Outdoor Connection - March 2012

Man to man,

guide to guideTop Hat BBQ Catering Service

meets customers’ needs

Planning a

fishing trip

Catch ‘em when

others can’t

March 2012

OUTDOORCONNECTION

What more can you ask forin a grill than one that’s a 6in 1 grill. It will grill,smoke, bake, braise, roastand barbeque. That’s exact-ly what Tim Brashear,owner of Top Hat BBQ inEstherville thought when hebought his first TraegerWood Pellet Grill in 2000.Now 11 years later, thatgrill is still going strong andas a result, Brashear hasbeen a Traeger Wood PelletGrill distributer for the pastthree years, while at thesame time using the TraegerGrill to meet the demands ofhis ever expanding Top HatBBQ and catering service.

The reason? “They workwell, the flavor of the foodis awesome and I don’t haveto babysit the grill,” saysBrashear. That’s important,because as the owner ofMac’s Top Hat and the TopHat BBQ Catering Service,there simply isn’t time tospend tending constantly to

a grill. This is especially sosince Brashear is an out-doorsman and enjoys bothhunting and fishing. “Thegood thing is, though, I getthings set on the grill, go outhunting or fishing and time

it so I am back in plenty oftime to finish taking care ofthe food.”

One of Brashear’sfavorites is smoking ribswith his “secret” recipe andjust the right amount of bar-beque sauce. “They comeout just the way I want themto every time, and I don’thave to be checking them allthe time. It’ll take about six

hours to cook them, and Ican leave them alone andtake care of other thingswhile they are cooking.”

Brashear says the realsecret to the grill is the all-natural wood pellets (eightflavors from which tochoose) that provide thegreat taste and a predeter-mined even heat based onwhat is being cooked. Thisis all taken care of by athree-position switch or dig-ital controller that heats atthree levels: high, whichallows for grilling; medium,which makes for slow cook-ing; smoke setting, whichdelivers an even amount ofsmoke to the food withouthaving to tend the fire.“Using the Traeger guide,you can put in the pellets,set the temperature, walkaway and the grill does itsjob.”

Over the past three yearsas Brashear served ribs,pulled pork sandwiches, smoked turkey, you name it,

to his customers at Mac’sTop Hat, people began tourge Brashear to begin BBQcatering and the success hasbeen incredible. “It’s beenby word of mouth, but Ihave customers from a 100mile radius of Estherville.”

Not long ago, he had arequest for a noon barbequeat the Regional WellnessCenter. “I got the call onMonday for a barbeque onWednesday.” That’s morethan enough time forBrashear to put everythingtogether. According to BobGrems, Director of theRegional Wellness Center,“We’ve had Top Hat BBQseveral times for our noonmeals and also for privateparties. Tim is easy to workwith and does a great job ofhaving everything ready in atimely manner. Plus, thefood has always been excel-lent.”

Brashear adds,“Sometimes, if, say, a per-son wants just a couple

racks of ribs, I’ll combineanother customer’s requestand cook for the two ofthem. I’ll often have cus-tomers have me do severalracks of ribs. They will besmoked for six hours andfinished with a special bar-becue sauce. I will makesure they are put in tin foil.Then what they don’t eat,they can freeze them for uselater on.”

Yes, Brashear has hisshare of recipes. “I think it’sfun to experiment with dif-ferent tastes to help youcome up with exactly whatyou want. Plus, Traegeroffers grill owners cook-books and online recipes.”

What it really comes downto is Top Hat BBQ has inBrashear a grill master whotruly enjoys preparing foodfor his customers. At thesame time, more and morecustomers are becomingTraeger Grill owners. Afterthe sale, Brashear continuesto offer support. “I’m hereto help, to guide them as

they learn what theirTraeger Grill will do forthem. If there is a problemor if they need a partreplaced, that’s what I’mthere for.”

According to Brashearthere are seven different sizeTraeger Grills, but the mostpopular is the Lil’ Tex witha 418 sq. inch grill area(19”x22) with a maximumoutput of 20,000 BTUs.

For more information oneither the Traeger Grills orthe Top Hat BBQ andCatering, contact Brashearat (712) 380-6196.Up Next

Outdoor Connection read-ers will get the opportunityto follow Brashear eachmonth as he shares sugges-tions on when and how togrill, smoke, bake, braise,roast and barbeque using aTraeger Grill. Plus, he’llshare a favorite recipe eachmonth! Look for Brashear’scolumn beginning inApril…just in time forspring grilling!

2-Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 2, 2012

TOP HAT BBQ CATERING SERVICE DESIGNED TO MEET CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS

STEVEWEISMANOUTDOOR EDITOR

Brashear shows off the Lil Tex grill, one of the most popular with his customers.Photo by Steve Weisman

Brashear checks out ribs in preparation for the recently completed Super Bowl.Photo by Steve Weisman

BY STEVE WEISMANOUTDOOR EDITOR

Spring is close at hand andnorthwest Iowans are prepar-ing for the upcoming lawnseason. Cutting Edge Sales& Service in Milford has itscustomers covered all yearlong, from tillers and mow-ers to snowblowers and iceauger repairs.

Opening a small enginerepair shop/retail store wasnever a thought in owner, JoeWittrock’s, mind until hemet Al Kunz nearly sevenyears ago. At the time, Joealready owned one very busycompany, Wittrock LawnService, which provideslawn care services, landscap-ing, snow removal, and morethroughout the Lakes areaand Spencer. On a separatepath, Al had spent 30 yearsas service manager for amajor farm and parts store inthe Humboldt area. His pas-sion for fishing the IowaGreat Lakes prompted amove to Northwest Iowa. Heknocked on the door atWittrock’s home to apply fora job on the lawn crew andhas, much to Wittrock’sdelight, been around eversince!

Al spent a few years as acrew leader for WittrockLawn Service and, in thattime, repaired everythingthat was needed to keep thecrew up and running. Al

says, “I’ve tinkered withsmall engines ever since Iwas a kid.” His expertise wasinvaluable to Joe, but Al wasfeeling his body wouldn’t beable to keep up on the lawncrew for much longer. Thatis when the discussion aboutstarting up a small engineretail/repair shop beganbetween Joe and Al.

Coincidentally, at the sametime, Al visited the WalkerMower booth at the ClayCounty Fair, where he spoketo a representative. He toldthem how they used Walkermowers every day atWittrock Lawn Service andthe positive experience theyhad with the line of mowers.Eventually, Al and Joe wereapproached to take over theWalker Mower line in theLakes Area, as Walker wasfeeling they weren’t beingsuitably represented in thearea at that time. That wasenough to energize the twomen to get Cutting EdgeSales & Service opened up inMarch of 2009 in NorthMilford with Al serving asstore manager.

Last year, Joe bought ahigher profile storefront onHighway 71. Now WittrockLawn Service and CuttingEdge Sales and Service areall together in one conven-ient location. “We’ve foundthat it’s all about location,location, location,” says Al.

“We feed off of each otherand support each other reallywell,” Al says.

With the growth in busi-ness, Joe’s wife, Jodi, is nowoffice manager for both busi-nesses and another full timemechanic was hired, alongwith a part time front deskclerk. “Things run verysmoothly with the solidgroup of employees we have.I know the store is in goodhands when I am away,” saysJoe.

Services and products“You know, an old timer

told me years ago, ‘Treatpeople fairly and withrespect.’ That’s what wewant to do for all of our cus-tomers at Cutting Edge,”says Al.

For Joe, his passion is lawncare, and providing ownerswith the best looking lawnaround. Pictures taken ofWittrock Lawn Service jobsunderscore Joe’s eye forquality and detail. Of course,to Joe much of the creditgoes to his line of mowers:Walker Mowers. Designedto produce a finished jobwith a manicured look andeven, intricate mowing pat-terns, Joe not only uses themexclusively, he is now alsoone of the top WalkerMower dealers in an eight-state region. Al proudlysays, “The past two yearsJoe’s Walker dealership was

second in sales volume in theregion. He has also receivedthe outstanding sales growthaward.”

Recognizing the diverseneeds of their customers andthat the Walker Mowers are atrue high-end mower, Joeand Al also went with a sec-ond manufacturer:Husqvarna. Husqvarnaoffers high quality at a lowercost. Plus, they offer smallersized rider mowers and pushmowers, along with tillersand chainsaws. For winterweather, walk behind singleand two stage snowblowersand tractor mounted attach-ments are available as well.“We like them because oftheir cost and reliability,”says Al.

Products don’t end there.Cutting Edge also has a fullline of Echo equipment: leafblowers, grass trimmers,hedge trimmers, edgers,power pruners and chainsaws.

In addition, there areBriggs and Stratton powerwashers and generators.

RepairRepair is Al’s baby, but

then when you began tinker-ing with engines at age 12,why wouldn’t it be? Al is acertified repairman forKohler, Briggs, Echo,Walker, Jiffy andStrikemaster. Also, he isoften the only mechanic in

the area willing to repairscooters and mopeds and hashad much success doing so.Occasionally, Al has workedon golf carts, classic cars,and skid loaders. Chancesare, if it’s got a motor, Alwill take a look at it! At thesame time, Cutting Edge pro-vides a complete sharpeningservice and offers a fullystocked parts room with over5,000 parts in stock. To real-ly simplify things for their

customers, they also providefree pick up and delivery inthe Lakes area.

Specialty itemsWhile Joe’s passion is the

Walker line of mowers, Alalso has specialties of hisown, including the Echo andHusqvarna outdoor powerequipment lines. Another ofhis passions is grilling, whichis what prompted Al to begin

Estherville (Ia.) Outdoor Connection, FRIDAY, March 2, 2012-3

Turn to EDGE, Page 3

A little sharper than the rest

Joe and Al with a Walker Mower.Photo by Steve Weismann

2006 Okoboji Ave.Milford, IA 51351

712-338-2136

107 1st Ave. N.E. Cell: 515-368-0771

Call for Appointment


BY STEVE WEISMANOUTDOOR EDITOR

A total of 92 entrants par-ticipated in the second annu-al Pure Fishing FoundationPerch Ice FishingTournament held Saturday,Feb. 25 on Big Spirit Lake.The results found 28 indi-viduals weighing 10-perchlimits with a total of 395perch weighed in by all ofthe contestants.

“What a great day,” saidBrent Southworth, one ofthe tournament organizers.“The weather really cooper-ated with sunny skies andvery little wind. Word wasduring this past week thatthe perch were finally start-ing to bite, and the results atthe weigh-in supports thatreport.”Results:

Cody Christians from BlueEarth, MN took home thefirst place prize of a $500gift certificate fromFisherman’s Factory Outletwith a 10-perch weight of6.796 pounds. He alsoweighed in the biggestperch, an .84-ouncer.

Second place and a giftcertificate of $250 went toAustin Full from Royal, IAwith a 10-perch weight of6.242 pounds.

Joel Donahue fromSpencer took the third place

prize of a $100 gift certifi-cate with a 10-perch weightof 5.81 pounds.

Christians and Full werethe only two anglers with aweight over six pounds, butthe top 10 placers all brokefive pounds with their 10-fish weights. Winning presentations

Although all three anglersfished the main basin of thelake, targeting the deeperparts of Big Spirit Lake,they each used a slightly dif-ferent presentation to taketheir fish.

For Christians, the pres-sure eased for him early inthe morning. “I had my bestbite early and had sevenfish, including the biggestone, in the first hour.” Hehad his best luck usingeither a firetiger or goldFiska tungsten jig. Insteadof using live bait, Christianstipped the Fiska with eitherwhite or chartreuse plastic.

Full used a NorthlandTackle Hexi Fly tipped withsilver wigglers or waxworms. “I started out put-ting six wigglers on, but

then the perch quit biting, soI added a wax worm andthat got them to begin bitingagain. “

Donahue, meanwhile,went with a green GenzWorm tipped with two sil-ver wigglers. However, hehad to keep the bait freshand found that he had to addnew wigglers after eachbite. “I had to do a lot ofhole hopping, too.”Reflections

“Things really turned outwell. We’re excited to seethe increase in numbers over

the first year. Each year ourgoal will be to make thetournament bigger and bet-ter.” All together, a total of$5000 in prizes and raffleitems was awarded at theweigh-in.

In addition to the fun andcompetition of the ice fish-ing tournament, all of themoney from the entry feeswill go to the Pure FishingFoundation to help cowork-ers and their families withhardships that might occurrequiring emergency finan-cial assistance.

212 11th St. SW Plaza • Spencer712-580-7000

O U T D O O R S

• Hunting • Fishing • Archery • Guns • Ammo CenterEverything You Need In One Place!

Spencer, Iowa

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Top Hat BBQ& Catering

Specializing InSmoked Meats

• Brisket • Prime Rib • Pulled Pork• Ribs • Turkey • Chicken • Salads

• Beans • Desserts“Can’t Beat Our Meat”

Top 10 placers in second annual Pure Fishing Foundation Perch Ice Fishing Tournament: (L to R) BrandonChristians, 10th place; David Isom, 9th place; Kevan Paul, 8th place; Noah King, 7th place; Mark Tullis, 6th place;Jason Elgersma, 5th place; Gary McGrath, 4th place; Joel Donahue, 3rd place; Austin Full, 2nd place; CodyChristians, 1st place.

Photo by Steve Weismann

92 ENTRANTS COMPETE AT SECOND ANNUAL PUREFISHING FOUNDATION PERCH ICE FISHING TOURNAMENT

researching, and eventuallypurchasing for himself, aGreen Mountain Grill. Al hasalways enjoyed grilling, butalso experienced theheadache that comes with somany grills, whether it is thecharcoal mess and flare-upissues or the rusting out of theconventional propane grills.Cutting Edge is now a GreenMountain Grill dealer andcarries pellets, sauces andrubs, and other grilling acces-sories “It is a top of the linewood pellet grill, and it does-n’t require the baby sittingthat so many grills require.You can grill, roast, smoke,whatever you want to do.Plus, with the digital probethermometer, you don’t haveto watch it all the time. Youcan start it and know howmuch time you have to dosomething else”, say Al.

Joe may not be as knowl-edgeable of the ins and outsof the grill, but he knows histaste buds are pleased whenAl brings in something he hassmoked or grilled over theweekend. “Sales in this areahave definitely increasedthanks to the knowledge andsamples that Al provides!”says Joe.

As you can see, when itcomes to the outdoors, bothin the summer and winter,they’ve got you covered.After all, Cutting Edge Salesand Service is a little sharperthan the rest!

EDGE, Continuedfrom Page 3

BY BOB JENSENFISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING TEAM

It’s late winter. Lots ofanglers are thinking of theupcoming open water fishingseason. Many of those anglersare starting to plan a fishingtrip or two that will take placethis spring or summer or fall.Following are some ideas thatmay be helpful in planning afishing trip.

Some folks like to return tothe same body of water everyyear. Nothing wrong with that:You know the area, you knowwhere the fish live and how tocatch them, and you’ve proba-bly established some relation-ships in that area. If you likethat, your job of planning afishing trip is easy. You just dowhat you did in past years.

If you want to explore a newarea, finding that new area ispart of the fun. You need todecide what you’re lookingfor. Do you want to target aparticular species of fish, orwould you prefer a multi-species body of water? Somefolks want to chase onlywalleyes or bass or muskies orwhatever.

Others might want to catchbass, but if the bass don’t wantto get caught, they want tohave the option of catchingsomething else that’s morewilling to get caught. I likeoptions: When I’m going to bespending a few days on a fish-ing trip, I want to catch some-

thing. I really like to spendtime on multi-species bodies ofwater.

So, how do we find a place togo fishing for a few days.There’s lots of informationavailable. Television fishingshows are a good place to getan idea. The internet can beanother source of information.But these are just starters: Youneed to actually talk withsomeone to make sure the areaoffers what you’re looking for.

There are lots of sportshowsin the winter and early springmonths. Sportshows are a greatplace to find general tourismareas and specific fishingresorts. Cabela’s events can beeven better.

In March the variousCabela’s stores host theirSpring Great Outdoor Days.These events host seminarsand often various resorters arein attendance. Ask the seminarpresenters for ideas, and alsocheck out the resorters.Cabela’s Spring Great OutdoorDays have free admission andparking is free also.

Then you have to determinewhen you can go on your trip.Lots of fishing-trip-plannersneed to plan around LittleLeague season and plantingseason and many other things.Other folks can go pretty muchanytime. Figure out whichcamp you fall into and proceedaccordingly.

Ok, let’s get to work. Do

some research to determine abody of water or area you’dlike to visit. Go to the tourismwebsites for that area. Therewill be listings for resorts inthat area.

Call the resorts that appear tobe what you’re looking for.Ask if they’ll be at asportshow or Cabela’s eventclose to where you live. If theywill, go to that event and meetthem.

If you’re comfortable withwhat you find, book your trip.By doing the legwork we justtalked about, you will greatlyincrease your odds of havingan enjoyable fishing trip.


Fick’s

409 Central Ave. • Estherville, IA 712-362-3745

• Clam• Ice Armor

• StrikmasterAugers

• HT-Tackle• Yaktrax• Live Bait

• Wax Worms• Silver Wigglers

For All Your Winter Sporting Needs.

Planning a fishing trip

2561 Hwy 9 & 71 • Spirit Lake, IA • 712-336-2385

Ducky’s Marine & Power Sport

Authorized Dealer Tatau 4S Trac System

BY WENDELL HANSENBIRD HAVEN

Feral cats are the wild offspring ofdomestic cats, which originate fromAfrica. The feral cat populationresults primarily from the failure ofpet owners to spay and neuter theiranimals. Owner abandonment isanother source of feral cats.

They impact native wildlife in threeprimary ways: predation, competi-tion, and disease. According toresearch by the American BirdConservancy, "Cats are non-indige-nous predators that compete in thewild with native predators like owls,hawks, fox, because cats, being subsi-dized by humans, outnumber thesenative predators and prey on the samesmall mammals and birds. Thus, catsreduce the prey base for native preda-tors, making it difficult for nativepredators to feed themselves and theiryoung. In addition, these cats spreaddiseases, toxoplasmosis, salmonella,feline leukemia virus, feline immun-odeficiency virus, feline aids andrabies in particular.”

The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention reports that “rabies ismore than twice as common in cats asit is in dogs or cattle, and cats have thehighest incidence of rabies amongdomestic species."

It is estimated that there are 70 to100 million feral cats in the nation.Feral and free roaming house cats killone billion birds per year. Plus,

$17.000,000 in damage to bird pop-ulations.

Estimates from research at theUniversity of Wisconsin, notesWisconsin that an estimated 39 mil-lion birds per year are killed by ruralcats each year in that state.

“Worldwide, cats may have beeninvolved in the extinction of morebird species than any other cause,except habitat destruction." Cats havebeen implicated in the extinction of33 species of birds worldwide.Addressing the problem

Meanwhile, we must address theproblems of the present. The tradi-tional approach of dealing with straycats and kittens is to either shoot themor trap them and bring them to thepound or local animal shelter. Someformer pets will get adopted and somewill find their owners, but the vastmajority of such cats are euthanized.In repudiation of euthanization, somecat lovers have developed a plan thatthey hope is the answer to the explod-ing stray cat population.

This program called the TNR pro-gram involves Trapping, Spaying,Neutering, Vaccinating and Releasingthe cat back into nature. There, thecats will form colonies that will besupplied with food by human volun-teers. The theory behind TNR pro-grams is that sterilized cats cannotreproduce so eventually the colonies

Feral cats negativelyimpact native wildlife

Turn to CATS, Page 8


BY TOM NEUSTROMRAPALA PRO STAFFER

Editor’s note: In another storythis month, Bob Jensen gives tips onmaking arrangements for a fishingtrip. Here, Tom Neustrom puts thisplan together for an unforgettabletrip this past November toArkansas. Neustrom, who began his28-year career as a fishing guideon Lake Geneva in southernWisconsin, is recognized in the fish-ing industry, In-Fisherman, NorthAmerican Fishing Club and FishingFacts magazine as one of the topwalleye anglers and guides in thecountry.

You could say we northernerssometimes migrate with the geese,or more like snowbirds, to placesfar from the frosted lands. Nodoubt, the warm sun on one’s backis reward enough, but for manyanglers, it’s the pursuit of openwa-ter alternatives that lure us south-ward. For me, even a week or twobelow the Ice Belt recharges myfishing soul and preps me for thefinal few weeks of ice fishing.

Learn by asking questionsThis past November, veteran

walleye chasers Mark Brumbaugh,Tony Roach and I had the opportu-nity to track walleyes in Arkansas.We were like three giddy kids,knowing the potential and possibil-ities that lurked in Lake Ouachita.Trailering down, our big Lund Pro-V’s became our navigational chari-ots. But before embarking, we didwhat all intuitive anglers should –we got a pep talk and mini seminarfrom a deeply entrenched local.

In this case, it was the guidingicon, Jerry Bean. He’s an approach-able southern gentleman and moun-tain of a man. Jerry is a guide’s-guide that knows every inch ofLake Ouachita, every nook andcranny that walleye hide throughoutthe year.

Mark and I had the distinct pleas-ure of sharing an afternoon on thereservoir with Jerry. We became hisstudents, realizing that we were farfrom home and needed to listenintensely to the Lake Ouachita pro-fessor. Both Mark and I are walleyeveterans with deep knowledge ofthe sacred species, but we werethere to listen, learn, and absorb.

Jerry opened by expressing howessential it is to locate pods of bait-fish – shad – that can range as deepas 50-feet. Besides the points andinside turns that Mark and I werefamiliar with from fishing northernnatural lakes, we came to learn thatflooded stands of trees and brush-piles, even random groupings, weremagnets for baitfish and walleyes inthe vastness of Lake Ouachita.There are also monster striped bassthat patrol the same food-forests,adding potential shock and awewith light tackle.

Fishing wood can be tricky andJerry has found that heavy jiggingspoons (1/2-ounce plus) effectivelyimitate native baitfish with theirflash and wobble. That, and stayingvertical is critical in the presence ofso much lumber. With a watchfuleye on his electronics, Jerry putsthat spoon right in the grill of theseoften suspended fish with the accu-

racy of William Tell on the apple.My personal pick for spooning insuch situations is a Luhr-JensenCrippled Herring.

Presentation optionsWhen vertically fishing spoons at

a multitude of depths, it’s essentialto get better feel and control byusing a high-sensitivity braid.Suffix 832 is the choice of many,including Jerry, as it lays comfort-ably on the spool and transmits feelbetter than anything else in the baitshop. We all agreed that attaching asection of fluorocarbon leader – 18to 24 inches – with anInvisaSwivels softens the hooksetwhile eliminating line twist, too.

Mark and I barraged Jerry withquestions about what other tech-niques could turn these southernwalleyes. Being a lifelong studenthimself, Jerry said he experimentswith presentations learned fromwalleye articles and tricks pickedup from customers from the north.Two of his mainstay presentations,when not jigging vertically, are run-ning bottom-bouncers with spinnersand fresh kept crawlers from aFrabill Crawler Crib; and jig fishingwith minnow-imitating plastics,like Trigger X Action baits. Jerrystates that all three have their placein his arsenal depending on time ofyear and fish preferences, which weall know can change by the day.

With so much timber and brush onthe bottom of Lake Ouachita, andother neighboring reservoirs, thebottom-bouncer and crawler combomakes for a nasty, snag-stoppingtrolling pattern that Mark and I are

intimately familiar with. We sharedsome insider information with Jerryon color selection and blade sizes,as well as trolling speeds. Markexpanded the conversation, talkingabout the trolling-board techniquesthat he is so well known for.

We talked about jig presentationsand Jerry let us know he preferredjig fishing early in the season forwalleyes over and around points,creek arms, and sunken islands nearshoreline breaks. And there’s thenearly certain probability of catch-ing bonus largemouth and spottedbass, with the occasional bruisingstriper.

During the afternoon we talkedabout hard-bodied stickbaits andwhen to fish them. Jerry said with asmile, “You guys don’t missmuch…” We all discussed ourfavorite styles and brands and con-curred that Rapala Husky Jerks andX Raps bang the most fish becauseof their neutral buoyancy, realisticlooks, and enticing wobbles. Fishedover the tree tops or on gravelpoints early in the season, stickbaitsare as deadly as any of the arrows inJerry’s quiver.

Slip-bobber fishing was a relative-ly new approach for Jerry, andteacher turned student when the dis-cussion came up. We fish small jigsopposed to plain hooks; incorporateattracting beads and even a touch ofhair or feather on a jig. Livebait wasstrongly endorsed by both Markand I, tipping with a half of crawler,whole shiner minnow, or plumpleech – leeches being Greek downthis way. (We promised Jerry to

find him a source for big blackMinnesota leeches.)

Sharing information with one ofthe best walleye guides in the Southwas incredibly rewarding. We alllearned from each other on his‘Arkansas Campus of Fishology.’But most of all, Mark and I cameaway with an experience we willnot forget and made friends withsouthern guide who is equally aspassionate about walleyes.

A special thanks to MountainHarbor Resort on Arkansas’ LakeOuachita for providing top-flightlodging along with some serioushome cooking. Visit www.moun-tainharborresort.com. Call 501-282-6104 to book a boat with theamazing Jerry Bean.

Man to man, guide to guide

www.motorinnautogroup.comMotor Inn, Inc.

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For as many similarities, there aredifferences. The author and RapalaPro Tom Neustrom learned thiswhile fishing Arkansasʼ LakeOuachita with area guide Jerry Beanand Lund Pro, Mark Brumbaugh. Allday they swapped walleye wisdoms,and each came away with newnotions on how to pursue theirfavorite quarry...north and south.

photo by Bill Lindner


BY MARK STRAND

The dark blue four-wheel-drive van pulling the Bearcatsnowmobile, with an augerrack across the front and FishTrap nestled on the rear rack,knifes through Chicago traf-fic, headed east. Dave Genzis at the wheel, on his wayfor a three-week jauntthrough many eastern states.All the way to Maine, as hehas done every year for manyyears.

“It still amazes me howsummer fishermen will trav-el to fish,” says Genz, glanc-ing at the rear view mirror,“but winter fishermen don’tdo it as much. There’s somuch good fishing to be had,even in your local area, ifyou go find it.”

Maybe, Genz wonders, iceanglers just don’t think of‘their’ equipment as being asportable as a boat on a trailer.He glances back at the trailerholding the sled, rigged forice fishing. “It can’t be anymore portable,” he says. “Ican be on and off the trailerjust as fast as I am with myboat in the summertime. AndI don’t even have to have aramp. I can unload on theside of the road, in a parkinglot, even out on the ice.”

Literally, from the timefishable ice forms in northernMinnesota, until the last of itmelts in April, Dave is on theice someplace almost every

day. Chances are, you don’thave quite that much time tospend ice fishing, but youcan rig up and find local,regional, and far-flungadventures, too.Shelves in the Truck

Regardless whether youhave a pickup, van, or otherpotential cargo hauler, youcan build homemade shelvesthat will help you packportable shelters, augers,depthfinders, and other icefishing stuff. In his van,Genz uses a shelf system tostack rigs above and below amain shelf.

“I can actually get four FishTraps and all the gear backthere,” he says, tipping hishead toward the rear of thevan. “

You won’t find such shelfsystems for sale at truckaccessory shops, but with thespirit of ice fishing ingenuity,you can create sturdy shelvesthat are removable on non-fishing days. Or, if you fishnormally by yourself or withone other person, you mightnot even need a shelf system.

Double-duty TrailerGenz refers to his snowmo-

bile as “the engine for mybass boat on ice,” meaning itis used to haul additionalgear and people. When hegets to the lake, the snowmo-bile backs off the trailer, thetrailer is unhitched from thetruck, then hitched to theback of the snowmobile.

(Many people use ATVs asan engine for ice fishing, andthey work really well untilsnow depth limits their effec-tiveness. Track systems areavailable for ATVs, whichare expensive but turn anATV essentially into a snow-mobile.)

Because typical snowmo-bile trailers feature a lot ofaluminum construction,they’re lightweight and easyto move into position byhand. A huge key is to placespecial skis under the trailertires, so it will glide nicelyacross the ice and snow.Genz had his latest pairmade, but you can find a fewcommercially produced withcreative Googling.

The auger rack is impor-tant, so that piece of gear issecurely nestled while you’retraveling across the ice. Davehad his custom made, butnotes that Strikemaster sellsa rack that bolts to either asnowmobile or ATV.

Mobile Fishing UnitOnce the trailer is hitched

to the machine, you can loadit up with additional FishTraps, perhaps anotherauger, and people can pileon. “This should go withoutsaying,” mentions Dave,“but drive safely, so youdon’t lose your people off thetrailer.” Ice and snow, espe-cially on cold days, can pro-duce a relatively unforgivingride.

“When we get out on theice,” continues Genz, “wecan do things you only wishyou could do in the summer-time. We spread out and gosearching for the fish. Wework in teams, drilling holes,checking them with a Vexilarflasher or underwater cam-era, dropping down and fish-ing as we go. Because ourclothing (Ice Armor suits)have padded knees and lotsof pockets, we can haveeverything we need to fishoutside or in the fish house.

“I have small jig boxes(which he helped design forClam) in my pants and coatpockets, and we just kneel onthe ice to fish from hole tohole.”

When they get over a good

pod of biters, or just need towarm up for a while, the FishTraps come out and heaterscome on. The sled, or base, ofthe Trap holds more rods,heater, additional lures, abucket for fish, and more.Just what you need, nothingmore, to keep weight to aminimum and make mobilityeasy.

From afar, Genz and hisfriends look like huntingdogs, driving hard at first,taking on vast sections of ice,then narrowing the searchwhen positive signs arefound, eventually huddlingtogether right where the fishare. This process repeatsitself every day, often on newbodies of water, often onwaters they’ve never seen

before.“When you’re set up like

this,” says Genz, waving hisright hand toward the back ofthe van, “you can go withfour guys on a nice trip, andgas is back to a dollar a gal-lon. When you get good atpacking up your stuff, youcan hit more than one lake ina day, no problem. It’s all amatter of getting rigged upfor traveling.”

Notes: To watch a video whereDave shows how his gear is setup for traveling, go to www.dav-egenz.com. Dave Genz, knownas Mr. Ice Fishing, was the pri-mary driver of the modern icefishing revolution. He has beenenshrined in the National FreshWater Fishing Hall of Fame andMinnesota Fishing Hall of Famefor his contributions to the sport.

The traveling ice angler

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What a great way to get kids out on the ice for some fishing fun! When youʼre riggedup to travel, your ice fishing adventures can include friends and family, and you canhit local and distant waters. Here, Dave Genz with a couple smiling youngsters whorode out with him on the trailer, then caught some dandy bluegills.

(photo: davegenz.com)


BY BOB JENSENFISHING THE MIDWEST FISHING

TEAM

It’s late winter. Lots ofanglers are thinking of theupcoming open water fishingseason. Many of thoseanglers are starting to plan afishing trip or two that willtake place this spring or sum-mer or fall. Following aresome ideas that may be help-ful in planning a fishing trip.

Some folks like to return tothe same body of water everyyear. Nothing wrong withthat: You know the area, youknow where the fish live andhow to catch them, andyou’ve probably establishedsome relationships in thatarea. If you like that, your jobof planning a fishing trip iseasy. You just do what youdid in past years.

If you want to explore anew area, finding that newarea is part of the fun. Youneed to decide what you’relooking for. Do you want totarget a particular species offish, or would you prefer amulti-species body of water?Some folks want to chaseonly walleyes or bass ormuskies or whatever.

Others might want to catch

bass, but if the bass don’twant to get caught, they wantto have the option of catchingsomething else that’s morewilling to get caught. I likeoptions: When I’m going tobe spending a few days on afishing trip, I want to catchsomething. I really like tospend time on multi-speciesbodies of water.

So, how do we find a placeto go fishing for a few days.There’s lots of informationavailable. Television fishingshows are a good place to getan idea. The internet can beanother source of informa-tion. But these are juststarters: You need to actuallytalk with someone to makesure the area offers whatyou’re looking for.

There are lots of sportshowsin the winter and early springmonths. Sportshows are agreat place to find generaltourism areas and specificfishing resorts. Cabela’sevents can be even better.

In March the variousCabela’s stores host theirSpring Great Outdoor Days.These events host seminarsand often various resortersare in attendance. Ask theseminar presenters for ideas,and also check out theresorters. Cabela’s SpringGreat Outdoor Days havefree admission and parking isfree also.

Then you have to determine

when you can go on your trip.Lots of fishing-trip-plannersneed to plan around LittleLeague season and plantingseason and many otherthings. Other folks can gopretty much anytime. Figureout which camp you fall intoand proceed accordingly.

Ok, let’s get to work. Dosome research to determine abody of water or area you’dlike to visit. Go to the tourismwebsites for that area. Therewill be listings for resorts in

that area.Call the resorts that appear

to be what you’re looking for.Ask if they’ll be at asportshow or Cabela’s eventclose to where you live. Ifthey will, go to that event andmeet them.

If you’re comfortable withwhat you find, book yourtrip. By doing the legwork wejust talked about, you willgreatly increase your odds ofhaving an enjoyable fishingtrip.

Catchʼem when others canʼt

To see all the newest episodes of Fishing the Midwest

television, visit FISHINGTHEMIDWEST.COM

Late ice offers some of the best action of the year.Pay attention to ice conditions, if the ice is safe, getout there

Photo by Bob Jensen

will die out with age. Meanwhile, their presence in an area prevents the influx

of other feral cats. Eventually, with this program in place,all feral cat numbers will decline (cats lived an average ofseven years after being spayed and brought back to theirterritory).

Supplemental feeding of feral or free-roaming house catswill probably have little effect in reducing their depreda-tions on songbirds and other wildlife. Feeding cats keepsthem strong and better able to hunt than native predators,which become weakened during time of environmentalstress.

However, studies by the American Bird Conservancy sothat TNR (Trap-Neuter- Release) programs do not addressthe problem of declining wildlife due to cat kills.

TNR does not protect wildlife. The "theory" behindTNR is that colonies will reduce in size, thereby lesseningthe number of feral cats that can predate on wild animals.The problem is that this does not happen. In fact, coloniesoften grow in size because the cat food attracts neighbor-hood cats and colonies serve as dumping grounds for irre-sponsible owners to abandon their pets.

Not every cat can be trapped and therefore not every catis altered.

Unaltered cats continue to reproduce. TNR has a harmfuleffect on wildlife.

Every cat has an inherent ability to hunt. This has beenextensively studied and scientifically documented. Well-fed cats still hunt.

Even if they receive regular food, they are no less moti-vated to hunt. They can create pockets of dead zones wherelittle wildlife is found.

The problem still remains on what to do about feral cats.Foremost, any problems with feral cats could be avoided ifcat owners would practice responsible pet ownership. Thesame licensing and leash laws pertaining to dogs should beapplied to cats. Spaying or neutering should be encouragedfor household pets not kept for breeding purposes. Theonly way to prevent your cat from killing wildlife is tokeep it inside. A true animal lover will not allow their petcats outside, for the sake of the cat or native wildlife.Neutering is not a cost-effective program for controllingferal populations. Finally, unwanted cats should behumanely destroyed, not abandoned to fend for them-selves.

CATS, Continued from Page 5

Documents

Outdoor Connection - March 2012