To clean and brighten fishing lures, put them in a small container of water and add one or two denture-cleaning tablets and soak them overnight. This works well for plastics, too.
– Jack Stander, Orange City, Iowa

Biting flies can tear into the ears, nose and even the backside of your dog. Deer flies and black flies may feed on the open wounds. Petroleum jelly applied on the wounds can keep flies off, aid in healing and is waterproof, lasting up to three days.
–Frank Lazarski, New Lenox, Ill.

Use corn chips to help bring up the fire in your wood stove, fireplace or campfire. They are oily, so they burn fast and hot. Build a fire and toss a few corn chips on top. Light the corn chips, add kindling, and in no time you will have a solid fire burning.
—Mitch McNeil, Atkinson, Ill.

In an aluminum boat, I got tired of hanging lures—ones I anticipated using—on the stowed paddle or the seat beside me (potential safety issue). My solution: I attached a screwdriver holder, that’s intended for pegboards, to a wide piece of wood to create a portable lure holder. I align the wood just below the lip of the gunnel and secure it to the side of the boat with a spring clamp or C-clamp. I hang the lures I’m using on the portable holder.
–Michael C. Molay, Des Plaines, Ill.

The quickest way I have found to remove old line from a fishing reel is to use a dowel rod and a cordless drill. — Paul Swanson, Gilberts, Ill.

If you’re setting up a trail camera in an area you can’t mount the camera to a tree, use an older 35mm camera-style tripod. This gives a hunter access to marshes and fields where one wouldn’t normally be able to mount equipment. — Jerry Strand, Dousman, Wis.

Making an ice block in a plastic bucket can result in the side of the bucket splitting. Take a foam pool noodle and cut it to the height of the bucket. Then weight the noodle with a 2-ounce sinker and place it in the center of the bucket. Fill the bucket with water and place it in the freezer. As the ice forms, it compresses the foam noodle and does not break the bucket’s sides.
— Bill Fett
Cascade, Mont.

To bee or not to bee: Beekeeping is a popular business, whether it “bee” for profit or pleasure. A typical beehive can harbor over 200,000 of these busy guys. The northern winters can be tough on some hives though, with as high as a 50 percent kill rate. Many honeybees are shipped from California and Hawaii.

LONGEAR THAN YOU THINK: One of the more beautiful panfish, longear sunfish are not one of the fastest growing fish. It takes five years for one to grow 4 inches. In the North, they spawn June through August. Their food usually consists of small insects and minnows.

CLEAN IT UP: For a fast clean up in the field or when water is not available after cleaning game or fish, use a wet wipe. The small, pre-moistened, packaged wipes are convenient. Remember to dispose of them properly. —Dwayne Podborny, Rockford, Ill.

Fishing basics: You can have the most expensive equipment, but if you haven’t developed a basic understanding of the fish you’re after, good luck. Experiment with various methods, talk with experienced anglers and use trial and error to make you better.

Walleyes can be choosers: Lure choice for walleyes comes down to value and effectiveness. Spinnerbaits, spoons, crankbaits, minnows, tube baits, etc., are good, but my go-to lure is a simple jig and minnow or a grub, and a leech tipped on a colored jig. Effective spinner-type lures have three prongs. — Leroy Henge, Montello, Wis.

Spring, especially April, is time for channel cats and bass. Harsh winters kill shad, and I’ve never known a catfish that doesn’t enjoy an easy shad dinner. Hook shad parts on your triple hook. Largemouth bass are now searching for food in shallower areas and structure.

SPRING TURKEY SEASON: Decoys for these birds come in various sizes for a reason. Don’t set up more than five. Turkeys are smart, their eyesight is amazing and even the slightest movement can send them heading in the wrong direction.

One can greatly improve an ability to catch fish with this small modification to a casting bubble: Before putting water into the casting bubble, add some small buckshot first. The rattling mimics the vibration of a school of minnows. This works great when fishing for crappies. — Bill Jones, Chicago, Ill.

BIRDS use well-developed vision and hearing. While vision is used for predators and food, hearing is important for communication. However, most birds are relatively weak when it comes to touch, smell and taste. Birds don’t have a great vocabulary, but can interpret signals from one another.

FISH VISION: Gamefish rely on vision for food and finding predators. Sunfish and bass have better color vision than deep-water fish, like catfish. Scientists have found fish in shallower water see same colors as humans. Color vision doesn’t mean much in deep water, as some colors are filtered out. Fish with color vision cannot see well at night.

After ice fishing season, I look forward to the steelhead spawn run and the aggressive brown trout bite. Knowing when spawn occurs is critical for timing. The best steelhead action comes after ice-out in rivers and streams out of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Also, the walleye spawn is on in the Wolf, Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers.
—Tom Fischer, Hatley, Wis.

As you venture out to fish, don’t forget to take your kids. It’s important to pass along our outdoor heritage to the next generation. Go to a small pond or creek and teach basics. Often, they’ll be distracted by wildlife; the fishing becomes secondary. Still, answer questions and encourage curiosity. — Steve Turnis, Dubuque, Iowa

Take some yarn, twine or string and cut into sections of 3 or 4 inches, then unravel it. Stuff the string into a wire suet holder and hang it in a tree in your yard. Birds building their new spring nests will really appreciate this supply of building materials.
— Jerry Wagner, Mineral Point, Wis.

Anglers on the first trip of the season use WD-40 or other lubricants to clean off tackle. It works, but leaves odors on the lure fish don’t like. Mayonnaise performs as well as the lubricant, and attracts fish. Rub it on unbaited hooks or use on a small mustache comb to detangle bucktail muskie lures. — Paul Swanson, Gilberts, Ill.

There are two types of volcanic lava: “pahoehoe,” which has a smooth surface, is fluid and moves quickly, and “a’a’,” which is thick and moves slowly. Hawaii consists of cooled lava. Areas once covered with lava become farmland. Lava can reach over 2,000 degrees. I wonder where Lava soap plays into all of this?

The crappie spawn won’t occur until a month after ice-out, as they need water temperatures in the 60s. Track ice-out dates and plan for the body of water. Start looking for deep-water, shallow-feeding areas or flats. Crappies require stability of the deeper water, as it helps them function during inclement weather.
— Leroy Hengen, Montello, Wis.

This is the time of year when boat ramps may be slippery from the weather. Bring along a bag of sand to sprinkle on your path to and from the ramp, as the added traction helps.

Check your Personal Flotation Device (PFD) for tears and holes. Check older styles for waterlogging, mildew or shrinkage of buoyant materials. If it looks ratty, dispose of it—a life is more important than the cost of a new PFD. Never dry your PFDs on a radiator, heater or other direct heat source. If wet, drip-dry it thoroughly before putting it into a well-ventilated place. Newer, self-inflatable PFDs are ideal. Though more expensive than traditional PFDs, they’re less constricting. Make sure children’s PFDs fit correctly so they don’t slide out of it in the water.

I live near the Illinois River and go there to catch Asian carp to use as bait. I cut the carp into pieces about the size of my thumb—catfish really like it. It’s a good use for an invasive, nuisance fish. –David Saylor, Lincoln, Ill.

A quick, easy way to build an extra table when out camping or fishing is to get a folding sawhorse and a piece of plywood, approximately 4 feet by 4 feet, and 1/2 an inch thick. Balance one end of the plywood on the back bumper of your vehicle and the other end on the sawhorse. — Richard Carlson, Chilton, Wis.

Keep a can of expanding insulating foam sealant on hand. You can patch leaks in a boat, canoe, minnow bucket, cabin or camper roof, waders and hip boots; plug a mouse or insect hole; patch a window or screen; fix a squeaky deer stand. All for only $10!
― Mike Winkel, Marshfield, Wis.

Why are underspin spinning reels so hard to find? True, an open-faced reel can hold more line, but rarely is more than 25 to 50 yards of line needed when battling an 8-inch bluegill or a big northern. An open-faced reel casts farther, but does an extra 5 or 10 yards distance matter much? With underspins, you always know right where the line is whether you’re casting or reeling in. If you get a chance, try one.

To remove the algae and moss that grow on the carpeted bunks of a boat trailer, clean the bunks with carpet cleaner and let them dry. Then, spray them with WD40. You may also use WD40 to wipe down your boat cover. ― Tim Rinowski, Golden Valley, Minn.

TRASH TALK: Whether you are fishing or at the gun range, when you leave, remember to take any trash with you, like sandwich bags, plastic or Styrofoam bait containers, old line, bottles, spent cartridge cases, used paper targets, etc. All of us need to work together
for a cleaner environment.

Before cooking over an open fire, coat the entire outside surface of your aluminum pot or pan with liquid dish soap and allow it to dry. This old Boy Scout trick will make cleaning the outside of the pans a lot easier. ―Mike Casapini, Zanesville, Ohio

When taking kids fishing, focus on catching a lot of little fish, rather than a few big ones. Silly=fun: Name each fish or have prizes for the smallest fish caught, etc. Bring plenty of snacks and drinks. Call it a day when the kids lose interest.
―Steve Sedlacek, Naperville, Ill.

Was there ever a time when Canada geese didn’t squawk? Ugh! They are especially annoying during the spring when looking for a mate. Oh, how I would love to make an even louder noise with my Winchester double-barrel.

Continued exposure to the sun can result in small blemishes that can become cancerous. To help avoid this, apply liberal amounts of SPF 40 sunscreen before going outdoors. When fishing, reapply sunscreen every few hours. Wearing a hat helps, but don’t forget to slather your ears. ― Dave Faulhaber, Gurnee, Ill.

TRASH TALK: Whether you are fishing or at the gun range, when you leave, remember to take any trash with you, like sandwich bags, plastic or Styrofoam bait containers, old line, bottles, spent cartridge cases, used paper targets, etc. All of us need to work together
for a cleaner environment.

Real pork bait jar lids corrode easily, making them hard to open. Coating the inside rim of the lid with petroleum jelly will help prevent corrosion and make the lid easier to open. But be careful when transporting it and place the jar inside a zipped plastic bag.
―Tom Adams, Anderson, Ind

Different fish species prefer certain water temperatures: trout like water temperatures in the 50s; muskies, walleyes and perch, in the 60s; and bass, crappies and catfish find relaxation at 70 to 80 degrees. But all species will leave their comfort zone for a meal.

The decline in bee populations is attributed to the thus-far-incurable Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD. Planting sunflowers or other type flowers that smell sweet may be of help. Not that we should give up on bees, but other pollinators include butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, moths, flies, beetles and wasps. Planting flower gardens, providing butterfly houses, and feeding hummingbirds are a few examples one can do to help our flying friends.

GIMME SHELTER: Most gamefish seek shelter if they live in current waters. Fishing eddies below logjams, bridge piers, and big boulders can produce big fish.

HAPPY HOOKER: Buy fishing hooks made by a reputable manufacturer. Cheap hooks can have poor points and may be made of a metal that breaks or rusts quickly. While you might save a dollar or two, is it not worth losing fish. When fishing for crappies where snags are inevitable, try a size 6 hook that is thin and bends easily.

A LITTLE COM-MIT-TEE: How many politicians does it take to screw in a light bulb? Seven—one to screw it in and six to screw it up!

MOSQUITOES fly at an estimated 1 to 1.5 miles per hour. Bigger people and active or fidgety people get bitten more often, as they produce more mosquito attractants, namely CO2 and lactic acid. Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes more than lighter colored clothing, and movement may increase bites by 50 percent.

Rollin’ on a diverse river: The Mississippi is home to 260 species of fish, 25 percent of all fish species in North America. Forty percent of the nation’s migratory waterfowl use the river corridor during spring and fall migrations. Sixty percent of all North American birds use the Basin as their migratory flyway. There are 38 documented species of mussels, but on the Lower Mississippi, there may be up to 60 species. The Upper Mississippi hosts over 50 mammalian species.

American goldfinches are considered “wild canaries,” and don’t build nests or breed until late July through early September. The blooming of the thistle plant plays a part in the timing of their nesting in July and is subsequently used as material for their homes. Also, in late summer, thistle seeds are eaten by the adults and regurgitated to the young goldfinches back at the nest. Iowa’s state bird is the American goldfinch.

ANIMAL, MINERAL, or WATERMELON? Watermelon is summer’s favorite vegetable, and it’s not a fruit. The member of the cucurbitaceae plant is in the family of gourds, and is related to the cucumber, squash and pumpkin. It’s planted from seeds or seedlings, harvested and cleared from the fields. It’s grown as a “vegetable crop,” using vegetable production systems, so it’s considered a vegetable.

CHIRPIN’ HOT: The higher the temperature, the more chirps a cricket makes. The frequency of their chirps fluctuates with temperature. Count a cricket’s chirps for 15 seconds and add 40, and you’ll have the approximate outdoor temperature (in Fahrenheit). Known as Dolbear’s Law, it was formulated in 1897 by A.E. Dolbear’s of Tufts College.

Hard to see, easy to hear: The crawfish frog, 2 inches long with black and white spots on its body and black stripes on its legs, generates a strange, snoring-sounding call, seducing a female mate. Most breeding takes place in temporary ponds where a single female will subsequently lay 7,000 eggs.

The lady’s slipper is a rare orchid inhabiting the Midwest. It is Minnesota’s state flower and the provincial flower on Prince Edward Island. Slippers grow in boggy, marsh-type habitat with high pH levels, and also thrive in fens. Since this orchid demands a specific habitat and condition, they are difficult to keep alive in a greenhouse.

SKUNKAVISION: If you’re taking a photo of a skunk, you should use a telephoto lens for obvious reasons. Staying away from a skunk’s “business end” is preferred. These animals have beautiful coats, but are primarily nocturnal so you don’t see them as often.

Dogging us: The term “dog days of summer” is used a lot. The real dog days refers to the weeks between July 3 and August 11. They are named after the Dog Star (Sirius) in the constellation of Canis Major. The ancient Greeks blamed the hot temperatures on the Dog Star.

MAYFLIES belong to an ancient group of insects, Palaeoptera, including dragonflies and damselflies. About 2,500 species are known, including 630 in North America. In their immature stage, the naiads or “nymphs” live one year, primarily in freshwater streams, with few species in lakes. Adults only live anywhere from a few minutes to a few days depending on the species.

Hue is in the Moon? Total lunar eclipses or “blood moons” occur when the Sun, Earth and moon are lined up. The Earth’s shadow (umbra) covers the moon. Red colors in the spectrum have longer wavelengths. When sunlight hits particles and gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, shorter-wavelength colors scatter more strongly than red and orange. These two colors coming off of the rim of our planet get bent or refracted onto the moon.

Leave it alone: If you see a cottontail rabbit wandering around wide-eyed, leave it be; it is learning to forage for food. The nest is nearby and it knows this. A 4-week-old juvenile cottontail is the size of a tennis ball and no longer requires the consistent nurturing of its mother or the protection of the nest.

Tiny but internally strong: Weighing only 12 grams, blackpoll warblers are very efficient. These birds bulk up to 20 grams before their fall migration and absorb internal organs that they don’t need during their three-day flight from Canada to South America. Blackpolls are abundant, but in rapid decline and migratory research is important to their conservation.

Uniform check: The reason lightning bolts are not straight is because the conductivity of the air surrounding them is not uniform.

“Sky dancing” is an amazing breeding ritual performed by the woodcock. This brown, squatty little Midwestern bird has a long, slender bill for snatching earthworms off the ground. Their favorite habitat is damp lowlands, which also serve as breeding grounds in April and May, and, they are difficult to hunt.

SOMETHING SOUNDS FISHY: Fish use a variety of low-pitched sounds to convey messages to each other, including moaning, grunting, croaking, hissing, etc. They also rattle their bones, gnash their teeth and vibrate muscles against their swim bladders.

Blow your nose: Fish survive and thrive in water, but how many species can make it on dry land? The lungfish is one that can live out of water for years. It secretes a mucous that envelops its entire body and then burrows underground. Air reaches its lungs through a built-in breathing tube that can reach the surface.

WILD HUNTERS: Many bring domesticated dogs along for the hunt. In Africa, wild dogs are known for taking down prey and are intelligent, cooperative hunters. They like to group together to the prey while other members of the pack fall behind. Those at the back then take over when the front members tire.

Unidentified Flying Goose: The late astronaut, Gordon Cooper, said in an interview that he once hit a duck while flying his twin-engine airplane at 20,000 feet. An airline pilot spotted Bar-headed geese at 29,000 feet. Emperor geese have been seen at 35,000 feet flying above Mt. Everest.

Let’s talk turkey: There are six subspecies of wild turkey. The pilgrims hunted and ate Eastern wild turkey. The population of this bird has grown over 5 million, and has a range covering most of the East region in the U.S. and Canada.

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES get their bad taste because they lay eggs on milkweed plants, which are never eaten by horses, cows or deer. The caterpillars grow up eating milkweed, which contains some bitter chemicals. These are called cardiac glycosides because they cause vomiting and even heart failure in some animals.

DON’T LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW: Chionophobia is an intense aversion to snow. One major symptom is the fear of becoming snowbound. Some people experience this phobia just from listening to a forecast predicting a snowstorm. They suffer cold sweats, panic attacks and fall victim to unrealistic feelings of doom.

‘TRICKS’ ARE FOR KIDS: Mother rabbits only nurse babies approximately 5 minutes, twice a day. They return to a nest just once or twice a day in the evening or at night, giving the appearance there are no babies, so as not to call a predator’s attention to the nest site.

EXTREME CONTINENTING: North America is home to some of the most extreme cold-weather conditions on the planet, with some places getting as low as minus-81 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the coldest temperature ever recorded was in Antarctica. The mercury dropped to minus-128 degrees Fahrenheit in 1983.

DOGS are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five and can perform simple mathematic calculations. Dogs are as intelligent as a 2-year-old child.

BREAKING WIND: The fastest wind speed ever recorded is 318 mph. A “Doppler-on-wheels” radar unit recorded the three-second gust in a tornado on May 3, 1999 in Oklahoma City.

CROWS are considered to be one of the most intelligent bird species. They can recognize humans who have threatened them or their habitat. These memories can last their entire lives––about 15 years.

MAGNETIC PERSONALITIES: When eating, cow and deer herds all face north or south. Researchers have indicated that these animals in particular can detect the planet’s magnetic fields. Other species, like salmon and birds, are said to use earth’s magnetic fields as a GPS.

A SEICHE (pronounced SAYSH) is a “tidal wave” caused by a dramatic change in wind direction due to severe thunderstorms. Recently, a seiche hit the eastern shoreline of Lake Superior, with a 65-inch change in water levels––the water lowered 14 inches and quickly rose up 51 inches.

“OH, DEER: A deer’s antlers are the fastest growing living tissue on earth. They can move their ears in any direction without moving their head, and the eyes of deer are situated on the sides of its head, giving it a 310-degree view.”

A BLUE MOON happens when there are two full moons in one calendar month. But particles of dust or smoke can make the moon appear blue. Also, viewing a strong violet sunset may affect one’s “white balance,” and a complimentary color like blue can dominate the appearance of a rising moon.

SOUNDS LIKE MY UNCLE: Fish do not have vocal chords. To convey messages, they rattle their bones, gnash their teeth and vibrate muscles against their swim bladders to produce moans, grunts, croaks, booms, hisses, whistles, creaks, shrieks and wails.

PEST CONTROL: If you have fruit trees, be sure to apply “dormant oil.” Spray before the green of the new leaves gets larger than your little fingernail.

SUCKER! There are 650 known species of leeches worldwide and 63 species in North America. For fishermen, leeches are hardy, don’t tear as easily as night crawlers and can even be reused, are easy to store and can be kept a long time without food.

LEECHES were used for medicinal bloodletting in ancient India as far back as 2,500 years ago. They have also been used to restore circulation to reattached fingers or to portions of the skin following plastic surgery.

BETTER RECEPTION? One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a butterfly and moth is to look at the antennae. A butterfly’s antennae are club-shaped with a long shaft and a bulb at the end; a moth’s antennae are feathery or saw-edged.

BORN AGAIN: Tardigrades are extremely durable microscopic animals that can withstand huge amounts of radiation, being heated to 300 degrees, being frozen to near absolute zero, and can survive for years without food or water. In 1995, dried tardigrades were brought back to life after eight years.

AMERICAN BUFFALO herds display “voting behavior,” in which buffalos register their travel preferences by standing up, looking in one direction and then lying back down. Only adult females can vote.

STORMY WEATHER: A lightning storm in Saturn’s atmosphere lasted for more than eight months in 2009, and emitted radio waves 10,000 times more powerful than lightning discharges on Earth. The thunderstorm had a 1,900-mile diameter!