The “open” sign flashed brightly for the state of Wisconsin’s annual fishing opener last Saturday, and now it is Minnesota’s turn.

We think things are shaping up to be a good one. Despite an early ice-out this spring, water temps have been able to stay on the cooler side. A mix of cool days, as well as off-and-on recent rain showers, have kept water temperatures from spiking. That is good news for anglers because that should make for a longer-than-usual bite timeline. Still, this is fishing, and any avid angler knows you can be humbled.

With that said, let’s all be optimistic and hope for the best fishing opener ever. As of now, the weather looks to be decent, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for that. For the Wisconsin opener, we had to fish in the cold rain, which wasn’t ideal.

Let’s dig into the next big holiday we call the great Minnesota fishing opener:

Lake Superior anglers have had on and off days depending on what Mother Nature has provided. We can report that boat marinas are filling up with vessels, and boat traffic is picking up a tad. From Ashland to the North Shore, we will start to see more and more big water boats out trolling. Best fishing continues to be trolling shallow running stick baits in a few different colors that can change daily.

This week, it sounds like bright orange was best for getting some coho bites. Fish locations are not as concentrated as we were seeing a month ago, but that is typical as many spring rituals are in motion. We are just coming off a pretty decent smelt haul, and humans were not the only ones harvesting some tasty morsels. Best depths targeted for coho have been in and around the 80–120-foot areas, but similar to changing bait colors, these can vary often too.

For the charter captains about to take to the waters, have a great season, and we look forward to hearing what’s happening out there.

Stream fishing continues to be going decent for some anglers. The streams from Two Harbors up the North Shore are seeing a few good fish being caught. Fan-casting fly rods with float indicators over fly lures continue to get a few bites. Water levels have risen, and flow is going pretty decent at this time. We expect to see some canoe and kayakers taking to the streams as we move farther into May.

The St. Louis River Estuary will be one of the busiest places for walleye anglers for the next several weeks. We expect to see many anglers launching boats throughout the system. Water temperatures, as mentioned, are still on the cooler side, hovering around the 50-degree mark, which should be good. The big girls should be heading back toward Lake Superior, but as usual, some lucky anglers will have a hook-up with these big, beautiful fish.

Please make the right decision on harvesting. I have often heard people say old walleyes can’t reproduce, and that is absolutely inaccurate. And, I promise, if you take a fish out of the water, it will 100% have no chance to reproduce. Keeping a few fish is OK, just make sure to know the rules, and please, please only keep fish of the juvenile type — say under 18 inches.

For success on the lower river and harbor, I would look toward the channel edges and work a slow bait. Crankbaits can be ideal, but spring fishing is usually better suited with live bait rigs. Lindy rigs, spinner rigs, dead sticks, or one of my favorites, “corking” (bobber fishing), will all be good tactics. Your fishing electronics will certainly show a bunch of fish, but not all will be active. Once a big group of boats with several baits start infiltrating fish schools, they can turn off pretty fast. The point is, don’t be afraid to find areas of the river with less traffic.

On to the inland lake fishing bite. Let’s start with Wisconsin, as we have been on somewhat of a bite to start the season. Fishing started slow on opening weekend but has picked up a little since. Water temperatures are just over 50 degrees in many areas we have been fishing. Walleyes have seemed to be better morning, and later evening biters for whatever reason. Usually, during the early part of May, we can get them pretty consistently throughout the day, but not this year as yet. Pike have been easy picking working weed edges around the 10-foot depths. Some beefy fish can be tackled this time of year, so if the walleye bite is a little “off,” don’t be afraid to cast out some stick baits or spinner baits toward shorelines.

For panfish enthusiasts, we are just getting rolling on some nice crappie bites near deeper breaks. Wind-blown shorelines, cork and split shot, with a crappie minnow, is a good recipe for some crappie fishing. The sunfish will be going in the shallow, warm water soft bottom areas. Using a bobber and a worm chunk is a good bet.

For Minnesota opening morning, if you are looking for walleyes, don’t overlook the big flats near substrate transition areas. Rock to sand is hard to beat. We look forward to hearing of some success from all of you. Man, is it great to be back to fishing! Everyone have a safe and enjoyable week, and we will most definitely see you on the water.

Jarrid Houston of South Range is a fishing guide ( houstonsguideservice.com ) on Minnesota and Wisconsin inland waters, the St. Louis River and, in winter, on Lake Superior.

by Ashley Hagenow

At the recent Alice in Dairyland Finals, I shared how much I love music. Music has been a constant theme throughout my whole life, and certainly in the role of serving as Wisconsin’s 76th Alice in Dairyland.

Whether I was greeted in the morning with an upbeat tune or used a song to help me fall asleep at night, music was always there, from the very early mornings through the late nights. On my long drives across Wisconsin, I have blasted my favorite songs as I sing along to the lyrics. Sometimes, music was there to provide some background noise or the beat for a little dance break. Music has felt like a constant companion throughout my Alice journey and has certainly provided inspiration to me as I proudly represented Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry this past year.

Telling a story

One of the things I love most about music is that it tells a story. Music tells a story just like Alice in Dairyland tells a story wherever she goes. The different parts of a song are like the different parts of a speech or key message that I’ve shared with audiences across Wisconsin, whether highlighting the economic impact of Wisconsin agriculture, all the opportunities available through careers in agriculture, or personal stories from my experiences in the agriculture industry.

Halei Heinzel named 77th Alice in Dairyland

The similarities between music and Alice in Dairyland are numerous. Throughout this incredible experience of serving as Wisconsin’s 76th Alice in Dairyland, here are some of my favorite “songs” I have sung while promoting Wisconsin agriculture.

My journey as the 76th Alice in Dairyland began on July 5. Last summer brought many opportunities to share my key messages across Wisconsin, whether at Farm Technology Days, the Wisconsin State Fair or many of the county fairs in our state. These events were also the opportunity to introduce myself as Alice to consumers across Wisconsin and beyond, just like the intro in a song.

Some memories include riding the 10-horse hitch of Meyer Farms at Farm Tech Days and engaging with our Alice in Dairyland partners for the first time, the cream puff eating contest at the Wisconsin State Fair, visiting my home county fair in Columbia County to host the Sale of Champions, and my first official trip to Door County to visit Washington Island and learn what makes Door County agriculture so diverse and special.

A great journey

Moving into the fall, the adventures of promoting Wisconsin agriculture continued, and my playlist of songs diversified. My top memories include engaging with fourth grade classrooms across the state to promote Wisconsin agriculture and specialty crops in our great state, walking the colored shavings at World Dairy Expo to deliver the Supreme Champion envelope, touring Alsum Farms and Produce to learn more about potatoes and pumpkins, witnessing my first Wisconsin cranberry harvest thanks to Amber Bristow, and traveling internationally with the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin to highlight Wisconsin ginseng and agriculture across the world.

Progressing into the holiday season and the first few months of the new year added new verses to the song of serving as Alice in Dairyland. The annual Holiday Campaign provided memories promoting our Something Special From Wisconsin members and products while making new connections with media outlets across the state. Attending events such as the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Convention and Corn and Soy Expo allowed me to reconnect with many familiar faces in Wisconsin. As a very involved FFA member growing up, I enjoyed sharing memories on social media during National FFA Week in February and how those experiences as an FFA member have shaped my personal and professional journeys in life.

As I prepare for the “outro” of my year serving as Alice in Dairyland, I have made some great recent memories while preparing for what is ahead in the next few months. Coordinating our Wisconsin Cheese Campaign with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin yielded outcomes such as a national media engagement with RFD-TV and Wisconsin cheese samplings across our great state. We also have been developing our very first supper club campaign with the theme of “Eat Local, Eat Wisconsin With Alice in Dairyland.”

I am so excited to conclude my year as the 76th Alice in Dairyland promoting Wisconsin dairy and our state’s dairy farming families during National Dairy Month in June. I can think of no better way to celebrate this incredible year than through enjoying plenty of Wisconsin dairy products and countless adventures across our state. In just a few short months, I will be passing the microphone (and the keys to Tassie, my flex-fuel Ford Explorer vehicle through the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board) to Wisconsin’s 77th Alice in Dairyland, as she begins an incredible year of promoting Wisconsin agriculture on July 8.

These are just some of the memories and experiences that I will cherish, and they truly demonstrate how something like Alice in Dairyland can bring an entire state together. Everyone is excited to “hear the music” when it comes to Wisconsin agriculture, and it has been the honor of a lifetime to represent this industry for the past year. Thank you all for being a part of this journey!

Hagenow is the 76th Alice in Dairyland.

Wisconsin Democrats plan to spend $7 million on television ads in five state Senate races they believe are key to regaining control of the chamber.

The State Senate Democratic Committee said Wednesday that the buy will target races in Milwaukee’s northern suburbs, the rural areas north of Madison, the Fox Cities, Green Bay and La Crosse.

Republicans currently hold a 22-10 supermajority in the 33-seat Senate, but Democrats hope new district boundaries Gov. Tony Evers signed in February will help them chip away at the GOP advantage.

WISCONSIN LAWMAKERS VOTE TO AUDIT STATE DEI INITIATIVES

Sixteen Senate seats are up in November, including eight currently held by Republicans and four open seats. Four Democrats are not up for re-election this cycle; that means Democrats need to win 13 seats in November to gain the majority. In a sign of how the new maps have energized the party, Democrats have put up a candidate in every Senate race on the ballot for the first time in more than 20 years.

Democrats plan to run ads in the 8th Senate District, which includes Milwaukee’s conservative leaning northern suburbs. The new maps pulled Republican Sen. Duey Stroebel out of his old district and put him in the 8th, where he’ll face Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin.

Ads are also on tap in the redrawn 14th District, which covers parts of Columbia, Marquette, Green Lake and Waupaca counties. Democrat Sarah Keyeski is running against GOP incumbent Joan Ballweg there.

The committee also will target the 18th District, which now runs from Appleton south to Oshkosh along Lake Winnebago’s western shore. The seat is open, with Democrats Kristin Alfheim and Joseph Carmen and Republicans Anthony Phillips and Blong Yang are all running.

Ads are slated for the 30th District as well. That district covers the western shore of the bay of Green Bay, from the city of Green Bay north to Marinette. The seat is open. Democrat Jamie Wall and Republican Jim Rafter are running for it.

The last district in the committee’s ad buy is the 32nd in western Wisconsin, where Republican Stacey Klein is looking to unseat Democratic incumbent Brad Pfaff.

Andrew Whitley, the State Senate Democratic Committee’s executive director, said the committee picked those districts because President Joe Biden and Gov. Tony Evers won them in 2020 and 2022, respectively, suggesting Democratic legislative candidates stand a good chance of success in them. The ads will be tailored to the issues in each district and will begin airing after Wisconsin’s Aug. 13 primary, he said.

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A spokesperson for Senate Republican Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu didn’t immediately respond to an email.