed-in 98 channel cats and eight flatheads for a total of 106 catfish.

Total weight of all fish was 210.30 pounds. No blue catfish were caught this year.

No team weighed a limit of 10 fish. Two teams weighed nine and five teams weighed eight.

Second place went to Shane Jones, Westfield, Iowa, and Adam Conlon, Sioux City, $968, 14.15 pounds.

Third place: Roger Titze and Tron Glaser, Sioux Falls, $653, 13.70 pounds.

Fourth place: Dwayne Huss, Sioux City, and Roger Huss, Amazonia, Mo., $293, 13.05 pounds.

Fifth place: Josh Zahner, Holstein, Iowa, and Ben Cleavland, North Sioux City, $203, 13.05 pounds.

Sixth place: Doug Wagner, Jefferson, S.D., and Wes Whitead, Sioux City, $113, 12.30 pounds

Seventh place: Michael Eck, Elk Point, and Steve Hopkins, $100, 11.20 pounds.

Eighth place: Mike Gordon and Brian Smith, Lawton, $100, 10-pounds.

Ninth place: Bill B. Watts, North Sioux City, and Bill L. Watts, Farmington, Minn., $100, 9.60 pounds.

Big Fish Award went to Roger Titze and Tron Glaser, Sioux Falls, $212 for a 8.60-pound flathead.

Second big fish went to Robert Peterson and Russell Berg, Sioux City, $159 for a 7.30-pound channel cat.

Third big fish went to Brant Kurtz and Travis Deeds, Correctionville, $106 for a 6.45-pound channel cat.

Noon weigh-in winner was Larry Stroman, Moville, and Joel Stodola, Sioux City, $100 for a 6.40-pound channel catfish. They also placed fourth in the big fish division and won $53.

Bike Giveaway winners were Kinslee Walrod, 2, and Cael Walrod, 4.

Total cash payout was $4,533 with merchandise prizes worth $2,000, for or a total of $6,533.

For more info, www.firstclasscatattack.tk.

It’s not really all that complicated; first you have to understand why fish do certain things and when they’ll do it!

What you need to do is to think like a fish.

In order to understand fish, you first need to understand the senses a fish uses to survive.

One of the most misunderstood senses of the fish would be its lateral line.

A fish’s lateral line is made up of a bundle of nerves whose projecting hairs is enclosed in a gelatinous substance located on either side of the fish.

The lateral line is sensitive to changes in the water pressure and as the pressure changes either by a change in depth or an approaching fish or creature causes the hairs to vibrate, sending signals to the brain allowing the fish to detect movement that they may not have see.

The lateral line also helps fish to swim in tight schools with out running into each other.

The eyesight of a fish is similar to that of we humans, they’re able to detect both brightness and color.

Fish that roam the shallow water, such as bass have excellent eyesight.  In bright light, bass see many of the colors that humans are able to see.

Other species of fish won’t have the full line of color perception that humans do.

Since water filters out colors, fish located in deeper water can’t detect all the colors that shallow water cousins can.

Walleyes for instance see primarily orange and green, with all other colors appearing as different shades of gray.

Fluorescence hold their color longer in deeper water, what this means is that the fish are more apt to see a florescent colored lure better in deeper water.

Fish that feed in deep water aren’t able to distinguish the different colors so instead of responding to color, they respond to vibration and the flashes of light coming off predators, prey fish or your lure.

All species of fish have an excellent sense of hearing.  Part of the reason that a fish hears so well is because water conducts sound better than air.

Fish don’t have ears like other animals; they pick up sound through the bones located in their head.

The way one species of fish will relate to sound varies from one species to another.  The vibration made by an angler walking along a bank can spook trout, but panfish don’t seemed to be bothered by noise.

I can attest for this first hand as a few years ago, we were SCUBA diving in Lake Francis Case, most of the fish in the area that we were working, moved away when from the bubbles coming from our gear.  The panfish weren’t afraid at all and came closer with the more racket we made.

Taste is another sense that fish have.  Taste is not one of their primary senses and not many fish rely heavily on just this sense when feeding.

The exception to this rule is the bullhead and catfish family.  They have very poor eyesight and rely heavily on the taste receptors located on the outside of their mouth in their barbells or whiskers to help locate food.

The sense of smell is excellent in most species of fish.  As they move through the water, their sense of smell is continually being used, checking out the surrounding body of water.

While swimming through the water, the water passes through the nasal sac located in the snout.  The water enters through the front openings, passes over nerve endings or receptors located inside the head and then flows back out the rear openings.  The receptors send messages to the fish’s brain letting the fish know what’s happening in their aquatic environment.

The sense of smell varies from one species of fish to another.  Larger fish generally have large openings and more receptors making their sense of smell much better than that of a smaller fish.

The species of fish with the premier sense of smell is the salmon family.  When it’s spawning time, they use their sense of smell to travel hundreds of miles back to the stream where they were born.

Since fish have five senses that they use to locate food, it makes sense that we as anglers should use bait that arouses as many of those senses as possible.

In dark or stained water, the sense of sight won’t be as important as other senses such as their lateral line, smell or hearing will be.

When fishing dirty water, I’ll use a noisy, flashing lure with some type of live bait or attractant.  The noise or vibration given off by the lure will let the fish zero in on the bait using its lateral line and hearing.  The flash will help the fish to pick up any light changes coming off the lure and the live bait will not only add to the vibration but it will also be giving off a scent trail that the fish can follow.

In clearer water conditions, I’ll tone down the flash, as a bright flash in clear water is more apt to spook the fish.  If I’m using a spinner and crawlers, I’ll go with a lure that has smaller blades.

By knowing how the fish is going to hunt for food, you can use bait that will arouse more of the senses and lead the fish to your offering

Think like a fish and you’ll find that your fishing will become more enjoyable as your fish catching increases.

TEKAMAH, NEB. — It probably wasn’t the kind of day you would pick for catfishing, but nobody told the cats.

Pat Carter, Elk Point, S.D., and I arrived at Summit Lake in the middle of a morning rainstorm, but when the downpour turned to sprinkles, we launched my boat and headed out.

Pat had fished the lake a couple times before and was impressed with the channel catfish to be found there. When he suggested we give it a try, I was quick to agree.

For the past seven years, Pat and I have gotten together prior to Sioux City’s one and only catfish tournament and spend a day or an evening chasing “ole whiskers.”

It’s a tradition now and what began as a U.S. CATS sponsored tournament is now a local tournament with Pat as the director. Strong sponsor support from local businesses, headed by First Class Credit Union, and individuals is quickly making this event one of the premier catfish tournaments in the country.

Last year the First Class Cat Attack attracted 51 teams with entries from a seven-state area. This year Pat hopes to top 60 boats and is well on his way. Current entries exceed last year’s.

This year, the boats will blast off from the South Sioux City boat ramp with waters of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers eligible.

Last year’s event was won by Dean and Bruce Strobman of Sioux City with a single catch — a 56.60-pound blue catfish. Second was taken by Keith Copenhaver, Sioux City, and Chris Sharp, Merrill, Iowa with 10 fish weighing 40.90 pounds.

In all, anglers weighed in 155 fish totaling 500.15 pounds, the highest weight in the history of the tournament.

This year’s event will be July 24 with anglers fishing from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event has a $5,000 guaranteed payout. Cash awards will be given for first through 6th place with additional cash placements for over 30 teams. Seventh to 15th place teams will win door prizes. Additional door prizes will be offered including a trolling motor, depth finder and rods and reels.

Entry automatically qualifies teams for the 2010 Night Tournament from 7p.m. to 8 a.m. Sept. 4.

The public is welcome to the weigh-in at the ramp. A free cookout and drinks will be available beginning at 3 p.m.

Entry fee for the event is $100 with an optional $10 for the big fish Pot. Entries are being accepted at the Bacon Creek Country Store at 2520 Gordon Dr. Entries will also be accepted, cash only, the morning of the tournament. A mandatory rules meeting will begin at 6:30 a.m.

For more information, contact Pat Carter at (712) 281-1841 or email: imcoolcatpat@yahoo.com.

Check out the web site at: www.firstclasscatattack.tk

Oh, our Summit Lake catfish?

Suffice it to say that had we been in a tournament, we would have done well.

Isn’t that how it goes?

Lake Information:

Summit Lake

Where: 4 1/2 West, 1/2 South of Tekamah

Size: 190 acres

Max Depth: 30 feet

Boat Ramps: Two

Camping: Yes

Fish: Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Walleye

Motorboats: Limited to 5 mph (no wake).

Panfish: Daily bag limit is 10; channel catfish daily bag limit is three.

And we did just that for two days last week. In the boat were grandson Eric Fluharty, wife Fran, daughter Teri and Teri’s husband Patrick.

Patrick, Teri and Brandon live in Phoenix, Ariz., and do get a chance to fish in some of the ponds in parks around their home.

But it is not like climbing into a boat and fishing some of our Missouri River oxbows.

We put three spinning rods in rod holders out the back. One to the port side, one to the starboard side and one right out the back.

We were pulling my number one, go-to lure for this kind of fishing on any of our oxbow lakes, a Rebel F-77 Teeny Wee Crawfish. It doesn’t dive more than about three feet and if you shortline, it will go even less.

It’s one-and-a-half inches long and has a strong wobbling action that calls in any gamefish.

We used them in Chartreuse/Brown Back, Chartreuse/Green Back and Cajun Crawdad, a sort of neutral brown.

Most of the time there doesn’t seem to be a strong preference for color on the part of the fish, but on the second day, it was clear that the rod with the Chartreuse/Brown Back lure was getting all the action.

Eric ran the bow mounted trolling motor keeping our speed at about 1.5 miles an hour.

When one of the rods bent, Brandon grabbed it and landed the fish.

I’ve always been amazed at the Wee Crawdad’s ability to catch a wide variety of fish.

During the two days, we caught crappies, largemouth bass, including a couple of dandies, perch, channel catfish, white bass, bluegill and freshwater drum.

We also lost a very big fish which we think was a northern pike. The 10-pound-test line was either cut by the fish’s teeth or broke at a bad spot. I tend to think it was a northern, probably in the eight pound class.

We lost another big fish which straightened out our hook. That, I think, was probably a bass.

We released most of the fish, keeping only a couple crappies, a couple bluegills and a nice perch for a fish dinner.

We also fished Brown’s Lake for a couple of hours, catching a nice bass in the three pound class, a channel cat and a freshwater drum.

But the action was slow so we packed up and headed back to Snyder’s.

The hooks on a Wee Crawfish are size 14 which is very small. But don’t let that fool you. Small hooks dig in deeply and hang on like a bulldog.

Sometimes, however, I will replace the front hook with a quality size 10 or 12 treble, especially for walleyes.

Most of the time fish are hooked on the forward treble. The bigger hook does not seem to bother the action and if you only change out the forward hook it will not tangle with the back one.

That’s about the only adaptation I will make on this plug and a lot of the time I don’t even do that.

I tie the monofilament line, usually 8- or 10-pound test directly to the split ring provided at the lip of the lure.

The lighter line will ensure you get the greatest action from this little crankbait which weighs only 1/10 of an ounce.

It is a lure which is designed for ultra light fishing. If you are casting and cranking a 5- to 6 1/2-foot light or ultralight fishing rod with appropriate reel spooled with 4-pound-test line, that would be just right.

I’ve written about trolling with the Wee Crawfish before, but here’s a tip I have not revealed until now.

Late each fall rainbow trout are stocked in Crystal Cove Lake in South Sioux City and Bacon Creek Lake in Sioux City.

If you haven’t tried a Wee Crawfish for trout, make sure you do.

It’s been years since I first discovered how effective this little crankbait can be. I used to cast it to the shorelines on Storm Lake in April and Early May and wracked up stringers of pre-spawn walleyes.

Don’t get the idea that this is a miracle lure, however. There is no such thing.

But for a lot of our fishing the Wee Crawfish comes as close as any.

SELKIRK, Manitoba — It was back in 1986 when I first fished the Red River below the dam at Lockport, Manitoba, with Stu McKay.

Stu was working with the railroad at the time, but aspired to become a full-time guide on the Red River along the stretch long known as the Miracle Mile.

It was in early June and I just couldn’t believe that five of us boated over 1,000 pounds of channel cats in two days. I wrote about it and the next year came back. Stu had realized his dream and had purchased a concession right there called “Lily Ann’s.”

That quickly grew into “Cats on the Red,” and today he has a row of cabins and several guides working with him.

For several years, I fished the Red annually on my trips north. But, I had not been there for 10 years. It had been our 35 wedding anniversary and in eight hours of fishing with Stu, Fran and I landed 38 channel catfish with the biggest topping out at over 30 pounds.

We were there a week ago to once again sample the catfishing and to do some photography.

Fishing with Stu and his head guide Holly Chow, on Stu’s 24-foot pontoon boat, we landed 12 of the big cats in less than two and a half hours of fishing. And, we managed to prepare and eat breakfast on the boat at the same time.

We used big chunks of sucker meat for bait. Later, as the waters warm the cat’s preference will switch to big chunks of goldeye.

We fished the holes, looking for baitfish and cats swimming near the bottom with the depth finder, and then anchoring above them.

Once we found our spot, we dropped anchor and never moved.

I’ve often said that every fisherman owes himself at least one day on the Red. And that holds true today.

For more information on the Red, contact Stu at (204) 757-9876 or check out his website at www.catsonthered.net.

It was opening day of Iowa’s first turkey hunting season.

My two hen decoys were sitting 20 yards out in a picked cornfield and I sat, back against a tree along the timber’s edge.

I was a couple miles northeast of Linn Grove, Iowa, widely known for the good fishing below the low head dam over which the Little Sioux River flows.

A thunderstorm was forming over the valley and I counted after the lightning strikes to the sound of thunder to determine how far away the storm was.

One mile. That was close.

I could tell rain was pouring out of that little cell, but so far it was only a light sprinkle here.

I hen-yelped on my slate call but drew no answering gobble.

Then the sky opened up.

I was dressed in camo rain gear but this was too much. I jumped up and ran 50 yards back into the timber and took shelter in a deer house.

When the rain let up I went back out and set up again.

Thirty minutes later another storm cell opened up and this one spewed out hail stones the size of marbles. And lots of them.

Again I ran for the deer house.

I spent an hour in there, napping in the folding canvass chair from time to time.

When I awoke, the sky had lightened a lot and it looked as though the sun might come out.

Back to the tree I went.

I was hunting on land owned by Paul and Sheila Thomsen who operate the Inn Spiration Bed and Breakfast, where Jim McDonnell, Royal, Iowa, and I were guests for three days of turkey hunting.

Paul has 370 acres of great deer and turkey habitat. He has 220 acres of timber, 75 acres of CRP/WRP and 75 acres of corn, beans and food plots. He also leases other nearby land for hunting guests.

McDonnell, a longtime friend and fishing guide on the Iowa Great Lakes, hunts turkeys with a bow. His blind was set up on the other side of a couple of big draws away from me.

In the shelter of his Double Bull blind he should be dry.

I sent out a series of loud hen yelps on my Roost’em Calls slate and was answered with a gobble, deep in the wooded valley below me.

Over the next half hour, the turkeys gobbled three more times. Each time in a different place, but they were staying on the valley floor.

I decided to wait them out and just sat still.

A booming gobble erupted 30 yards to my right and a big tom stepped from the timber into view. His neck was stretched up and the big white head seemed to be peering more in my direction than at the decoys.

It never ceases to amaze me how well turkeys can pinpoint sound.

The tom began walking out into the field. Soon, he would disappear behind a tree between him and me and that’s when I would raise my gun.

Up came the gun and then I noticed a second tom ease out from the woods. And then a third.

The first tom was the biggest and as he stepped from behind the tree, I took a fine sight on the base of his neck and then squeezed the trigger.

He was down, and down for good. The other two toms didn’t move off until they saw me get up.

I tagged him and called in the report to the DNR by cell phone and then carried him out.

His beard measured 11 1/2 inches. His spurs were 7/8 of an inch. He was a big bird but weighed only 21 pounds, a reflection of a very tough winter.

Later that day another storm dumped 4 1/2 inches of rain and windrows of marble-sized hail.

Jim had seen one tom and four hens before the storm sent him back to the inn.

That evening we went back out to Jim’s blind but nothing came in. For the next two days, Jim hunted hard but no turkeys came into bow range.

As for me, I slept in the next two mornings. Drove on down to the dam to cast the muddy waters for walleyes, snagging only a few carp. And then sitting in the Dam Bait Shop talking fishing. Afternoons I lounged around the Inn.

For the first time in two and a half years, I actually felt retired.

The 7th annual Northeast Nebraska Whitetails Unlimited banquet was held Friday March 19th at the Wausa Fire Hall.

Whitetails Unlimited (www.whitetailsunlimited.com) is a national conservation organization promoting deer hunting and other outdoor activities, which headquartered out of Sturgeon Bay, WI. established in 1982 with over 100,000 members.

Approximately 425 people attended this year’s event where attendees had the opportunity to win numerous prizes including 40 guns and bows.

WTU banquets are family orientated events aimed at involving the entire family.

Our youth are very important to WTU, as they are the future of deer hunting and all outdoor sports.

Because of this, there are special promotions and contest held at the banquet designed especially for the youth.

WTU offers its members an avenue to raise funds to support common interests such as preserving the hunting tradition and educating the public on the importance of conserving our natural resources

At this years event, $48,000.00 was raised, much of which will remain in the area, being used for conservation and youth programs.

Funds raised from these WTU events, one half of which stays locally, is donated to numerous area activities.

In 2009 the Northeast Nebraska WTU donated  $20,906.00 to conservation related activities. Included in these were; donations to area schools, 4-H groups, hunter’s education, handicap hunters programs, archery clubs, area communities, conservation organizations and for state game & park projects.

Nationally, WTU has expended over $49.7 million d on projects which include: college scholarships, assistance to wildlife agencies, research, habitat enhancement, public education, hunter safety, anti-poaching measures as well as cooperative projects with other conservation organization

Chris Carlson, Wausa, NE. has handled the duties as the President of the Northeast Nebraska WTU since its inception seven years ago

The Northeast Nebraska WTU has 386 members from throughout Northeast Nebraska.

Northeast Nebraska Whitetails offers two $250.00 scholarships for those interested in going into an outdoor conservation related program in college.

Applications for these scholarship are due by April 15th and can be obtained by contacting N.E. Nebraska WTU President Chris Carlson @ the number listed below.

There are currently six WTU chapters in our area, those being Wausa, Emerson, Norfolk, In Nebraska, Yankton, SD and Anton, IA.

For more information on becoming part of the Northeast Nebraska WTU you can contact Chris Carlson, Wausa at 402-640-7053.

The most important of these is knowing the area the birds are using.

In order to find out this information, it will require pre season scouting as this allows you to have a plan put together ahead of time, so you’ll know the who, what, when and where before opening day.

By doing your pre-season scouting you’ll be able to figure out the bird patterns, where they’re roosting, where they’re coming out of the roost, their travel routes to and from feeding areas and how they get back to their roost just before dark.

Don’t make the mistake that some spring hunters do and use a turkey call while doing your scouting.

Once a bird hears the hen call, he may come running in and catch you out in the open, which is a good way to educate the bird.

When scouting, use a call that makes the Tom gobble, but not come your direction.

You’ll want to use a call that will cause the bird to shock gobble as these loud calls startle or shock the bird causing it to gobble.

Good shock calls can be a predator, owl or crow call as these are sounds that the birds have heard before that won’t make them come running in your direction.

These calls can be used during pre-season scouting and during the regular season.

Locating the tree the birds are using as a roost will be a big help, giving you a place to start on opening morning.

Roost trees are generally some of the tallest trees in the woods.  Look for trees with an accumulation of droppings and feathers under them, which is a pretty good indicator that the birds have used the trees as a roost.

If there are fresh droppings, those that are soft and damp it’s more than likely an active roost that has seen recent use.

Year in and year out unless harassed or forced out of the area, turkeys will roost in approximately the same location.

As you work your way through the woods, you’ll want to be on the lookout for fresh droppings or areas where the birds have been scratching or dusting themselves.

Scratching areas are those where the leaves have been scratched away so the birds can get at the seeds and insects.

These areas will also help you to identify the direction the birds are moving, as the leaves removed from the ground will be piled up in the opposite direction the birds are moving.

Like anything other type of hunting, your location is very important as turkeys like us are creatures of habit and once you figure out their routine, you’re well on your way to becoming a successful turkey hunter.

Unless disturbed, turkey will travel using about the same routes, traveling and feeding in the same general direction each day.

Now that you’ve scouted the area and have an idea as to where they’re roosting and feeding, you should be able to figure out where their travel routes are and to set for the birds.

By setting up near their roost you should be able to catch them as they fly down or return to the roost as well as setting up along their travel route, as chances are that sometime during the day, the birds will make their way through the area.

Lets look at several set ups that will work for calling turkeys early as well as later the day.

Roost Tree Set Up

Once you’ve located the roost, go back to the area just before dark, using your binoculars, glass the area and look for activity.

Just prior to dark, make a call or two with an owl or crow call and then wait for a response. If there are Toms in the area, they’ll shock gobble back at these calls.

To get set up in near a roost tree, you’ll want to make sure that you’re in the area well before sunrise, and get set up about 100 yards from where the birds are roosting.

If the birds haven’t been spooked or hunted hard, using decoys near a roost tree is a good option.

Turkeys have tremendous vision as well as hearing and a decoy that’s set off to the side will draw the birds attention away from the hunter, giving you the opportunity to move if needed to take the shot.

Generally I’ll use 2 decoys, one a Jake (a young tom) and the other a receptive hen in the ready position, crouched low to the ground.

The Tom will usually head straight for the Jake, hoping to frighten it off or intimidate it and if that doesn’t work, he’ll do his best to kick the feathers out of the younger bird.

Since I’m right handed and it’s easier for me to shoot off to my left, I place my decoys out in front of me on my left side about 25 yards as this is the range where my shotgun pattern is deadly.

Once set up, I’ll get the bird’s attention by making a soft yelp, like a hen that’s just waking up and as the sun starts to rise, I’ll get a little more vocal, trying to get the Tom to look in the direction of my decoys.

Once I’ve got his attention, I’ll do a fly down cackle, the sound the hen makes as she’s leaving the tree.

This is usually all it takes to get the birds to start pitching out of the trees.

Hopefully one of the Toms will come out, flying right down to the decoys. When this happens, all you need to do is to get him to strut on in and then give him a warning putt so he’ll stick his head out which gives you a good shot at his noggin and his neck.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the way it always happens!  If the hens all come out at the same time as the Tom, you’ve got your work cut out for you, as the Tom will hang up.

This means he’ll do his strutting around all of his lady friends and not come your way as no Tom in his right mind is going to leave a bunch of hens to go to a single bird.

If this happens, there’s only one thing you can do and that’s to try and call the boss hen to you.

The boss hen is the loudest one of the bunch and the bird that talks back to you as you call.

What’s she’s trying to do is to keep the Tom with her and to let that loud mouth hen off in the distance know if she doesn’t cool it, she’s going to come over and kick some tail.

As you call, she’ll get louder, so keep calling louder and unless the Tom takes them a way from you, she’ll come over to show you whose boss.

As she heads towards you, the rest of the flock will follow, including the Tom, giving you the opportunity to fill your tag.

This set up works well when hunting at first light as the birds leave the roost and evening hunting when the birds are returning to the roost.

Travel Route
Set Up

This is a set up where you get in between the roost tree and the birds feeding area.

You don’t need to be in their direct route as you should be able to call the birds off a few yards or so in either direction.

On this set up, you may not need a decoy as the birds are feeding in your direction, what you will need is to be fully camouflaged and hunkered down next to a tree or concealed in a blind.

When setting out in the open, whether it is against a tree or a bush, you’re going to have to be patient and set still.

There’s no need to get too carried away with the calling, as you know the birds are on their way.

A low contented cluck or purr will do the trick. All you need to do is to get a few of the birds to meander your way, which should bring the majority of them within gun or bow range.

As I mentioned before, don ‘t shoot at the Tom when his head is tucked in and he’s strutting as there’s less of the vital area, his head and neck showing in the strut, so hold your shot until his head is stretched out.

This too is another set up that works as the birds are going out to feed early in the day as well as later in the day as they are making they way back into their roosting area.

The only other method that I use in the spring to call turkeys is a late season tactic called “the run and gun.”

The run and gun method is one where I work the ridge tops, calling from time to time, hoping to get a response.

Once I get a response, I glass the area the gobble came from and once I locate the bird, I try to get out in front of the bird and call him in.

If he has a harem of hens with him and won’t leave them, once again, I’ll go to work on the boss hen and see if I can’t get her to bring the birds my way.

Spring turkey hunting is a great sport; where you need to be concealed well, set still and have a lot of patience as very seldom does anything happen too quickly during the spring turkey season.

When it does happen, you’ll find that all of your pre-season scouting and the time you put in the woods were well worth your effort.

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

Crappies are among the first game fish to bite well right after the ice goes out.

It’s a pre-spawn movement to the shallows and the fish will stay there through the month of April in our area, through May in central Minnesota and into June in northern Minnesota.

Spawning crappies need some sort of structure to spawn on. In natural lakes that is often last year’s reed beds or downed timber along the shoreline. In ponds and small reservoirs they will be attracted to submerged trees or other woody structure. If the lake does not have trees or wood, rocky shorelines along the face of the dam will attract them. I’ve even found them along glacial rocks on the shorelines of South Dakota lakes. Also, don’t overlook boat docks, boat hoists or other man-made structure.

For the earliest fishing, think warm water. Warmest water right after ice-out will be found in canals, boat channels or around stream inlets.

The crappies will stay in these areas unless weather drives them out. Strong winds pushing waves into the shallows will cause the crappies to move out to deeper water. Here they will suspend until things tame down. You can often spot them on your depth finder over these flats if they have left the shoreline.

You need to be rigged right to take best advantage of early spring crappies. This means light tackle. I prefer light action rods in 5- to 6-feet lengths and light spinning reels spooled with four-pound-test line.

One-sixteenth-ounce jigs below a small bobber will be the best lures. I use mini jigs or marabou jigs in white or yellow and don’t bother to tip them with a minnow. Road Runner jigs in the same size work well. Just cast and reel them back slowly.

Some days they prefer the jig, some days the extra flash of the Road Runner. It’s up to you to find out what works best.

How can you not like the sound of hundreds to thousands of geese overhead?

Limits are liberal (15 birds daily or higher), and the late winter / spring seasons, geography depending, are often generous (check yours as many are underway, and dates vary). Though difficult to decoy and call to your position at times, snow geese (a.k.a. “light geese”) help guys like us bridge winter recreation and turkey hunting to come.

The reason: excessive numbers warrant nontraditional methods. In short, light geese compromise arctic habitat, breeding and feeding there after the migration north concludes. Wildlife management attempts to solve such challenges. We as hunters benefit.

Some tips to hunting light geese include:

SCOUTING SERIOUSLY

Your effort to find them might begin where they roost, and include locating a nearby field where they feed and/or might forage. Study them for a pattern of use. They’ll often move and feed early in the day and later in the afternoon, loafing elsewhere during midday. Sometimes too they just move on.

STUDYING MAPS

Study maps, drive and glass fields, and seek landowner permission at all costs, explaining what you’ll be doing and even why. Set your spread at midday for later afternoon hunts. If it feels right, get back there the next morning too. Don’t pressure a spot; then again, hunt it while it’s hot and even just a little warm.

BLENDING IN

As camouflage goes, wear white if snow covers the ground, or standard options if you’re in a layout blind or using natural cover. Blend in, no matter what. Snows feel the pressure, and adjust accordingly. If possible, hide all unnatural evidence, including your truck, trailer and four-wheeler. Make it look real.

USING FOUR WHEELS

Here’s where your Yamaha ATV or Side by Side comes in. Spreads should consist of as many snow goose decoys as possible. Full body snows, shell fakes, and silhouettes should round off your presentation. It’s not unusual for a hardcore snow goose hunter to place several hundred to even 1,000 or more dekes out in a field, and even use wing flags to impart movement to the spread. You’ll need your four wheels to haul that gear to and from your hunting location.

Yes, a lot of work, but there’s a pleasure in it only waterfowlers (and riders) know.