Steve Heiting, Author at Outdoor News

Return to the river is a trip back to angling roots

Featured, Featured, Features, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Home Page News, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Fishing, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

Poets may say a brook babbles; writers will say a river murmurs. Those who truly understand the language of flowing waters know they whisper the voices of those who have gone before.
Driving many miles that still, rainy morning in June, I failed to recall the last time I had been there. But the river knew, and whispered “Where you been, boy? It’s been too long … where did you get the gray hair?”

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Big tiger muskie caught for at least the third time in Wisconsin

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, News, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

Thanks to the practice of catch-and-release, the thrill of boating a big tiger muskie has been experienced by at least two visitors to Wisconsin’s Northwoods.
On June 10, longtime muskie angler Ken Williams, of Fishers, Ind., caught a 45 1⁄2-inch tiger muskie when it struck a Musky Innovations Swimmin’ Dawg. He caught the fish from a weed-covered, mid-lake hump. When I texted a photo of Williams’ tiger to lodge owner and guide Rob Manthei, he recognized the fish as one that has twice been caught from his boat.

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Trempealeau County turkeys coy, but callable in Wisconsin

Featured, Features, Hunting, National Hunting, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

Had I spent another minute cutting prickly ash to create a spot to sit against a giant oak along a field edge, I may not have had a chance to kill a gobbler during Wisconsin’s second turkey hunting period. Let me explain.
The morning of April 26 dawned clear, cold and quiet as I sat on the edge of a field in Trempealeau County. No gobbling greeted the daylight, and the only turkey action I saw was the fly-down of two birds on the far side of the field.

Trempealeau County turkeys coy, but callable in Wisconsin Read More »

Avoid these five common mistakes made by muskie anglers

Featured, Featured, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Home Page News, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Fishing, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

I pulled the line above the reel to check the drag and found it paid out easily, much too loose to get hooks into a big fish.
As the guide, I made the mistake of not checking my client’s drag before we started fishing. In my defense, my client was a veteran of dozens of fishing tournaments, so I figured he knew better. In the 30-plus years I have taught fishing schools and guided fishermen, I’ve seen them make a lot of mistakes. Following are the five most common. Fortunately, all are easily corrected.

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Where to target muskies: Hard or ‘soft’ structure in warm weather?

One of the great mysteries in muskie fishing is where to find them, or at least where to find fish that will bite today. Should we fish hard structure or soft? There is no simple answer that will apply to every day – where you should fish varies with the day and the season.
Structure as defined in fishing lexicon is the bottom of the lake that doesn’t change, like breaklines and rocks. “Cover” on the other hand, is the stuff that changes or disappears with time, such as weeds, fallen trees, man-made cribs, etc. All fish species use structure and/or cover at some point every year.

Where to target muskies: Hard or ‘soft’ structure in warm weather? Read More »

Putting together a game plan for early-season muskies

Featured, Features, Fishing, Fishing, National Fishing, New York, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

Some of the most fun I have on the water is fishing for early-season muskies. Not only does it feel good to chase the big predators after months of hard water, but fish are typically easy to find and ready to bite. If you do things right, you’re going to get your string stretched.

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Wisconsin Hall of Fame fishing guide Dave Dorazio remembered after death at age 69

Featured, Fishing, National Fishing, News, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

One of Wisconsin’s most legendary places, the Chippewa Flowage near Hayward, lost a little of its luster with the passing of famed fishing guide Dave Dorazio.
Dorazio grew up at what was known as Arrow Resort, which was owned by his parents and overlooked Dorazio Bay. He started guiding when he was 13 and worked the flowage and other area lakes for more than 50 years. He was among the first in the area to promote the idea of catch-and-release fishing for muskies. He was inducted into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in 2019.

Wisconsin Hall of Fame fishing guide Dave Dorazio remembered after death at age 69 Read More »

A primer for Western plains deer hunting

Features, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Hunting, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, National, National Hunting, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Pro Tips, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

How far the mule deer buck stood from the rifle muzzle was anybody’s guess, because holding my rangefinder steady in the 25-mph crosswind was impossible. Even if the buck was within range, I still couldn’t take the shot because it was bedded slightly below the top of a ravine, and sagebrush was in the way.

A primer for Western plains deer hunting Read More »

A visit to a one-time great deer stand

Features, Hunting, Hunting, Minnesota, National, National Hunting, Wisconsin / Steve Heiting

I was close to the deer stand known as “Charlie’s Diamond.” For the rest of the journey, I knew I would be treading on hallowed ground.

A visit to a one-time great deer stand Read More »

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Steve Heiting

Return to the river is a trip back to angling roots

Big tiger muskie caught for at least the third time in Wisconsin

Trempealeau County turkeys coy, but callable in Wisconsin

Avoid these five common mistakes made by muskie anglers

Where to target muskies: Hard or ‘soft’ structure in warm weather?

Putting together a game plan for early-season muskies

Wisconsin Hall of Fame fishing guide Dave Dorazio remembered after death at age 69

A primer for Western plains deer hunting

A visit to a one-time great deer stand

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