sausageheavenoutdoors Enjoy making homemade sausage, Tasty way's to BBQ, smoking meats and poultry. See how northern Minnesota was settled and the life early homesteader's lived their lives and more!!

BEER CAN BURGERS

This is becoming my favorite way to make a burger. I don’t need any tomato slices or lettuce for toppings here. Everything I want is in the burger!! Check out how I make this burger in the Smokin Hot Page!!

STRONG STEELHEAD RUN

Steelhead anglers on Minnesota’s North Shore enjoyed some banner steelhead fishing days this spring. Returns of spawning steelhead to the DNR’s Knife River fish trap indicate it was a record year for wild steelhead returns since the trap began operating in 1996. As of last week, 680 steelhead had passed through the trap this spring. Although some total steelhead runs in recent years were higher, those runs included some hatchery-reared steelhead.

This year’s steelhead run also set a single-day record on April 18, when 157 steelhead were trapped and tagged, said Cory Goldsworrthy, Minnesota DNR, Lake Superior area fisheries supervisor. Despite low water early, conditions were right for a good run, Goldsworthy said. “We have water this year,” he said. “Last year at this time, there was still a bunch of ice on the lake. This year, we had a warm up with the snowmelt. This will be quite a spectacular year for steelhead numbers at the Knife River trap.” With the recent rain, there will be more steelhead coming.

Tough Kamloops Season

Returns of Kamloops rainbow trout, a hatchery reared strain, to the French River trap were up this spring but still below the long term average, DNR officials said. As of last week, a total of 731 Kamloops rainbows had returned to the French River trap, up from 437 in 2014. The long term average is 884. While those returns were encouraging, anglers still found it tough to catch Kamloops rainbows this spring. While Kamloops fishing was less productive than anglers liked, they enjoyed very good coho salmon fishing offshore in March. DNR fisheries crews trap Kamloops rainbows at the French River trap each spring, take eggs from females and use them to rear fish for the following year’s stocking. For the full story read Sam Cook’s article in the Duluth News Tribune’s article in the Sport’s page May 17, 2015.

TIME FOR PULLED PORK

Time for a lot of things on the grill or the smoker for sure. Pulled pork is something I love eat so I make it all year long, but spring through fall is when I make it the most. I just made some the other day. Made up some Reinhard’s Caught A Buzz Sauce and some Asian slaw to go along with that tasty smoked butt. Check out the Smokin Hot page for the step by step and give it a try. Great for family events and a true crowd pleaser.

LOW WATERS

Boaters eager to hit newly thawed lakes and rivers across Minnesota should know that low water conditions at public water access sites may make boat launching more challenging this spring. Low water levels continue to create access problems at many launch ramps, and significant ice damage is still being repaired at some locations.

The DNR and local governments maintain a system of 1,500 public water access sites throughout the state. Since the ice went out, DNR crews have been working to inspect and repair launch ramps, and put the docks in at the DNR-maintained public water access sites- but they haven’t reached all of them yet. This work will be accomplished statewide over the next few weeks and hopefully completed by the May 9 fishing opener.

Winter weather is always a challenge for Minnesota’s public water access sites. As lake ice expands and pushes against the shore during the winter months, it can push and buckle the concrete plank structures like an accordion. This phenomenon, called ” ice jacking,” often leaves the boat ramp unusable.

Suggestions for early spring boat launching include:

Check the ramp for broken planks, and ensure the gravel is firm.

Have hip boots or waders available in case you need to enter the water to help guide the boat and trailer, especially where docks are not yet available.

Lower the motor only after you are sure there is enough clearance.

Watch for free-floating obstructions in the water.

For more information about DNR-maintained public water access sites, or to report damage, visit http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/water_access.