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Joe Shead

Yellow bass fishery developing a legion of angling fans in southern Minnesota

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing /

It’s not every day that a new fishery develops, but southern Minnesota anglers have been buzzing about an exploding yellow bass population in the Fairmont area in recent years.
“They showed up (in the Fairmont chain of lakes) first in 2012, caught by an ice angler,” said Nate Hodgins, assistant area DNR fisheries supervisor in the Windom office.
Hodgins said the fish likely were stocked illegally by area anglers. He said they could have come from the Iowa Great Lakes, which are relatively close by and where the species is native.

Yellow bass fishery developing a legion of angling fans in southern Minnesota Read More »

Habitat projects aim to improve Driftless Region grouse numbers in Wisconsin

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, National News, News, Wisconsin /

Hunters who remember the ruffed grouse heydays of the 1970s and 1980s in the Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin may be scratching their heads, wondering what happened. Today, grouse are few and far between in that region, and most hunters venture north if they’re looking for a few partridge.
“Unfortunately, the Driftless Region is kind of the opposite of a conservation success story when it comes to grouse,” said Alaina Roth, Wisconsin DNR ruffed grouse specialist.

Habitat projects aim to improve Driftless Region grouse numbers in Wisconsin Read More »

Move to tip-downs to improve ice-fishing success

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing /

Tip-downs seem to be an under-utilized ice-fishing tool in Minnesota. But these passive fishing setups are dynamite for light-biting perch and crappies, and they can help you cover more water. 
Perhaps the reason they haven’t caught on here is because ice anglers are allowed only two lines in Minnesota, compared with three lines in Wisconsin or four in North Dakota. Or maybe because winters here are too cold. Tip-downs work best when the temperature is above freezing. That said, you might consider adding them to your ice-fishing arsenal.

Move to tip-downs to improve ice-fishing success Read More »

Joe Shead: Minnesota’s northeastern deer hunting bleak at best

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting, Opinion /

You hear it all the time from northland deer hunters: There are no deer. There are too many wolves. The Minnesota DNR doesn’t know what it’s doing.
Usually, I just brush this kind of talk aside. I figure if the people saying it spent more time in a tree and less time on a barstool, perhaps their fortunes would improve. But now, at this point, I’m with them.

Joe Shead: Minnesota’s northeastern deer hunting bleak at best Read More »

Targeting these nontraditional species through the hard water can be fantastic fun

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing /

They are the seemingly odd types you might have ignored in high school. They’re a little different.
Under-appreciated. A bit “off” by conventional standards? But that’s OK for those anglers who pursue something other than walleyes and crappies under the ice. True, these “freaks” may be considered the ugly ducklings of the fish world, but they will out-fight any walleye, and some of them can hold their own in the frying pan.

Targeting these nontraditional species through the hard water can be fantastic fun Read More »

From mines to the metro, here are some hard-water opportunities for inland trout in Minnesota

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing /

The winter trout season may not draw the fanfare and hoopla of the spring walleye opener in Minnesota, but try telling that to a devoted cadre of hardcore, hard-water anglers. Although most ice-fishing opportunities exist in the northern part of the state, no matter where you live, there is probably a chance to tangle with trout nearby.

From mines to the metro, here are some hard-water opportunities for inland trout in Minnesota Read More »

Once safe ice has formed, the time to fish is immediately

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing /

The early-ice period, shortly after freeze-up, is one of the most productive fishing times of the winter season. Green weeds are still producing oxygen, fish have ample food, and the thin ice makes it easy to drill a lot of holes quickly to find fish.
I used to mostly put my fishing rods away as soon as the early goose season opened in September. But each year, I fish more and more during the fall because the fishing is just that good.

Once safe ice has formed, the time to fish is immediately Read More »

Joe Shead: Was seeing Bob Dylan really worth the curse of the ‘Breakup Buck’?

Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, Minnesota, National Hunting /

She wasn’t from a hunting family. So when she opened the passenger door of my truck and her gaze fell on the small hank of mesh camouflage on the seat, I immediately realized what she must be thinking.
“What is that?” she asked, arms akimbo and eyes narrowing to laser beams.

Joe Shead: Was seeing Bob Dylan really worth the curse of the ‘Breakup Buck’? Read More »

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