Lake Winnebago has been plagued with large weed patches, some big enough to support the weight of waterfowl and gulls. The perch bite has picked up recently, with hellgrammites being the favored bait, especially early in the morning. The heat and humidity have limited lots of fishermen to early morning trips.

A possible world record brown trout was taken by Roger Hellen of Franksville from Lake Michigan on July 16. The 41-pound, eight-ounce monster tops the previous state record that was 36.5 pounds taken back in 2004.

Canada geese continue to be a problem both in the state and around the country. Wisconsin's goose nuisance controls include three methods. Culling remains controversial. The young-of-the year (goslings) have not been suitable for food pantries, so they have been taken by a mink ranch in northern Wisconsin.

Shooting permits, similar to deer damage permits, are new this year. According to DNR reports, 52 farms statewide have taken advantage of this program.

Permits for nesting destruction are also an option. Over the past three years, approximately 100 permits have been issued.

While hazing wildlife is illegal, the law does not apply to Canada geese. Air cannons and border collies are popular methods used to move the waterfowl from golf courses, playgrounds and parks.

Government officials in New York have plans to eliminate two-thirds of the Canada geese that frequent the state. The plan is to trim 85,000 geese from the birds estimated population of 250,000.

New York City feel the city's current population is about five times as big as it should be. The plan was developed after a US Airways jet was disabled by Canada geese back in 2009. Last year roughly 1,200 geese were trapped and exterminated.

Authorities would like to see 17 other states on the eastern seaboard cut their populations by half. Currently, there are an estimated one million Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway and officials would like to see that that number closer to 650,000.

Ironically, experts believe that many of the birds are descendants of geese stocked by wildlife agencies and hunting clubs years ago.

The National Shooing Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced its opposition to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) to ban the use of traditional lead-core ammunition used by the vast majority of the country's hunters.

The petition suggests that the use of traditional ammo poses a danger to wildlife, in particular raptors and bald eagles, that feed on entrails or unrecovered game left in the field. NSSF responded by saying there is no scientific evidence to support that accusation and cited the fact that breeding pairs of bald eagles in the U.S. have increased 724% from 1981 to 2006.

CBD is the same outfit that recently asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a plan to introduce gray wolves across the country. Basically, the group is asking for the reintroduction of wolves to areas where they not have existed in decades.

CBD is so far outside of the mainstream that it is laughable. Unfortunately, the elite media loves these types of extremist organizations and gives them more credibility than they deserve. Most of the members live far away from the predators that could adversely impact them.

Aug. 24 is the deadline for transferring a class A (kill) bear license to a legal hunter under 18 years of age. There is no fee for the transfer of a permit. Last year, 431 class A permits were transferred to young hunters. If you have a question, call the DNR at 1-888-936-7463.

The Quinney Fishing Club is sponsoring its 3rd Annual Drum (sheepshead) Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 14. The entrance fee is $20 per boat/team and fishing is limited to the Lake Winnebago System. A nice extra is that a theater ticket will be given out for every pound of fish registered. If you have questions, call 920-418-3444 or 920-795-4095.

Until next time, keep your hooks sharp, your feet warm and your powder dry!

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