Weather has been very cold, but still caution needed for ice fishing

With the cooperation of Mother Nature and the proper preparation, ice fishing can be fun and productive.

However, the number one concern is making sure the ice is safe to hold the angler. 

The recent deep freeze weather has brought with it thoughts off ice fishing--something we don’t often get to experience in Southern Indiana.

Every couple of years, there is enough cold weather in January or early February for an ice fishing trip or two, but it doesn't happen often. But when conditions are right for safe ice, fishing can be fun and provide a winter’s meal of fresh fish.

In this area, we are fortunate if there are three or four good ice fishing days a year. Some years there are none, but the recent cold snap could make safe ice for a few days.

Often we will get three or four cold days, but they usually are followed by a warmup. If we don’t get good ice, anglers can pack their gear and head north.

Ice fishing continues to grow in popularity in northern states, and many resorts have as much winter business as they do during summer months. Some rent ice shanties complete with heat and lounge chairs. 

In this area, anglers don’t worry about ice shanties. We don’t have enough good ice to make them worthwhile, although they are utilized on some of the northern Indiana and Ohio lakes.

Here anglers cut a few holes in the ice, and hopefully catch some dandy bluegill or crappie. Some people do set up a screen to provide protection from the wind.

For ice fishermen in Southern Indiana, the most important aspect of the sport  also is making sure the ice is safe. Farm ponds generally produce safe ice earlier than larger bodies of water like Patoka Lake.

Ice anglers should be alert to the dangers of different types of ice. Ice may be safe on one pond, and not on another. A slush type of ice is very dangerous and may be only half as strong as clear, blue ice. Slush ice indicates a weakening of the ice. Clear and blue river ice may be 15 percent weaker than pond or lake ice.

New ice is almost always stronger than old ice because the connection between ice crystals decays with age. Dark or honeycombed ice indicates deterioration and should be avoided. 

Wind chill affects the "cold" anglers feel. A light wind can accelerate the formation of ice, but strong winds can force water from beneath the ice and accelerate the decay of ice around the edges. 

Snow is a good insulator for ice and helps keep it strong, but it can also keep it from further freezing or even hide cracks or weak ice. Lakes with moving water should be approached with caution. Water movement can slow the freezing process and leave hard-to-detect thin spots.

Ice conditions can and do vary greatly. Because there are so many variables in ice formation, ice forms at different rates. One spot can be an inch thick while another area close by can be almost a foot thick. I like four inches of ice to feel safe.

When you have good ice, it can be great for fishing. And, panfish never tastes better than when taken from clear, cold water. 

One year end, another begins

Another year ends. Another year begins. It’s time to plan for coming seasons and enjoying the outdoors.

Although Jan. 1 is the date we take down the old calendar and put up the new (some people like me still use paper calendars), it hasn’t always been that way. And today, there are some regional parts of the world that calculate years differently.

The Roman calendar using January to December dates back to about 700 years before the birth of Christ, however in England and Wales, March 25 was considered the start of the new year until sometime in the mid 1700’s.

In this part of the country, Jan. 1 is the start of a new year, a time for making and breaking resolutions, and a time to look forward to another year, and a time to try to keep warm.

While I’ve given up on resolutions, I found some interesting ones made by outdoor folks on the internet.

One read, “I resolve to sit on the bank of a pond with an earthworm suspended under a cork and thrill to the sight of the bobber trembling and then going under. I will also have a chicken liver on the bottom on another rod while it is propped up by a forked stick, and I will watch the tight line for movement indicating a cat is nibbling.”

What a great resolution. It’s simple and conjures up wonderful thoughts of why most of us enjoy fishing. We don’t need expensive equipment and far away places to gain pleasure from angling.

Another resolution was “to go to a lake I have never fished and learn about it. On that trip or others I will take someone with me that does not get to go as often as I do. I resolve to take a kid fishing - and not use them for bait”

Despite a few difficult moments (for me and not the youngster) I’ve encountered fishing with children, I never considered using them for bait.

However, the resolution to take someone fishing whether young or old is a great one. Much better than resolving to lose weight.

Other than thinking about resolutions, what does one do in early January. There are tackle boxes to be cleaned, books to be read, tackle to be repaired, and shotguns to be cleaned.

And then there are sports shows to visit. First up in this area is the Cincinnati show, followed by Louisville and then Indianapolis. These shows offer outdoor people the opportunity to learn about new fishing, hunting and camping destinations. They also provide an opportunity to view and experience some of the latest gear and outdoor equipment as well as boats and recreational vehicles.

The Cincinnati Travel, Sports and Boat show is open the weekend of Jan. 17-19, closed Monday and Tuesday, and then opens for a run Jan. 22-26 at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

During the final five days is the time the Cincinnati show has an emphasis on fishing, hunting and camping.

Also, running Jan. 22-26 at the Louisville Boat, RV and Sports Show at the Kentucky Expo Center.

Feb. 14-23 is the big Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The show utilizes a number of buildings, and may be the largest of its type in the country. 

Tackle Town at Indy has as much fishing gear as one will find assembled anywhere at a retail sports show.

Kids played a game in the snow; anyone remember more?

As I was writing a Christmas column, I thought about how lucky I was as a kid that we didn’t have all the electronic gadgets. Kids actually played together and talked to each other.

Among the winter games, I remember making a huge circle in the snow. It was like a wagon wheel. There was a place in the middle and spoke led to the outer circle of the wheel.

We must have played some sort of tag or similar game.

I vaguely remember it being called, “Ducks and Geese,” or something similar.

Does anyone remember the game? Do you recall any details?

If you remember, please add a note or comment.

Used bike was great present; gave me mobility to explore the outdoors

It was a shinny red bike. It stood parked by the Christmas tree. Wow, a bike.

I couldn’t have been happier on Christmas morning. A beautiful, full-size bike. It wasn’t new, but I didn’t care. It was new to me, and I couldn’t have been more excited.

Money was scarce when I was growing up. We always had plenty to eat and a warm house, but not a lot more. I didn’t know we were poor.

Some where my dad found a used Western Flyer bike. He cleaned, painted an polished the old bike, It also had new tires, It looked brand new, beautiful. And to me, it was my ticket to the world. It was my transportation to frog ponds, fishin’ holes, woods, and other neighborhood kid’s home and outdoor games.

I was blessed, electronic games had not been invented.

Another year’s special gift I fondly remember was a Red Ryder BB gun. It came with a package of BB’s.

I spent many hours shooting targets and cans down by the old railroad tracks. It was where I learned some of the early fundamentals of target shooting and hunting. It also helped teach me the value of saving money so I could make trips to Goodwin’s store to purchase more BB’s.

For many old-timers like me, Christmas is a special time -- a time for nostalgia about bikes, BB guns, Christmas Eve church services and trips to Grandma’s house.

Growing up, Christmas Eve started with a trip to a little German country church in rural Clark County, Illinois. The kids of the church practiced  for weeks in advice on a special Christmas program.

The programs were short, probably no more than an hour. But, they seemed an eternity as we had fun things to do afterwards at grandma’s house.

There was a big valley and hill near the church, and it always seemed like it was slick with snow and ice. One farmer kept his tractor at ready to help pull stranded cars up the hill after the service.

After the service, our family all gathered at Grandma and Grandpa Junker’s house. It was small, but we all managed to pack inside.

There was oyster soup and chili, plus sandwiches and homemade Christmas cookies. As a youngster, I disliked (mild words) the oyster stew, but would love to have a bowl today.

Kids were later told to be quiet and listen for Santa’s sleigh bells. Hearing the bells, we were told that Santa had made an early visit to the closed off living room. There we found gifts under the tree One for each youngster. There also were gifts for adults, who following Thanksgiving dinner had drawn names. Later, we kids received the remainder of our Christmas gifts at our homes.

My Christmas memories still fill my head at this time of year, and I have a special recollection of that red bike. It was my access to the wonderful outdoors.

Like many others, I'll never forget the JFK assassination and how we stopped the presses

Like many other people, I remember JFK’s assassination like it was yesterday. 

I was a young reporter at the Terre Haute Tribune. The press room had just started the run for the final edition. The rest of the editorial staff left the office.

For some reason, (the kid - me) stuck around, and as I frequently did, I walked into the teletype room to check the wires. In those days all our national and international news came via teletype machines. When there was a bulletin, a bell sounded.

That’s just what happened. The United Press International wire had a one paragraph bulletin reporting the President had been shot.

I raced down the stairs and across the alley to the Bomber Bar and found Ned Bush, the wire editor, who was having a beer.

“Get back over there and tell the guys to stop the press,” he shouted.

The pressroom guys stopped the presses. Ned quickly assembled the early reportings from Helen Thomas in Dallas. (Helen grabbed the only mobile phone in the presidential media car and wouldn't share it with the other pool reporters. That's another story.)

        Hot type was set, a new front page plate with the bulletin of the assassination was made, and a few minutes later the presses were running again.

It’s an event, a day, I’ll never forget.

Opening deer camp is a key ingredient of deer season; gppd food, good friends

Modern gun season for deer is almost here. It’s the time most hunters have been anxiously awaiting for nearly a year.

Some folks hunt because they like venison. Others take to the field because they love to see, hear and feel the woods coming alive at daylight from a deer stand, others talk about the challenge, and then there are the old-timers like me, who love deer camp. Bagging a deer is an extra.

Deer camp is special, and has both  social and culinary aspects. The camp atmosphere may be better than the hunt itself. I suppose it is like the guys who go to the NASCAR race and never make it to their ticketed seat. 

What hunters call deer camp varies widely. Some use the same cabin year-after-year. Others utilize campers, and still others set up tents. Many camps are quite simple, basically providing shelter, and others look like small tent or camper cities with many of the amenities of home

(Indiana’s firearms deer season opens Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 1. Muzzleloader seasons is Dec. 7-22, and archery season has been underway since Oct. 1.)

(Kentucky’s firearms deer season opens Nov. 9 and runs through Nov. 24 in zones 1 & 2, and through Nov. 18 in zones 3 & 4. Archery season began Sept. 7 and continues through Jan. 20.)

Something that is a must at any camp is a campfire. A good fire starts with camp setup and may not go out until hunters are ready to head home. It provides warmth, a place to cook, relax and swap tales.

Many deer camps are long-standing tradition. Some are on private property, or located in campgrounds, or setup where permitted on public land, such as national forests. Many hunters establish their camp a week or two prior to the season opener to insure they have the same spot they have used for years.

Several generations have sat by the campfires, told stories, heard stories--some of them many times. The bucks get bigger, the mornings colder, and the shots longer and tougher. It’s part of what deer camp is about. Sure there is the anticipated hunt, however reliving hunts from the past is a part of the experience. 

My favorite aspect of deer camp is food--the eating. In most camps, the night before the season opener is a feast. I’d rather get an invite to eat than to hunt.

Some people who harvest a deer early in camp, fry tenderloins or venison steaks. Some make strew with the fresh meat. That’s also a real treat. Another camp favorite is deer chili. The same chili recipe is also makes a great meal for the evening before Thanksgiving.

Here are the suggested ingredients and recipe:

3 1/2 lbs. deer chuck roast

1 (1 lb.) can tomatoes

1 c. chopped onion

1 can chili beans

2 tsp. chili powder

1 lg can tomato juice

1/2 c. diced green pepper

Rice (cook separately)

Cut meat into one inch strips. (You call can use deer burger) Roll strips in flour, and brown in skillet. Put in slow cooker or crock pot. Add tomatoes, tomato juice, onion, chili powder, soup, chili beans, and green pepper. Set on low to low-medium heat setting for about six hours. Serve with rice, or with crackers, cheese and pickles, or whatever you prefer.

Deer camps come in all shapes and sizes and are an important part of the opening weekend for many hunters.

Mark Davis claims key to fishing new water is working baits slow

Yamaha fishing pro Mark Davis holds a Lake Erie smallmouth he caught using his slow fishing method.

Fishing slow vs. fast. Pro angler Mark Davis makes a case for slow, and his tournament results make his case.

During the final Bassmaster® Elite Series tournament of 2013 in Detroit, Mark finished second with a four-day catch of 76 pounds, 13 ounces, all from a spot on Lake Erie the Yamaha Pro had never fished before. His secret? Fishing slowly and thoroughly

It works at a small lake like Indian, the Ohio River embayments, or Patoka Lake, according to Mark.

“What I did on Lake Erie to find those fish is the same thing I do on smaller bodies of water, and what I tell fishermen in my seminars to do wherever they’re fishing,” Davis emphasizes. 

“Start by looking for a place where the bass will spawn. This is true anytime of year, for both largemouth and smallmouth, and it’s easy to do, said Mark in an interview provided by the Yamaha media folks.

“Lake maps as well as your GPS system will show you these types of places. For Lake Erie smallmouth I looked for shoals, or underwater rock piles and ridges, but for largemouth you can find large coves that offer shallow water and cover, along with access to deeper water. 

“The fish you’re looking for may not necessarily be on these shallow flats or the rock piles, but they won’t be far away. I simply use these types of places as starting spots when I’m looking for fish.”

“While maps and electronics may show a general area, they rarely reveal any specific details of the features that lie below the surface,” continues the Yamaha Pro, “so the only way to learn those details is by fishing.” This is exactly how Davis approached other tournament stops during the 2013 Elite season, including Bull Shoals, West Point, and the Mississippi River.

“Once you choose an area like this, which I think needs to include not only shallow water but also nearby deep water, as well as some type of cover like rocks, wood, or vegetation, I think the key is fishing slowly and thoroughly to learn it. 

“Some of these spots may be 100 or 200 yards long, and on a really big body of water like Lake Erie, the smallmouth shoals may be half a mile in length. You have to fish these places carefully because the bass may only be using a small part of it.

“I have made the mistake of pulling up to a spot and fishing for an hour without getting a strike, then leaving, only to learn later I didn’t fish carefully enough and went right by a school of bass. Smallmouth, especially, do not always bite all day long, so you have to stay long enough and fish the water thoroughly.”

  Another part of locating bass is figuring out how they want a lure presented. In deeper water like Lake Erie, Davis used a drop shot rig, but on other lakes he frequently changes to a crankbait because he can cover more water faster. 

Sometimes bass want a lure moving slowly along the bottom, other times they may prefer a lure moving more erratically. In deeper water, drifting a lure may even be more effective than casting

“You can literally be all over a school of bass and still miss them by a mile,” laughs the three-time B.A.S.S.® Angler of the Year and 1995 Bassmaster Classic® champion. “That’s why you can’t let yourself get discouraged if you do go for an hour without getting a strike.

“Keep trying different presentations and trying to learn what’s down there on the bottom. Always remember that bass like cover and deep water close to shallow water. The advantage that starting close to a shallow spawning area offers is that you can easily keep fishing your way into deeper water, and eventually you’ll find them.”

“When you look out over a big lake you’ve never seen before, it can be an intimidating experience,” admits the Yamaha Pro, “so having a basic starting point is really an important confidence builder. I like spawning areas because they’re the one place I know bass use, and normally they aren’t that far away. All I have to do is take my time and fish carefully.”