Open water winter fishing

Winter steelhead, Browns, Coho Jacks, Walleye and whitefish will rid you of the cabin fever faster than any wood stove. Rivers and piers produces fish in good numbers and I personally love the piers except on those cold windy blustery days. 

Starting with rivers and then moving to the piers the following tips should make for an enjoyable day of fishing.

Late January and into April is an excellent time for whitefish, menominee, browns, steelhead and walleye on the piers of Lake Michigan, Green Bay and Lake Huron. The species will vary from pier to pier but the techniques are the same.

Starting in November and lasting through the winter fishing in the dark is best on the whitefish but cloudy days with a chop will produce fish. Walleye follow the same pattern as the whitefish with after dark being the most productive. Splake, trout and salmon are caught during the day on most occasions.

Fishing conditions can be tough but the action rewarding. Dressing warm is a must and water proof clothing really helps. I have a fleece jacket and  bibs that stops the wind and keeps me dry. I also wear a neck gaiter that helps in keeping the drafts from running down your neck. Smart Wool long johns and their military style hat keep your body and head warm. On my feet I wear either Rocky snow pacs or Cabelas Whitetail Extreme. Both are waterproof and it depends on how cold it is.

The splake are often caught on small eggs, small spoons or casting Husky jerks or Rogues along side of the rip rap bordering the pier. These fish are gorgeous and really battle hard.

If the splake are in then a real treat is in order for you. Most of the times they are aggressive and if you catch one you will catch a bunch. If any rock piles are within casting distance of the shore they stand a good chance that a splake is there. Don’t overlook any marinas that are connected to the Great Lakes for additional action.

Whitefish are bit pickier but when in the action can be nearly non stop. On top of the weather conditions these fish bite soft. Normally the best action takes place on the inside or channel side of the piers.

The first wave of whitefish feed heavily on the eggs from the salmon and trout.  Most anglers use a single egg when chasing this delightful and wary fish. Single eggs from a female steelhead are the best.

An egg sinker with a small orange or red bead just above a barrel swivel is the basic technique. A number 8 or 10 egg hook tied to a leader completes the rig. The ideal day has a two foot chop similar to the perfect walleye day. The length of the leader is based on the size of the waves. Flat seas require a 6 to 8 foot leader. Two-foot waves work best with a 3-4 foot leader. Anything over 4 foot swells and a 6-inch leader works best.

Anglers need to hold their rods or keep a very close eye on the tip. One tap is about all that you will get before your bait becomes dinner. Savvy pier anglers often paint their rod tips with glow in the dark paint or some bright color for easier visibility.

Hopkins spoons, Swedish Pimples and the Flutter Spoon from Jig it Molds are a favorite at night with the anglers. A long rod is used and most of the action is taken while vertically jigging.

A word to the wise, I know the sergeant of the DNR in West Michigan and he told me a few interesting things. First the officers hit the piers at night frequently. They dress as anglers and nab many anglers who snag fish and keep the fish. So two tips, throw back the snagged fish and use small spoons. The smaller spoons have a much better chance of fair hooking the whitefish.

The key is to tick the bottom and lift up 6-12-inches. Drop down and repeat while paying very close attention for a hit. When the fish are in limits of twelve fish can happen quickly. You will land some really large fish during this unbelievable run and if cold weather turns on many anglers bait out well before the run is completed.

Anglers normally walk the pier while they vertical jig. The last section of the pier is often the most constant. Walleye anglers do real well with Husky Jerks and Smithwick Rogues or a jig and minnow combination. You often are catching huge females prior to the spawn or right after the spawn. Make sure to release these giant fish.

Tossing out a live minnow on a rig discussed earlier is a real killer for the walleye when the water turns cold. The larger the minnow the larger the walleye. If your port has decent populations of pike then don’t be surprised if a fat pig grabs your minnow. Pike fishing near the mouth of the inland lake often produces fish through out the winter. Very few anglers understand how many monster pike lurk in the channels connecting to the great lakes.

For some reason the best pike action is at the beginning of the pier. Frozen smelt rolling on the bottom is very difficult for a pike to pass up. Only rarely do I see anyone targeting pike from the pier and some of the largest pike caught each fall and winter are from the piers. Smelt is another killer bait for brown trout anglers as well.

The diehard anglers pull a shopping cart onto the pier. Most anglers mount PVC rod holders and carry a five-gallon pail. Inside the pail anglers carry tools and small plastic tackle boxes with all of required gear. Carry a long handled net when fishing from the pier. I found this out the hard way. Getting a wet head trying to net a fish is not really fun. The long net also works great when fishing from the banks of a river.

Some of the savvy fishermen use lighted bobbers and fish at night if the fishing pressure gets out of hand. A light bobber rig with a split shot or two on a dropper will allow your drift presentation to flow naturally. You can use this rig both on a pier or at night on a river. Expert river fisherman Harv Woodard loves to use wax worms. He really believes that if the fish are spooky a delicate presentation and very small bait will produce.

Excellent presentations to use are the “spin-n-glows and yarn fly’s.  Add some spawn, wigglers or wax worms and run them through the holes and runs. Because of the snags it is well advised to tie up an extra three dozen rigs at home. Tying rigs when the water and air are near freezing is not the time. Use a dropper line for your sinkers and half of the time that will be all that is lost. If you are not snagging you are fishing the wrong areas or the wrong depth. Snags and steelhead go hand in hand. Normally a couple of split shot will do the job.

John Webber from Webber and Sons (616-673-6294) in Allegan gave me a neat tip. John being something of a river rat stated that to avoid the constant snags try “anchoring above the hole” and “dropping your bait back into the hole”. This will not reduce all of your snags, but it keeps your bait in the strike zone much longer. A neat rig is the use of a rubber core sinker placed 2 feet above your bait offering. Spawn or plugs work great and when the water is real cold the Original Rapala or a floating Smithwick Rogue work great. Let it roll back and forth on the front of the hole. An active steelhead will hit it fairly quick and if not move down to the next hole.

The drop back method that Emil Dean made famous produces arm jarring hits. The strikes definitely tests your equipment. Some of the favorite baits are the “Wiggle Warts, Hot-n-Tots and Flatfish”. Try the chrome, orange, silver, gold and greens. A touch of red on any bait promotes angered strikes.  Hit the long deep runs and continue to drop back more line every five or ten minutes. Start at the top of the hole and continue to the tail end if possible. Use line in the 12 to 20 pound range. Strikes are explosive and rods have been known to break.

Some of the better streams would include the White River, the Muskegon River, the Kalamazoo River, The Rabbit River, the St. Joe River, the Pere Marquette River, the Dowagiac River, the Rifle River, the Clinton River, the Menominee River which is one of my favorites, the Huron River, the Rasin River, the Saginaw River and the Tittabawasee River.

Each of the streams listed connect to the Big Lakes and most have a pier or a breakwater to fish from. In addition most have public land someplace along their banks for the shorebound angler.

Winter Steelhead Strategies for our local Streams, by Jack Payne

            Anglers are blessed with a wide range of streams and many different techniques to land a spring steelhead. Part of the decision depends on the type of water fished and what you enjoy doing.

            Rolling spawn bags is a time- honored technique that drives me nuts. Hate it! Slow, fish break off far too often and I can easily re-tie 20-30 times in a day. If spawn is used then it’s under a bobber or a drop back rig. I prefer the artificial spawn both in the single eggs and in the cluster style from Stopper Lures or the Trout Beads from troutbeads.com. Both are so real life like that I rarely use the real stuff.. At night I use the glow colors and during the day one of the bright colors.

Some of the savvy fishermen use Carlisle bobbers in the low profile series with the bright top and fish at night or under low light conditions. A light balsa bobber rig with a split shot or two on a dropper will allow your drift presentation to flow natural. A bit of advice, bring along some yarn. A little color can make the difference. Another way to add color and reduce the amount of split shots is the use of a Pinky Jig from Stopper Lures. The best size is the 1/16 ounce.

Avid fly fisherman should consider an “egg fly”. Start your fishing on the riffles and runs. Cast upstream and work your fly downstream to the hungry steelhead. Try to keep your bait at eye level of the fish for the best success. It may require weighting down your fly slightly. Another favorite fly is the green caddis and the black stone. Fish the same as mentioned and watch for any current breaks like a boulder or a log. The fish will use these current breaks to their advantage.

Jim Bedford has traveled the country chasing down steelhead while using spinners. He also has written a fine book detailing the how to of spinners. Spinners are my first choice every time out. Use heavier tackle than when rolling spawn or bobber fishing.

 Spinners are fished best by casting in a quartering fashion and worked back downstream. Everyone has their favorite spinner with many seasoned spinner fishermen making their own. The best brand name spinners are the Mepps, Blue Fox and Rooster Tails. Adding some red or orange to your spinner really increases the effectiveness. If you are looking to save money consider making your own with a kit from Do-It-Molds.

 Emil Dean made dropping back crank baits famous. Its’ a fairly easy technique to master and one that I enjoy a lot. You cover a lot of water in a day and it’s hard to get bored when working a set of 4 rods.

Some of the favorite baits are the “Wiggle Warts, Hot-n-Tots, Tadpolly and Flatfish”. Try the chrome, orange, silver, gold and greens. Your plugs should tick the bottom so a split shot might be required.

 Hit the long deep runs and continue to drop back more line every five or ten minutes. Start at the top of the hole and continue to the tail end if possible. Use line in the 12 to 20 pound range. Strikes are explosive and rods have been known to break rods and jerked out of the rod holder when not placed in properly. I know this all to well! Works great on holes and spawning reeds.

Spawn bags can easily be worked with the plugs at the same time. I would suggest a rubber core sinker 12-18 inches above the spawn bag. A corkie or a float can be used in place of a plain hook.

A slinky rig works fine under many conditions. Basically it is a dropper rig tied off of a barrel swivel. The split shots are placed inside a piece of parachute cord so that they hang up less on the bottom. Works great under a bobber, when rolled or when used with the drop back method.

            Anglers using spawn often use rods in the 9-12 foot range and line in the 4-6 pound class. Dropper line for the sinkers is less than the main line. Plug anglers use stiff rods and 10-14 pound line. Anglers using spinners use line in the 8-10 pound range with a medium-to-medium heavy rod in the 7-8 foot range. Gamma Line is making big strides in the line market.

            Anglers should also remember the piers because they can be red hot even before the fish hit the rivers hard. Pier anglers do well with spinners, spawn or crawlers. Pick a technique that suits your liking before mastering a new technique. The action has started and will continue through April so get out and enjoy it.

Ice-fishing the transition period

            Ice-fishing is in hot form with plenty of ice and some very good fishing taking place. One on the better lakes in my area each winter has been Swan Lake. Located in Allegan County this lake is real popular with winter anglers.

            Many of the lakes are producing but we are getting close to that point where the transition takes place between early ice and last ice.

            Hopefully the following suggestions will assist you in staying with the pan-fish. During the depths of winter most of the action takes place in deeper waters and they fish become much fussier and slower to grab a bait. Anglers will need to work the fish over a bit and often the slowest and lightest jigging action produces the best action.

            Bluegills are most often sought out followed up with crappies or specks as some anglers call them. Both are fun to catch and both are plentiful. Perch are a favorite but there are fewer lakes with decent perch than the bluegill and crappie lakes.

            Serious crappie anglers tell me that you can catch them anywhere as long as you stay within 1-3 feet of the bottom. I will agree that these fish are most often caught near the bottom or suspended a few feet above it.

            I find the best winter action in depths between 15-25 feet. If you can find green weeds then you will often find bluegills and crappie. However the longer the winter holds the harder it is to find any green weeds.

            Drop-offs and tapering points are good picks for the crappie. A good graph really helps in the search. With a quality graph it is very common to actually see the fish rise up to your bait. The Hummingbird is this years rage and for good reason. With a moderate price tag it has a lot of high quality features.

            Many anglers swear by an old lively minnow and a sponge and peg bobber. Some use a very small K&E slip bobber while those with a good feel go with a straight down, no bobber offering.

            With a bobber it is very common to see your bobber turn onto its side as a speck rises up with your bait. If this happens set the hook quickly. Another oddity of a crappie is to slowly mouth your minnow and you can actually watch your bobber slowly turn in circles as it goes downward. Once again I normally set the hook when it first starts moving.

            Anglers chasing either bluegills or crappies benefit from the use of a tear drop. I like using a tear drop and I use the small sizes such as a ten hook being the largest and a sixteen the smallest. If using a minnow I might consider an eight. I like the Moon Glows and the glitter tear drops from Stopper Lures.

            Bluegills love spikes and some anglers believe that the colored spikes are the best. Hook a spike though the end and let it wiggle. Other anglers like a wax worm and they are also best hooked lightly. The only problem is that a lightly hooked bait is easily stolen if not paying close attention. Mousies are also used and a good pick.

            I found that the bluegills can be shallow or at a medium depth. Some days they are found close to shore and in depths less than ten feet and other days they are suspended over twenty feet.

            When shallow they are often near the bottom and when deeper they can be anyplace from the bottom to within a few feet of the surface.

            This winter we seen plenty of cold temperatures and an ice-shanty would come in handy. This is especially true when chasing the deep water perch often found in the middle of a huge lake. I wish that I had a Frabill or something similar because the cold days appear to come more frequently now than when I was younger. Good luck with the transition period and be safe.          

Squirrels in the snow, by Jack Payne

            Winter squirrel hunting can often be the best time for squirrel hunting. Pick any calm or sunny day and the squirrels will be out. Unlike fall, January and February can and normally is cold. The winds sting your face and cut right through you. Snow is fairly common and the daylight temperatures can easily drop into the teens.

Why put up with these conditions you ask? Shooting a limit in less than an hour of hunting is very common. Out before sunrise and back before breakfast for that hot cup of coffee.

Locating the nesting areas and the prime feeding areas will spell success. If you locate any acorns there is no need to go farther. Rest assured that the squirrels are close. Acorns that are cut are a dead give away.

 Locating the nesting areas becomes easy with the leaves off of the trees. Just look for the large piles of leaves in a tree and most likely you found their nest.

 Holes in the trunk of the trees are another favorite nesting spot. During the cold weather, holes offer protection from the elements.

Slide in quietly before daybreak, sit back with a thermos of coffee and enjoy the beginning of a new day. Shortly after daybreak you will hear the sound of bark being scratched as the squirrels start their descent.

This is where patience really pays off. I normally wait a few minutes before shooting to see if others also climb down. It is very common to see two or three squirrels at one time.

 I remember mornings hunting with my son when we counted seven on the ground. Now becomes the hard choice. Do you use a shotgun or a .22? That choice is up to you.

A great compromise is the .22 over 20 gauge. I have a Savage that was given to me as my first gun when I was twelve. This is the finest squirrel and rabbit gun that I have ever owned.

            When you shoot a squirrel do not make the mistake of running over and picking it up. All this does is send every squirrel into hiding. Some will run at the sound of the shot but many will scamper up the first tree and start their barking ritual.

If you know that there are squirrels still in your area and they will not show themselves then its time for the squirrel call. The best call on the market is the Mr. Squirrel call. It makes a high pitched distress call that many squirrels can’t refuse to answer to.

Whenever you think that there may be squirrels in your area give a couple of hits on the call. If nothing starts barking back do it again and this time rattle some brush or twigs together. The sound of this call and the brush shaking really excites the squirrels. Normally they will be barking within seconds.

On the really cold and bitter mornings drink an extra cup of coffee. There is no reason to hurry out. Give the squirrels a chance to wake up and start their feeding.

Then grab your hound for some exciting and fun squirrel action. Down south this is very popular and dogs are raised just for this purpose. I use my old faithful beagle Maggie. When a hound is hot on a squirrel you can bet that they will make a beeline for the first tree that they can climb. If they have not spotted you they will normally sit on a limb and bark at the dog. It looks like they are saying you can’t get me!

Hunting with a dog is just the ticket on those cold mornings. You keep on the move and the action is brisk. The dog will find the scent quickly of any squirrel that recently was on the ground. A little dusting of snow really improves on this.

When hunting with a dog during the late season it can become difficult to keep track of what squirrel the dog is running. With all of the commotion other squirrels like to get into the action and give their voice.

Slowly slide on over and take the mouthy squirrel and the other hunter follow up with the dog. Two squirrels in a short order. We have plenty of State land to hunt and gaining permission on private is not that hard. Hunting squirrels in the winter is like being the Mag Tag man. Its’ you, the woods, the squirrels and maybe a hound!

Open water winter fishing

            Winter steelhead, Browns, Coho Jacks, Walleye and whitefish will rid you of the cabin fever faster than any wood stove. Rivers and piers produces fish in good numbers and I personally love the piers except on those cold windy blustery days. 

            Starting with rivers and then moving to the piers the following tips should make for an enjoyable day of fishing.

            Late January and into April is an excellent time for whitefish, menominee, browns, steelhead and walleye on the piers of Lake Michigan, Green Bay and Lake Huron. The species will vary from pier to pier but the techniques are the same.

            Starting in November and lasting through the winter fishing in the dark is best on the whitefish but cloudy days with a chop will produce fish. Walleye follow the same pattern as the whitefish with after dark being the most productive. Splake, trout and salmon are caught during the day on most occasions.

            Fishing conditions can be tough but the action rewarding. Dressing warm is a must and water proof clothing really helps. I have a fleece jacket and  bibs that stops the wind and keeps me dry. I also wear a neck gaiter that helps in keeping the drafts from running down your neck. Smart Wool long johns and their military style hat keep your body and head warm. On my feet I wear either Rocky snow pacs or Cabelas Whitetail Extreme. Both are waterproof and it depends on how cold it is.

            The splake are often caught on small eggs, small spoons or casting Husky jerks or Rogues along side of the rip rap bordering the pier. These fish are gorgeous and really battle hard.

            If the splake are in then a real treat is in order for you. Most of the times they are aggressive and if you catch one you will catch a bunch. If any rock piles are within casting distance of the shore they stand a good chance that a splake is there. Don’t overlook any marinas that are connected to the Great Lakes for additional action.

            Whitefish are bit pickier but when in the action can be nearly non stop. On top of the weather conditions these fish bite soft. Normally the best action takes place on the inside or channel side of the piers.

            The first wave of whitefish feed heavily on the eggs from the salmon and trout.  Most anglers use a single egg when chasing this delightful and wary fish. Single eggs from a female steelhead are the best.

            An egg sinker with a small orange or red bead just above a barrel swivel is the basic technique. A number 8 or 10 egg hook tied to a leader completes the rig. The ideal day has a two foot chop similar to the perfect walleye day. The length of the leader is based on the size of the waves. Flat seas require a 6 to 8 foot leader. Two-foot waves work best with a 3-4 foot leader. Anything over 4 foot swells and a 6-inch leader works best.

            Anglers need to hold their rods or keep a very close eye on the tip. One tap is about all that you will get before your bait becomes dinner. Savvy pier anglers often paint their rod tips with glow in the dark paint or some bright color for easier visibility.

            Hopkins spoons, Swedish Pimples and the Flutter Spoon from Jig it Molds are a favorite at night with the anglers. A long rod is used and most of the action is taken while vertically jigging.

            A word to the wise, I know the sergeant of the DNR in West Michigan and he told me a few interesting things. First the officers hit the piers at night frequently. They dress as anglers and nab many anglers who snag fish and keep the fish. So two tips, throw back the snagged fish and use small spoons. The smaller spoons have a much better chance of fair hooking the whitefish.

            The key is to tick the bottom and lift up 6-12-inches. Drop down and repeat while paying very close attention for a hit. When the fish are in limits of twelve fish can happen quickly. You will land some really large fish during this unbelievable run and if cold weather turns on many anglers bait out well before the run is completed.

            Anglers normally walk the pier while they vertical jig. The last section of the pier is often the most constant. Walleye anglers do real well with Husky Jerks and Smithwick Rogues or a jig and minnow combination. You often are catching huge females prior to the spawn or right after the spawn. Make sure to release these giant fish.

            Tossing out a live minnow on a rig discussed earlier is a real killer for the walleye when the water turns cold. The larger the minnow the larger the walleye. If your port has decent populations of pike then don’t be surprised if a fat pig grabs your minnow. Pike fishing near the mouth of the inland lake often produces fish through out the winter. Very few anglers understand how many monster pike lurk in the channels connecting to the great lakes.

            For some reason the best pike action is at the beginning of the pier. Frozen smelt rolling on the bottom is very difficult for a pike to pass up. Only rarely do I see anyone targeting pike from the pier and some of the largest pike caught each fall and winter are from the piers. Smelt is another killer bait for brown trout anglers as well.

            The diehard anglers pull a shopping cart onto the pier. Most anglers mount PVC rod holders and carry a five-gallon pail. Inside the pail anglers carry tools and small plastic tackle boxes with all of required gear. Carry a long handled net when fishing from the pier. I found this out the hard way. Getting a wet head trying to net a fish is not really fun. The long net also works great when fishing from the banks of a river.

            Some of the savvy fishermen use lighted bobbers and fish at night if the fishing pressure gets out of hand. A light bobber rig with a split shot or two on a dropper will allow your drift presentation to flow naturally. You can use this rig both on a pier or at night on a river. Expert river fisherman Harv Woodard loves to use wax worms. He really believes that if the fish are spooky a delicate presentation and very small bait will produce.

            Excellent presentations to use are the “spin-n-glows and yarn fly’s.  Add some spawn, wigglers or wax worms and run them through the holes and runs. Because of the snags it is well advised to tie up an extra three dozen rigs at home. Tying rigs when the water and air are near freezing is not the time. Use a dropper line for your sinkers and half of the time that will be all that is lost. If you are not snagging you are fishing the wrong areas or the wrong depth. Snags and steelhead go hand in hand. Normally a couple of split shot will do the job.

            John Webber from Webber and Sons (616-673-6294) in Allegan gave me a neat tip. John being something of a river rat stated that to avoid the constant snags try “anchoring above the hole” and “dropping your bait back into the hole”. This will not reduce all of your snags, but it keeps your bait in the strike zone much longer. A neat rig is the use of a rubber core sinker placed 2 feet above your bait offering. Spawn or plugs work great and when the water is real cold the Original Rapala or a floating Smithwick Rogue work great. Let it roll back and forth on the front of the hole. An active steelhead will hit it fairly quick and if not move down to the next hole.

            The drop back method that Emil Dean made famous produces arm jarring hits. The strikes definitely tests your equipment. Some of the favorite baits are the “Wiggle Warts, Hot-n-Tots and Flatfish”. Try the chrome, orange, silver, gold and greens. A touch of red on any bait promotes angered strikes.  Hit the long deep runs and continue to drop back more line every five or ten minutes. Start at the top of the hole and continue to the tail end if possible. Use line in the 12 to 20 pound range. Strikes are explosive and rods have been known to break.

            Some of the better streams would include the White River, the Muskegon River, the Kalamazoo River, The Rabbit River, the St. Joe River, the Pere Marquette River, the Dowagiac River, the Rifle River, the Clinton River, the Menominee River which is one of my favorites, the Huron River, the Rasin River, the Saginaw River and the Tittabawasee River.

            Each of the streams listed connect to the Big Lakes and most have a pier or a breakwater to fish from. In addition most have public land someplace along their banks for the shorebound angler.

Twenty Four steps to a better turkey season, by Jack Payne

            Daylight had not even shown itself when the thundering sound of a tom echoed through the woods. Over the next half hour other toms joined in and then I could hear the birds fly down. This was going to be easy.

            Sure enough the birds walked up an old two-track and headed for the clover field. I was sitting a 100 yards to the north which normally is darn close to their roosting tree. There were four long beards and possibly the same number of jakes. The bad part was the number of hens. I counted at least eight hens and they each moved straight away from me. The best calling in the world could not convince any male bird to come within range or to leave the real deal.

            Once out of sight I pulled up and crossed the river and repositioned myself. It took over an hour before I heard the first peep and then a few birds strolled by. Once again they were just outside of my shooting window but this time I sat pat.

            Four hours after fly down while I was eating a sandwich I hit the call and two nice toms answered so close that I dropped my sandwich. Both nice birds came in at a fast pace to see who could find the hen first. I took the first bird that presented me with a shot.

            The following suggestions should improve your odds of bagging a turkey. We will start with the gun. By accident while on a turkey hunt in Missouri I met a TV host who explained and showed me how an ordinary gun can become much more. I wish I had his advice before I bought four chokes and tried an unlimited brands of ammo.

            Rhino Chokes ( rhinochokes.com, 800-226-3613) introduced the first ported Turkey Choke into the market in 1995.  The patented design delivers the best pattern density possible by a choke by striping the wad from the shot and shortening the shot stream, delivering more pellets to the turkey’s head at one time, plus reducing felt recoil and muzzle jump!

            This choke tube is designed to produce some unbelievable patterns!  20 yard patterns measure approximately 14” in diameter and pattern 100% in that circumference.  50 yard patterns can be achieved with correct shot size producing 90% patterns in a 28” diameter.

            These choke tubes are manufactured of 174 stainless steel and are hand lapped to a zero micron finish on the inside (giving them a mirror finish).  The reason behind polishing the inside of the choke tube is to reduce plastic build-up and shot deformation.

            Please keep in mind that a choke tube can only take the shotgun so far.  The condition of the barrel will hinder the performance of your choke if it is not in it’s best condition.   There are several factors which influence your guns’ performance:

    The first thing to consider is the point of impact of the shotgun.  If it is not correct, there are several options:  Adjustable fiber optics or mounting a scope can be done by you.   

     Rhino believes that lengthening and polishing the forcing cone to 2” creates less shot deformation.  This is a critical factor since the charge generates it’s velocity in this area.  By lengthening and polishing this wedge or forcing cone, you make a much more gradual entrance into the integral part of the barrel which lessens the kick and does not cause as much shot deformation.   

     The internal condition of the barrel must be examined.  If there are any ripples, scores like rifling or pitting of the barrel, it is to your advantage to polish them out.    Any interference will cause ‘flyers’ and holes in the pattern.  Remember how small a turkey’s head is and you don’t want to miss. 

     The condition of your choke is absolutely critical.  First it must be clean.  If you only get that one shot, make it your best!   

        If you wish your shotgun to perform 40+ yards, porting the barrel will vent the gases in front and behind the load.  This is the last way to control that pattern.   

            Also, please consider that no two turkey guns are completely alike.  The harmonics of each barrel will cause it to perform differently.  This is why you and your friend my have the same gun, but yours shoots better than his. 

            After having the gun dialed in I believe the next important step is watching fields and locating fly down zones. Locating at least two or three flocks will allow you many more options.

Some hunters quit hunting after the first hour or hour and a half. If you are not successful early, be patient and listen.  If that old gobbler is with some hens, he may start gobbling again later in the morning and you can call him in. 

Set up where you have the best chance to be in position for shot. Understand and know where the fence line is, the creek, the deadfalls and any other obstacles that create an imaginary line that will hold a bird up.

Hiding too well in your set up loses many opportunities. If you are hidden to the point that you can’t easily swing your gun for a shot, or can’t see the approaching gobbler, you will miss an opportunity to take a bird. 

Learn to use multiple turkey calls.  Don’t depend on just one.  Each turkey may react differently from one call to another.  The same bird may like a different call on any given day.

During the late season hunters should limit their calling. Tom’s get educated fairly quick and if you call a lot they expect you to come to him. One of the birds that I killed took over an hour without so much as a peep to get into range.

The birds can become fairly predictable in their times. Constantly on the move, you might locate a field that’s hit at daybreak and another at mid-morning. The feeding areas are where the highest concentration of hens will be located.

Locating a tree wider than your shoulders is a big help. It blocks much of your movement. Don’t forget a cushion because nothing is worse than sitting on a wet ground to make you agitated.

When scouting look for tracks on sandy areas. Two-tracks, open fields and dusting bowl areas are all good locations. Take a stick and sweep the ground clear just before dark. Check back a few hours after daylight and continue doing this every few hours.

I love fence rolls and long protruding fingers out of a woodlot. The bird that I shot on the eighth evening was at the intersection of a fence roll, a creek and a woodlot. It provides many edges and excellent vision.

Slate calls can often be used to throw the sound in a particular direction. Try aiming the bottom of your slate call a 180 degrees away from the direction of the tom. Many times the tom will move in closer thinking that his hen is about to move off. Primo makes a handy tool that roughs up a slate call, sharpens a striker and enhances a box call. I learned this from a guide with B & T Outfitters in Missouri.

Carrying a snack and a water bottle also will keep you going throughout the day. I either shoot my tom shortly after he comes down from the tree or mid to late morning.

 Turkeys leave tracks, droppings, scratching and dusting sign, pay attention each day in the field and remember that the sign was made during daylight hours.

If the birds head in the wrong direction then a tough call must be made. Sometimes it pays to run and cut them off. I tried this on the second morning and got busted by two ducks in the creek. Three of the birds were in range as I slipped in for a good shot. When the ducks flew up the birds took off on a trot. You never know!

If a tom is with a hen try this trick. Call as aggressive as you can to make the hen mad. If you can get the hen made enough she might come looking for the other hen. It worked almost to plan for me except a second tom came in and I ended up with the hen 5 yards from me and was unable to get the gun into position.

Carry a shears during the late season to prune foliage and twigs. Remember that often the largest birds are taken during the late portion of the season.

            Use a range finder. It is helpful in knowing the distances before a bird pops into view. The Nikon Monarch range finder has proven to be an effective tool.

            Keep a note book handy, write down what you, where and when. Stay positive and remember unlike opening of gun deer season, turkey hunting your odds depend a lot on you and the last day can be as good as the first day!

Twenty Four steps to a better turkey season, by Jack Payne

            Daylight had not even shown itself when the thundering sound of a tom echoed through the woods. Over the next half hour other toms joined in and then I could hear the birds fly down. This was going to be easy.

            Sure enough the birds walked up an old two-track and headed for the clover field. I was sitting a 100 yards to the north which normally is darn close to their roosting tree. There were four long beards and possibly the same number of jakes. The bad part was the number of hens. I counted at least eight hens and they each moved straight away from me. The best calling in the world could not convince any male bird to come within range or to leave the real deal.

            Once out of sight I pulled up and crossed the river and repositioned myself. It took over an hour before I heard the first peep and then a few birds strolled by. Once again they were just outside of my shooting window but this time I sat pat.

            Four hours after fly down while I was eating a sandwich I hit the call and two nice toms answered so close that I dropped my sandwich. Both nice birds came in at a fast pace to see who could find the hen first. I took the first bird that presented me with a shot.

            The following suggestions should improve your odds of bagging a turkey. We will start with the gun. By accident while on a turkey hunt in Missouri I met a TV host who explained and showed me how an ordinary gun can become much more. I wish I had his advice before I bought four chokes and tried an unlimited brands of ammo.

            Rhino Chokes ( rhinochokes.com, 800-226-3613) introduced the first ported Turkey Choke into the market in 1995.  The patented design delivers the best pattern density possible by a choke by striping the wad from the shot and shortening the shot stream, delivering more pellets to the turkey’s head at one time, plus reducing felt recoil and muzzle jump!

            This choke tube is designed to produce some unbelievable patterns!  20 yard patterns measure approximately 14” in diameter and pattern 100% in that circumference.  50 yard patterns can be achieved with correct shot size producing 90% patterns in a 28” diameter.

            These choke tubes are manufactured of 174 stainless steel and are hand lapped to a zero micron finish on the inside (giving them a mirror finish).  The reason behind polishing the inside of the choke tube is to reduce plastic build-up and shot deformation.

            Please keep in mind that a choke tube can only take the shotgun so far.  The condition of the barrel will hinder the performance of your choke if it is not in it’s best condition.   There are several factors which influence your guns’ performance:

    The first thing to consider is the point of impact of the shotgun.  If it is not correct, there are several options:  Adjustable fiber optics or mounting a scope can be done by you.   

     Rhino believes that lengthening and polishing the forcing cone to 2” creates less shot deformation.  This is a critical factor since the charge generates it’s velocity in this area.  By lengthening and polishing this wedge or forcing cone, you make a much more gradual entrance into the integral part of the barrel which lessens the kick and does not cause as much shot deformation.   

     The internal condition of the barrel must be examined.  If there are any ripples, scores like rifling or pitting of the barrel, it is to your advantage to polish them out.    Any interference will cause ‘flyers’ and holes in the pattern.  Remember how small a turkey’s head is and you don’t want to miss. 

     The condition of your choke is absolutely critical.  First it must be clean.  If you only get that one shot, make it your best!   

        If you wish your shotgun to perform 40+ yards, porting the barrel will vent the gases in front and behind the load.  This is the last way to control that pattern.   

            Also, please consider that no two turkey guns are completely alike.  The harmonics of each barrel will cause it to perform differently.  This is why you and your friend my have the same gun, but yours shoots better than his. 

            After having the gun dialed in I believe the next important step is watching fields and locating fly down zones. Locating at least two or three flocks will allow you many more options.      

Some hunters quit hunting after the first hour or hour and a half. If you are not successful early, be patient and listen.  If that old gobbler is with some hens, he may start gobbling again later in the morning and you can call him in. 

Set up where you have the best chance to be in position for shot. Understand and know where the fence line is, the creek, the deadfalls and any other obstacles that create an imaginary line that will hold a bird up.

Hiding too well in your set up loses many opportunities. If you are hidden to the point that you can’t easily swing your gun for a shot, or can’t see the approaching gobbler, you will miss an opportunity to take a bird. 

Learn to use multiple turkey calls.  Don’t depend on just one.  Each turkey may react differently from one call to another.  The same bird may like a different call on any given day.

During the late season hunters should limit their calling. Tom’s get educated fairly quick and if you call a lot they expect you to come to him. One of the birds that I killed took over an hour without so much as a peep to get into range.

The birds can become fairly predictable in their times. Constantly on the move, you might locate a field that’s hit at daybreak and another at mid-morning. The feeding areas are where the highest concentration of hens will be located.

Locating a tree wider than your shoulders is a big help. It blocks much of your movement. Don’t forget a cushion because nothing is worse than sitting on a wet ground to make you agitated.

When scouting look for tracks on sandy areas. Two-tracks, open fields and dusting bowl areas are all good locations. Take a stick and sweep the ground clear just before dark. Check back a few hours after daylight and continue doing this every few hours.

I love fence rolls and long protruding fingers out of a woodlot. The bird that I shot on the eighth evening was at the intersection of a fence roll, a creek and a woodlot. It provides many edges and excellent vision.

Slate calls can often be used to throw the sound in a particular direction. Try aiming the bottom of your slate call a 180 degrees away from the direction of the tom. Many times the tom will move in closer thinking that his hen is about to move off. Primo makes a handy tool that roughs up a slate call, sharpens a striker and enhances a box call. I learned this from a guide with B & T Outfitters in Missouri.

Carrying a snack and a water bottle also will keep you going throughout the day. I either shoot my tom shortly after he comes down from the tree or mid to late morning.

 Turkeys leave tracks, droppings, scratching and dusting sign, pay attention each day in the field and remember that the sign was made during daylight hours.

If the birds head in the wrong direction then a tough call must be made. Sometimes it pays to run and cut them off. I tried this on the second morning and got busted by two ducks in the creek. Three of the birds were in range as I slipped in for a good shot. When the ducks flew up the birds took off on a trot. You never know!

If a tom is with a hen try this trick. Call as aggressive as you can to make the hen mad. If you can get the hen made enough she might come looking for the other hen. It worked almost to plan for me except a second tom came in and I ended up with the hen 5 yards from me and was unable to get the gun into position.

Carry a shears during the late season to prune foliage and twigs. Remember that often the largest birds are taken during the late portion of the season.

            Use a range finder. It is helpful in knowing the distances before a bird pops into view. The Nikon Monarch range finder has proven to be an effective tool.

            Keep a note book handy, write down what you, where and when. Stay positive and remember unlike opening of gun deer season, turkey hunting your odds depend a lot on you and the last day can be as good as the first day!

 Turn back the clock for sow belly bass and fat walleye

By Jack Payne

            The older I get the less tackle I carry. I also land more fish and find myself pouring over log books going back twenty to thirty years. Man when I started out fishing I read publications like Fur-Fish & Game and Fishing Facts. I studied the books that a few authors had penned and made tons of notes.

            The photo album showed lots of walleye and the log book reported many limits of bass that were released to fight another day. The key back then was structure fishing with a lively crawler or minnow and a split shot or a slip sinker. Forget the box of lures except for a handful of jig heads.

            Using the old green box from Lowrance I pinpointed the drop-offs. Sure wish I kept that graph! The past few years I found myself drifting back to my roots so to speak and my catch rate for all species has risen.

Shallow water fish are best served weightless or the smallest split shot possible. Cast out and let it drift slowly to the bottom. Use a lift and drop retrieve so that the worm flutters back down. Use little or no weight and creep it in every so slowly.

A bass will suck in the weightless worm and not feeling resistance it will run with it. Imagine a feather fluttering in the wind; well it’s the same with a weightless worm. A side sweeping hook set often results in the small but sharp hook buried into the corner of the jaw. This is where long soft action rod excels.

Docks, new weed growth, pea gravel areas, rocky rip-rap along a shoreline are all good bets in the early season for walleye and bass. Don’t forget the mouth of feeder creeks, muddy bays and fallen timber because they all bring warm water and forage.

When fishing the edge of the cabbage weeds once again no weight often turns the trick. This is true in late May and early June. The bass roam the flats and the edge and the sight of a weightless crawler is hard to pass up.

When the bass start using the deepest edge of the weedlines and the deep-water points adding a #7 split shot helps. In most cases I still like the lift and drop retrieve. If moss or debris becomes a problem then rigging this worm as part of a drop-rig is deadly. On lakes where the weeds get sprayed this often is the only method to use.

My first experience with large crappie came when chasing bass along cabbage weeds. We limited out with 50 crappies that averaged over twelve inches. My first experience with cabbage weed walleyes was during a spring crappie trip. The walleye loved the small crappie jigs worked slowly along the base of the weeds.

  Docks and rafts are prime targets when located close to lily pads or cabbage weeds. Start with no weight or a mini split shot. When the fishing is slow and tough a weightless worm will land plenty of bass. It might take a minute or longer for your worm to reach the bottom when fishing the deep side of the weeds. Patience and confidence will deliver big results with this system.

Following a drop-off or the edge of a feeding flat produces a bunch of walleye and bass under low light conditions. As the sun rises head out to the next drop-off and slow down. Both walleye and bass school up tight once they reach the second drop-off. Trolling very slowly with an electric motor is my favorite way to go. Drifting will work fine if the wind blows you correctly. The key is barley moving and just ticking the bottom. You want your sinker to touch and lift up a bit unless using an air injected crawler. When fishing deep water you can use a leech and substitute the sinker/hook set-up with a jig head. Jig heads can be used all year for those who prefer either plastics over livebait or when trying to remain vertical and continually  feeling the bottom.

Go deeper as the sun moves higher and remember that the fish often school tighter as they move deeper. Another tip is moving to the side of the lake where the sun is not frying eggs and still land shallow water fish. Start your shallow water fishing on the side with the least amount of direct sun. Move to the opposite side of the lake when the sun pushes the fish off of the weedline or from the first drop-off. This will get you an extra 30-60 minutes of shallow water fishing just about each day on the water.

The best shallow water fishing takes place on the largest food shelf in most cases. Get a topographic map and look for a location that is large, flat and extends out. The best food shelf will have a spot where it drops off fairly quick into deep water. You will spot a group of lines coming tight to each other. This is the contact area or travel path.

When the fish are shallow they will scatter across the flat in search of food. When the weeds get tall the game fish often move to the weedline looking for inside turns, cups and outside points to hide and ambush their prey.

As the sun drives the fish deeper they use the spots where the contour lines come the closest to each other and to the flat food shelf. Follow this deep water travel route until the fish are found. They might hold at 18 feet for an hour or two and then drift down to the 30 or 40 foot depths.

Continue following the fish to the deepest water that borders the shelf and remember that most often the school will be holding right at the edge of the last break or drop-off.

In addition pay close attention to any objects on their travel route. There could be a change from marl to mud or to rock. These types of changes are magnets as would any other object on their passage way from the shallows to the deep water.

If an old river channel if found which is common on reservoirs and bodies of water connected to the great lakes make sure to slow down and watch your graph. We caught bass in depths nearing 40-feet and walleye at 83 feet! Most often your deep water bass will be between 18-25 and the walleye 25-40 but don’t be afraid to go deeper.

When fishing the edge of a food shelf or the beginning of the travel path try a slip bobber or a jig. Often you will land more fish if anchored and casting a slip bobber out with a leech while working a jig head with a piece of meat or plastic as compared to trolling.

Anchoring works great when the fish are between 10-20 feet. When deeper than this then drifting or trolling pays off. In the old days I used marker buoys once schools of fish were located. Today a hand held GPS serves the same purpose and you don’t give away your hotspot nor do you need to worry that someone will steal your mark buoys like one group did to me.

When dealing with a nasty cold front and bluebird skies it pays to start at the first drop-off and quickly follow the staircase into deep water. It is not uncommon to find the fish in the deepest water of the lake that is fairly close to a food shelf.

These fish can be real tough to catch. Often only the slowest moving bait will grab their attention. This is where a slip sinker and a floating jig head shine. You can virtually drop a bait on their nose and keep it there.

My best bet when facing a cold front is vacating the lakes and find a river. Rivers are much better unless the water is running fast and high because of heavy rains. A river is not impacted nearly as much as a lake.

Structure is equally important on a river as in a lake. However you will find a different type of structure. Bridge pillars are my favorite spots. A bridge has current, a deep water channel and plenty of current breaks. Brush and the concrete pillars both offer a place for a game fish to hide, stay out of the main current and easily grab an unsuspecting meal.

My next favorite location is a deep hole on an outside bend of the river. The more aggressive fish will sit near the top of the hole and the less active fish near the center or tail end of the hole.

My third favorite location is an eddy. Where ever you find the current rotating or running the opposite direction of the main current you found an eddy. If the eddy is near other structure then it becomes even more important to fish.

There are a couple of techniques that really work. You can vertically drift with a split shot rig, use a wolf river rig, cast jigs or drift jigs much as you would with a split shot rig or anchor.

Anchoring is rarely done in the proper manner. When anchoring get up-stream of the front of the hole or structure and let out enough rope so that you are almost vertically over the front of the hole.

You can work a jig with a minnow or a plastic tail across the face or you can drop down a sinker with a floating jig head. An egg sinker with a split shot will allow the fish to grab and run but you must be careful of letting to much line out and getting tangled.

A great river rig is the old Wolf River Rig or the 3-way swivel rig. This rig uses a swivel with a 6-12 inch dropper line attached to a sinker. The other swivel uses a dropper line 2-4 feet. At the end a plain hook or my favorite, a floating jig head is attached. A leech or half a crawler is just plain deadly.

If no fish hit just lift up the rod tip and let out more line. In this manner you can work the entire hole. Otherwise let out more anchor rope. Both will work.

A third option that is a killer and I have not seen used except by steelhead anglers is the drop back method. In this case I would suggest a rubber core sinker placed two feet above a wobbling plug. A Heddon Tadpolly is my favorite with its wild side to side roll. Next would be a Rapala or a Smithwick Rogue. Place a quarter of half of a night crawler o the middle or back hook. It makes a huge difference.

This technique works wonders under a severe cold front or during the bitter cold of winter.

If you find a long deep chute try trolling with the wolf river rig. Stay as vertical as possible and my favorite is a crawler on a harness. Next up would be one of the plugs mentioned earlier.

The key is in matching your speed to that of the current. Often I move slowly across the current while slowly heading upstream. If any concrete pillars can be found such as a highway overpass or a train track, spend extra time here. Bridges are a real magnet for both walleye and bass.

I use Fireline in 90% of these applications. I like the extra strength and the smaller diameter. The only problem that I’ve experienced is setting the hook to hard. Just a solid wrist snap is needed and a good quality drag.

One of then best reels to hit the market is the Wave Spin developed by bass legend Doug Hannon. Guaranteed no line twist and a fantastic drag at a moderate price. It was run through the wringer last season.

Jigs were mentioned but not to a great detail. Jigs are the most versatile lure ever made. You can use a round head jig in virtually in application that I mentioned. In rivers when trolling or drifting a half to one ounce head will be required. When working the food shelf to the first drop-off an 1/8 to a quarter ounce will suffice.

Tip the jig head with either livebait or plastic. When using plastic I like the scented or salted style. Bass Pro, MR. Twister and Yum all carry scented and salted tails. Another option is freezing a handful of tails in a small bag with anise oil. Anise oil goes back many years but to this day it still works.

When jig fishing remember to drag is to snag and in a river this means a lot of re-tying. Cast out hit bottom and lift. Repeat until back to the boat. This is why I love to vertical jig fish. Hit the bottom give a short lift and drop it back down. It only takes a few minutes to master.

Speaking of mastering jig fishing, go crappie fishing when they are spawning and carry only a handful of jigs. Try a few marabou and a few with plastic tails. In one day you will become a very successful jig angler armed with confidence when chasing bass or walleye.

Bobber fishing is unheard of on walleye and bass in a river. Once again taking a page from the steelhead anglers this is a pure killer. When the fish just don’t want to bite try drifting a bobber through a hole or along a concrete pillar. The weightless in your face presentation often turns the trick.

Last, try night fishing. I love fishing after dark for walleye and bass. My favorite method is casting Heddon Tadpolly baits or a jig. The jig might be a round head with a plastic tail or a split shot with a floating jig head and a leech.

Fishing the food shelf areas are the best. Concentrate on the sandy beeches, openings in the weeds, docks and other structure that is not far from deep water. I like to mark my favorite areas with glow in the dark thumb tacks. Just make sure that you ask the owner first.

Concrete rubble along a shoreline is very good as is a rocky point. Often owners dump concrete slabs along their shoreline and at times these piles nearly reach a drop-off. Just plain deadly!

On a river I concentrate on the bridge over passes and the deep long holes. I often anchor on the side of a deep hole and cast both the front lip and the back lip while also working the shallow water that borders the hole.

I love drift fishing or using a trolling motor to slowly work the current of a deep hole. The same techniques mentioned earlier work great. Just remember to bring a black light because it will make landing a fish easier and tying knots without drawing insects.

Finally I would suggest weedless hooks, weedless crawler harness rigs, the K&E weedless work and the old Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon. All of these lures will work in the slop, along the weeds or down deep. Some folks like the extra challenge of an artificial bait.

Anglers of old or new should get their hands on two great fishing books. These two books will most certainly place more fish of all species into your boat. Buck Perrys Spoon plugging book is available from their web site (buckperryspoonplugging.com) and the book Lunkers Love Night crawlers from Midwest Outdoors.

Both of these books go into great detail on structure fishing, what it really is, what a break is, a food shelf and all of the other terms associated with fishing. They both have countless pages describing and showing what they are talking about. Both read easily and quickly. Mine are marked up with a highlighter and tons of notes.

If true structure fishing is new to you then purchase one of the suggested books. If landing more game fish then think hard about adding live bait to your arsenal. Don’t forget the jig heads and remember that pike are found of these rigs. Use a 6-10 inch sucker minnow or a frozen smelt if pike are your intended target and start fishing the way some of us old timers did.

Bunny hunting with a hound or without, By Jack Payne,

Frozen branches from the Autumn Olive slapped my face as I slowly made my way through the tangle. As I stopped to wipe the tears from my face I caught the glimpse of brown.

As we made eye contact the cottontail made a beeline for parts unknown. Instantly the old Remington  barked off a round. Hunting with my son brought back the many joys of rabbit hunting. The sound of a hound hot on a rabbit will melt ice in the North Pole.

I like action. Walking slowly while scanning the briars, pines or whatever other cover you are hunting keeps you on your toes. Any step could result in a bunny taking off for far away parts.

Rabbits love grapes, berries, Red Osier Dogwood, fruit trees, young samplings and just about anything that they can sink their teeth into and girdle are all favorite foods. Rabbits love to eat anything that is green. Once the green stuff is gone, look out! Any twig or small tree is fair game.

 People who make a living off of the land are not very fond of rabbits when you consider the damage that they suffer. Any place that you see fruit trees would be a good place to check out. If the land is private a pleasant face with a promise of being careful should get you a chance to remove a few pesky tree-eating rabbits.

Creek bottoms, drainage ditches and lowland marsh areas all draw rabbits. The thicker the tangle and the closer to a quality food source the better. Often in these low areas a hunter will find Red Osier and Dogwoods, which only enhances the location.

Hunting without a dog can be very effective. When the rabbits are sitting tight a slow moving hunter has an excellent chance to score. Another great time is the first warm day after a cold snap.

The best method for a single hunter is the stop and go method. Far too many hunters make the mistake of moving way to quick. In prime habitat I might cover a couple of acres in a half- hour.

Old farms with plenty of abandoned machinery or run down building are another great location for the hunter without the services of a hound.

Two hunters can work as a team in this type of cover. One hunter should post up after anticipating where a rabbit might run. The other hunter slowly pokes around the old machinery. Stump and kick anything that you believe might hold a rabbit.

When hunting with a group it pays off to place a hunter or two on a stand. If you are hunting a Christmas tree plantation, an old orchard or long fence lines, have a hunter stand near the end while the other hunters work their way towards him.

For pure enjoyment and music that is priceless, nothing beats the sight and sound of a beagle hot on a rabbit. Day in and day out this is my favorite way to hunt.

If the rabbit doesn’t hole up the patient hunter who remains still on his stand will be rewarded with a shot. Often once the rabbit places some distance between himself and the hound he will stop and look back. It looks as if he is saying where are you hound, are you ever going to catch me?

 It’s a great way to spend a winter day with a new hunter regardless of the number of bagged rabbits. The smile on a first time rabbit hunter with his first rabbit will never leave your memory. Get out this winter and have a good time. Don’t forget that squirrel season is still open. Caution should be considered if ice-fishing is in your plans. The heavy snowfall created an insulation barrier that often has very weak ice underneath.

Bunny hunting with a hound or without

By Jack Payne

Frozen branches from the Autumn Olive slapped my face as I slowly made my way through the tangle. As I stopped to wipe the tears from my face I caught the glimpse of brown.

As we made eye contact the cottontail made a beeline for parts unknown. Instantly the old Remington 1100 20 gauge barked off a round. Then a second shot was sounded and the rabbit was in a cartwheel.

As I slowly made my way to retrieve the bunny a second rabbit squirted out from a pine. I hollered to my son and a single shot from his Winchester 1300 was sounded. That quickly two plump rabbits were in the game pouch.

Hunting with my son brought back the many joys of rabbit hunting. Many hunters miss out on the excitement and joy of rabbit hunting. The sound of a hound hot on a rabbit will melt ice in the North Pole.

The joy in young hunters face with perhaps his first kill. Action, which is the key word amongst the young hunters. They want action and this is a reason why many kids turn to video games and such.

I like action. Walking slowly while scanning the briars, pines or whatever other cover you are hunting keeps you on your toes. Any step could result in a bunny taking off for far away parts.

Rabbit hunting is an inexpensive sport and a sport that doesn’t require great amounts of time scouting for your prey. Simply locate an old farm, a set of railroad tracks, a pine plantation or any of the other rabbit cover and you are well under way.

Regardless where you hunt or how you hunt food is important. No food, no rabbits just that simple. Farm crops always draw rabbits and the closer to thick cover the better.

Grapes, berries, Red Osier Dogwood, fruit tree, young samplings and just about anything that they can sink their teeth into and girdle are all favorite foods. Rabbits love to eat anything that is green. Once the green stuff is gone, look out! Any twig or small tree is fair game.

Old apple orchards that are over grown are excellent locations. Add tall grass, plenty of old brush piles and soon the old cottontail should be spotted.

They will girdle a fruit tree over night. People who make a living off of the land are not very fond of rabbits when you consider the damage that they suffer. Any place that you see fruit trees would be a good place to check out. If the land is private a pleasant face with a promise of being careful should get you a chance to remove a few pesky tree-eating rabbits.

Creek bottoms, drainage ditches and lowland marsh areas all draw rabbits. The thicker the tangle and the closer to a quality food source the better. Often in these low areas a hunter will find Red Osier and Dogwoods, which only enhances the location.

Rabbit hunting starts in September in the State of Michigan. With many activities going on I rarely chase rabbits prior to Thanksgiving. Cover is not as thick later in the fall and the corn is usually cut. Makes rabbit hunting a bit easier this way.

Many hunters associate rabbit hunting with the first snow fall of the year. The weak and sick rabbits normally die after the first freeze plus the addition of snow enhances sightings and more good shots.

Weather is an important factor when deciding where to hunt. On those cold and windy days hit the thick tangles of vines, briars and any type of cover that protects the rabbit from the elements.

Hunting without a dog can be very effective. When the rabbits are sitting tight a slow moving hunter has an excellent chance to score. Another great time is the first warm day after a cold snap.

With the rabbits sitting out in the open fields soaking up the sun nothing beats a slow moving hunter. With the new found warmth the rabbits are reluctant to venture far.

The best method for a single hunter is the stop and go method. Far too many hunters make the mistake of moving way to quick. In prime habitat I might cover a couple of acres in a half- hour.

Very similar to stalking deer is the method that I use when hunting rabbits without a dog. Just stop and search each and every piece of cover before moving. Five yards, another slap in the face from the briar tangle. Stop and look, move another five or ten.

Out of the corner of your eye a spot of black grabs your attention. Slowly you make out a rabbit shivering, wondering if you will walk by or not. Before you can raise your shotgun he’s on the move.

Half of the battle is just mounting your shotgun without wrapping your arms up in prickers. Hopefully the rabbit will stall just long enough to get my Tru-Glo bead sight on target.

Old farms with plenty of abandoned machinery or run down building are another great location for the hunter without the services of a hound. Once again look for the rabbits tight to cover.

Two hunters can work as a team in this type of cover. One hunter should post up after anticipating where a rabbit might run. The other hunter slowly pokes around the old machinery. Stump and kick anything that you believe might hold a rabbit.

Last season my son Eric and I found a rabbit hiding in a four-inch plastic tube and I actually had to pound the tube on the frozen ground to get the rabbit to run. Unfortunately for the rabbit it stopped fifteen yards away and gave my son an easy shot.

A favorite hunting technique that my son and I use encompasses a hunter on stand. I like to post my son Eric at the end of a fence roll. The best locations are at the intersections of two fence rolls or where a thicket necks down into a tree line or any type of bottleneck.

An hourglass shaped wood lot with prime habitat is another high percentage location. The stander does just that, stand and look. The driver walks very slowly bumping any unsuspecting rabbit to the posted hunter.

Often the posted hunter will get the most opportunities and harvest the most rabbits. On one hunt my son had to reload quickly after dusting off a pair of rabbits. Often doubles or triples end up scurrying down their emergency exit.

 When you come across a brush pile one hunter should take a stand that offers the best opportunity for an open shot while the other jumps on the pile. As you near the end of a fence roll one hunter should swing around toward the end of it. Stand back but within shooting range and wait for a rabbit to squirt out.

 They normally will follow the fence roll to the end and then take off on a streak for the nearest cover. Pay close attention to the direction that it runs. This will give you a clue for future outings on a good stand location. Rabbits have their favorite escape routes and once you locate them they generally stay good for years.

When hunting with a group it pays off to place a hunter or two on a stand. If you are hunting a Christmas tree plantation, an old orchard or long fence lines, have a hunter stand near the end while the other hunters work their way towards him. This also works well with thickets, cattail marshes and brushy fields. Many times the rabbits will run well ahead of the drivers without the hunters even being aware that a rabbit has flushed.

For pure enjoyment and music that is priceless, nothing beats the sight and sound of a beagle hot on a rabbit. Day in and day out this is my favorite way to hunt. Not always the most productive, but none less the most entertaining.

Hunting with a beagle offers some fast action shooting. Often the rabbit takes off as if in a hundred- yard dash. Shots can be tricky but if you’re patient the shots on the return trip are easier.

If the rabbit doesn’t hole up the patient hunter who remains still on his stand will be rewarded with an easy shot. Often once the rabbit places some distance between himself and the hound he will stop and look back. It looks as if he is saying where are you hound, are you ever going to catch me?

Let one hunter and the hound do much of the work. Often it’s as toss up on who jumps the most rabbits between the pusher and the beagle. Either way, in a short order a rabbit when be bounding its’ way ahead of the pack.

Christmas tree plantations are famous for their huge brush piles. You can bet that when pressured the rabbits will head there fast. I grew up hunting pine tree plantations and orchards. Hunting the pine trees is fairly easy. There are two-tracks about every ten rolls of trees. Stay fairly close to these and when the dog lets out hustle to the opening.

 The rabbit normally runs a short distance down the rolls and then makes a hard turn. If you are in position when the rabbit cuts the opening, a quick open shot will be present.

When using a beagle it’s best to let the dog do much of the work.

 Walk slowly and keep your eyes peeled for any sudden movement. When the dog takes off on a hot trail it’s best for all of the hunters to spread out. On a good day the rabbit will run a complete circle. Because rabbits can be as predictable as a beagle, nothing can be for sure.

This makes for some fun shooting as the rabbit makes its’ way across the rolls of trees. Rabbits have a tendency to run in an erratic manner. Rarely do the run in a straight line. This is the beauty of hunting an orchard or a pine tree plantation.

These are the best opportunities for a hunter with a .22 rifle. A sitting or very slow moving rabbit makes for some fun plinking.

Rabbit hunting with a hound and a rifle is often a blast. When the kill is not of any importance I head for either an old orchard or a pine tree plantation. Try and find a spot with a bit of elevation and take a stand.

When using a rifle, make sure that there are no homes in the near vicinity. A rifle shot in the open ground can cover a long distance.

If bagging a rabbit or two is high on the priority list then grab a shotgun. If possible use an improved choke and leave the full choke for bird hunting. A shotgun is often easier for a new hunter to master and it’s much safer around old farms and areas of homes.

It’s the only choice when hunting the thick stuff. Its’ hard enough to pull up on a rabbit in the briars, let alone get a clean shot with a rifle! The old scattergun is a great choice for most situations and a load of sixes will take down any rabbit very easily.

Much of the best hunting takes place on private property. The best way to locate a prime piece of property starts with a slow drive. Ride around taking note of the cover and terrain.

Once a prime piece is located then some friendly conversation is in order. Sometimes all it takes is a knock on the door and a smiling face to gain permission to some great private property for rabbit hunting. Take your son or daughter along when seeking permission to hunt and leave the hunting cloths home.

Listening to the sound of a beagle hot on a rabbit or just enjoying the jump shooting that only a hunter experiences is a treat. Rabbit hunting is the best way to introduce someone new to hunting. Its stress free, no hard fast rules, and no requirements that you must be up two hours before daylight. Just grab your gun and if lucky to own a beagle, hit the field. Regardless if you hunt alone or with a partner, an enjoyable time is guaranteed.

 It’s a great way to spend a winter day with a new hunter regardless of the number of bagged rabbits. The smile on a first time rabbit hunter with his first rabbit will never leave your memory. Get out this winter and have a good time.

Recipes for the successful hunter, by Jack Payne

The sweet aroma of onions and the sound of the mushroom gravy sizzling in the frying pan were welcomed by the entire hunting party. Our last day in camp was upon us and the meal was a celebration of sorts.

Everyone loves tenderloins and nothing is better than fresh tenderloins with a replay from each successful hunter. The inside tenderloins are like candy and melt in your mouth when prepared correctly.

 Marinade the tenderloins over night and sprinkle with Lowery seasoning salt and pepper. Slice up a few onions and sauté’ with butter in a frying pan.

Place the tenderloins in the pan with the onions and sear both sides. Turn down the heat, add two cans of mushroom gravy and let simmer. If fresh mushrooms are available, then throw in a handful.

A venison stir-fry is fast and very simple to make. Back straps or strips of the hindquarter will suffice. Cut into 1 inche wide, three or four inch long strips, an estimated half inch thick.

I like a garlic butter marinade or a lemon pepper marinade with a stir-fry. Sear the meat and turn the heat down. Add a bag or two of frozen oriental vegetables and the sauce that comes with each package.

Keep a close eye on the vegetables. Don’t over cook them, it’s done when the vegetables are heated all the way through but yet still crisp.

A box of rice finishes off the meal and if you like the mushroom gravy you can add a can or two for extra spice when you add the frozen vegetables.               

A hearty bowl of hot stew will take the chill out of any hunter. Stew is another of those quick and easy meals.

Meat from the front shoulder cut into slices or chunks will work. Brown the meat lightly in a frying pan and place into a crock-pot.

Add any of you favorite seasonings and spices and then the rest of the ingredients. I like chopped up carrots, sliced celery, and sliced potatoes, peppers and tomatoes.

A bag of frozen corn and peas will finish off the main course. If you like added punch then two cups of apple cider will jazz it up nicely. Add two packs of stew mix and let it simmer all day while you are out in the field.

I like the old ten-cent biscuits, which shows my age. A pack or two of the canned biscuits topped with butter and a cold drink will satisfy any hungry hunter.

Chili is always welcomed in any camp. Texas chili substitutes burger with venison chunks.

There are more chili recipes out there than what any hunter could eat in a season. Use some imagination and remember that the best chili cooks all day. Good spice options include V-8 Juice, Salsa, cumin, oregeno, various peppers, celery, potatoes, chili beans, onion and yes peanut butter.

Adding marinade to your meat prior to freezing is the best way to ensure that special taste. Salad dressings make a great marinade as well.

Vacuum packing your meat really helps on the shelf life. The bags are reusable and this is a fast way to package your meat as compared to the old way of double wrapping the meat.

Sausage making is really easy. Like anything else there are volumes of books showing hundreds of recipes. I found it much easier to go to Kent Butcher in Wyoming and buying small quantities of spices. This way you can experiment with a small batch of seasonings to make Summer, Breakfast, Italian or Polish sausage. It’s fun and easy.

A sausage stuffer or a meat grinder with the sausage tubes attached to the front will assist and make the job of sausage simple. Dump in your ground meat that was seasoned and attach the proper plastic tube. Start cranking and tie the individual links after running out all of the casings that you plan on using.

                Jerky can be made from any scraps or even last years left over venison, turkey, goose, squirrel, rabbit or bear. You can either slice it thin or grind the meat up. An electric smoker or a dehydrator works great but your home oven will work. Most sport stores and meat markets have 4-12 types of spices to make jerky. Vacuum pack the meat in small bags and it will last a long time. Enjoy your fruits of labor this winter with some excellent eating.

When to go light and when to go heavy on winter perch, by Jack Payne

The cool winds of early January chilled my neck. At this moment I wished for my windbreak. Before the wind chill could take its’ effect the perch starting to hit.

Nothing warms you up faster than catching fish and a tasty perch dinner is hard to beat. Watching the spring bobber slowly moving towards the hole fires me up each time.

 Find the food source and the perch will be there. Any change on the bottom from rocks to sand, weeds to muck and so on are all holding places for the perch.

Rigs consisting of a spring bobber, hook or a teardrop or small spoon tipped with a minnow or a spike produces the most fish. Jigging with 1 rod while fishing with a bobber on the second rod produces the best.

 “Adding of some color” really improves the overall catch rate. I like the K & E Moon Glow teardrops from Stopper Lures (616-945-4496) or www.stopperlures.com for a complete catalog. Year around I use the glow baits with great success!

Tackle for the perch is simply a wiggler or a minnow fished on or near the bottom. In most cases a teardrop will improve your catch ratio. One of the local favorites for perch is the Moon Rocker teardrop. These glow in the dark tear drops work very well in the deep water. Bright colored baits like chartreuse or fluorescent colors produce well.

Some pointers when perch fishing that will improve your catch are as follows.

First, perch normally are not as aggressive at low light conditions as the walleye and bluegill. This gives you time for that extra cup of coffee before venturing out. Concentrate on the food sources and fish through the mid day hours.

Second, always bring along a jigging rod. Use a small jigging spoon like the Rapala in gold color. Something flashy always produces more fish than a drab color for me.

Third, a quality rod will make the difference in your catch. Not many anglers can justify paying forty bucks for an ice rod, but the difference is unreal. After watching a couple of local anglers just clobber the fish last January I had to ask what they were doing and I wasn’t.

Quickly I found out the subtle differences between their rod and mine. Thorne Brothers make custom rods for all ice-fishing adventures. My favorite panfish rod is the Sweet Heart series in the 28 and 36-inch models. 96% graphite and so sensitive that you could feel a feather touch the tip! They really do make a difference. Contact them on their web page at www.thornebros.com.

Each angler needs a quality graph. You must be able to spot the subtle changes. Hummingbird just entered this new market and they have two good models to pick from.

Grab your graph, a handful of jigging spoons and a bucket of minnows. Start near the weedlines and head out to the deep flats for some exciting early season perch fishing.

Black Jack, 21 tips to a better deer season

By Jack Payne

 The perfectly quiet morning silence was broken by the slightest splash from behind. Slowly a small group of deer was entering the swamp from the oak forest.

            As the deer filed by each decided to cross the creek in front of me and then cross the creek a few yards down stream. The last deer in the group wore headgear. Pulling back the Black Diamond bow and placing the Terzo pin on the chest cavity the arrow was released. The Rage broad head did the trick and the buck was down within 50 yards.

            Talk to the folks that get a deer each year or close to it and a number of items pop up that spells success. The majority of the work is done prior to the actual hunt. To me the work is fun.

            1) Scouting should be fun and an easy way is by the seat of your pants. My daughter and I take rides around the general areas that I plan to hunt. Carrying a camera captures many great photos. As a bonus I often find new turkey locations as well.

            2) Hunters need to tune up their bows, sight in their rifles and practice well before the opener. Get the bow tuned and shoot a few arrows through a paper test before the opener. Shoot a dozen shots through the rifle to get reacquainted with the gun. Archery hunters should practice each day or every other day. Shooting 1-3 dozen arrows each time pays huge dividends. I shoot my broad heads when practicing.

            3) Equipment needs vary for each hunter. I experiment during the summer with new products and found a few items that I would not hunt without again. The sights from Terzo Products draws light under low conditions. The weight forward Carbon Express arrows work great with my Rage Broadheads.

            4) Locating a hot location is key. Don’t hunt memories or locations that have worn down trails with no fresh tracks. Some runs will look worn down years after any use.

            Locating that special spot takes a bit if work. Tie thread across any runway that shows promise. Keep it two feet above the ground. Often when a deer breaks the thread the ends point in the direction that the deer are traveling. After tying thread over a dozen potential runs and verifying which runs have had the thread broken, it’s time for the orange survey ribbon.

             Follow each runway 100-300 yards marking the run on occasion. Hang the ribbon up high for easy visibility. Wherever two runs cross mark with a few extra pieces of ribbon. You will be amazed at how often two hot looking runs either merge or end up fairly close to each other.

            5) Crop fields are always a prime area to spot deer. They can be hard to hunt because of the openness and various entry points. Often the hunting is better when staying away from the field edges by 50-100 yards.

            Fence rolls and drainage ditches are prime traveling routes. A key location will be where they meet the main woods. This is especially true in the farm belt areas where cover is sparse.

            6) Hunt the corners of the small woodlots for best action. I try to sit 5-10 yards from the field edges when hunting small woodlots. This gives you a chance to shoot at two edges of the field and still get a good shot behind you.

            7) Hunt the oaks when the acorns drop. This was perhaps my number one mistake over the years. I hunt swamps and left the oaks alone. Now I hunt the swamps and bedding areas early in the season but keep a constant watch for the trees dropping the most acorns. If you don’t have oaks then hunt the prevailing food source that is at its’ peak.

            8) Hunters need multiple stands to cover wind direction, hunter pressure and to keep the stands fresh. I back pack the Lone Wolf stand or my climbing Summit. These stand takes three seconds to install and it will not move or make a sound.

9) An additional tip that I use is setting up with the sun at your back when possible. Whenever possible I try to set my stand so that a traveling deer will have the sun in their eyes. This might mean that a good run will be hunted where it makes a bend or travels around some obstacle.

            Better the deer with the sun in their eyes than the hunter squinting while attempting a shot.

            10) Prescription sunglasses really help me out. I use the yellow tinted color lenses because they gather the most light under low light conditions.

11) I love pine and cedar trees. These are the easiest trees to hide in and offer a great place to hang a daypack. An oak tree with multiple limbs is the next best bet. Use the natural cover to help conceal your location regardless if you hunt from a tree or from the ground.

12) I hunt the ground 100% with a gun and maybe 20% with a bow. A thick group of pines or cedars works great. Sit in the thick stuff maybe 3-5 feet and prune out a few shooting windows. Thick cattails also work well and are used with great success. The sound of sucking muck or water will tip you off that a deer is close.

            13) This brings up the next location to concentrate on. Hunt bottleneck areas. Hunt areas where the terrain forces the deer to pass through a narrow spot.  A river or a creek often can be used as a funnel. Two ponds or a pond and a stream within 100-200 yards of each other are one of my favorites.

            Fences can be great. Walking slowly along a fence will often show an area where the deer prefer to cross. Hair on the fence or a section where the fence is bent down is a sure give a way.

            14) Hunters need good cover and attraction scent. If you don’t stink the deer are less apt to smell you. I use one of the scent eliminator spray products and a mixture of vanilla and water. I spray every thing before heading into the woods and at least once during the hunt. Tinks Scents are excellent for this application.

            Cover scent is critical and is practiced by a number of hunters. Carry it one step further than the rest. Keep your cloths in a plastic bag. I throw in fresh leaves each time out as well. Spray your cloths, hats and gloves and then your heads, boots and hands.

             15) Wear rubber knee high boots and keeps a change of cloths in your vehicle. I repeat, never go into a restaurant or store with your hunting cloths on.

 Scent control also includes clothing. Scent gathering suits can easily be the last link for total coverage. Scent Lok and Mad Dog both carry great scent proof garments.

            16) Mock scrapes can work and the best scrapes are started before the season starts. Like anything it takes some planning and not every spot will produce. Locate a good runway near a bedding area and make up a scrape. Add some of your favorite scent and check back in a week. Make sure that you have a licking branch above your scrape. Tinks carries a great line up of scents,

            17) Use a deer call. I like a deer call that makes fawn bleats, doe grunts and rutting grunts. Hunters Specialties carries the True Talker that is hands free. This is critical for the bow hunter. Blow on the small mouth piece and stop the deer dead in it’s tracks without using your hands or getting the call in the way of the shot.

            18) During the rut hunt the does. The bucks will find the does and this is the easiest way to a shot. Once again locating a bedding or feeding area that the does are using is the prime area to hunt.

            19) If you located a bedding area then hunt there during the mid-day hours. This is especially true during the gun season. Without a doubt my hunting party has shot more bucks between 10:00 am and 3:00 p.m. than any other time.

            20) Use other hunters to your advantage. Identify where hunters will enter the woods and use their movement to help push deer to you. When scouting I carry along some papers and make a rough map. Mark down the runway locations, the two tracks and any blinds or stands that you run across.

            Part of my success comes from knowing where other hunters will be and how they will enter the woods.

            21) Be in the woods when the weather changes. If it rained hard all morning and now is letting up, hustle to your favorites feeding location. High winds and heavy rains will change the patterns of the deer. The same applies just before a big storm blows in.

             Deer can sense when a storm is coming and if they will be down for a few days. Just prior, regardless of the time they will be feeding. Most of our bucks shot after opening day have fallen during this type of condition.

            Following the twenty-one tips and paying close attention to small details will dramatically increase your deer sightings. Archery or gun, staying focused will pay dividends. All it takes is one well-placed shot to enjoy some fresh tenderloin in mushroom gravy this season.

Late summer and Early fall bluegills, by Jack Payne

The sun was starting its’ decent and the air became cool as another fine day on the water was coming to a close. At the same time two-rod tips started dancing and the finishing touch of a great evening were being emphasized.

Mid September until ice-over can be very good on bluegills. The period I like best is right now through September and then again during Indian Summer if I have a deer with my bow. The last really good time is the week or two just prior to freeze over.

Slowly more anglers are trying plastic baits touched with meat. Some of the top ice-fishing anglers have gone this route and I have about seven years of experience with them.

 My favorite plastics would include the Whip R Snap and the Whip R Knocker from Stopper Lures and the one inch Crappie Grub from Charlie Brewer.

These ultra-light jigs flutter like a feather when lifted and dropped. Stick to the smallest size and weights. The slow side to side darting action makes an attractive target and the near weightless bait is easy to suck in.

 Vertical fishing is the choice method when there is a slight breeze. The best presentation will be a four hook rig, which is very similar to a perch, or crappie rig. At this time of the year most of the gills are suspended over deep water.

A few exceptions, Lake Mac, Muskegon Lake, Mona Lake and the bayous of the Grand River. On Lake Mac the buoys continue to produce fish and Stearns Bayou is a steady producer. The bayou is good under the bridge and along the deeper weedlines. On Muskegon and Mona you will find both deep water suspended fish and fish hugging tight to the deep weedlines.

When using the four hook rig I would start out with two different styles of plastic baits and colors. Use two different baits until one bait shows a preference over the other.

 Pay close attention to the depth that the fish appear on the graph and count your line down to the proper depth. Bluegills will feed upwards much quicker than to go down after a meal. If the action slows down drop one rod to the bottom and just tick it. Many times after getting a nice mess of fish part of the school will drop to the bottom.

Fish this rig in the same manner that the bass fishermen do. Just drag and lift, drag and lift as you very slowly putt along with the trolling motor. This rig is absolutely deadly on tight bottom hugging fish.

The last technique to describe is the one most often overlooked. If you do not have a graph then this technique is for you. The rafts that are not used all of the time are best. You can literally catch your limit from one raft. It’s amazing how many fish will sit under the raft! A raft or dock that sits close to the water surface and has some cobwebs showing is the prime spots. Ask anyone that snorkels on your favorite lake and they will tell you how often that they found big bull gills under docks and rafts.

If using a wax worm for added meat then don’t forget to smash your wax worm. A splattered and flattened out wax worm throws out a lot of scent, which attracts a hungry bluegill.

Another tip is the use of Uncle Josh pork. I use the ice fleck-fly pork and you will land many gills on one piece of pork plus the crappie and perch. While the evenings are cooling off the fish are putting on the feed bag in anticipation of winter. If you stay with the gills until freeze over you will know exactly where to start this winter.

Success on Public Land, by Jack Payne

            It wasn’t even 8:00 a.m. when I heard the leaves crackling and spotted the brown hair of a deer said my son Eric. Two does were feeding on the tall grass along the edge of the aspens.

            “A nice buck was trailing the two does and I placed the Leopold scope on the deer and followed while waiting for a good shot”, said Eric Payne. A fourth deer stepped out and walked under his tree stand but he never took his eyes off of the eight point.

            At dinner on the second night we were four for six while hunting public land. The eight point was Eric’s first buck and the three pointer by young hunter Mike Chambers his first buck. I needed the 4 on one side and passed up three small bucks.

            The common denominator was in locating the proper blind location. You need activity as in fresh deer sign, a current food source, and a good idea where the deer will bed down and hopefully where other hunters will sit.

Locating a hot spot is key to deer hunting success. Don't hunt memories or

places that have trails with no fresh tracks. Some runs will look worn-down

years after any use.

             The bedding areas don’t change dramatically over the season but food sources can and will change. Locating a bedding zone or the safe house so to speak is the first step. The thicker the cover the better the odds are of it being a bedding area. Hunt the edge or find an opening in the center and sit all day. We like crawling into the thick stuff and then finding a small natural opening.

             My hunting group has better luck in the thick stuff or near it than in the open areas. Thick aspen stands; pines or cedars, briars, marsh areas and swamps are all prime bedding and sanctuary locations.

Locating that special spot takes a bit if work. An easy way is to tie thread

 across a runway. If the thread is broken when you check it later, it most likely was from a deer and will show the direction that the deer traveled. Do this before daylight and once again just before dark. Keep the thread 2 feet above the ground and often the direction that the thread is pointing in is the direction that the deer traveled.

            Next, follow each runway 100 to 300 yards, marking the run on

occasion with orange survey ribbon (which you will remove later). Hang the

ribbon high for easy visibility. Wherever two runs cross, mark with a few

extra pieces of ribbon. You will be amazed at how often two hot-looking runs either merge or end up fairly close to each other.

            The more runs funneling through a small area, the higher the success rate. You must follow the runs leaving a feeding area towards a potential bedding area to locate these true hot locations.

            Aerial maps and topo maps easily attained form the web will quickly narrow down an area without leaving home.

            Cornfields and acorns are always an excellent location. Corn or acorns and deer go together like peanut butter and jelly. Often the woodlots are used, as the bedding area therefore keeping your stand close to the edge is important. Tracks are often left in the moist areas bordering the corn pinpointing a potential good location. My stand is 400 yards from the corn but the deer always travel to the bedding area behind me. By the way, I walk a mile through a swamp to get into this prime piece of public land.

            Think long and hard on how you will get to your stand, how the wind will affect the stand. Bumping deer while bedded is a quick way to disaster. Bumping deer while walking to your stand isn’t much better. Take the long way and with the wind in your favor if possible. Another reason for multiplies stands.

            Hunt near the oaks when the acorns drop. This was perhaps my number one mistake over the years. I hunt swamps and left the oaks alone. Now I hunt the swamps and bedding areas but keep a constant watch for the trees dropping the most acorns.

            On years with a limited mast crop often a few trees will have the bulk of the acorns. Locating these trees and setting up camp for an evening hunt is like money in the bank.

            Hunters need multiple stands to cover wind direction, hunter pressure and to keep the stands fresh. An additional tip that I use is setting up with the sun at your back when possible. Whenever possible I try to set my stand so that a traveling deer will have the sun in their eyes. This might mean that a good run would be hunted where it makes a bend or travels around some obstacle.

            Better the deer with the sun in their eyes than the hunter squinting while attempting a shot.

I love pine and cedar trees. These are the easiest trees to hide in and offer a great place to hang a daypack. An oak tree with multiple limbs is the next best bet. Use the natural cover to help conceal your location regardless if you hunt from a tree or from the ground.

I hunt the ground 100% with a gun and maybe 20% with a bow. A thick group of

pines or cedars work great. Sit in the thick stuff maybe 3-5 feet and prune out a few shooting windows. Thick cattails also work well and are used with great success.

The sound of sucking muck or water will tip you off that a deer is close. This is your signal to get the gun ready. I shot bucks three years in a row from the ground while sitting in water, muck and cattails. Not easy but the ground will always be correct if you use the natural surroundings and consider the wind.

            This brings up the next location to concentrate on. Hunt bottleneck areas. Hunt areas where the terrain forces the deer to pass through a narrow spot.  A river or a creek often can be used as a funnel. Two ponds or a pond and a stream within 100-200 yards of each other are one of my favorites.

            River and creek crossings are two of my favorite locations. Walking the bank of a creek or river is an easy way to find an active runway. Deer will cross water in a few selected areas and use these crossings for years.

            Want a better spot? Find two or three crossings and follow them with the orange ribbon. Streams have a tendency to twist and turn and you might think that they are far apart but when followed a short distance two or more often funnel together.

            Another nice thing about water is sound. You can easily here the deer stepping into the water so I set my back towards the water and watch the surrounding areas. Bucks on the rut often walk perpendicular to the runways looking for a hot doe.

 A change in the terrain from oaks to a clear-cut or a thick stand of pines often does the trick. A farm field bordered by a fencerow or a thick cedar swamp with a small stand of aspens in between is another of my favorites.

            Fences can be great. Walking slowly along a fence will often show an area where the deer prefer to cross. Hair on the fence or a section where the fence is bent down is a sure give a way.

            Try to determine when the deer might cross the fence and what direction they will come from. The thread comes in handy here. Deer often stop before jumping a fence and this provides a great location for a good shot.

            Late December I still was carrying my doe permit. On the next to last day and just after a frontal system had passed the deer were on the move. A group of six was making their way towards me and the Nikon binoculars showed one buck. The problem was that I needed a 6 or better on this property. Problem solved, a fat doe was near the back of the pack and when the Nikon range finder showed that the doe will soon be in range I went to full draw. The Black Ice bow from Diamond Archery and the Rage broadhead hit the mark.  I could tell that a good hit was placed.

            Any good realtor will tell you that location is the key. The same applies in deer hunting. Don’t hunt a good-looking runway in the middle of a forest because it shows some promise. Hunt a spot that has many factors in it’s’ favor and your odds rise dramatically.

            Paying close attention to small details will increase your deer sightings. Put on the  hiking boots; enjoy the walk while getting some exercise and getting fired up for this season. All it takes is one well-placed shot to enjoy some fresh tenderloin in mushroom gravy his fall.

Plastics and scent for Pork Belly Bluegills

By Jack Payne

The sun was starting its’ decent behind the sand dunes and another fine day on the water was coming to a close. At the same time two-rod tips started dancing and the finishing touch of a great evening were being emphasized.

My daughter reeled a double header with dandy bluegills coming aboard. My son reeled in one plump gill with a gorgeous orange chest. All of the fish came on plastics with touch of scent.

The past five summers I started experimenting with plastics. After a ten-year run where ice-fishing teardrops were used extensively I decided to try the miniature plastic baits.

The experiment proved much more successful than what I ever would have believed. I would say that on a bad day they produced as well as the teardrops and on many days they out produced the teardrops two or three to one! My favorite plastics would include the Whip R Snap and the Whip R Knocker from Stopper Lures.

These ultra-light jigs flutter like a feather when lifted and dropped. Stick to the smallest size and weights. The slow side to side darting action makes an attractive target and the near weightless bait is easy to suck in.

What is the best way to a mess of those delightful tasting fish? Well if you have a slight breeze motor slowly out from the weedline watching your graph. In most cases the fish will be suspended and your graph will light up like a Christmas tree. Continue motoring slowly in the direction of the wind looking for additional schools of fish. Sometimes you will be able to locate two or three schools that one drift will cover.

Drift fishing for suspended fish is the easiest method to learn. Once you locate them then it’s just the matter of getting set-up properly and turning the boat sideways. Vertical fishing is the choice method when there is a slight breeze. The best presentation will be a four hook rig, which is very similar to a perch, or crappie rig.

When using the four hook rig I would start out with two different styles of plastic baits and colors. Use two different baits until one bait show a preference over the other.

Gills hugging the weedline are best caught with no additional weight than the jigs themselves. A pair of sunglasses becomes real handy when following the weedline and looking for open pockets.

 Pay close attention to the depth that the fish appear on the graph and count your line down to the proper depth.  It’s always best to error on the high side than to be to deep. Bluegills will feed upwards much quicker than to go down after a meal. If the action slows down drop one rod to the bottom and just tick it. Many times after getting a nice mess of fish part of the school will drop to the bottom.

Fish this rig in the same manner that the bass fishermen do. Just drag and lift, drag and lift as you very slowly putt along with the trolling motor. This rig is absolutely deadly on tight bottom hugging fish.

The last technique to describe is the one most often overlooked. If you do not have a graph then this technique is for you. Once again a pair of sunglasses comes in real handy. Fish docks that run out to the weedline or better yet to the drop-offs. Bluegills just love shade. Ask anyone that snorkels on your favorite lake and they will tell you how often that they found big bull gills under docks near deep water. This same thing happens all of the time with rafts.

The best docks and rafts are those that are not used all of the time. You can literally catch your limit from one raft. It’s amazing how many fish will sit under the raft! A raft or dock that sits close to the water surface and has some cobwebs showing is the prime spots.

 You can quickly go around a lake just fishing docks and rafts. When you fish these types of structure you must use a bobber. I like a slip bobber because of its versatility.

If using a wax worm for added meat then don’t forget to smash your wax worm. A splattered and flattened out wax worm throws out a lot of scent, which attracts a hungry bluegill.

Another tip is the use of Uncle Josh pork. I use the ice-fly pork and you will land many gills on one piece of prok plus the crappie and perch.

Perch fishing the past two summers has proven to be a real delight. I tie on 4 quick snaps from Stopper Lures and use two plastic baits, one glow in the dark teardrop and one glow in the dark hook.

Tip the lures with spikes or a wax worm and add a minnow to the plain hook. Limits happen at least 50% of the time and of late nearly 75% of the outings we limit out. Perch fishing takes some searching but once found with a graph the plastics wiggle and dance like a minnow or a lightly hooked spike.

Changes for the up-coming deer season, by jack payne

            Chronic Wasting Disease in Michigan has hit close to home. On August 25 the DNR and the MDA confirmed the state's first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a three-year old white-tailed deer from a privately-owned cervid (POC) facility in Kent County. In order to keep this article within my word count I would encourage the readers to check the DNR and the MUCC web sites. The regulations that we be described pertain to the Lower Peninsula and there are new buck restrictions for the Upper Peninsula based on when you purchased your license and what kind of deer license that you have or will purchase.

            Cervid species means members of the Cervidae family including, but not limited to, deer, elk, moose, reindeer, and caribou. A privately-owned cervid facility is a privately-owned cervid livestock operation on privately-controlled lands capable of holding cervid species.

            Infected animals may not show any symptoms of the disease for a long period of time, even years. In the later stages of the disease, however, infected animals begin to lose bodily functions and display abnormal behavior such as staggering or standing with very poor posture. Animals may have an exaggerated wide posture, or may carry the head and ears lowered. Infected animals become very emaciated (thus wasting disease) and will appear in very poor body condition. Infected animals will also often stand near water and will consume large amounts of water. Drooling or excessive salivation may be apparent. Note that these symptoms may also be characteristic of diseases other than CWD.

            If you see a deer exhibiting these symptoms, you should accurately document the location of the animal immediately and call the Rap Line (1-800-292-7800). Do not attempt to contact, disturb, kill, or remove the animal.

            Current evidence suggests that the disease is transmitted through infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids or from contaminated environments. Once contaminated, research suggests that soil can remain a source of infection for long periods of time, making CWD a particularly difficult disease to eradicate.

            To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents a risk to humans. However, the World Health Organization has recommended that people and other animals not eat deer or elk that have been infected with CWD.

            Some simple precautions should be taken when field dressing deer in the surveillance zone (from Wisconsin DNR):

• Wear rubber gloves when field dressing your deer.
• Bone out the meat from your deer.
• Minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues.
• Wash hands and instruments thoroughly after field dressing is completed.
• Avoid consuming brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes of harvested animals. (Normal field dressing coupled with boning out of a carcass will essentially remove all of these parts.)
• Request that your animal is processed individually, without meat from other animals being added to meat from your animal.

            The deer that tested positive at the Kent County breeding facility was a doe that had been recently culled by the owner of the facility because it was showing signs of sickness. Michigan law requires sick deer or culled deer on a POC facility be tested for disease. The samples from the Kent County deer tested "suspect positive" at Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, and were then sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, which confirmed the test results.

            The state has quarantined all POC facilities, including game ranches, prohibiting the movement of all privately-owned deer, elk, or moose—dead or alive. This is in addition to the current law that has prohibited importation of live cervids from out of state. The Michigan State Police and county sheriff’s offices have been notified to step up surveillance efforts on Michigan’s roads and highways to ensure that there is no movement of cervids in violation of the quarantine.

            The following changes have been implemented and hunters should be well aware of them.

• A ban on baiting and feeding white-tailed deer has been put into effect for the entire Lower Peninsula of Michigan, along with increased enforcement efforts.
• A nine- township surveillance zone has been established in Kent County

• Mandatory deer checks within the CWD surveillance zone in Kent County to test for CWD.
• Deer carcasses acquired within the CWD surveillance zone may not be moved out of this zone
• At least 300 deer must be tested within the surveillance zone and another 300 will be sampled in the rest of Kent County and all counties bordering Kent County to help determine if there may be CWD in the wild deer herd.
• The rehabilitation and possession of live deer has been banned statewide

            Deer taken at a game ranch or privately-owned captive cervid facility under       quarantine are not allowed to be transported out.

            Michigan established a Surveillance and Response Plan for CWD in 2002. This contingency plan said that for any positive identification of CWD in Michigan (or within 50 miles of Michigan’s border), that the DNR Director shall issue an interim order to ban baiting and feeding within the affected peninsula. Baiting and feeding unnaturally congregate deer into close contact, thus increasing the transmission of contagious diseases such as CWD and bovine tuberculosis. Transmission can occur from contact between animals, contamination of feed or water sources with saliva, urine, and/or feces, or contact with an infected facility or area.

            Provisions of the baiting ban are:

• All grains, minerals, salt, fruits, vegetables, hay, or any other food materials, whether natural or manufactured, which may lure, entice or attract deer are prohibited. This ban does include mineral and salt blocks, but does not include natural or manufactured lures/scents that are not “food materials”.
• Food plots are not subject to the ban.
• Foods found scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural planting or harvesting practices, foods available to deer through normal agricultural practices of livestock feeding if the area is occupied by livestock actively consuming the feed on a daily basis, or standing farm crops under normal agricultural practices are not subject to the ban.
• Baiting is defined in the Wildlife Order as placing, depositing, tending, distributing, or scattering bait to aid in the taking of a deer.
• All counties in the entire Lower Peninsula are subject to the baiting
  ban.
• The Upper Peninsula is not included in the ban.

             As a result of the deer and elk baiting and feeding ban, no bear baiting with food materials other than meats, meat products, fish, fish products, or bakery products will be allowed in the Lower Peninsula at any time.

            SONG BIRDS: Feed used in bird feeders should be provided in a way to make the grains inaccessible to deer.

            If you suspect that a deer has CWD you should accurately document the location of the animal and immediately and call the Rap Line (1-800-292-7800). Do not attempt to contact, disturb, kill, or remove the animal.

            For more information try the following web sites which is where I received much of my information. muccpolicy@mucc.org, http://www.mucc.org/cwd/cwd.php,

www.michigan.gov/chronicwastingdisease and

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/whealth/issues/CWD/. Sorry for the long article and lets all hope that this is a one deer situation and not a repeat of what has occurred in Wisconsin. My next article will be more up-beat but I felt that everyone should be aware of these changes.

How to reduce the excess wild game and fish in your freezer, by Jack Payne

            The crunching of leaves meant one of two things, a squirrel or a deer was heading to the water hole for a drink. Slowly a nice small 4 pointer was walking in the water when another buck approached. Before long the smaller of the two was standing under my tree and the other buck was heading up the hill.

            The Black Ice bow from Diamond Archery along with the Carbon Express arrows and the Rage broad heads did their job. The buck traveled less than fifty yards. A few weeks later and the scene were repeated but in this case a fat doe was taken. Then son Eric got into the action and he harvested two deer.

            Last week found me with a problem. Too much meat packed in the freezer and hunting season coming on quick. So out came the grinder, the smoker and the sausage stuffer. Sixty pounds of meat hit the grinder or were sliced and smoked. About the same amount was given to folks at church and I’m sure another 20-30 pounds will be donated as well. In addition to the deer I was lucky to score on a moose so meat was not a problem.

            Sausage making is really easy. Like anything else there are volumes of books showing hundreds of recipes. I found an easier solution; purchase a kit from Hi Mountain. This way you can experiment with a small batch of seasonings to make Summer, Breakfast, Italian, Polish, Breakfast sausage, Bratts and Jerky. It’s fun and easy.

The easiest step is the use of ground meat. If you don’t have an electric grinder an inexpensive manual model will suffice. Cold meat or slightly frozen meat grinds the easiest.

A sausage stuffer or a meat grinder with the sausage tubes attached to the front will assist and make the job of sausage simple. You can push through a couple of pounds of meat in a minute or two. It’s real fast and simple. I like adding ground pork for the salami, sausage and bratts. Dump in your ground meat that was seasoned and attach the proper plastic tube. Don’t forget to use a curing agent. The kits include a curing agent.

Start cranking and tie the individual links after running out all of the casings that you plan on using. Another tip, rinse off your casings before use. You can eliminate the casings when making Hot Sticks and Slim Jims with a jerky shooter. When using casings for sausage poke a few holes with a pin so they don’t burst when cooking

Breakfast sausage was formed into round cylinder shapes similar to how you purchase it from the store.

 A smoker really helps out and the large stainless steel model from Sausage Maker works great. Cook your sausage on a low heat and follow the manufacture suggestions. Freeze all products that will not be eaten within a few days. This applies to the salami as well.

            Jerky can be made from any scraps or even last years left over venison, turkey, goose or bear. You can either slice it thin or grind the meat up. Use a jerky gun when using ground meat or a jerky attachment to your grinder.

   When using the oven it’s best to keep the door open a tad. Some use a small ball of tinfoil or a wooden dowel. When using an oven the heat should be set for 160-180 degrees.

The jerky took 18 hours at 165 degrees to complete but the brats and patties only took 2 hours to make and wrap up. I used the new ZipVac sealer (www.zip-vac.com) with the reusable bags and it worked great. You control how much air is drawn out of the bag and each bag can be used over and over. A small valve is on each bag to open or close and it seals similar to the zip lock bag minus the air. Don’t forget your friends and others in need when evaluating your over stocked freezer of meat and fish. Canned fish and venison is great but that is another story in itself.

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Archery tune-up and planner, by Jack Payne

            As the darkness gave way to daylight I could hear water splashing. Slowly I made out a doe and two yearlings in the water hole. After a few minutes they slowly moved into the oaks. The balance of the morning a few more does showed up as did the gnats.

            The evening hunt started out warm with gnats and small beads of sweat. With plenty of daylight left a deer slowly made its way down the hillside feeding on acorns and leaves. At ten yards I could make out a rack.

            As the deer circled the pond taking a sip here and there I drew back the Black Ice Diamond bow, placed the Nikon Red Dot scope behind the shoulder and released the Rage two blade. The deer ran in the same direction as it came. Within ten seconds all was quiet. Opening evening and a buck headed to the freezer.

            Hunters enjoying success on a regular basis start planning months in advance. Hunters need to pre-scout feeding, bedding and water areas. Last season was very dry and I found the only water hole in the mile section.

            Food sources vary from corn, clover, acorns and browse. Young clear-cuts offer lush new forage and cover at the same time. Early in the season deer have plenty of food choices and they change as the season deepens.

            Some seasons acorns are limited and farm crops are cut leaving browse and clear-cuts as a favorite. Just remember no food and no deer unless you are hunting a bedding area or a direct travel route to the bedding areas.

            “Hunters need to paper tune their bows prior to the season” stated Bob Hop of Blendon Pines. Blendon Pines is a complete pro shop with an indoor 40 yard range and a 3-D outdoor range. The outdoor range has two raised platforms and the course wanders around the property covering ¾ of a mile. This is a good way to practice and to get into shape.

            The course is open on Tuesdays from 9-6, Wednesday and Thursdays from 9-8 and Friday and Saturday from 9-4. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.

            “Hunters need to verify that their bows are in tune, strings and servings checked, parts lubed, no rust and arrows verified for straightness”, said Hop. I would also suggest having a friend listen as you pull back your bow and as you release. The only sound that you want to hear is that of the arrow hitting the target.

            Mole skin and a dab of oil go a long way in curing noise. Don’t forget to tighten down any nuts or bolts. If you hunt with a quiver on then practice the same and once again check for noise. Shooting inside is often quieter and easier to pin point anything that is noisy.

            I know many hunters hate to shoot an expensive broadhead but it really must be done. Some heads will fly the same as a practice head and others will not. Only practice will prove likewise.

            The best practice is one arrow at a time. Shoot once, walk down and retrieve the arrow and shoot it again. This will help in your concentration.

            Now is the time to set your tree stands or at least verify your shooting lanes. Once this is completed make sure that your stand is rock solid and quiet. Countless deer are spooked because of a noisy stand and most hunting accidents occur while climbing in and out of a stand. Double check your stand and your safety strap.

            “Hunters shouldn’t wait until the last minute because we get busy”, said Hop. The same applies to your hunting locations. Our stand locations are set for the season giving the deer time to forget out intrusion with plenty of back-up locations in case of hunter pressure or a change of food supplies. Start now for an exciting archery season.

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Shallow water walleye, by Jack Payne

            The planner board was bobbing like a giant bobber when it pulled hard towards the boat and started digging into the surface. Grabbing the Daiwa rod and giving it a good hook set a nice walleye was on.

            Shallow water walleye can be caught throughout much of the season with two patterns proving the most consistent. As I write this the temperatures of Lake Michigan has dropped dramatically. The result is a large influx of hungry walleye chasing down the gizzard shad and other forage that moved into Lake Mac, Muskegon Lake, White Lake and the Kalamazoo River.

            Planner boards and trolling high lines work great under these conditions. Diving crankbaits such as the Rapala Husky Jerk, the Smithwick Rogue and the Heddon Tadpolly are excellent picks.

            Most of the walleye will be caught within 10 feet of the surface and many times within five feet of the surface. Trolling with an electric trolling motor works best but you can get by with an outboard motor.

            Just remember that these are feeding fish and a stealth approach works best. Long lining, or letting out 50 plus yards of line keeps the lure away from the boat noise. The planner boards do the same thing.

            Besides crankbaits trolling with a crawler harness and one or two number 7 split shots works very well. You get the flash of a lure and the scent of a real meal. Use larger blades when targeting these hungry fish as compared to a normal day. I would suggest a 5, 6 or 7 size blade for the suspended fish and a 2, 3 or 4 for the normal conditions.

            Another shallow water strategy rarely employed is flipping docks, rip-rap shoreline, small weed clumps and a section of shoreline with a nice deep lip close to shore. A slow tapering shoreline gives the bait a place to hide but a shoreline that drops off into a foot or two of depth quickly holds walleye and traps the bait fish.

            Many bass anglers have enjoyed the bonus walleye while fishing tournaments or just fun fishing. I know of two guys that were serious bass anglers that now fish walleye and rarely fish deeper than 10-feet all summer.

            They look for docks that reach the drop-off, weeds that are close to the drop-off, places where large boats and freighters dock up and rocky or rip-rap points. Old factories often have tons of rock or concrete ruble along the shoreline offering prime locations for a walleye to sit in an ambush mode.

            Much of the techniques mentioned are used during daylight hours. However there is a small group of anglers that fish after dark with great success. When fishing crankbaits most use glow in the dark lures or add a piece of Witch Craft tape and a shot of light from a camera flash.

            Suspended fish are targeted as are the shallow water locations mentioned earlier. One last location that is prime would be the piers. A few anglers walk the pier with a crank bait after dark and enjoy amazing success.

            The key to this suspended fishery is the temperature of Lake Michigan. Once the big lake starts to warm up the bulk of the forage and walleye move out. When fall comes and both the big lake and the inland lakes drop into the low 50 degree range then the action starts up again and will last until the lake freezes over.

            In the mean time get out and enjoy this short burst of suspended walleye and then hit the shallow water locations as the forage moves out.

Photo caption: Jim Van Dyke with a trophy walleye