Along the Portage

Minnesota DNR

MINNESOTA DNR—Minnesota’s waterfowl hunting season will open at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today.

The early goose season will open Sept. 4. So will a first-ever sandhill crane season. Youth Waterfowl Hunting Day will be Sept. 18.

“Though waterfowl bag limit and season length decisions will not be made until following the Mississippi Flyway Council and federal regulation meetings later in July, we’re getting the word out about the opening dates now so hunters can plan ahead,” said Dennis Simon, DNR Wildlife Section Chief.

Sandhill Crane

For the first time in the modern era, Minnesotans will have the opportunity to harvest sandhill cranes in far northwestern Minnesota. The season will run from Saturday, Sept. 4, through Sunday, Oct.10. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset until the opening day of duck season on Oct. 2, when shooting hours for sandhill cranes are the same as for waterfowl.

The open area will consist of the “Northwest Goose Zone,” which includes portions of Kittson, Roseau, Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake and Polk counties. There will be a daily bag limit of...

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Outdoor Columnist

With this heat and wind we have had, fishing can be a challenge. This is the time of year that is the most difficult time to find aggressive fish. So that’s when it’s time to punt.

Next to February, which in the winter has got to be the toughest time to find active fish, fishing open water in July, or what we call the dog days of summer, is also the toughest time as far as fishing open water goes. The heat just drives these fish deep or to the jungle of weeds.

Truly there are some days I just flat out give up, or what I like to say … time to punt.

Then again, getting away from what I am normally chasing can be the saving throw.

Last week I was talking about chasing pike and bass. Typically, I’ll say that pike and bass are for those that can’t catch crappies or walleyes. Kidding, guys! Well, I was one of those guys last weekend. Yes, I bagged a few eyes early, but as the sun got up, it was futile to even try.

Boat control was next to impossible because of that wind, and I’ve said it before – speed kills. For the life of me I could not effectively work a pattern on those walleyes. I tried everything that I could think of, including changing up on the lakes we were fishing. You guessed it, I...

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Outdoor Columnist

At noon last Sunday on the Fourth of July, as I opened the garage door I was greeted by the damp, musty smell of a wet boat. Much like a wet dog, it is basically an unpleasant odor, but with all factors considered, you quickly realize that it’s actually a good smell and something that is a big part of your life.

To reach this point, early morning fishing plans were dashed when I had driven only five miles and run into lightning, wind and a substantial rainfall. So there I was, back home with the boat in the garage, and it wasn’t even 5:00 a.m. yet. So much for an early start on the water.

This is how it’s been going as of late. Unpredictable, sporadic weather patterns have kept me jumping from one idea to another in attempts to cash in on the best bite available. Sometimes it works out to perfection – sometimes not.

The recent hot weather was the prime reason for me wanting to be out on the water at or before first light. By doing this, I could escape most of the humid heat by fishing until 11:00 a.m. or so and still be back home at a decent time. This way I could rest up during the day, and if it looked like a good evening to be on the water, I’d be back out there. Lately, however, high winds have kept me home.

Oh, it’s not always comfortable during the early hours as you sometimes have to deal with the “sun reflection factor” when it first peeks over the trees. If overcast, it’s comfortable fishing, but if not, the sun bounces off the lake surface like a well-thought-out bank shot, and it is glaring hot.

When this occurs, I ...

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