It seems like it was just yesterday when I was anticipating the onset of summer and now it is already winding down. We are experiencing what is considered typical August weather; warm sunny days and nice cool nights — I just don’t think that it gets much better than that!

This past week I had a chance to spend some time at the cabin with my sister Judy, brother-in-law Mike and their granddaughter Lexi. We were treated to some great weather and the fishing wasn’t all that bad either. We have tried to make this an annual event for at least the last few years. I did discover that Lexi really likes fishing and the whole outdoors experience. When we were at the cabin she took the paddle boat out by herself and did some fishing on our lake. Lexi has learned a lot about the outdoors experience by camping with grandpa and grandma and going to Rendezvous with Grandpa Mike. The fish in our lake seem to have gotten smaller with each passing year, but they are still fun to catch and there is always a chance that you will catch some table fare.

Although we didn’t keep many of the fish that we caught on some of the area lakes that we fished we did keep enough for one meal, and, I might add, it was mighty tasty. Judy likes to fish but even more so she just enjoys spending time in the outdoors and taking it all in. Both her and Mike think along those lines when it comes to enjoying the outdoors. I guess I’ve always believed that it’s not just about the fishing but the whole outdoors experience.

When you are fishing in August it is sometimes a challenge but the fish are usually more than willing to cooperate and this time was no exception. My fish locator decided to take a separate vacation this time — in other words it decided to quit working. This meant fishing the old fashioned way again and I have no problem with that. Fishing lakes that you are familiar with makes it easier to fish without a locator. Over the years I know that I have fished without a depth finder more than I have with one. I didn’t even have to revert back to the old marking the anchor rope trick on this trip but the thought did enter my mind for a fleeting moment.

This time of the year it is pretty easy to follow the weed line, especially if you are familiar with an area and know the approximate depth. A lot of the lakes in the area have steep drops so you can be 10 feet from lily pads or reeds and be in 20 feet of water. The bass were hanging out along the weed edges while the northern were in a little deeper water. I even managed to catch a nice walleye on a clown colored Rapala Husky Jerk; which is my grandson Trevor’s favorite color for the particular lake that we were fishing.

Whether we used live bait or artificial we seemed to have about the same results. There are times when fishing certain lakes that I feel live bait will out-fish artificial, but I really think that a lot of that has to do with being in your comfort zone. It was a good trip north enjoying memorable times spent with family.

Locally crappie and sunnies are being caught in the area of Edgewater Bay. One local fisherman said that the crappies are in the 8- to 9-inch range, which can make for some good table fare.

So until next time, grab your tackle and head to the lake because there’s still plenty of fishing to be done. Plus it’s just another great way to enjoy the outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

The Department of Natural Resources encourages hunters to apply early for deer permits, wolf licenses

Hunters who have yet to apply for an either-sex deer permit or wolf hunting and trapping licenses are encouraged to do so well before the Thursday, Sept. 6, deadline.

Nearly half of the state’s deer permit areas now are lottery areas, which means hunters must apply for and be selected to receive a permit that allows them to shoot antlerless deer in lottery areas.

Because many of these areas — focused in the northwestern, north-central and a portion of northeastern Minnesota — have not been lottery areas for years, the Minnesota DNR strongly recommends that hunters check to ensure the area where they hunt has not become a lottery area.

Hunters already have applied for more than half of the licenses available in each of the three wolf hunting seasons to be conducted this fall and winter. Applying early allows time for hunters to gather information needed for applications. Early application also helps reduce long lines and bottlenecks that can occur when hunters apply at the last minute.

Current and up-to-date information is available online at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/deer and www.mndnr.gov/hunting/wolf.

 

Dick Herfindahl’s column appears in the Tribune each Sunday.