Outdoors

Technology and knowledge has improved to aid in the care of fish caught during tournaments, according to the International Falls Bass Championship fish care team.
Scott Skifstrom and David Hebig led a team consisting of Mark Brunett, Lyndon Lauzon, Rick Socholotuk, Tom Fairhurst, Sandra Kruse and Wendy Matiski.
“We never lost a fish over the two days,” Skifstrom said of the mortality rate.
Fish caught during the two-day live release smallmouth tournament were released within the zones they were caught on Rainy River and Rainy Lake.

Technology and knowledge has improved to aid in the care of fish caught during tournaments, according to the International Falls Bass Championship fish care team.
Scott Skifstrom and David Hebig led a team consisting of Mark Brunett, Lyndon Lauzon, Rick Socholotuk, Tom Fairhurst, Sandra Kruse and Wendy Matiski.
“We never lost a fish over the two days,” Skifstrom said of the mortality rate.
Fish caught during the two-day live release smallmouth tournament were released within the zones they were caught on Rainy River and Rainy Lake.

Journal Staff Report
International Falls graduate J. Michael Taschuk, New Brighton, reeled in a monster muskie on Aug. 23 near their cabin in Ontario’s Red Gut Bay on Rainy Lake. He, his wife Christine and their grandson Javon were fishing for walleye using a floating jig and night crawler combination.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources misspent $300,000 in state money when it helped host a wildlife enforcement officers conference last year, a state audit has found.
The report, by the Office of the Legislative Auditor, also found that the DNR failed to follow state and agency policies.

Windy, wet and cold were three words used frequently Friday and Saturday during the fourth International Falls Bass Championship.
For some anglers, the weather played a role in their catch, but for winners Dave Bennett and Mike Salvador, Souix Narrows, the weather worked $10,000 to their favor.
“We got the big one right away this morning, and that bought us a little time, we stuck with it,” Bennett said. “We fished pretty shallow most of the time and we fished real slow. Then we started hitting windy points.”

Staff with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Office in International Falls confirmed Thursday the presence of spiny waterflea in Loon Lake in Borderland
Jeff Eibler, assistant area fisheries supervisor, said Loon is a major travel route into lakes managed from the Falls office within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Many canoeists heaving into the Boundary Waters either paddle through Loon Lake via Crane Lake or via the Little Indian Sioux River off the Echo Trail.

DNR Staff Report

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resourceshas a new brochure that discusses changes that will affect the use of vehicles (ranging from highway licensed cars and trucks to all-terrain vehicles or ATVs) for hunting on public lands across the state.
The brochures will be mailed to about 130,000 people who have a registered ATV in the state and also purchased a big game hunting license last year. Brochures will also be available at the DNR Building at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Aug. 21 - Sept. 1.

Visitor safety a concern during rehabilitation of cabin

VNP Staff Report

From Tuesday through Sept. 24, the Casareto Beach and day use site on Crane Lake will be closed to visitor use during rehabilitation work on the historic Casareto cabin.
The cabin was constructed in 1934 by local carpenters for the Casareto family of Worthington, Minnesota as a summer retreat.
The Casareto property was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and is significant for its architecture and association with the history of tourism and recreation in northern Minnesota.

VNP Staff Report

Volunteers may lend a hand at national parks by planting native trees at shoreline sites that need restoration.
On Sept. 12 and Sept. 13, volunteers will venture into Voyageurs National Park with park staff to plant red pine, white pine, white spruce, and other native trees at sites in the park. Performing this service for the Park will enhance the beauty of the shorelines, improve wildlife habitat, and restore the sites to their natural state.

By Outdoor News

LAKE OF THE WOODS
Walleyes are hitting crankbaits or jigs and minnows in 28 to 33 feet along the south shore. Downrigging also has started to produce walleyes on the deep structure. The current has slowed on the Rainy River and the sturgeon bite has been excellent. At the Northwest Angle, a jig and minnow is the best walleye option in 25 to 30 feet of water.

LEECH LAKE AREA