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We are shining the spotlight on ways Wisconsinites can enjoy adaptive activities anywhere and learn that any activity can be adaptive and inclusive!

The post Inclusive, Adaptive, and Fun Activities for All Wisconsinites appeared first on The Bobber.

Spring is in the air, the sun is shining, and we are all itching to break away from our winter cabins for a while. With spring break near, don’t feel like you have to break the bank heading to a top destination for a week. This spring break, switch it up by running down these Wisconsin counties and towns that border Lake Michigan for gorgeous views and an unforgettable road trip.

The post How To Plan a Spring Road Trip Along Lake Michigan  appeared first on The Bobber.

Staycations give you the opportunity to explore your town with a fresh set of eyes. And with winter fading into spring, Milwaukee feels like it is coming back to life. Whether you have a break from school, some time off work, or maybe you just need a few days to reset, now is a great time to plan a vacation in this gorgeous Wisconsin city!

The post Explore Milwaukee: A Weekend Getaway Guide appeared first on The Bobber.

Sweet or Sour? Brandy or Whiskey? These are just a few questions Wisconsinites take very seriously when it comes to our favorite cocktail. Over the years, restaurants and bars across the state have been steadily perfecting this classic supper club staple. But, if you are ready to try something new, here are six Wisconsin hotspots that you must visit if you love a unique twist to the traditional old fashioned!

The post 6 of Wisconsin’s Most Unique Old Fashioneds appeared first on The Bobber.

Verona, a town of around 13,000 people located on the periphery of Madison, offers small-town charm and room to roam, while also cultivating businesses big and small. With tons to see and even more to do, Verona is the perfect destination for a day (or weekend!) trip. Below are five things we recommend adding to […]

The post Everything You Need to Know for an EPIC Day Trip to Verona appeared first on The Bobber.

It’s been a long winter and Wisconsinites have been especially cooped up this year. If you’re experiencing an extra bout of cabin fever this year, we’re right there with you! Luckily, we have some alternative solutions to that restless feeling, and it all lies in the abundance of outdoor activities in the Wisconsin Northwoods. Langlade […]

The post Cabin Fever? Cure It in the Wisconsin Northwoods with These Outdoor Activities appeared first on The Bobber.

Some people get bogged down by how cold a Wisconsin winter can be… but a true Wisconsinite knows that the season can also be magical. If you know the right places to go, and what to do, it can be the best time of the year. Eau Claire is a perfect example of a city […]

The post Have You Experienced Eau Claire…in the Winter? appeared first on The Bobber.

Drive north on Highway 51 from Madison and you will eventually hit a special spot just past Highway 8 where the freeway drops down to a two-lane road. The “Freeway Ends” sign says it all. You have made it to the Wisconsin Northwoods; the land of lakes, pines, off-grid cabins, and small towns. 

The post A Winter Road Trip to Bayfield & Manitowish Waters appeared first on The Bobber.

Grab the popcorn, the Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) is going virtual this year – which means you’ll be able to enjoy the festival from the comfort of your living room anywhere in the world. BIFF is a ten-day tribute to the power of film and the excitement of independent films from around the world. […]

The post Enjoy the Beloit International Film Festival Virtually! appeared first on The Bobber.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, check out these memorable Valentine’s Day getaway ideas for a romantic Wisconsin weekend!

The post Valentine’s Day Getaway Ideas in Wisconsin appeared first on The Bobber.

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There are so many awesome things I love about Kwik Trip - their coffee, their Glazer donuts, how clean their stores always are, the staff friendliness... I could write a mile-long list! But for today's blog post, I wanted to highlight five in particular!

The post Five of My Favorite Things About Kwik Trip appeared first on Miss Northerner.

This is one of my favorite tricks that you can do in the winter. Each season, there are typically only a few days when this is possible. So if the conditions are right, make sure to take advantage of it!

The post How to Turn Boiling Water into Snow appeared first on Miss Northerner.

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 And we're back in action.

Water temps are in the mid to high 40's on our area lakes. Warm water is where it is at for panfishing right now. If you can find those rare spots where water temps are in the low 50's, you'll find consistent action.

Panfish are starting to make a move into the traditional shallow water areas on area lakes.  Sunny afternoons with a south or southwest wind will provide the best action until main lake areas catch up. Remember: North facing areas will be warmer, and fish tend to congregate in these areas early on. Current, in the form of a creek channel, or river area will help as well. Boat Channels, Sand Bars and isolated bays are great starting points.

For now, focus on the green weeds in shallow protected bays with a northern bank. Concentrate your efforts on the patches of weeds, using live bait suspended under a bobber. Keep your bait just above the weeds, and any visible fish that you see. I like to use waxworms or spikes on a small red hook, or small/crappie sized fatheads-hooked in the tail, underneath a pencil bobber with just a split shot or two to keep the bait down. Be ready to start using plastics, especially for active fish, but for now, I'd start with the live bait and move to plastics later in the day.

Be ready to sort through smaller fish to get keepers, but understand that there's some quality keepers to be had very shallow right now. Current, green weeds or reeds and shallow submerged wood are great places to start. Fish be concentrated in small, specific areas for the next week.

Making use of our catch and release bass season that was new last year? Then you want to have three baits tied on when you hit the water this weekend.

1.) Jerkbait...the old size 11/3 hook floating Rapala really shines in cold water, but I caught some (smaller fish) this week on a perch colored 110 fished around the ends of points outside of spawning areas. The bait had to be sitting dead still to get a bite, but it did produce for a couple of hours ahead of the rain.

2.) Flapper grub...continuing with the old school theme...the slow fall/gliding action of the flabber grub is a sure winner in early season cold water. Flapper grubs are a lost technique...they're not flashy or fancy, but the cobra head style body on a light jighead looks just like the juvenile panfish that are starting to get active. It takes patience to fish one, but it will produce...especially along shallow weed/rock transitions where there are visible panfish holding. Although a Kalins or Zoom grub will work, the irregular fall and shape of the flapper is far superior in under 55 degree water. I usually use a 1/16th ounce unpainted ball head jig with a larger (size 1) hook for fishing them, but it was windy out when I was out this week so I used a 3/32 mushroom head and it worked just fine.

3.) Rattletrap (lipless crankbait)....the old saying still applies...there is only one color of rattletrap that matters: silver sides/blue back...unless its spring, then a red one is a solid choice. 

Saftey note: Pike are recovering from the spawn and will viciously attack a chrome rattletrap right now. You have been warned.


Around the area: The Rock River remains fairly low, and while there's some current, the bite there has been very inconsistent. Walleye are mostly done, there's been no significant whitebass movement, and a few cats and sheephead are being caught on the edges of the deeper holes.

As of this week there were still a bunch of walleyes and muskys below the Oconomowoc Dam if you want to dream a little dream about the season ahead.

Feel free to email me (catchfishwithchris@hotmail.com) if you want to chat/swap information or just to talk about fishing.

See ya out there.

CT

 Hey everyone,

My son and I helped put some musky out today along with members of the Musky Club of Wisconsin.

 The club has been doing active stocking of extended growth fish in our area lakes for several years.

We met at the Okauchee launch, and five boats each took 20 or so fish out and placed them around the lake.

 The weather isn't making things any easier, but there's fish to be caught.

Major river areas (Dells, Depere, Winneconne) are all seeing action and giving up lots of fish. Close to home there's two games to play.

The Rock River walleye fishing has been a tough, but steady bite. I've been out a few times and I've been in touch with other folks that are regularly out in the spring. People are catching fish, but legals have been hard to come by...the bulk of the fish are just starting the move in, and the new size/bag limits have been keeping some fish out of the frying pan this year.

Jigging the holes and breaks with controlled drifts can produce. Using your electronics to find fish in the wood or in out of the current areas can also produce. I've put fish in the boat jigging, casting with plastics and pulling flies in the last week. The full moon is Monday evening, so I expect the bite and action to pick up dramatically over the next week, especially if the weather and temperature stabilizes.

Starting to hear some scattered whitebass in the river and down by Blackhawk, and I did catch a small one yesterday. The most consistent bite has been catfish.

On the area lakes, it is still very early but a few panfish are starting to make a spring transition. If the weather stabilizes and we get some warm afternoon sunshine, things will pick up dramatically. For now, look for crappies and bluegills to suspend around structure or wood in areas just outside of the traditional spring shallow bays and boat channels. A couple days where it stays sunny and a bit warmer and things will start happening quick. For now, keep your presentations small, and above the fish by 6-10 inches. Areas with current and some green weeds are a solid spot to start, and a small tail hooked minnow or a waxworm on a #10 or #12 red hook can ready do some early season damage.

I hope to be out some over the next two weeks, and I'll post as I am able. Once a week reports will start/return in mid April.

Hey gang,

I was out with my old roommate on the Rock River yesterday. We fished the area from the dam in Jefferson down past the Ditch and the S turn. We didn't have any notable success, but it was one heck of a day to be outside.

The water was just barely 42 degrees when we pulled out, which is usually about when things start to happen. (The wind was the real impediment yesterday)

But with the Full Moon on the 29th and the weather trend for the next 10 days....it is time to get out. Warm spring rain on the way, with three high pressure days during the Full Moon Cycle is about optimal conditions for any spring river walleye fishing.

After that, the area lakes, which are about 90% open, will be ready to start giving up some spring panfish (and if you're so inclined some catch and release pre-spawn bass fishing).

Here's my 2021 version of the annual Rock River Resources post.

For those of you who have asked, regular reports will start in mid-April as my online teaching semester starts to wind down and I can be on the water on a regular basis.

Cheers,

CT

 Everyone,

Spring has (partially) sprung, and there's glimpses of open water on the horizon.

Images on the Jefferson Dam Lake-Link Thread show the channel opening up on the Rock River below the Jefferson Dam. While it is still very, very early (and not yet ready for boats or shore fishing) the signs are that the spring runs are just around the corner.

Here's some links to get you in the mood and to keep you in touch as things develop.

Around the area water is hovering around the mid to low 60's, but even with the stable warm weather on the way, expect the shorter nights to start dropping water temps. 

Weeds are still thick, and water levels are around average for this time of year. Baitfish are still very plentiful since many of them hatched late.

Hey Gang,

 Water levels are a bit higher than they have been, and water temps are in the low to mid 70's. Weeds are a bit more sparse than usual for this time of year, the crayfish molt is wrapping up and the baitfish are on the move. The next three weeks are setting up for some great action.

 
Hey gang,

Lots going on, so let's get right to it. First off, the crayfish molt is winding up. Lots of people were on some fish, but then those fish got scarce. What happened of course is the late summer molt, where the soft shells get on the shallow rocks and the feeding frenzy breaks out. Typically when a deep bite cools off quickly like that, fish will continue to bite, but they'll have a much smaller strike zone and the shallow fish will be active. But with so much food around, it means you need to slow down and be more methodical with your presentations. Fish tight to cover, and take a deep breath to slow down. Remember my rule of slowing down: If you think you're fishing slow enough, you're still fishing twice as fast as you should be. 

"We were all teaching ourselves, you know...flying by the seats of our pants and learning to do it as you were doing it," he said. "It was much different than it is now."

The post Featured Cheesemonger: Greg Upward appeared first on Fromagination.

George now manages that cheese production facility, which now employs about 45 employees. Crave Brothers employs nearly the same amount of people across the road at the milk production facility. He is still up every day at about 5:00 a.m.

The post Crave Brothers: Stay in the Groove appeared first on Fromagination.

So what truly excites Lehner now when it comes to making cheese is a particular source of all great cheese - milk - particularly raw cow milk from cows feeding on clean pasture grasses.
"When I can get really exceptional milk...I drop everything," Lehner said. "That inspires me."

The post Willi Lehner: It’s All About the Milk appeared first on Fromagination.

One thing that makes him an attentive cheesemonger is his attitude towards people who may not have as much to spend as an affluent, worldly traveler.

The post Featured Cheesemonger: Stuart Mammel appeared first on Fromagination.

Brenda Jensen lives in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin near Westby, where she, her husband, three employees, a dog and occasional visiting grandchildren share the landscape with 700 dairy sheep. Those “girls” – the ones who are not producing lambs or currently dry – are milked twice a day and that milk produces award-winning...

The post Brenda Jensen: A Passion for Sheep & Cheese appeared first on Fromagination.

Shannon Berry has been at Fromagination almost three years, now its Floor & Kitchen Manager.  She traveled to the West Coast, East Coast, and back to Wisconsin before becoming a cheesemonger, and settling into training other cheesemongers to showcase the Badger State’s most famous product. “I work here because I like food, I like people...

The post Featured Cheesemonger: Shannon Berry appeared first on Fromagination.

This month’s featured cheese maker is Marieke Peterman of Holland’s Family Cheese, the business name for a very successful Wisconsin cheese brand and her namesake, Marieke Gouda. The busy staff and many visitors at the small complex she has established in Thorp, Wisconsin, 45 minutes east of Eau Claire, show the results of a very...

The post Marieke: Eat Cheese and Keep the Cows Happy appeared first on Fromagination.

Jeff is a Fromagination cheesemonger as well as purchasing and inventory manager. He has extensive background in farming, food and cheesemaking. He has deep knowledge and passion about all things cheese, meats and companions. After working for a cheese making company in Milwaukee, Jeff started working at Fromagination cutting cheese in the back of the...

The post Featured Cheesemonger: Jeff Peterson appeared first on Fromagination.

After the huge success of our Winter Cheese Classes, we have put together a brand new series of classes based around the theme of Spring.  Starting May 9th for 10 weeks, our new Spring Cheese Classes will take you on a culinary journey around the world, where you will learn all about the various cheese...

The post Fromagination Spring Cheese Classes appeared first on Fromagination.

Fromagination’s Matriarch Kristi is one of Fromagination’s most seasoned cheesemongers, and its matriarch. We sat down with her and asked her to tell us a little more about herself. How long have you worked at Fromagination? I have worked for Fromagination for a number of years, not since the inception but shortly thereafter. I have...

The post Featured Cheesemonger: Kristi O’Brien appeared first on Fromagination.