Call it the “lake-to-table” movement. A new study in the journal Fisheries looked at the fish-harvesting habits of the million-plus anglers who annually fish Wisconsin lakes. What they found is that, armed with little more than a rod and reel, Wisconsin anglers are really good at bringing home the bacon – or, rather, fillet. Federal …
MADISON – Human beings are familiar with the idea of extreme events. Meteorologists keep us up to date on hurricanes, floods and high temperatures. Economists watch the stock market for signs of crashes or rallies. We spend a lot of time trying to better predict these events, yet are often surprised when they occur. But, …
We’re taking a look back at some of the CFL’s most popular blog posts from 2016. Here’s one originally published on back in 2015 about what life is like under the ice – considering Lake Mendota still hasn’t frozen, maybe this one will be better in 2017? Happy New Year! [Originally posted Jan. 30, 2015] …
Happy Fish Fry Day! Enjoy this post from the Long Term Ecological Research Network. by Terra Alpaugh Between 2013 and 2015, Andrew Rypel traveled the state of Wisconsin attending public meetings led by state and local fisheries staff— always with a set of graphs in hand. These graphs showed the steady decline in the size …
This summer, Anna Krieg, an undergraduate at Arizona State University, will spend a few months in a much wetter habitat as the CFL’s summer outreach intern at our Trout Lake Station. Enjoy her Notes from the Northwoods: by Anna Krieg – Just as the sun is setting over the trees at Trout Lake Station, Martin, …
We’re swamped here at the CFL, so apologies for the slow posting. Today, though, we’ve dug up a classic post on one of the aquatic rites of spring – the crazy sex life of bluegill. I know, I know, bluegill aren’t exactly a rare species. In fact, they’re often the first fish kids learn to …
While we’ve been spared (so far) by any sort of climate shenanigans like a polar vortex this winter, our lakes have had a nice thick cover of ice on for a month or more. And lots of people send in variations of the question – what’s life like for a fish under the ice? Well, the …
Happy Fish Fry Day! Restaurants around Wisconsin are warming up the deep fryers for our weekly feast and we’re putting fish on the menu here at the blog. Today’s special is an all-you-can-eat buffet of ichthyological goodness, thanks to an awesome new (and free) app for your smartphone, “Wisconsin Fish” From trophy muskies to the …
Louis Agassiz was an early prominent ichthyologist (someone who studies fish) at Harvard in the mid-1800s. When one of his graduate students, Samuel Scudder, showed up for his first day, Agassiz told him to take a preserved fish specimen and look at it – then left for several hours. Scudder ended up sitting and looking …
Happy Fish Fry Day! Here in Wisconsin, we’re putting cod, perch, and walleye on the menu and, here at the blog, we’ve got fun facts about native fish. Today’s special: bluegill, three ways. Bluegill aren’t exactly a rare species. In fact, they’re often the first fish kids learn to catch and, as any avid fisherman …