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| Photo credit: Wikipedia |
Hints of autumn are in the air along with the sights, sounds and smells signaling we are running out of summer. Parks and trails are open and the weather is perfect for camping and hiking.
Sandhill cranes continue to gather, Canada geese are also feeding and flocking together, and many birds have, or are about to begin their migrations.
The vast majority of the bucks are in velvet, but a few have been seen rubbing the velvet off on tree bark in the far north. Many does with twins have been seen feeding in fields or along the roadways. While there are still acorns and berries to be had, keep your eyes out and your food stored from the usual critter criminals, namely bears and raccoons.
Grasslands and prairies continue to be filled with wildflowers. The predominant color is yellow, with stiff goldenrod, Canada goldenrod, prairie dock, compass-plant, black-eyed Susan, brown-eyed Susan, and rosinweed all blooming.
Anglers across the state had mixed success in the last week, but the 27th Annual Eagle River National Musky Open Tournament netted some records, including the most fish caught and released and most husband and wife (72) teams competing. More than 1,100 registered participants competed and 198 musky were caught and released. The winning fish taken out of Kentuck Lake in Forest County and measured nearly 50 inches.
In the Park Falls area, fishing activity has continued to be pretty good. Musky were again the highlight of the week, with most anglers reporting quite a bit of action on nearly all area northern region musky waters.
Perch numbers were good in the waters off Brown County with some people getting their limits. Perch were caught on both night crawlers and minnows, but minnows were the most used. The average perch size was about 6-8 inches in about 24 feet of water.
Water temperatures on Lake Geneva are hovering in the 70s and fishing has been fair. Anglers are reporting decent catches of bluegills fishing with wax worms. Bass can be had by fishing many types of plastic baits close to the bottom. As always, there is no shortage of rock bass and perch being caught. Bass are being caught on Delavan Lake with the best bet along weed edges. Fishing has seemed to be the most productive during the early morning hours. Fishing pressure on Delavan has been heavy. Anglers are reporting decent catches of bluegills.
Anglers trolling the waters off Milwaukee County have been catching chinooks, along with a few rainbows and lake trout. Most have been working north of the harbor in 100 to 130 feet of water with baits about 70 to 90 feet deep. In pre-dawn hours, some fish also have been taken in shallower water. Fishing off McKinley pier has been slow. Anglers at Jones Island have reported a few browns taken on minnows fished under a bobber.
