Take advantage of the gap between fall and ice fishing season to stalk the biggest muskies of the year.

Muskie fishermen are at the very least super focused on their quest to hook and land a giant, and truth be known, most are obsessed with it. Why else would somebody dedicate nearly every angling second in pursuit of these Jurassic-sized freshwater fish?

Muskie fishing is hardly a high-volume ordeal, and the old saying – yes, the ten thousand cast one, well it often rings true. But these fish keep numbers of anglers coming back for more punishment season after season. You could even call muskie fishing a lifestyle for many anglers. Naturally, some are just better at it than others.

One such angler is Lee Tauchen of Madison, Wisconsin. He has spent countless hours hammering away for the next big tug at the end of the line.

Fall muskie fishing is a grand finale for those who revel in their annual quest for fishing glory. It’s the BIG BOOM. This is when massive ‘skis put on the feedbag and forage with a fair amount of consistency, which is a welcome departure from their incredibly reliable propensity to make even the most battle-worn anglers question whether these mythical beasts exist. Fall, and during warm years such as this, early winter as well, are periods that increase the odds of breaking personal bests and landing a true record class fish. Read more

“Everything about our portable battery line-up has been re-designed and improved,” says Norsk Lithium VP of Strategy & Development, James Holst. “And we’ve been able to make all of the improvements to the features, internal components, and overall safety of our products without having to raise our prices.”

Starting with the 14.8 volt line, over the past couple of years discerning anglers have gravitated to Norsk’s higher voltage “orange” batteries due to the increased efficiency and longer runtimes for running everything from 7-inch displays up to 15-inch screens with live imaging/FF sonar and MEGA 360.

The first feature the company has added is Bluetooth® technology, allowing users to connect to the battery via the Norsk Guardian® app, providing anglers the runtime calculation to determine how much longer they can keep their sonar units powered. Read more

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that silver carp, an invasive species, have been detected in portions of the lower Chippewa River and lower Black River in western Wisconsin.

In May 2024, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) collected 134 water samples from the lower Chippewa River to test for invasive carp environmental DNA (eDNA). At that time, no eDNA was found for invasive carp.

In July, the DNR began receiving reports from anglers of jumping fish suspected to be invasive carp at the Dells Dam on the lower Chippewa River in Eau Claire. The Dells Dam in Eau Claire prevents further upstream passage of invasive carp in the Chippewa River System.

On Aug. 1, DNR staff went to the dam and observed jumping fish but were unable to verify the species of fish. On Aug. 27, the DNR downloaded data from an acoustic receiver tasked with listening for transmitters embedded in fish in the lower Chippewa River, 6 miles downstream of the Dells Dam. Data showed that a single silver carp, originally tagged and captured on the Mississippi River near Davenport, Iowa, was detected on July 21, Aug. 4 and Aug. 26, confirming that silver carp had migrated into the lower Chippewa River at that time. Read more

Whether you live on a lake, enjoy a secret fishing spot or escape the daily grind at a serene water haven in the woods, you already know that lakes provide big benefits to mental and physical health and deserve our appreciation and attention. You can discover even more connections through an upcoming Michigan State University Extension opportunity.

A nationally recognized, award-winning, six-week class for anyone with a passion or curiosity for inland lakes, MSU Extension’s Introduction to Lakes Online course is full of information and inspiration for lakefront property owners, local government officials, lake managers, educators and others. Led by Extension educators and state agency personnel, it covers lake ecology, watersheds, shorelines, water law, aquatic plant management and community involvement.

Registration and course information Read more

Legendary mail order tackle retailer Orvis has announced it will “shed” 8% of its workforce, close a number of retail stores and discontinue its catalog. According to sources, Orvis President Simon Perkins said “Orvis is in a period of business evolution that requires us to think differently. Over the course of our 170-year history, the company has experienced similar cycles, but today’s challenges are new and they require us to be bold in order to continue sharing stories, experiences and products that inspire our customers well into the future.”

Dismissed employees will receive two months of full pay and benefits, along with “additional severance pay and assistance with health insurance and job transition services.”

The 170-year old Vermont company has 70 retail stores and 10 outlets in the United States, in addition to 18 in the United Kingdom. No word yet on which locations will be closed. Earlier this year, the company announced a relocation from its headquarters in Sunderland, Vermont, to smaller offices in Manchester, Vermont as it transitioned to a “hybrid work environment.”

The Cornwall Creek Flooding, located within the Pigeon River Country State Forest, is a popular northern Michigan location for fishing, paddling and other recreation. Over the last couple of months, the water level of the 161-acre lake was lowered by several feet to address safety concerns with the Cornwall Dam, which creates the impoundment, and to prepare for the planned renovation of the dam.

A series of safety inspections by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy — the state agency that regulates dams — determined that Cornwall Creek Dam and its water control infrastructure were in poor condition. A partial drawdown of the water level in the Cornwall Flooding impoundment was necessary to reduce the risks of dam failure, until problems with the dam are resolved. Read more

The fall fishing season for splake is coming soon! Splake fishing in the fall on Lake Superior is an experience unmatched anywhere else in the state. As temperatures drop and leaves begin to change, the splake bite picks up as the fish move nearshore.

Splake — a hybrid cross between lake trout and brook trout — have been stocked in Lake Superior most years since 1971, with annual stocking since 1990.

Marked splake have been stocked in Lake Superior since 2021 as part of an evaluation study. At the Marquette State Fish Hatchery, staff from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Lake Superior and Northern Lake Michigan management units, as well as staff from the Tribal Coordination Unit, put in long hours carefully marking the splake by hand. Splake are given a unique mark by clipping (and removing) part of either one or two fins. The fish are anesthetized during this process.

These fish are then stocked in the spring at three Lake Superior ports: Copper Harbor, Keweenaw Bay and Munising Bay. The goal is to create nearshore fishing opportunities in the smaller bays of Lake Superior, where some fisheries are available year-round. Read more