06-15

$4.00JUNE 2015

U.P. To Close Deer Season? Walleyes For Warriors Engraving A Legacy Bear Hunters Short Changed Swim Jigs For Bass -- Work! Harnessing The Bite

Food Plots That Can Compete With Mother Nature Manistee Trout

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WALLEYEWISDOM

SmallStream

TROUT DEER TALK

RattleGruntWheeze

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SALES: 810-653-04905605 Davison Rd., 4 miles east

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Dual side stepped rod storage, aerated livewell, a large bow casting deck and either a tiller or side console option provide the ultimate convenience in a small fishing boat. Add affordability and youve got one ferocious boat. This boat is powered by a 25 H.P. Mercury four stroke motor, electric start with power trim and tilt. We have added the following popular options to this boat, spare tire, trailer

load guides, windshield, horn and bow trolling motor harness.

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ing, deluxe reclining helm chair, 78" galley, curved and lighted bimini top, lighted cup holders, docking lights

in stainless steel housing, ski pylon and shark hide tube protection. We can power this pontoon withthe Yamaha motor of your choice, up to, 150 H.P.

Minn Kota 55lbs. thrusttrolling motor and Lowrance

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bow cushions, additional seat, spare tire,hydraulic steering, trailer and load guides.

The boat is powered by a 150 h.p.Mercury four stroke.

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your choice, up to 150 horsepower.

The boat is powered by a 90 H.P. Mercury four stroke motor, with power trim and tilt. The boat is black and silver with gray interior. The floor is vinyl for easy clean up. The Pro guide

has tons of storage for all your tackle and locking center rod storage for ( 5 ) 7' 6" rods and ( 5 ) 7' rods, side locking rod storage for ( 3 ) 9' and ( 2 ) 8' 6" rods. The rear livewell is

recirculating and is 42" long with a 19 gallon capacity. The bow livewell is 27" long and has a 12 gallon capacity. Big tiller handle with RPM adjuster, air ride seat pedestals, bow trolling

motor plug, bow cargo nets, drivers seat slider, travel cover, spare tire and trailer load guides.

Custom trailer with spare tire,Mercury 9.9 Pro Kicker with controls

at the helm, cockpit cover, sun top,walkway curtain, port and starboardpilot chairs and stainless steel prop.

Tilt steering, deluxe console withreclining helm seat, Garmin depth/fishfinder, Sony m6 with USB port

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Front 10gal. 22" livewell, rear 18gal. 37" aer-ated livewell, deep 27" cockpit depth, auto and manual bilge pumps, center locking rod storage for 7' 6" and 8" rods, port and starboard lock-ing rod storage for 8' rods, IPS2 hull, double plated hull, lighted livewells and rod locker,

fold down cleats, am/fm/Bluetooth Infinity ste-reo with usb port, tilt steering, 150 Merc 4 st

Mercury 9.9 Pro Kicker with controls at the drivers seat, helm seat slider, hydrau-lic steering, bow cargo nets, under console storage drawers, 3 step boarding ladder,

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We can add the Yamaha motor of your choice to this boat.

Mention the Upper Peninsula and many think, deer and deer hunting. The wilds of the UP has a rich roman-tic history steeped in deer hunting adventures and traditional deer camps. So its unfathomable to believe the UP could be closed to deer hunting this season. Its one of the six options presented to the NRC at its monthly May meeting. The DNR estimated the UP survival rate for adult females was 38% and 54% the previous two years, respectively! According to the MDNR, The deer herd in the UP has declined to levels comparable to the early 1980s. Preliminary reports indicate that the 2014 deer season success was low. There is a probability that the 2015 season harvest will be low as well, due to several severe winters. The Department and Commission have responded to declining deer numbers in the UP by implementing highly conservative 2014-2016 antlerless license quotas, expanding the period in which supplemental deer feeding is allowed, and intensifying habitat man-agement efforts. The Wildlife Division is bring-ing forward for consideration several options for further reduction of the UP deer harvest as another means of addressing public concerns regarding low UP deer numbers. Heres the options presented for information only to the NRC in May: Option 1: Maintain the current season and license structure in the UP. Option 2: Close the entire deer hunting season in the UP. Option 3: Eliminate the option of using the combination license when hunting in the UP (one buck) and eliminate the antlerless option during archery season when using the single deer license. Option 4: Eliminate the antlerless option during archery season for hunters hunting on

deer licenses, including the combination license. Option 5: Eliminate the antlerless option for archery hunters hunting on deer licenses, including the combination license, during the late archery season only. Option 6: Eliminate the Liberty and Inde-pendence Hunts in the UP. What a no win situation for the DNR and NRC, no matter what option(s) they lean towards, somebody or somebodies will be upset. If they elect to do nothing (option 1), they look like they just dont care, which is not good. And of course if they act on option 2 oh, good grief, the 100,000 plus UP hunters would come unglued, and they would get support from the rest of the 500 thou-sand plus Michigan deer hunters! It would be dev-astating to the local economies, not to mention a big hit to the DNR in lost license feesaround 3 million! If the average UP harvest is 30,000-50,000, how many of those unharvested deer would survive another severe winter anyway? Options 5 and 6 would have very little biological impact on the deer herd. Options 3 and 4 could create a buck only situation and both create complications with the type of licenses and the use of, with many hunters already purchasing combo licenses. Certainly the NRC has no easy task with this issue. Other Great Lakes states have reduced the antlerless permits allowed for firearm and muzzleloading seasons. In some northern regions of Minnesota they have bucks only season. Its expected the NRC will make a decision on UP deer hunting 2015 at its June 11 meeting at the Quality Inn in Monroe.

Last Chance For Bear and Elk Permits The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that applications for Michigan elk and bear hunting licenses are available now through June 1. There will be 100 elk licenses and 6,951 bear licenses available for the 2015 hunting seasons.n

By Tom Campbell ... Field Notes

U.P. Deer Herd?

SEASONSNow-Dec. 31-Michigan Pure Hunt Application periodNow-May 31-Spring wild turkey season(s) special seasons/permits see rules and regulations

*Open Year Round--Catch and ImmediateRelease Bass Season on all waters.

Now-March 15, 2016-L.P. inland waters muskie, pike, walleye season.Now-June 1-Elk hunt application periodNow-June 1-Bear hunt application periodNow-March 15, 2016-U.P. inland waters, Great Lakes and St. Marys River muskie, pike, walleye season.May 23-Dec. 31--Bass catch-and-keep on all waters, including Great Lakes (except Lake St. Clair, St. Clair and Detroit Rivers)June 20-Dec. 31Bass catch-and-keep on Lake St. Clair & St. Clair & Detroit Rivers

MJC ARCHERYMACOMB

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19744 15 Mile RdClinton Twp. 48035

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248-589-2480586-791-4600

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90YearsYoung!

Ray Lowry, 90 years old, of Taylor, took this 23 pound turkey with a 9 1/2 inch beard, on Sunday, May 3. The turkey was taken in Jackson Co. Ray still loves fishing, deer hunting with gun and bow and hopes for many more years of successful hunts! Congratulations Ray!

The Michigan Department of Natural Re-sources recently announced the formation of a Blue Ribbon Advisory Group to independently review state game areas. DNR Director Keith Creagh made the announcement at May 7 meet-ing of the Natural Resources Commission in Lansing. State game areas are important public land areas owned by the state of Michigan, providing residents with broad opportunities to hunt, trap, fish and engage in other compatible recreational activities. The DNR is responsible for creating and maintaining wildlife habitat on these areas for conservation purposes. The Blue Ribbon Advisory Group will examine: Overall use and intensity on state game areas. Funds and agreements used to acquire these lands. Current timing and diversity of uses. Vision for the future of state game areas. Potential habitat or strategic management

changes that could enhance high-quality hunting, trapping or angling experiences. Potential for expanding compatible recreational uses and management activities. Group co-chairs are William Demmer, past president of Boone and Crockett and chief execu-tive officer of Demmer Corporation, and Dan Eichinger, executive director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs. Additional members have been invited and the full membership roster will be shared shortly. We are excited to have two great leaders managing this important review, said Russ Ma-son, DNR Wildlife Division chief. This type of review will help us plan our future management on these areas and be forward thinking as the individual interests of these areas may change. The group will begin with a review of state game areas in southwest Michigan and then focus on those in southeast Michigan. See a map and list of Michigans state game areas on the DNR website.

DNR creates Blue Ribbon Advisory Group toreview, plan future of Michigan state game areas

The Wolfe Family Tags Out! Three generations had a success-ful spring turkey season; Dad Clarence scored a trophy 22 pounder with a 10 inch beard, son Chris and Chris son CJ both took nice birds. Congratulations to the Wolfes!

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HUNTINGCOVER STORY

Rattle, Grunt, WheezeDEER TALK

Kenny Darwin page 28

A passion for pheasant hunting

Betty Sodders page 54

Gun Chat...Gun of the PorkiesLee Arten page 56

Take a kid huntingTom Lounsbury page 66

Cast and Blast Cajun StyleJacob VanHouten page 79

Our Kansas bowhuntJohn Eberhart page 83

FISHINGNEXT BITE...

Playing the spread for early summer walleyes

Gary Parsons/Keith Kavajeczpage 8

WALLEYE WISDOM3 hooks and done

Mark Romanack page 10

COVER STORYMichigan's small

stream troutMike Gnatkowski

page 12

New vibe walleyesKenny Darwin page 20

Swim jigs for bass...work!

Buck Mallory page 24

Fishing stockingcreates

opportunitiespage 25

Michigan MuskiesRobert Dock Stupp

page 30

CATCH BASSGeorge Rowe

page 34

Tackling Thumb-Area

SMALLMOUTHSRyan Walker

page 38

Lake Trout Fun!Dave Mull page 40

Tips for powering your sonar/GPS and video units

Mark Romanack page 42

When all the planer boards go back

Mark Sak page 52

From hook to tableTricia Croney page 53

Manistee TroutJim Bedford page 60

Detroit River meansMONSTER WALLEYESRoger Beukema page 64

PERSPECTIVEMichigan Meanders...

Old Birds and Their DogsTom Huggler page 22

A Gentleman and Outdoorsman

Randy Jorgensen page 26

Dreams DerailedTom Carney page 46

Dear Fish Diary...This Big Foot story

is no hoaxRon St. Germain page 68

FEATURES

Engraving a LegacyDarryl Quidort page 15

The U.P.'s moose populationBill Ziegler page 18

Teaching "Come Here"Len Jenkins page 49

Pet health insuranceJeff LaHuis page 58

Plots that can compete with Mother Nature

Ed Spinazzola page 76

DNR Parks win"Green Leader" Award

page 77

Sporting Collectibles...What's in yourold tackle box

Terry McBurney page 80

OUTDOOR NEWSU.P. MDNR C.O.

writes bookRichard P. Smith page 36

June 20-21Walleyes for Warriors

Mike Veine page 37

Commercial fishing up 5%page 41

Boat Smart...Alternative Power Choices

Capt. Fred Davis page 57

Platte River receives 800,000 coho salmon

page 59

Community tree-planting grants available

page 65

Minnow use regulationsMDNR page 70

Sponsors help Pure Michigan hunt score big

page 72

BLACK POWDERBlack Powder Shooting...

The "Popsicle Match"Dennis Neely page 44

OPINIONS

Equestrian trailsJonathan Schechter page 70

Bear hunters short changedRichard P. Smith page 71

Sound science prevailsfor bass regulations

Lydia Lohrer-Bevier/Patrick Bevier page 74

DEPARTMENTSTrophy Page. . . . . . . . .78Letters-Op-Ed . . . . 70-75

Classifieds . . . . . . . 86-87Real Estate . . . . . . 87-97

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COVER PHOTO

$4.00JUNE 2015

-Water News

www.woods-n-waternews.com Like us on facebook Follow us on

WALLEYEWISDOM

Stream

TROUT DEER TALKWheeze

Walleye...Next BiteSmall Stream Trout...page 12

By Mike GnatkowskiDeer Talk...page 28

By Kenny Darwin

Forensic training for COs paying

dividends...page 32

HARNESSINGTHE BITE

Mark Martin ...page 48

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone that the annual Sum-mer Free Fishing Weekend is set for Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14. That weekend, residents and non-residents can fish without a license, though all other fishing regulations still apply. Michigan has celebrated the Sum-mer Free Fishing Weekend annu-ally since 1986 as a way to highlight the states vast water resources and

high-quality fisheries. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, 11,000 inland lakes and tens of thou-sands of miles of rivers and streams, fishing and Michigan go hand in hand. Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing available anywhere in the world, and the Sum-mer Free Fishing Weekend is an excellent time to hit the water, said DNR Director Keith Creagh. Aside from being one of our states most

time-honored traditions, fishing also is an inexpensive and easily accessible outdoor activity for people of all ages. Theres no better time to get out there than during one of our Free Fishing Weekends. To encourage involvement in Free Fishing Weekends, organized activi-ties are being scheduled in commu-nities across the state. These activi-ties are coordinated by a variety of individuals, organizations, constituent groups, schools, local and state parks,

businesses and others. Theres still plenty of time for communities and organizations to plan their own local Summer Free Fishing Weekend events or to find activities close to home. Visit michigan.gov/freefishing for all things related to this weekend, including help with event planning and promotion, a registration form for official events, and a chart identifying activities occurring throughout the state. n

Enjoy Michigans Summer Free Fishing Weekend June 13-14

DNR creel clerks to

collect angler information

As this years open-water fishing season gets under way, the Michigan Department of Natu-ral Resources reminds anglers that fisheries personnel will be collecting data (about anglers fishing trips) at lakes, rivers and Great Lakes ports. DNR creel clerks will be stationed at boat launches and piers, asking anglers questions as they return from their fishing trips. Information will be requested on trip length, target species and number and type of fish caught. In some cases, creel clerks may ask to measure or weigh fish and to take scale or other bony part samples for aging. These data are key informa-tion in managing the states fisheries resource. The DNR appreciates anglers cooperation with these interviews, and it will only take a couple of minutes to answer the questions, said DNR fisheries biologist Tracy Kolb. This program helps us gather information that is critical in managing the states fisheries and is used in every aspect of our management efforts. These efforts are part of the DNRs Statewide Angler Survey Program, a long-term monitoring program designed to track recreational fisheries and harvest across Michi-gans waters. This is one of the most comprehensive angler survey pro-grams in the country, with DNR creel clerks interviewing upwards of 50,000 anglers in most years. Anglers interested in seeing the results from surveys of Great Lakes ports in previous years can find them online at dnr.state.mi.us/chartercreel/. Data on inland waters is also available online.n

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E arly summer for walleyes is a transition period. Fish are past the post spawn period and are moving into more summer patterns. Tradition-ally, transition time can mean tough fishing, but if you go at it with the strategy of playing the spread, or in walleye fishing terms, covering as much water as possible, then youll up your odds of contacting and catching more walleyes this time of year. Covering water encompasses spreading lures out both horizontally as well as vertically. Walleyes can be tight to the structure, or suspended in open water. It really depends on the particular lake youre fishing. This is a time of the season that its to your advantage to be well versed in trolling tactics and have the right gear to get the job done. Choosing the right baits is one step in the process. What is the main forage in the lake youre fishing? Knowing this will help you deter-mine the style lure you should at least start with. Typically we break this down to one of two shapes; shad-style and minnow-style. The shad-style baits like the Berkley Flicker Shad are great where the fish are feeding on stuff like shad, perch, crappie and similar forage. In lakes where the walleyes are feeding on things like smelt, cisco and alewives we opt for a longer bait like Berkley Flicker Minnows. Early in the year, the forage size tends to run smaller than later in the season, so start off with Flicker Shads in sizes 4 and 5, or Flicker Min-nows in size 7. By no means does this mean you couldnt catch walleyes on a shad lake using a size 9 Flicker Minnow, but its probably not the first lure you should tie on to start the day. Running the right lures is just one part of the puzzle. You have to put those baits at the right depth for them to get bit. The right depth is what we call the feeding zone. As you move around graphing for fish to set up on, you may mark some fish suspended 25 feet down over 35 feet of water. Your

first instinct might be to run your lures at 25 feet, but theres a good chance you wont get bites doing that. Wall-eyes normally feed up, meaning their feeding zone is above where they are positioned. Running your lures at 20 feet, just above the fish, will typically be a better plan of attack. Fish that are relating to structure and hanging tighter to the bottom are another story. While running lures just above these fish can trigger a few to bite, many times these fish are better triggered by running lures right in front of their faces. Knowing exactly how deep your lures run is one of the most important keys to being successful at trolling for any species, especially walleyes. For years we have relied on the data pro-vided by the gang at Precision Troll-ing to know how much line to let out to get certain baits to specific depths. It was simply a matter of referring to the depth chart for the particular lure we were fishing, first in their books (which are no longer in print), and then on stickers that can easily be at-tached to the lid of your crankbait box for easy reference. Now, with their convenient Preci-sion Trolling Data App, available for both Android and iPhone formats, having this information is right at your fingertips. Spreading lures vertically some-times means using methods that allow lures to run deeper than they normally run on their own. This is a common practice this time of year since we are typically using smaller sized lures that are not designed to dive very deep on their own. In open water it may mean adding a weight in front of the lure, like an Off Shore Tackle Guppy Weight on an OR16 Pro Snap to gain more depth. Or in situations where we are trolling structure, we often incor-porate lead core line to get the baits to the desired depth. The Precision Troll-ing App offers information on weight-ing systems too, and it offers some really neat new data with regards to lead core trolling. Of course when we hear the term

covering water everyone thinks about getting those baits out from the boat and covering a wider swath of water. In open water, that means utilizing boards and the best ones out there are the Off Shore Tackle OR12 Side Planers. These boards are bal-lasted so they run true in the roughest conditions, and even sit upright when still in the water. These boards are rugged too, built to last you for many seasons of fishing. When fishing structure however, you dont want to get the lures too far away from the boat as you need more control to keep the lures on the right contour. This is where we opt to use long rods really long rods, to get the

baits just far enough from the boat to reduce any spooking factor. The Bass Pro Shops Walleye Angler Series of-fers both 10 and 12 foot 2 piece troll-ing rods that are ideal for structure trolling applications. Early summer can bring some unique challenges when it comes to walleye fishing. But understanding how to play the spread to cover the water both horizontally and vertically will go far in helping you get your Next Bite. If you have questions or com-ments on this or other articles from Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz, visit their website www.thenextbite.com.n

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Next Bite: By Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz

Running the right lures is just one part of the puzzle to getting walleyes to bite in early summer.

Playing the spread for early summer

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This past win-ter at a Michigan sport show the question of fish hooks suitable for walleye fishing came up during a seminar I was conducting with my son Captain Jake. Jake and I answered the question and pretty quick that lead to another question and another and another. It soon became obvious to me that not every angler understands the proper hooks for the popular walleye fishing presentations. In this short, but sweet article were going to solve that problem and set anglers on a path to walleye hooking success. The avid walleye angler who fishes often is going to have need for several different kinds and sizes of hooks. The basic hook types required for walleye fishing includes treble hooks, beak hooks and slow death hooks. All of these hook types are pro-duced in various sizes, but fortunately the walleye angler will only need a few different sizes to be successful on the water.

TREBLE HOOKS Treble hooks are a factory stan-dard on most crankbaits and spoons. The factory treble hooks that come on many of these lures are marginal in quality to say the least. Lots of anglers replace the factory hooks on their lures with aftermarket premium quality hooks. After market hooks are superior not only in sharpness, but also in design. For example, wide bend style hooks like the Mustad

Triple Grip and the Matzuo Sickle are good examples of

hook types that hook and hold fish better than traditional round bend style hooks. With crankbaits its a good rule of thumb that you can replace factory hooks with hooks one size larger. The larger hooks do a better job of stick-ing and hooking fish. However, dont go overboard when replacing factory hooks. Using a hook thats too large can destroy the action of the lure. The most common treble hook sizes used on crankbaits and spoons are No. 6, No. 4 and No. 2. Another common place that treble hooks are used is when tying open water spinner rigs. When fishing for suspended fish I favor a treble hook at the end of my harness compared to the single hooks tied on most commercial rigs. A No. 6 treble is ideal for target-ing open water walleye. A third area that treble hooks shine is when tying stinger hooks for jig fishing with minnows. A No. 10 treble is ideal for tying walleye jig stingers.

BEAK HOOKS A beak style hook is the workhorse of walleye fishing. These compact hooks are used on a wide variety of live bait rigs designed to be used with minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches. I favor a No. 2 beak hook for minnows and nightcrawlers and a No. 4 beak hook when fishing leeches. Bronze hooks are the standard for live bait rigs, but a growing number of anglers favor red hooks for bait

fishing. Its hard to say for sure if red hooks attract walleye, but they cer-tainly dont hurt.

SLOW DEATH HOOKS The newest and most unique hook type on the walleye scene are known as slow death hooks. These thin wire hooks are bent in such a way that when baited with a piece of nightcrawler the hook and bait slowly rotates in the water. Most often fished on a bottom bouncer rig, slow death hooks got their start with Mustad and now have expanded to a number of other brands. All of these hooks are made of thin

wire that is light enough to allow the bait freedom of movement in the water. A No. 2 size slow death hook is the standard size used by most wall-eye anglers. Normally about a half a nightcrawler is threaded onto the hook for bait and this rig is trolled at about 1.0 MPH. Because slow death style hooks are made of thin wire, they bend fairly easily and must be replaced often. To achieve the ideal rolling action, a slow death hook must be shaped properly. If they get bent when unhooking a fish, its usually best to discard them and tie on a new hook.n

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By Mark Romanack

Captain Jake Romanack has learned that for walleye fishing three primary hook types will get the job done day in and day out. Mark Romanack photo

WALLEYE WISDOM:

Treble hooks play a major role in walleye fishing presentations. Besides replacing the factory supplied hooks on lures like crankbaits and spoons, the author uses treble hooks for other purposes like tying stinger hooks while river jig fishing.

Three Hooks and Done

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The connotation trophy fish takes on a different meaning depending on where you catch it. A brown trout in the Great Lakes doesnt qualify as a trophy unless its pushing 20 pounds. In one of Michigans premier trout rivers, a resident brown trout caught on a fly would have to top 20 inches to be considered a mounter. But a trout in a small stream might be considered a trophy if he reaches 12 or 14 inches. A brown trout that survives to that size in a small stream is arguably a more worthy quarry than either one of the trophies mentioned above. Hes on edge and acutely of his surroundings and environment. He has to be to survive in this micro niche. And catching him takes stealth, pa-tience and perseverance. Thats what makes a trout of that length a trophy. Fishing Michigans small streams isnt for everyone. In fact, its kind of a dying art. You might find some anglers hitting the small streams on opening weekend or for a short time after, but once summer arrives about the only pressure small streams receive are at road crossings and culverts. Small streams arent for everyone. They require work, swatting bugs, sweating, wiping spider webs off your face and pulling yourself out of unseen muck holes. The rewards are small-stream jewels painted with as brilliant a pallet of colors that the Creator ever made. In many ways, every one is a trophy. Michigan is blessed with a mul-titude of great small stream trout waters. Many are tributaries to larger, more famous rivers, but they dont see nearly the pressure. There are times when some outlandish trout make their way into these small streams and creeks either on their spawning runs or to escape the warmer tempera-tures of the main river. Many times these creeks are the first ones to reach fishable levels in the spring and May can be prime time in many parts of the state before bugs and leaf cover becomes a problem. But small stream can produce great fishing the entire season if youre willing to put in the time. Before you hit the stream, make sure you check the fishing guide to determine the type of trout stream youre fishing. There are different limits and regulations depending on where youre fishing in the system and in which region.

There are a surprising number of small trout stream in southwest Michi-gan. The mains streams are warm water fisheries, but the tributaries are cold, said Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit fisheries supervisor Jay Wesley. Theres an abundance of glacial moraines add cold ground water, which makes them suitable for trout. Wesley said there is lots of op-portunity for small-stream anglers, but much of it is on private land. If an angler is willing to ask permission he can find some pretty good fishing. The Dowagiac River, a tributary to the St. Joe, is a perfect example. Theres some decent trout fishing in the lower three miles of the Dowagiac, claimed Wesley, Youll find resident browns upstream of the dam. Theres not much in the way of natural reproduc-

tion, but youll find browns up to 20 inches. The tribu-taries to the Dowagiac are all cold-water streams with good natural reproduction. Dowagiac Creek is one of the better ones with good public access at Russ Forest Park and at Marcellus Highway, McKenzie, Dutch Settle-

ment and Kelsey streets. Augusta Creek,

a tributary to the Kalamazoo, is a marginal trout stream, but produces good fishing at times thanks to regular stockings and decent numbers of hold-over trout. The fishing on Augusta Creek is cyclic, said Wesley. It does have good public access though via Kellogg State Forest lands. The majority of small stream are going to be cold-water streams that have populations of trout from Plainwell to Marshall. Its just a matter of finding them and getting permission. Wesley said the Rogue River, a tributary to the Grand River, is a medium-sized stream with good public access. Youll find several good tributaries to the Rogue upstream of Rockford and others between Ionia and Grand Rapids. For more information on south-west Michigan trout streams contact the Southern Lake Michigan Manage-ment Unit of the MDNR at 269-685-6851. Fishing the small streams is dy-ing art, stated Central Lake Michigan Management Unit fisheries biologist Marl Tonello. The small streams tend to get hit hard opening weekend and maybe for a couple of weeks after and then no one fishes them. You can have them pretty much to yourself, espe-cially if youre willing to walk.

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By Mike Gnatkowski

Mike LeBlanc with a brook trout from the West Branch of the Sturgeon River near Wolverine. Mike Gnatkowski photos

Michigans

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Tonellos district has some of the best trout rivers in the state and there are plenty of tributaries that offer great fishing. On The Pere Mar-quette, youve got the Middle Branch, Baldwin and Little South Branch. All of them have good numbers of browns and youre always going to catch little steelhead. You might find some brookies still in the very head-waters. The Middle Branch is prob-ably the best of the bunch, offered Tonello. The Manistee River has several high-quality tributaries that pro-duce excellent fishing. Pine, Goose, Cannon and Hopkins all have good number s of browns, rainbows and brookies and the best part is they run through mainly public land. The North Branch of the Manistee is more like a creek and its one of the few streams where youre going to catch mainly brook trout, said Tonello. Some others include Wheeler Creek near Mesick for brookies and Slagle Creek. Slagle Creek runs through mainly private land, but the lower end runs through national forest and it is phenomenal for browns. The Betsie River only has two streams that are good for trout, of-fered Tonello. One is Dair Creek. The MDNR removed a dam from the stream recently and has done a lot of habitat improvement that has increased trout numbers. The state also just bought 300 acres along the stream, which will improve public ac-cess. The other tributary thats good for trout is the Little Betsie. Its good for both browns and brookies. The Little Manistee only has one really good tributary and thats Twin Creek just west of Luther. It traverses a lot of public land so it has good access. Good trout streams are lacking in the east-central part of the state, but there are some exceptions. The tributaries produce fish for the entire Rifle River system, claimed South-ern Lake Huron Management Unit (989-684-9141) fisheries biologist Katherin Schrouder. Were having some real issues with beavers though that has affected their productivity. High-quality tributaries to the Rifle River include Gamble, Houghton, Klacking, Wilkins and Prior creeks. All give up some quality brown trout and there are brookies present in their upper reaches. One issue with the tribs to the Rifle is the lack of public lands. Anglers need to respect landowner rights and be sure to get permission. Another stream worth mention-ing is the Cedar River in Clare and Gladwin counties, said Schrouder.

Trout Unlimited and conservation groups are doing a lot of good things here. This stream is smaller and prob-ably cant afford increased pressure and attention. The upper Tittabawassee has some tributaries that have decent numbers of trout, shared Schrouder. Access can be limited, but there is some public lands along them. I know during my college days I caught a number of very nice brown trout from the Tobacco River, which is a tributary to the Tittabawassee. The problem with up-north streams and rivers is that the main streams are cooler than the tributar-ies, claimed Northern Lake Huron Management Unit (989-732-3541) fisheries biologist Tim Cwalinski. Most of the smaller streams are short-lived, have a slow gradient and flow through a lot of old beaver ponds, which doesnt make them the best for habitat. One exception is the Thunder Bay River. The Thunder Bay is a fabu-lous little stream, declared Cwalin-ski. It can get warm in the summer and the fish migrate into the smaller tributaries. It flows through a little state land, but its big enough to float. The best time to fish it is typically May and June. We designated it as a Type 4 stream so its open to fishing year round. Cwalinski said that Brush Creek, a tributary to the Thunder Bay River,

gives up some pretty good trout to the persistent angler. Brush Creek has some good fishing all the way from Hillman to Atlanta, but has less ground water the farther east you go. It probably averages 20 feet wide and produces some pretty good brook trout in the 7- to 9-inch range. Gilchrist and Hunt creeks are two very high-quality tributaries with pre-dominately brown trout in them. They traverse mainly private lands, but there are some road crossings where you can gain access. The Black River has a handful of good tributaries, offered Cwalinski. Youll find brookies up to 12 inches in Rattlesnake Creek. Canada Creek is the main tributary and it gains ground water after it leaves Canada Creek Ranch. Youll catch a lot of 7- to 9-inch brookies on Canada Creek and theres quite a bit of state land. Milligan Creek is about the only other good tributary to the Black. Cwa-linski said that the upper Black has several branches that are more like tributaries than individual streams. The Pigeon River only has two real good tributaries, said Cwalinski. Buck Creek, which runs entirely through private property, and the Little Pigeon. Both are pretty decent streams. The main tributary to the Sturgeon is the West Branch. Theres quite a bit of state land in the head-waters. The West Branch gets a run of steelhead and lake-run browns

from Burt Lake so there can be some outlandish-sized fish in it for a small stream. Occasionally, youll catch a brookie and there are some small tributaries that are good for brookies that receive little pressure. One of Michigans premier trout streams, the AuSable River has surprisingly few good tributaries. About the only real good tributaries to the AuSable are the Big Creek sys-tems, shared Cwalinski. Theres a North and a South Big Creek. Youll find more public land along the north system south of Lewiston. Although it has high quality ground water, theres been a problem with beavers so it can get warm at times. Both are kind of hit-or-miss for brookies. The other Big Creek is north of Luzerne. One other trib worth mentioning is the South Branch of the Pine in Alcona County. Its OK for brookies and there are some tiny tributaries that have trout in them. The thing with my streams that I manage is that most of them are so small that rather than having tribs that provide good stream trout opportunities, many times the fish-ing in the first few miles of these main stems is the same experience as fishing a small tributary stream, said fisheries management biologist Heather Hettinger, who works out of the Traverse City field office. This is

Small Stream Trout

Beaver ponds can be good or bad for trout streams. In some instances they can improve streams that are too cold and nutrient-poor.

Small stream trout next page

the case with streams like the Jordan River and the Boyne River. Both are nice trout streams throughout their length, but the higher up stream you go the smaller the water gets and you get that small tributary feel. I do have a few more notable tribs; Spring Brook (tributary to the Bear River), Kids Creek (tributary to the Board-man River), Deer Creek (tributary to the Jordan River), Carp Lake River (tributary to Lake Michigan), Mitch-ell Creek (tributary to Lake Michi-gan), Acme Creek (tributary to Lake Michigan), etc Streams like the Rapid River or the Green River are small and provide good opportunities; and I have more trout streams than non-trout streams so it depends on how adventurous you are, what gear type you are using, and if you just want to catch trout or catch trophy trout. Almost every small feeder stream or Lake Michigan tributary in my area holds trout. Its easier to list the ones that dont rather than do! Although Tim Cwalinski works in the Northern Lake Huron Manage-

ment Unit, he spent his college days at Lake Superior State so he knows the eastern UP. The East Branch of the Tahquamenon River is well-known for brookies and browns. In Mackinaw County, the headwaters of the Carp River, and the south and north branches, are good for brooks and browns, and its supplemented with plants. The upper Pine headwa-ters, between Raco and Rudyard, has a lot of little streams that run into it that contribute a lot of cold, ground water. And you have the Fox, which might be the best brook trout stream in the state, and the Little Fox and the West Branch. The western UP is Mecca for small stream fishing. Armed with a hand-held GPS, a good topo map and a reliable four-wheel drive truck, an angler could fish his fish his entire life and never sample all the streams the UP has to offer. The best spots are closely guarded. A Yooper would rather give up his pasties than tell a stranger his favorite stretch of brook trout stream.

The Paint River, and its tribu-tary Cooks Run, and Fence River are famous for their good brook trout fishing. Tributaries to the Escanaba, Ford, Ontonagon and Iron rivers of-fer endless opportunities after spring

run-off and before levels get too low in the late summer. Rivers like the Firesteel, Yellow Dog, Salmon Trout and Presque Isle are well known among the brook-trout fraternity. There are dozens more.n

Michigans Small stream trout:from page 13

The western UP is Mecca for small stream fishing. Armed with a hand-held GPS, a good topo map and a reliable four-wheel drive truck, an angler could fish his entire life and never sample all the streams the UP has to offer.

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PART II

Throughout the history of America the powder horn, along with the bullet pouch, hung beside the muzzle load-ing rifle as it stood ready for action. A cow horn, containing black gun powder, was carried daily by all who used a muzzle loading rifle or smoothbore. Military soldiers, hunters, civilian militia, and pioneer set-tlers, including the women, were all familiar with the powder horn and its use. The cow horn was in constant use as a gun powder container for several hundred years, from the earliest days of flintlocks until the cartridge gun became popular, which no longer required that powder be carried separately. Many original powder horns were simple, utili-tarian tools, a plain cow horn with the base plugged and a hole drilled into the tip for a spout. Others were works of art, complete with intricate artwork, carved necks, fancy plugs, and colorful, hand woven shoulder straps. It was during the 1700s that the powder horn reached an unsurpassed level of functional art in America. Some original horns were completely covered with beautiful scrimshaw work. At the least, it was common for the owner to embel-lish his personal horn with his name or initials, often nicely done but sometimes crudely scratched into the horn. Whether beautifully scrimshawed or plain, antique powder horns are now sought after as collectable examples of early Americana. The art work on original horns left us an inter-esting history lesson; a legacy in early American life, war efforts, and folk art. Some say scrimshaw is actually a nautical art, done by sailors on ivory or bone. Perhaps engraving is the proper term for etching on powder horns. Either way, cutting designs into the powder horn with a sharp tool, is one of the few art forms considered to be native to America. Daniel Boone was known for making intricate powder horns. Author, John Bakeless, recorded that, he [Boone] scraped powder-horns to translucent thinness, through which the powder was visible, in the style the old woodsmen admired - carved them, cut his name on them, then gave them away. Boone made horns throughout his lifetime. He passed on in 1820, at the age of 85. Visitors in 1818 reported old Boone scraping on a new powder horn with a piece of broken glass, preparing to go on a fall hunt. During our history several different schools or classes of powder horns are noted. Military type horns were often produced by idle soldiers, while waiting for battle during times of war. They may portray soldiers in uniform, forts, battles, or maps of military campaigns, sometimes with names or dates of historical significance. Folk art horns

were a form of self-expression, often showing a persons individual life story or beliefs. Birds, ani-mals, and hunting hounds often adorn such horns as well as trees, flowing vines and flowers. Nautical horns often were decorated with ships at sea under

full sails, ropes, rigging, and sometimes cannons. In this column last month we made a powder horn and prepared it for scrim-shaw artwork. Even if artistic talent is not your strong point, dont assume that your artistic skills arent up to the job. If you follow the steps outlined here, I think youll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

To scrimshaw your own pow-der horn, youll first need to gather the tools needed. A sharp #2 lead pencil or drafting pencil, black

India ink, wooden toothpicks, a cabinet scraper, and possibly a drawing compass or a magnifier. The most important tool needed is the engraving tool. This may be an X-Acto knife, a carving knife with a short, stiff blade, or a small pen knife. The engrav-ing tool needs to fit comfortably in your hand and be very sharp. Now decide what name or art work you want to scrimshaw onto your powder horn. Draw your design out on paper and correct it until you are satisfied with the size and style. This drawing will be your pattern for the art work on your horn. If you use text, remember that most lettering on original powder horns was done in simple block letters or old style, scroll letters. Draw your design and let-

tering directly on your horn with a sharp pencil. If you cant draw it freehand use carbon paper to trace your design onto the horn or cut it out and trace the outline onto the horn. If you make a mistake simply erase it with the scraper. Once the design is drawn on the horn you are ready for the important part of the work. Cutting the design into the horn is done with the engraving knife. Sit at a work table and support the horn with a folded towel or small sand bag. Hold the horn steady in one hand and hold the engraving tool like a drawing pencil in the other hand. Keep the knife blade about 90 degrees to the work to pre-vent the tip from accidently skating off the curved surface of the horn. Carefully cut the lines into the horn by pulling the engraving tool toward you along the line. Pulling gives better control than pushing the engraving tool away from you. Scratch out each individual line of your design with the sharp knife. To keep from over-running the end point of a line, start at each end of the line and cut to the middle. If you do slide past and end point, you may be able to erase the mistake by scraping away some horn material with the cabinet scraper. Curved lines may be easier to follow by turning the horn under the tool instead of turning the knife around the curve. Dont rush it! Work slowly and carefully. Take a break when you begin to feel fatigue and guard against any feeling of a need to hurry. Scrimshaw-ing is fun once you get a feel for it. Use India ink to permanently color in the lines of the scrimshaw design. Dip the tip of a sharpened

JUNE

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By Darryl Quidort

Engraving a legacy next page

This pencil drawing has been transferred to the horn, etched with a pen knife, and colored with India ink.

Engraving a Legacy

toothpick into the ink and gently touch the cut line with it. You may see the ink travel down the line on its own, or you may need to trace each cut with the toothpick. Ink each line of your work. Dont worry about excess ink on the design. After all lines are inked simply lightly scrape the surface clean with a cabinet scraper or knife blade. This will leave a smooth surface on the powder horn with cleanly inked lines. If a line isnt dark enough simply re-cut and re-ink it. To add depth to your scrimshaw work you can go back and shade areas by cross-hashing them with fine cuts. Add India ink to the shaded areas and clean them up with the scraper. Finish your powder horn by cleaning up any dirty areas, smudges, and fingerprints with a final scraping of the horn to smooth and clean it. Then, rub on a coat of Johnson Paste Wax. After the wax dries, buff it out to achieve a clear, protective finish on your work. Whether you hang your finished powder horn on the wall as a decoration or actually use it for its intended purpose, by making and scrimshawing your own horn you have closed another link in the chain connecting you to our American pioneers, even Daniel Boone. Your powder horn can now be a part of your own legacy, and you can say, I made it myself.n A successful turkey hunt using a muzzle loading shotgun and scrimshawed powder horn. Author photos

Engraving a legacy:from page 15

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$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$600


Reg. $899

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $5999

$2999OUR PRICE

SAVE$15000


40" X 14"

Reg. $19999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $3999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$8000


Reg. $12999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$200


Reaches upto 29 ft.

Reg. $599

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$4500


Reg. $7999

$3499OUR PRICE


w/ coupon

FREETOW ROPEW/ ALL

TOWABLES

SAVE$1000

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

A DOZEN

SAVE$6000


Reg. $19999

$13999OUR PRICE


$5999OUR PRICE

SAVE$6000


302000-300-001-12SAVE$400


Reg. $999

$599OUR PRICE

FULL THROTTLE





FREEPADDLE






NIGHTCRAWLERS


SAVE$1500


Reg. $1999

$499OUR PRICE



KAYAKS



Reg. $599

3/$999OUR PRICE



WHILE 6,000 LAST!

Reg. $699

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$1000


Reg. $2999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$300

SAVE$500


6, 8 & 12 pcs.WHILE 38,000 LAST!

Reg. $699



WHILE 4,000 LAST!

Reg. $1999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1500


Reg. $2999

$1499OUR PRICE

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$12


Reg. $1999

$799OUR PRICE








REG. OR PINK CAMO

REG. OR PINK CAMO

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1600


Reg. $1999

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$600


Reg. $899

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $5999

$2999OUR PRICE

SAVE$15000


40" X 14"

Reg. $19999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $3999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$8000


Reg. $12999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$200


Reaches upto 29 ft.

Reg. $599

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$4500


Reg. $7999

$3499OUR PRICE


w/ coupon

FREETOW ROPEW/ ALL

TOWABLES

SAVE$1000

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

A DOZEN

SAVE$6000


Reg. $19999

$13999OUR PRICE


$5999OUR PRICE

SAVE$6000


302000-300-001-12SAVE$400


Reg. $999

$599OUR PRICE

FULL THROTTLE





FREEPADDLE






NIGHTCRAWLERS


SAVE$1500


Reg. $1999

$499OUR PRICE



KAYAKS



Reg. $599

3/$999OUR PRICE



WHILE 6,000 LAST!

Reg. $699

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$1000


Reg. $2999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$300

SAVE$500


6, 8 & 12 pcs.WHILE 38,000 LAST!

Reg. $699



WHILE 4,000 LAST!

Reg. $1999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1500


Reg. $2999

$1499OUR PRICE

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$12


Reg. $1999

$799OUR PRICE








REG. OR PINK CAMO

REG. OR PINK CAMO

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1600


Reg. $1999

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$600


Reg. $899

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $5999

$2999OUR PRICE

SAVE$15000


40" X 14"

Reg. $19999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $3999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$8000


Reg. $12999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$200


Reaches upto 29 ft.

Reg. $599

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$4500


Reg. $7999

$3499OUR PRICE


w/ coupon

FREETOW ROPEW/ ALL

TOWABLES

SAVE$1000

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

A DOZEN

SAVE$6000


Reg. $19999

$13999OUR PRICE


$5999OUR PRICE

SAVE$6000


302000-300-001-12SAVE$400


Reg. $999

$599OUR PRICE

FULL THROTTLE





FREEPADDLE






NIGHTCRAWLERS


SAVE$1500


Reg. $1999

$499OUR PRICE



KAYAKS



Reg. $599

3/$999OUR PRICE



WHILE 6,000 LAST!

Reg. $699

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$1000


Reg. $2999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$300

SAVE$500


6, 8 & 12 pcs.WHILE 38,000 LAST!

Reg. $699



WHILE 4,000 LAST!

Reg. $1999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1500


Reg. $2999

$1499OUR PRICE

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$12


Reg. $1999

$799OUR PRICE








REG. OR PINK CAMO

REG. OR PINK CAMO

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1600


Reg. $1999

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$600


Reg. $899

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $5999

$2999OUR PRICE

SAVE$15000


40" X 14"

Reg. $19999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $3999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$8000


Reg. $12999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$200


Reaches upto 29 ft.

Reg. $599

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$4500


Reg. $7999

$3499OUR PRICE


w/ coupon

FREETOW ROPEW/ ALL

TOWABLES

SAVE$1000

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

A DOZEN

SAVE$6000


Reg. $19999

$13999OUR PRICE


$5999OUR PRICE

SAVE$6000


302000-300-001-12SAVE$400


Reg. $999

$599OUR PRICE

FULL THROTTLE





FREEPADDLE






NIGHTCRAWLERS


SAVE$1500


Reg. $1999

$499OUR PRICE



KAYAKS



Reg. $599

3/$999OUR PRICE



WHILE 6,000 LAST!

Reg. $699

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$1000


Reg. $2999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$300

SAVE$500


6, 8 & 12 pcs.WHILE 38,000 LAST!

Reg. $699



WHILE 4,000 LAST!

Reg. $1999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1500


Reg. $2999

$1499OUR PRICE

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

SAVE$12


Reg. $1999

$799OUR PRICE








REG. OR PINK CAMO

REG. OR PINK CAMO

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$1600


Reg. $1999

$399OUR PRICE

SAVE$600


Reg. $899

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $6999

$3999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $5999

$2999OUR PRICE

SAVE$15000


40" X 14"

Reg. $19999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$3000


Reg. $3999

$999OUR PRICE

SAVE$8000


Reg. $12999

$4999OUR PRICE

SAVE$200


Reaches upto 29 ft.

Reg. $599

$299OUR PRICE

SAVE$4500


Reg. $7999

$3499OUR PRICE


w/ coupon

FREETOW ROPEW/ ALL

TOWABLES

SAVE$1000

SAVE$2000


Reg. $3999

$1999OUR PRICE

A DOZEN

SAVE$6000

ARUBA 8' SSKAYAK Lightweight, easy to carry design Adjustable padded seat back Recessed drink holder Dry storage

Documents

06-15