Trail Camera's Ready?

Hunting season is just around the corner! Are you ready? It's unbelievable to think that we will soon be standing in our favorite tree stand, or walking through the woods wearing our camo clothing. It's not even August yet, but it's time to start thinking about deer hunting.

There are many ways to fully prepare yourself for the season upcoming. One of the best and simplest is to study your property by using a trail camera. No matter what time of the day or night, you have eyeballs fixed on the properties that you are looking to pursue. The best part is that you get to see exactly what time the deer are moving and where. You will soon find out if you have any deer on your property at all, and if so, just how big they might be.

Some enjoy simply finding out what roams their acreage and call it good. That is fine, but for others its a totally different game. Some take it to a whole new level and document everything about their property and every detail of their herd. By keeping a journal of all the pictures on the camera, hunters can track each buck and its exact movements. Let me explain this further. Lets say you photograph 7 different bucks on your camera. You give them all a different name or number and write down what features seperate it from another deer. Basically, just look at the rack and how many points it has, and rack features. Then you can put each buck's name into a chart. On your chart you also have each day written out in the 24 hour time slot. Each time you check your photos you can document which deer you saw at which hours of each day. After a few weeks you will be able to look at the chart and see exactly when each buck walks by that particular location. You might be amazed at what you find, and soon can predict exactly, or close to, where each deer will be at exact times of the day.

I know this may be taking hunting to a new level, but if you are a serious hunter like so many of us, this will help you out immensely in your pursuits. The first few weeks of archery season can be the most predictable time to hunt for a mature buck. This is just one of the tools that will help you pattern the deer. And another plus side of having the trail camera in place is that you never have to alter the deers travel patterns by spooking them away. Its really a no brainer. I suggest you invest in the easiest tool to help your hunt out. I think they are falling dramatically in price and can be purchased a lot cheaper than in the past. I consider it a wise investment, and I'm not the only one. Plus its always cool to see what is happening when nobody is watching!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

Muskie Fishing 101...

Every trip is different. Sometimes people come out and don't care about anything other than catching a fish or two. Other times folks just want to learn more about the sport so that they may some day do it on their own. Either way, it always makes for an enjoyable experience on the water. This morning it was a tutorial. Pat Hart has been in contact with me for the past several months. Pat is not a newcomer to fishing by any means, but rather focusing his efforts on getting his family involved in fishing. This spring we went shopping together and picked out some lures and equipment to get him started on the right foot. A few tips along with his new collection of gear got him going for the metro bass and walleyes. That was only the start. Muskies were next on his list.

A few phone calls got him some new baits and a new attitude to approach the mighty muskellunge. This morning we were on a mission to better understand everything happening under the waters surface. Our goal was to disect the different ways to use baits of each kind and in different situations. If something were to latch onto the bait while doing this, that would be ok too. We started out by working a topwater presentation. This resulted in two of the infamous "wakes behind the bait" and one strike. The fish failed to eat, but that was ok. The lesson was how to react when that specific situaiton happened. Pat got an "A" in that course.

Next we were off to try some different bucktail presentations. I wanted to keep it simple, but also explain the different ways that it can be used. Pat started as an instant expert at that getting another "A" for the course and landed the first fish of the morning. A beautiful 44 incher that got him shaking like a leaf. I love that part. His grade of an "A" was soon dropped to a "C" when my favorite part of the morning ensued. Upon moving his feet on the casting deck, momma muskie lurched on his bait, and the off balanced fisherman set the hook while falling to the bottom of the boat. Funny? Maybe a little, but the fish did get away, leaving him with an overall "B" for the course.

After that experience it was on to trolling. A method that he feels he can use while his wife jumps aboard. She has shown some interest in the beastly fish, and he wants to make her dreams a reality. We tried fruitlessly with this, but the course was observed and Pat got another "A." To finish out our day we went back to one of the original fish from earlier. The goal was to see if she would now be willing to do battle. Upon our first casts on the spot the battle ensued about half way to the boat. The lesson here was for Pat to pass the course of "net man!" haha! He got an "A" in that as well. Our second and final muskie for the morning posed for a picture perfect photograph with a camera that I forgot to turn the flash on. Oh well, it's all part of the drama of muskie fishin'. Another morning on the water that never gets old. Until Next Time, Keep on Livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

Start The Muskie Season...

Boy oh Boy do I have stories to tell. I will catch you up on all the latest and greatest, including a superb week in the BWCA. This will all come soon, but first I must share the outing that still has me tickled pink. Last night was an interesting night. There were a couple of factors that always seem to get the muskies moving. looking ahead at how things were going to play out, I called up Young Ben and told him we were gonna go catching. Without hesitation he was in!

With the insane heat, we opted not to waste any time, and only concentrate on the active window that we knew was to come. We hit the water as the sun was setting, and pulled up to the first spot. I had a lot of anticipation because I simply haven't been muskie fishing much this year. Looking at the icons on my graph, and past success, I pointed at the water and told Ben there is one right there. Yep, my 4th cast of the night gave me the first fish. Nothing huge, but a nice muskie nonetheless. Ben just laughed. He then followed that up with the proverbial "how many do you think we will catch." I told him not to get cocky, but he wanted to set goals, and said, "Aren't we suppose to aim high?" Well, he was right, so we chose 3 as our goal. After all, I knew we would only be on the water for a very short time. Upon releasing the fish, I trolled up to my next icon. Yep, another one came screaming to the boat, then another and another. It was almost surreal. About fifteen casts later we had seen another 3 fish, and then I got slammed. Almost one of those strikes that hurt the wrist. Fish number two was in the boat, again, not a giant, but a good ski. A quick high five and we were back at it. On my very next cast I had another follow, and Ben the same. It was almost getting out of hand. In that short little window, the fish were simply on a tear. All we could do was laugh. During that short half hour stretch, we saw a total of 9 muskies and boated 2. Not quite the goal that we had set, but hey, I aint complaining.

I have been catching a lot of grief lately for not posting stories about muskies. After all, it is one of my greatest passions in life. I heard the grief, and trust me it hasn't gone unnoticed. While I have been having a ball with everyone and the bass and walleye outings, it was good to get the big sticks rolling again. Maybe that's why I am still excited the morning after... From the muskie filled metro waters, keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

As Good As It Gets...

Holy Smokes! Does this picture get you jacked up? If not, you don't have a pulse. Lately I have been flirting with a new obsession. Funny thing is that I'm not the only one. Our conventional mind of bass, walleye and heck, even muskies, has been totally skewed by a new love. This new love is overtaking much of our free time. A quest for what we are calling "the most beautiful fish in the river!" That's fine, you can call me crazy, I don't care, I'm in love with a catfish!

When it comes to fishing I find myself always looking for the next big thing. I have an obsession for huge fish, and I'm always looking for the next battle or heart pumping action. Kinda fuels the fire so to speak. I'm never satisfied. Maybe it's the challenge, or the excitement once the fish strikes, but I can't control it. I want to see what we can outsmart next, and it has lead myself and a few good buddies to the flowing waters of our local rivers.

Matt Hennen is the newly appointed "Catman." In fact, he has the bug even worse than I do if that is at all possible. All of his free time has been spent experimenting and learning the river. We have been fishing together several times, and he continues to improve his precise knowleadge of our new favorite fish. As any new specie and challenge, it takes time. Understanding the current, timing, presentations, and fish holding areas are key. But once you get all the ingredients dialed in, it is one heck of a wild ride. This has been the case over the last few weeks. You could call it a "lucky horse shoe," or persistance paying off. Regardless, the past two seasons of trial and mostly "error" are paying off in a huge way. Our expectations are increasing by the trip. No longer do we hope to get a strike, in fact, we are almost dissapointed if we don't break the 20 pound mark in an evening. The results of all the hard work have been nothing short of spectacular. So much so that I can't stop writing about it.

Imagine a peaceful evening with waters flowing past you. Darkness falls and quiet sets in. Just you and the sounds of the flowing water. That is until the anticipation mounts to the point that you can almost hear your heart pounding. A strike awaits that is so fierce that it almost rips the rod out of your hands. Will it hit my bait, or my friends? How big will it be? These are some of the thoughts running through your mind. The best part, these thoughts are becoming a reality each and every trip out. Here are some numbers to ponder. In the past 15 trips, Matt andthe crew have boated at least one fish every time but once. In Matt's perfectly crafted catfish machine, we have boated fish in the 15 to 20 pound class with regularity. Not to mention the back to back fish weighing 37 and 38 pounds Wednesday and Thursday evening. Our most recent trip gives you the picture that you opened with. This past friday night we snuck out on the water with a goal of 50lbs. None of us were laughing at our goals, and we never stopped talking about it. Matt kept his "horseshoe" for the night, because his squirming bait kept on getting throttled. He landed the first one, which was nice, but small by our standards 50 was still on our mind. Persistance paid off big at the stroke of midnight. The near full moon illuminated the sky to watch a battle that I have never before seen. Man vs. Beast should have been the title, and incredible is all that describes it. Our 50 pound digital scale exceeded it's limits when it read 53 pounds. How? I don't know, but it was almost like winning the lottery. For Matt, his incredibly growing success for this new monster of the river has been great to watch. For him to score and see the excitement of his hard work paying off is priceless. It was almost bittersweet watching the beast swim away, but leads us to wonder, how big will they get, and what is next?

If anybody wants to get in on this incredible action, please do not hesitate to call. The time is now, and the experience is incredible. You will never forget this opportunity. I am putting this excitement right up there with my state record muskie antics, and that is saying a lot. From the flowing waters of the beautiful beast, Keep on Livin' the Dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com - www.trophyencounters.com

A New Intro To Fishing...

Today was much the same for me. Get the boat, throw some ice in the cooler, and prep the rod and reels before the guests arrive. The only difference was that I was preparing their rods to fish for the day, then they would take them home. An unusual request came from Don Webb about two weeks ago. He said he wanted to get his family out on the water, and wondered if there was a way to get them rods that they could call their own. He wanted high quality equipment up to my standards so that the kids would know they had the best. Then teach them how to use it, catch fish with it, enjoy it, and send them on their way. Along with the this request for his kids came the same request for himself and his wife. His wife June loves to fish, but he didn't know how. Along with the rod and reels, he also wanted a tackle box filled with all of my favorite lures. To top it all off, he was going to lure them to the lake (no pun intended) without any of them knowing what they were about to do, and surprise them with a morning on the water. Are you still with me? It gets better.

We hashed out all the details over the phone, and i came up with my plan. I requested the assistance of Dawn over at Cabin Fever Sporting Goods, and after explaining the situation we figured out the best plan of attack. After all, it isn't easy to stock an entire family with high quality fishing equipment on a whim. We had to special order much of the large order, and once it came in, assembly was required. That took place last night, but allowed Dawn and I to catch up on the latest and greatest. That brings us to this morning and the completion of the two week escapade.

The surprise went off perfectly. With boat in water and the last fishing lines being tied together, the fam came without a single clue of what was going on. It was cool. All 6 of us hit the water in search of whatever would latch on to our lines. We had a quick tutorial and soon realized the kids were far superior to the adults in the casting department. When it came to the catching part, it was clear that MOM was the victor. She struck first with a large bucketmouth. A feat that she has apparently come to recognize as her strength in life. Soon after, everyone was involved in the action. A few tangled lines, large, medium and small panfish on board, and several laughs to boot. As quick as the morning started, we had reached our end As we approached the dock I explained to them that they would be keeping all of the equipment. A surprise that nobody saw coming, but all found very cool. Dad walked away looking like the hero, (which he rightfully should for his very clever and unique idea) and another successful day on the water was had. Does it get any better than that? I think not!

Thanks for the great idea and fun adventure. Also a big shout out to Dawn at Cabin Fever Sporting Goods for all the help in making the day possible. A very neat day that many of you could clearly duplicate. From the once again windy shores of lake Waconia, Keep on Livin the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com