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So you’re a golfing enthusiast? We’ve got great news for you! Lake Geneva is home to some of the best all-around golf courses in the state and we have all of the inside details on the must-play courses in the area. Each course is home to its own style, unique layout, and beautiful views! Now… let’s get into six different golf courses in the Lake Geneva area that you need to add to your golf bucket list!

The post Lake Geneva: A Hotspot for the Golf Enthusiast appeared first on The Bobber.

Wisconsin is full of charming small towns, rolling hills, state parks, and good food. If you’re looking for a place with all of the above, add New Glarus to your summer bucket list. Being a town of about 2,000 people, New Glarus has a welcoming feel while still offering an abundance of places to eat, drink, shop, and explore. It’s known for its Swiss heritage, which you will notice in the Alpine-style architecture, outdoor festivals, and cuisine. If you’re lucky, you might even hear alphorns while wandering downtown.

The post A Summer Adventure to New Glarus appeared first on The Bobber.

Are you looking for a summer event that you won’t forget? Then you’ll definitely want to add the American Family Insurance Championship to your summer bucket list! Although this event is well-known for its top-tier PGA TOUR Champions golf, there is so much more to it! From the concert and celebrity foursome to the Race for Research 5K, this event is one of Wisconsin’s greatest and one that you cannot miss out on in 2022!

The post One Wisconsin Summer Event You Can’t Miss appeared first on The Bobber.

A little birdie told us that golf is sort of a big thing in Wisconsin. From widely known world-class courses like Whistling Straits to some of our favorite little hidden gems spread throughout the 72 counties of Wisconsin, we are truly best with some of the finest places to golf across the country! If you’re a golf enthusiast, then stay with us and learn all about the golfing industry we have here in Wisconsin.

The post Wisconsin’s Best Counties for The Golfing Enthusiast appeared first on The Bobber.

Wisconsin is known for many things like cheese, the Packers, and beer…but did you know that Wisconsin has some of the most breathtaking and iconic wineries that you’ll visit? The wine industry covers the state from the Northwoods, to Door County, and even over to the Driftless Area. Sit back, relax, and grab a glass of wine to plan your visit to one of (or all!) of these four iconic Wisconsin wineries!

The post Iconic Wineries Across Wisconsin appeared first on The Bobber.

Discover Wisconsin’s social media photo contest is a special opportunity for photographers (amateur or professional) to showcase their Wisconsin photographs and have a chance to earn a spot in the 2023 Discover Wisconsin Calendar.

The post [OFFICIAL RULES] 2023 Discover Wisconsin Calendar Contest appeared first on The Bobber.

Are you looking to plan a little staycation in Wisconsin this spring or summer? Do you need a getaway that has a thriving downtown, outdoor exploration, state parks, and more? We’ve got great news for you! Wisconsin is home to many great places to get out and explore during the spring and summer months, but one place you’ll definitely want to plan your staycation around is the Fox Cities. From outdoor adventures to seeing art and culture for yourself to having a gourmet meal, you can find a little something for everyone in the Fox Cities area. Let’s hop into how you can plan your staycation in the Fox Cities!

The post The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Staycation in the Fox Cities appeared first on The Bobber.

Do new learning opportunities spike your interest? Are you looking to shake up your ‘stay-at-home’ routine and learn something new? Then Sheboygan County could be a great place for you to live, work, or even visit! From hitting the waves for a surfing lesson to learning how to ride a motorcycle or drive our Wisconsin winters at Road America, Sheboygan County offers some of the best learning opportunities across the state! Let’s check out some of these great opportunities right here in Wisconsin. 

The post Find New Learning Opportunities in Sheboygan County appeared first on The Bobber.

Are you looking for some easy ways, big and small, to save more energy in honor of Earth Day? Our friends at Focus on Energy took us through many different approaches that homeowners, farmers, businesses, and educators can use to save on energy in every part of their lives! Let’s dive into tips for ways that you can either start or continue saving energy this year with Focus on Energy!

The post Wisconsin is Home to Earth Day…and Focus on Energy is Keeping Us Sustainable appeared first on The Bobber.

Camping season is right around the corner and Calumet County is the perfect place to head for your summer camping adventure! Whether you’re looking to stay along the shores of Lake Winnebago at Calumet County Park or right in one of the state’s most beloved parks at High Cliff State Park, there is a little something for everyone. Calumet County is home to beautiful outdoor adventures, delicious foodie stops (hence the Supper Club Capital of the Midwest), and more for families and individuals of all ages. So let’s hop into camping opportunities for everyone in Calumet County.

The post Top Camping Hotspots in Calumet County appeared first on The Bobber.

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Apple has announced an update to its subscription policy that's supposed to make auto-renews seamless but could also lead to surprise charges. Under the old policy, the tech giant will ask users to opt in before they're charged for a subscription that has recently raised its price. Going forward, however, it will allow developers to automatically charge higher prices, so long as they meet a set of conditions. Apple will notify users of the price increase in advance via email and push notification, but it's up to them to unsubscribe before they're charged.

In its announcement, the company said that developers can use the feature if they don't increase their price more than once a year. Further, the increase must not exceed $5 and 50 percent of the current subscription pricing, or $50 and 50 percent of the current annual subscription price. Presumably, that means users will automatically get charged $15 for a subscription that was formerly $10. However, they'll have to opt in for a $30 sub that used to cost just $20, because while that's 50 percent higher than the old price, the increase is also way higher than $5. 

Apple says users tend to miss prompts asking them to opt in for higher subscription prices, which interrupts their service. If so, they're also likely to miss notifications about price increases. Since developers can only use the feature if they don't change prices once a year, unscrupulous players at least can't take advantage of the system by frequently raising their prices by a couple of bucks or so. Still, people with tight budgets may want to check their emails every now and then to ensure they're not being charged higher prices than what hey can pay all of a sudden.

Billionaire Elon Musk is continuing to clash with Twitter over the accuracy of its bot count, and hinted today that he may try to renegotiate the $44 billion deal. Musk told attendees at a Miami conference that a deal at a lower price wasn’t “out of the question," reportedBloomberg. Musk's potential bid for a lower price is an unexpected twist, given that the SpaceX exec agreed to pay a 38 percent premium on Twitter when he reached a deal with the company's board back in April.

“Currently what I’m being told is that there’s just no way to know the number of bots,” Musk said at the conference. “It’s like, as unknowable as the human soul."

Musk's potential bid for a lower price is an unexpected twist, given that the SpaceX exec agreed to pay a 38 percent premium on Twitter when he reached a deal with the company's board back in April. 

Last Friday, Musk had announced that a buyout of Twitter was “temporarily on hold” due to concerns that the number of bots on the platform was much higher than the company estimated. The billionaire tweeted that his team would do an independent analysis on bot count and also tried to crowdsource bot estimates from his own followers. Musk was later reprimanded by Twitter’s legal team for revealing — in a tweet, of course — the company's methodology for estimating the proportion of bot accounts across the platform.

Earlier today, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal explained in a series of tweets that external estimates of bots are likely wrong, since the platform includes private data in its count.

“Unfortunately, we don’t believe that this specific estimation can be performed externally, given the critical need to use both public and private information (which we can’t share),” tweeted Agrawal.

Musk responded to Agrawal’s explanation with a series of his own tweets, one that included a single poop emoji. Musk also suggested that Twitter verify whether users are human or not by calling them on the phone.

Tesla expert Dan Ives — an analyst at financial advisory firm Wedbush Securities — put the chances of Musk going through with the deal at under 50 percent. If Musk chooses to walk away, he’ll be subject to a $1 billion “kill fee”. But according to legal experts who spoke to The Washington Post, Twitter could sue Musk for the financial damages inflicted on the company due to the hasty reversal of the deal.

Tesla's long-delayed Semi just took an important step toward becoming a practical reality. As CNETreports, the automaker has started taking reservations for its electric big rig. You'll need to place a $20,000 deposit ($15,000 of it by wire transfer), and Tesla still hasn't narrowed down the launch beyond the expected 2023 production window. Still, this is notable when early commitments have largely been limited to bulk orders from the likes of PepsiCo and Walmart.

The Semi was unveiled in 2017 alongside the second-generation Roadster. The machine was meant to up-end conventional trucking with a maximum 500-mile range, fast "Megacharger" top-ups and a 20-second 0-60MPH time at a loaded weight of 80,000lbs. It's still expected to start at $150,000, making it potentially viable for companies that want inter-city haulers without the usual fuel costs or environmental impact.

As with the new Roadster, though, the launch didn't go according to plan. Tesla has delayed the Semi multiple times, most recently to grapple with chip shortages and limited production capacity for the necessary 4680 battery cells. Reservations at this stage are less about imminent delivery and more about locking in future income, just as Cybertruck deposits (estimated at 1.3 million as of November 2021) helped Tesla secure billions in revenue whenever the pickup arrives.

Still, Tesla might not be too worried about the wait. Rival Nikola is only just ramping up production of its electric semi-truck, and established brands like Freightliner haven't found runaway success with their EVs. The Semi will still enter a relatively young field with both name recognition and technology as advantages.

Peloton has struggled financially in recent months, but it shared a bit of good news on Monday. It announced a settlement agreement with iFit, one of the companies it sued last fall for attempting to “free ride” off of its technology. At the time, Peloton accused its rival of violating up to four of its patents related to on-demand classes.

As part of the settlement, iFit will remove some leaderboard features from its devices. Peloton, meanwhile, has agreed to license a handful of patents from iFit that involve the company’s remote control technologies. The two firms did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. “The parties are pleased to put the litigations behind them,” Peloton said.

While we will probably never know the factors that led to iFit’s decision to settle, the company probably had the fate of Flywheel in mind. Just before the start of the pandemic, Flywheel announced it would shut down its online classes after losing a patent lawsuit to Peloton. In the aftermath of that announcement, Peloton began a promotion for Flywheel customers where they could trade in their bikes for a refurbished Peloton bike at no cost. At the same time, there are examples of companies successfully challenging Peloton. At the start of the year, Echelon convinced the US Patent and Trademark Office that Peloton shouldn’t have been granted two patents related to its streaming technologies.

Apple is quickly acting on its promise to deliver some useful upgrades before WWDC. The company has released iOS 15.5 and its iPadOS 15.5 counterpart with improvements to both Apple Cash and (as mentioned earlier) Podcasts. Cash users can now send and receive money from their card, while Podcasts users can have the app automatically limit episode storage based on criteria like the number of shows or time since release.

A corresponding macOS 12.4 update adds the relevant Podcasts features. You can also grab a previously teased firmware fix for the Studio Display's mediocre webcam quality. Apple has also released watchOS 8.6, tvOS 15.5 and HomePod 15.5 updates, although those focus on bug fixes and performance rather than any significant features.

The iOS, iPadOS and macOS updates aren't huge, but that's not surprising. Apple has historically wound down significant upgrades to its current operating systems around this time of year. The focus now is likely on iOS 16 and other big revisions likely to arrive in the fall.

In addition to their latest tracks and playlists, musicians can use Spotify’s artist profile pages to promote merchandise and concert dates. Soon, they may be able to use those pages to promote NFTs as well. As first reported by Music Ally, Spotify has begun testing NFT galleries. The feature is available to a select group of US users on Android and includes Web3 enthusiasts like Steve Aoki.

If you have access to the test, you can view the galleries by visiting one of the included artist pages and scrolling past the song list. Tapping on an NFT allows you to see a larger version of it, in addition to a short description. Per The Verge, a “See More” option redirects you to the NFT’s OpenSea listing page where you can purchase the token. According to Music Ally, Spotify isn’t collecting a commission on sales it helps facilitate during the test.

“Spotify is running a test in which it will help a small group of artists promote their existing third-party NFT offerings via their artist profiles,” Spotify told the outlet. “We routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve artist and fan experiences. Some of those tests end up paving the way for a broader experience and others serve only as an important learning.”

We’ve reached out to Spotify for more information.

The test comes as other major platforms like Instagram incorporate their own NFT features even as the market cools down. Citing data from NonFungible, The Wall Street Journal recently found that daily NFT sales are down 92 percent from their peak in September. The number of active wallets is also down by about 88 percent. 

It's been over a year since Mediatonic confirmed Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout was coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch. After somedelays, the wait is almost over. The ridiculously fun battle royale platformer is coming to those platforms, as well as Epic Games Store, on June 21st. A dedicated PlayStation 5 version is on the way too. Full cross-play and cross-progression will be available across all platforms as well.

What's more, Fall Guys is going free-to-play. Epic pulled a similar move with Rocket League after snatching up Psyonix. Existing players on PlayStation and Steam will receive a legacy pack, which includes three costumes and some other bonuses. Newcomers who pre-register can claim some swag as well. 

It's not a huge shock that Fall Guys is coming to the Epic Games Store — Epic bought Mediatonic parent Tonic Games Group last year. Users have needed an Epic account to play Fall Guys since November, when cross-progression was added.

A new season will also get underway on June 21st. Mediatonic is resetting the counter and calling it Season 1: Free For All. It will be the first seasonal update since November and, as ever, there will be new levels and more cosmetics.

For the first time, there will be a premium (i.e. paid) season pass with 100 tiers and extra cosmetic items. Those who receive the legacy pass will get free access to the premium season pass for season one. A free season pass will still be available with other items to unlock. 

Crowns will no longer be used for currency to buy items in the store. The crown rank feature will be boosted with more rewards. Unspent crowns will be converted into Kudos. There will be another in-game currency called Show-Bucks, which can be used to buy the premium season pass. Costumes that are on the way include Ezio from the Assassin's Creed series, along with Mecha Godzilla and Mothra.

There's one more big update on the way: a level creator. This was announced as being "under construction" and, while it won't be arriving any time soon, it's an exciting feature to look forward to.

The game debuted on PS4 and Steam in August 2020 and was an instant hit, racking up millions of players on PC in just a few days and becoming the most-claimed game in the history of PlayStation Plus at the time. It seems player numbers have dropped quite a ways since the early days — having increasingly lengthy seasons likely hasn't helped. However, the arrival of Fall Guys on more platforms, the free-to-play shift and a new season should all bring new and lapsed players into the fold.

Cadillac has released more details about the vehicle and its features ahead of online orders reopening for its highly-anticipated Lyriq EV on May 19th. The crossover will start at $62,990 and just $2,000 more for its 4WD variant. What's more, Cadillac is sweetening the deal by including either two years of unlimited public charging through EV Go or up to a $1,500 credit for a home charging unit through QMerit.

Orders will open for both the RWD and AWD versions at the end of this week. Customers will have two additional exterior paint options — Opulent Blue Metallic and Crystal White Tricoat — to choose from that happens. Customers should expect the RWD models to arrive first — it's coming this fall after the summer production run of the Lyriq Debut Edition concludes. The AWD models should hit dealerships by early next year. Cadillac also unveiled the EPA-rated mileage of 312 miles for the RWD Lyric (no official word yet on the AWD version but assume it to be a bit lower). 

The company also announced on Monday that it is partnering with both charging station network EV Go and home charging system installers, QMerit, to help reticent buyers overcome their range anxiety through the judicious application of cash. Lyric shoppers will have their pick of two included charging options: two years of unlimited charging sessions at EV Go's 850-plus stations or they'll receive up to a $1,500 rebate for the installation of a Level 2 AC home charging unit. Opting for the public charging option will be faster (with a 190kW max rate on a Level 3 DC charger, the Lyric will add 76 miles of range in about 10 minutes) while the home charging method won't require you to hang around a parking lot for 45 minutes while the Lyric's batteries refill.  

Apple is giving Podcasts a useful boost, both for listeners and podcasters. As TechCrunchexplains, the impending iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5 and macOS 12.4 upgrades will finally give you a host of advanced tools to limit podcast storage across your devices. You can tell the Podcasts app to only download a certain number of recent episodes, those within a set timeframe (such as a week or month) or only new episodes. You can also disable downloads entirely — helpful if you're using a small-capacity iPhone and need every gigabyte you can get.

Apple

The new OS upgrades will also give you the option of yearly subscriptions for paid podcasts. You'll alsoget to browse shows by season and filter episodes by their status.

You may see more podcasts, too. Apple has unveiled plans for a "Delegated Delivery" feature that lets creators send both free and paid shows to Podcasts through third-party providers like Acast, Libsyn and Omny Studio. The move should make it much easier for producers to distribute their shows across platforms — they could make a series available through Podcasts, Spotify and other big platforms while managing content in one place.

Delegated Delivery will be available sometime this fall, and will be free whether or not creators are part of the Apple Podcasters Program. They'll only need to join that program to publish paid material. The initiative is effectively Apple's response to Spotify's Anchor, and should increase the odds that your favorite show is available through your listening app of choice.

Uber continues to show that it has grand ambitions that go far beyond the ride-sharing service that it first became known for. At the company's second annual, product-focused Go/Get event, Uber announced a host of new features focused primarily on expanding its offerings in both the travel and delivery categories. 

Travel may sound obvious, given Uber's background, but probably the most notable new offering is simply called Uber Travel; its focus is helping you get around when you're not in your home city. It's an integration with Gmail that can pull details out of your inbox like hotel, flight and restaurant reservations and group it together in the Uber app. The point, of course, is that you can then schedule rides for each of these events, and Uber will give 10 percent back in Uber Cash when you do. Uber Travel goes live today in the US and will be available in Canada within a few weeks.

Uber

Of course, you may be understandably wary about linking your Gmail account to Uber. I asked the company about what protections they have in place, and a spokesperson note that integrations with Gmail all have to undergo a security assessment and also get a letter of verification from a third party that Google chooses. Uber was verified through this process, and the company also has to follow the data privacy requirements found in Google’s API Services User Data Policy.

Another rather unconventional new service is called Uber Charter. This lets you reserve large vehicles directly through Uber — think things like party buses, coaches, passenger vans and so forth. It's not clear how far in advance you'll need to book these things, but the benefit is that you'll see up-front pricing for whatever sort of vehicle you need. Uber says this is coming to "select cities" starting this summer.

Uber

Uber definitely has larger gatherings on its mind with that new features, and Uber Vouchers could be similarly helpful for weddings and other events. Let's say you want to make it easier for your guests to get to an event. Uber Vouchers lets you fill in event details like the location, set a maximum amount that you will pay. Once that's set, you can share a code with your guests and their rides will be paid for out of the pool of money you put aside for those trips. Uber's been doing this for businesses already, but now anyone can use the voucher system.

A number of other announcements Uber is making focus on its delivery services. Earlier today, the company made an announcement that it was launching two different autonomous delivery pilots in Los Angeles, one with autonomous vehicle company Motional and the second with Serve, which will do deliveries with autonomous robots (the Serve robot is pictured above).

The other new delivery features aren't quite as big a deal, but they'll actually be available to people not in LA. For starters, Uber Eats will soon support voice ordering with the Google Assistant. As you might expect, you simply say "Hey Google" and then ask your phone to order by asking for specific items from specific merchants. This will only work on Android for starters, but hopefully Uber Eats users with iPhones will get this feature as well (or something similar with Siri). Google Assistant integration is rolling out this summer, at which point I imagine we'll get more specifics on exactly how it works. 

Uber Eats will also soon be available in a handful of sports arenas and stadiums, as well. Obviously, you won't have drivers bringing food to the venue — instead, you can place an order from the arena's eateries and go pick it up at your convenience. You can skip the line and go straight to pick-up once your order is ready, and Uber says it'll work with food, beer, merchandise and more. This new program is initially rolling out at Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium in LA, Yankee Stadium in New York, the Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC, Minute Maid Park in Houston, PayPal Park in San Jose, and internationally at Roazhon Park in Rennes, France. 

Uber

Finally, Uber has a few new features specifically focused on electric vehicles. Uber Green has let you request a ride from a hybrid or electric vehicle for a while now, but the new "Comfort Electric" option specifically lets you request a ride in a "premium EV" (think a Tesla or Polestar). This is available for starters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Dubai.

Meanwhile, Uber drivers using EVs will get some new tools to help make their lives easier. There's a charging map built into the Uber app for drivers that shows the nearest EV chargers, their charging speeds and navigation to get there — this should make it easier for drivers to top up their cars during a shift. This is part of a new EV Hub in the app that gives drivers info and incentives on switching to an EV when the time comes. Among the details it includes is a cost of ownership estimate for an EV versus a gas-powered vehicle. The car-buying market is a bit wild right now, and it might take years before you start to see cost savings if you just buy a new EV to replace a functional gas vehicle, but drivers who might be thinking about a new vehicle may be able to find some useful tools here.

All this news comes shortly after Uber announced its quarterly earnings, a report that showed the company was bouncing back from the pandemic better than its rival Lyft. That's at least in some part thanks to the relative diversity of Uber's offerings — indeed, Uber Eats played a huge role in keeping business up as traditional rides tanked in 2020. While none of today's announcements on their own will likely make a huge impact on the company's business, it does help paint a picture for how Uber sees itself growing in the future.

 Hey gang,

Water levels are higher than they have been most of the summer, and water temps are in the mid to high 70's.

Panfish continues to be the hot bite in the area. Crappie and bluegill continue to bite along weedlines or suspended out over deep water, as well as in mid-depth weeds. 10-12 FOW along the weeds and 12-18 Feet Down over 25-45 FOW. Plastics tipped with live bait, tail hooked minnows and leafworms fished vertically or with slip bobbers will produce, although panfish leeches (if you can find them) will put the best fish in the boat. Early evenings until just after sunset have been best, as is typical for this time of year.

Largemouth continue to run late summer patterns. On the hot sunny days, look for them around docks or slop, or out deep in 12-15 FOW. On the cooler cloudy days, look for active fish in sand/rock or rock/weed transitions in 4-8 feet. Topwater bite will be good, especially early in the morning, but grubs, jig worms and texas rigs can keep you on a steady bit all day. Schooling fish roaming the flats are for numbers, but if you're looking for something larger, find those weed edges along the drops on the points. You'll have to work for them out there, but they are there.

Smallmouth fishing has picked up the last ten days as fish are starting to put on the fall feedbag. Look for them around the edges of the shallow structure like rock bars or sand/rock transition areas. The fish will be deeper than you think they should be in most cases, but almost always on the edges/transition lines. Jigworms, grubs, minnowbaits and small white crankbaits can be dynamite. If you find fish up shallower (say 5-8 FOW) I've been catching a bunch on smaller flukes rigged like a banjo minnow or on the Berkley Max Scent Minnows fished like a Ned rig on a mushroom head jig.

Pike fishing has been slow, but steady. Lots of undersized fish are being caught in the shallow and mid-depth areas. I'd consider moving out deeper and using live bait on a slip sinker rig, trying to connect with active fish in 18-22 or 22-25 feet of water. Spinners, both R Bend or inline, as well as rattletraps or buzzbaits can catch the shallow fish, but small (walleye suckers or the biggest shiners you can get) for the deeper fish.

Walleye fishing has been entirely inconsistent lately. On windy days, they bit great much less so on days with limited or North or East winds. People still fishing at night are reporting some success off the deeper sand flat areas, but a few decent fish are being caught out of the shallow weeds very early in the morning using rapalas or similar minnow baits.

Musky are getting more active, but anglers are still reporting lots of lazy follows. That will change as the cooler nights start bringing down the water temps. For now, keep your presentation on the smaller side. Gliders, bulldogs and cow-girls have all produced limited action in the past week.

Final note: I have enjoyed sharing these reports with you the last several years.

Good Luck Out There,
CT

 Everyone,

I just wanted to thank you for following this blog for the many years it has been up. 

I'm no longer guiding professionally, and my real life as a professor keeps me busy enough that I don't have time or remember to post reports in a timely fashion.

As such, I'm going to be closing down the site very soon. If you want, grab the content for the last several years. There's mountains of information buried in these reports...lots of seasonal trends and approaches that could help you down the road.

The Blog will remain active through the Labor Day Weekend, when I'll publish my final fishing report...and then we're moving on to other fishing holes.

I appreciated the support you provided, was amused at how often I'd hear from people who we're looking for a report that I hadn't put up, and have enjoyed the knowledge and tips we've shared together.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Chris Terry

Hey gang, 

I think the unstable weather, low water and the intense fishing pressure has the fish in a bit of a funk right now. You can still catch them, but you're going to have to slow down, get precise with your presentations, and recognize that it is the middle of August.

Everyone,

First off: Reminder, The Okauchee Tie up is this weekend. You might want to find another location for fishing this weekend.

Second: Apologies for being slow around here...I simply haven't been fishing (around the area) as much as normal. Between the heat and teaching summer school, it has been a busy month. My fishing time has been primarily with my kids for panfish or up north.

Experience tells me as we move into August to look for fish in the usual summer places, but watch for them to have periods of time where they feed actively. The changes in the photocycle and the length of day will become evident to the fish, and you can expect to see activity levels peak and ebb during each day. If the hot, muggy weather is finally behind us, things are set to get great. Hopefully water levels will stabilize and we can get back to business.

I can say, with some direct knowledge that Bluegills are still holding in deeper water, and will continue to do so for a couple of weeks. Look for them to suspend along weedlines in 12-22 feet of water, or to suspend over deeper sand-grass about 14-18 feet down over 40-50 feet of water. Water levels are way down around the area, and some of the better spots for shallow panfish are dry or close to it. If you're looking for some action panfish for the kids, swim platforms or docks that have deeper water under them are your best bets. 

Largemouth will continue to come in using two primary patterns in the short term. On sunny days, you can find them around shallow docks, wood laydowns, slop and scattered weed clumps.  As the sun gets up, look for them to move tighter to overhead cover, but here will be periods of time during the day where their activity level will increase for a short spell. Be ready to switch tactics as they switch on and off, especially around transition areas and over flats where the topwater bite can really be fantastic until mid morning. Deeper fish will continue to use weed edges and points in 12-15 feet of water, or be suspended over deep water about 6-12 feet below the surface. Some fish are relating to rockbars in 5-12 feet of water. Tube baits and grubs are a great way to target these fish. Wacky rigging and flipping are great for shallow fish. Out deep...texas rig, swim jig or swim baits are your best options outside of live bait on a slip sinker rig.

Smallmouth are starting to move toward the early fall pattern of making 3-5 foraging moves each day. When you are contacting active fish in shallow water, the bite can be incredible. Topwaters, including size 9 or 11 rapalas, rattletraps/lipless cranks or poppers in natural patterns can get you started, but be ready to switch to tubes, wacky, skirted grubs or twister tails as the day progresses. When things are slower, look for them to be just off the first major break in deeper water. Crankbaits in white or chartreuse, spinners or live bait are better for the deeper fish.

Northern pike activity has been slow and steady all summer, and I wouldn't expect that to change. Smaller pike can almost always be found in shallow water around weed clumps and inside weededges adjacent to rock bars/shorelines. Spinners, buzzbaits, spoons, jerkbaits or lipless crankbaist are solid choices for action. Larger pike can be taken trolling cranbkaits or slowly backtrolling live bait along deeper weed edges, especially in 12-20 feet of water. Note that the edge that's usually in 15-18 FOW is closer to 12' on many lakes this season.

Musky reports have slowed down over the past couple of weeks, but I suspect that has as much to do with the weather as anything. For the next run, start to look for them along visible weed breaks as well as over sumberged weedy flats in 8-12 feet of water. This is the early run, and you should look for some  topwater or large bucktail action, or in deeper water suspended around baitfish which is perfect for a trolling bite. Action will pick up considerably in the weeks ahead.


Good Luck and Cheers.
CT

 Hey gang,

 Hey gang,

 It is the annual Free Fishing Weekend, around the state. Here's an update on the last week.

 Hey gang, 

As we approach the holiday weekend and the traditional kick-off for summer boating season, you should be ready to adapt on the fly while out for the next couple of days. Overall, water temps are in the low 70's in mainlake areas and to low to mid 70's in the shallower protected areas. Current is at a minimum and after a stretch of sunny weather weed growth is about normal for this time of the season. A few Mayfly hatches have started.

 Conditions: Right now most lakes are in the low to mid 60's...but you may find some areas where the water is substantially warmer. Weed growth is still behind, but is starting to catch up. Water remains low on most lakes, and even after the rain we had this week, current flows are way down.

Hey gang,

The weather is finally stabilizing, and things are starting to happen. Should be a great week to 10 days on the water, but as things settle in, be ready to adapt on the fly. Fishing will be consistent day to day, but you may need to adapt to changing conditions by altering your presentations.

Water temperatures vary greatly between main lake areas (in the mid 50's) and protected bays (in the low to mid 60's) on most area lakes.Weed growth is way behind normal again this year, which means if you find some good weeds, fish them, especially if they are near a rock or sand transition...or on the end of mainlake points.

"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."

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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