Column: Woods & Water, by Dick Herfindahl

It was a couple of weeks ago already, but it seems like only yesterday that my grandson Dylan and I attended the Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener.

With each opener I have attended, it always seems like the weekend of events just flies by. Before you know it, you are sitting at home wondering where it went.

This one seemed even more so to me because I had my grandson along, and our host and fishing guide made it extra fun for us.

Dylan was impressed with all the hospitality and how friendly everyone was, but one of the highlights of his trip was rubbing elbows with a fisherman he saw quite often on Linder’s Angling Edge TV show and also Midwest Outdoors. The reason that he recognized him was because his part of the show featured northern pike fishing, which is Dylan’s favorite.

Last week, our fishing host Bill Conger made the weekend go by way too fast when he shared so many interesting facts about the area, while doing a great job of hunting walleye for us. He told me about the excellent things that the Lake Vermilion Sportsman’s Club does to preserve and improve the lake.

The club brought attention to the increasing number of cormorants, which was linked to the declining numbers of perch in the lake. The perch are a significant part of the life cycle of the lake because they are the main food source for the gamefish in the lake.

The birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, but limited control of these birds is allowed in Minnesota by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2013 they devised a plan to bring the number of cormorants down, while increasing the perch numbers.

It appears the perch population has grown since the plan was implemented, and the planned control will continue by monitoring the perch numbers each year.

I have never kept my love of northern Minnesota a secret, and spending time there seems to rejuvenate me and put a little extra spring in my step, which I can really use. Whether I am at my cabin or just sitting on an area lake, I am always on the lookout for wildlife. Any time I can spot a creature doing its thing in its natural habitat, it gives me a good feeling inside.

One year, as I was fishing a small nearby lake with my grandson, Trevor, and a couple of our friends, we spotted some otters playing in the lily pads. They were swimming along the shoreline rolling and jumping in the pads. They seemed like a bunch of kids playing at the pool.

We also have a beaver that resides on our little lake, and from time to time it will make its presence known by slapping its tail on the water. A few weeks ago, my wife and I were at the cabin when she decided to walk down to the lake. She must have disturbed the beaver because it started swimming back and forth in front of her as if it was staking a claim to its territory.

One night, a few years ago, I awoke to the sound of what seemed like someone throwing large rocks into the lake. Upon further investigation, I discovered that it was a beaver slapping its tail on the water in the middle of the night.

I have on more than one occasion been fishing on a lake when a beaver would start swimming around the boat, chattering and slapping its tail as if trying to scare me off. It’s fun to see how different animals try to protect their territory as long as you’re not talking skunk.

On one occasion, I happened to be fishing a lake when a loon began swimming back and forth under the boat, which made us nervous enough to reel in our lines so as not to have to deal with an angry loon on the other end. I soon discovered that we were fishing a little too close to where they were nesting, so I surrendered and moved on to a different spot.

You don’t have to go far from home to witness animals protecting their young. I can usually tell when one of the neighborhood cats is in the yard because the birds will start warning the others if danger is near. There is none better at this than the common blackbird. I know that we have all heard one of them noisily chirping as if they were scolding someone. That is about the time you will see the neighborhood feral cat slinking its way back home.

Now is a good time to do a little shore fishing on some of our area lakes. It’s still early enough in the season for the fish to be shallow. Although most area lakes are usually pretty good all summer, I still believe that spring and early summer produce the most fish. Shore fishing on most area lakes is fairly easy with many lakes offering fishing piers that are there for the public to enjoy. Fountain Lake has an abundance of places to fish from shore, and both Beaver and St. Olaf lakes have nice fishing piers.

Not having a boat shouldn’t stop anyone from packing a picnic lunch, throwing in the fishing poles and going to an area lake for a day of great family fun.

Until next time, the fish should be biting so take a little time to get out and enjoy the great Minnesota 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.

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