Catching Fish & Releasing Loons
By Professional Guide John Carlson
Fishing in the Phillips area is still going strong. Our guide boats have been boating some very nice mixed bags for clients most of the spring. This week walleye, smallmouth, perch, and bluegills were all caught on trips fishing in 10 to 15 feet of water on the breaks. We are using small jig heads or floating lindy rigs tipped with half of a night crawler or a medium sized leech. The fish are hitting pretty light because of the Mayfly hatch but if you go light and tight to cover the fish will eat. A quality rod helps you in these conditions, I use a Tooth Tamer ML walleye rod and I spool the reel with 5 or 8 pound power pro to help me feel those light hits.
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On an outing this week Ross's Sport Shop guide John Kleczewski and his two clients came across a Loon that seemed to be in trouble. After getting a closer look the fishermen saw that the loon was tangled in a mess of line that some careless person threw overboard into Elk Lake. John contacted the DNR Hotline and a warden gave him permission to capture the Loon and untangle it. So John and his clients used the trolling motor to get close to the loon. They netted it with a large landing net and brought her into the boat. The fishing line was wrapped around the loon’s neck, beak, feet and body. John had client Dean Somerfelt hold the loon down in the boat being careful not to hurt it while John started cutting and untangling the line from the loon. Everything went well and they released the loon back into the water and she let out a loon cry immediately as to say thank you to the three fishermen for helping her out.
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For information on lodging, dining, entertainment and more outdoors, contact the Price County Tourism Department at 800-269-4505 or www.pricecountywi.net or connect directly with Kathy Reinhard at tourism@co.price.wi.us.
John Carlson-N.P.A.A. #378
Ross's Sport Shop & Guide Service
286 North Lake Ave
Phillips, WI 54555
715-339-3625
715-820-0958 mobile
rossport@pctcnet.net
www.rosssportshop.com