Prez./CEO

Davis J. Hennes, LLC

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As I had my own reflection time this evening, I enjoyed watching two sets of a doe and fawn grazing in a open field to the east of our home. The does coats were definitely converting to the dark brown fall hide from the reddish/orange summer hide. Although the fawns were still holding on to that summer coat.

The trail cam picture came courtesy of my bro-in-law, Aaron….a couple of weeks ago….Go get him buddy with your bow!

Prez. @ Davis J. Hennes, LLC

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We had (100) of our Rags in the paws of members in The North American Hunting Club for a portion of last and this year. Through that time we attended outdoor shows in the State of MN and NV hoping to hear someone come up to us and tell us they are Field Testing a Rag. Although we didn’t and the waiting was at times nerve racking, The Rod and Rifle Rag has officially been tested and recommended by members of The North American Hunting Club. Get out and get a copy of the North American Hunter magazine, the Rag is featured in the August 2012 issue. Kudos to all who Field Tested and recommended The Rod and Rifle Rag to other anglers and hunters….

Steven D. Lust – Prez./CEO – Davis J. Hennes, LLC

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I may be overly critical, but the outdoors and the great men and women who challenged it hold a place in my heart. These are the ones that knew the wood intimately and became a part of it. I used to pattern almost everything I did after them. I joined Boy Scouts so I could learn to set up a neat camp, start a fire with wet wood, cook a meal over a fire, sleep on the hard ground, and other wood lore. My father and older relatives taught my cousins, brothers and I the ways of ducks, deer, and other game animals with pride.

When I grew older the fun really began, for that was when us youngsters began trips on our own. Oh man, I remember the minor disasters, flooded out camps, burned meals, and frightening nights as large sounds came from the surrounding woods with nothing but a tent and sleeping bag to protect us from fangs and claws.

One fall a friend and I spent several days in the woods with nothing but two shotguns, shells, a frying pan, and two sleeping bags. Suddenly a missed shot became more than irritating, it meant growling stomachs. Thanks to some grouse, squirrels, and one rabbit we survived the trip. Although after many days with no sugar our first stop was at a Dairy Queen where we each spent about $10.00.

It seemed like no one I knew could afford a motor or much of a boat. We were all destined to spend our lives paddling canoes every time we fished or decided to see some new country. There were times when I looked down a long stretch of river or found white caps seething across a lake and vowed never to get in a canoe again. To pick me up I’d dream I was with Lewis and Clark on the Missouri or Daniel Duluth as he explored Lake Superiorand the romance would return.

One outdoor writer that truly earned his stripes was George Washington Sears, better known by an Indian pen name, Nessmunk. He lived in the late 1800′s and was perhaps the last true outdoor educator. As a boy he ran the woods and lakes near his home inMassachusettsand was befriended by an Indian that taught him the way of the woods. Later, Nessmunk spent countless nights sleeping on a browse bed under the stars. He taught camp lore and how to live in the wilderness with nothing more than an oil cloth and a double-bitted ax.

A great outdoors man of our time was Minnesota writer, Sigurd Olson. This remarkable man knew the woods on a personal basis like no other man I know of. Fortunately this man left his legacy in a series of books. We can all enjoy the read and feel what he felt, as he canoed the lakes and river of northern Minnesota along with other wilderness areas.

After reading of these outdoors men of the past, along with my own experiences, I can’t help but snicker at those who obtain a metal-flaked boat or laptop and suddenly become a “professional outdoors man.” I do not intend to aggrandize myself because I have had a metal-flaked boat of my own with enough modern electronics to track a satellite. But I love the wilderness for what I have learned from it, not what I can take from it. There is a huge difference!






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Live bait has been the standard way to catch fish for decades, probably millenniums. I’m sure if someone were to investigate, artifacts and carbon dating will reveal the earliest hunters and gatherers threaded a worm on some sort of hook. And do you know what? We really haven’t invented anything better since.

Currently in the age of spectacular advances in technology, the newest, most expensive fishing lures will not catch more fish than live bait – in the long run. There may be momentary times when synthetic lures seem to out perform live bait, but these are quite rare.

Think about it, very little about an artificial lure actually imitates the real thing. Crank baits may be shaped and wiggle like a minnow, and metal spoons may flash like something good to eat, but they still come far from tasting, smelling and truly looking like the genuine article.

Let’s examine one of Minnesota’s favorite fish – the crappie. These speckled delectable fish can be very aggressive in their feeding and will bite readily on a simple feathered or plastic jig. When crappies are really biting, adding a live minnow to a jig will still get you a few more bites. It’s just that taking the extra time to hook on a live minnow may seem like it’s cutting back on the number of strikes you get.

Now consider when these crappies are a little fussy – which seems to be more often the case. The number of strikes on a bare jig vs. one tipped with a minnow will be dramatic. With any specie, when the fish takes its time to look over your offering rather than strike at anything that moves, live bait will make a significant difference.

Another example is when I’ve taken trips a few trips to the western states to fish high altitude trout. The first time I was committed to fishing with dry flies and spinners. After a morning of fruitless follows by finicky rainbows I knew I had to change the presentation. I tore the feathers off from an expensive Royal Coachman and tied a No. 14 hook to my line. Then found grasshoppers in a nearby mountain meadow and hooked one on. I added a couple of split shots to the line and casted it out. Within 20 minutes I caught six trout for our meal!

This past summer I fished for cutthroat trout in Montana. Some snickered when I put a container of nightcrawlers in a side pouch of my pack. Those cutthroat have probably never viewed a nightcrawler before, but they gobbled them up as though they were candy. After harvesting enough trout for one meal, I continued fishing with only dry flies (which were great too) but the other guys went to the crawlers. They were dicing up the crawler remains into tiny pieces because spinners and artificial trout bait just wouldn’t catch fish.

I adhere to the standard that one should do whatever it legally takes to catch the most fish – as long as we’re responsible with what we catch and decide to release or harvest. Almost always, the best choice will be live bait!

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The Rod and Rifle Rag has been featured in the In-Fisherman magazine, June 2012 issue. In-Fisherman is the world’s foremost authority on freshwater fishing. The Rag is listed in the Staff Noteworthy & New, new and unique fishing stuff, section on page 16. Thanks TB!

Prez. @ Davis J. Hennes, LLC

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Along with the walleyes, and other fish, come the fishermen. Every good lake, stream and river is fished continually from opening to closing of the season. Is it any wonder the fishing can be tough?

Dealing with pressured walleyes is perhaps the biggest challenge angler’s face. There is one thing than can help you catch more walleyes, it’s to be flexible and experiment. Walleyes can get turned off to certain fishing methods. What was good two years ago may not be the best now.

One theory is walleyes get conditioned to certain techniques. Evidently they see too many of their buddies chomp down on a particular lure and slowly struggle away to the surface. Another theory is that certain walleyes are very vulnerable to a fishing technique, while others aren’t. Eventually most of the “easy” ones are caught until they are all gone.

Regardless of the reason, it does pay to try new presentations and lures. So many times a little change can mean the difference between getting skunked and a nice stringer of walleyes. Here are some things to experiment with that may work and help you catch more walleyes this year:

DOWNRIGGERS

Downriggers are trolling devices that allow you to troll a lure at a precise depth. They were made popular by salmon fishermen on theGreat Lakes, but I thought the idea would work for small lake fish as well. I first started using downriggers for trout in managed lakes years ago, and they worked great. So I tried them on walleyes and they worked equally well. Since then downriggers have become very popular up on The Lake of the Woods.

Walleyes that feed over reefs pose a problem for jig and live bait rig anglers, reason is that you almost have to have a tackle shop in the boat with you to keep up with the number of baits you lose due to snagging.  Although, a downrigger you can work a lure right over the rocks and appeal to any walleyes foraging over the reef.

Most astute walleye anglers are familiar with walleyes’ habit of holding in deep water during inactive periods and moving up on flats and bars during feeding periods. What better way to work a lure precisely over the bottom than with a well placed downrigger weight?

Downriggers permit you to closely troll the borders and inside turns in weed lines. Then because they keep your lures tracking straight behind the boat, downriggers work perfectly for trolling precisely around points and little irregularities in the break line. But one super way of using portable ‘riggers is to work individual fish you may see on your locator. Attach your line to the downrigger weight so the lure will run about twenty- or thirty- feet behind the ball. Then keep a sharp eye on your locator for any walleyes. When you spot a fish, quickly raise, or lower the ball so the lure will run right by the fish’s nose. The extra long distance that the lure is running behind the weight will give you the needed time to change the lure’s depth. You’d be surprised at how many times this little maneuver will result in a bucking rod tied to a bulldogging walleye.

WALLEYES IN WEEDS

Over the years it has become increasingly evident that a large portion of our walleyes live in weeds. That idea runs contrary to the belief that walleyes only inhabit deep water structures with rock and gravel bottoms. But walleyes do like weeds, and you can catch many of them by fishing along weed edges.

You may find walleyes using weeds more and more all the time. Consider that many of our lakes are being stocked with walleye fingerlings. These fish are raised in ponds until they are several inches long and then released into the lakes. The shallow ponds these fingerlings are raised in often have thick weed growths in them, and the small walleyes use the weeds for cover. So what is going to happen the minute the fingerlings are dumped in the lake? Likely they will head for the first sets of weeds they can see. Also, if there are plenty of forage minnows there, the walleyes may spend their entire lives in the weeds.

The trick to catching these walleyes is to find weeds like pondweed or coontail, they are near water at least ten feet deep. Walleyes will not usually be in weeds surrounded by expansive shallow water. Cast lures like jigs tipped with live bait, or even spinner baits, past the weed edge and let it settle down into the weeds. Retrieve the lure so it stays near the base of the weeds. If you feel it hang up on a weed, and you will, just snap it loose and continue reeling it in.

Another technique is to wait until dusk and “long line” troll a floating minnow bait over the weed beds. As darkness settles, big walleyes often move up to the weed tops to feed. Let out enough line so the lure just skims over the weed tops. It isn’t rare to let out up to 100 feet of line. Again, weeds adjacent to deep water will be more productive.

BE OPEN MINDED

A final idea to harvesting more walleyes is not a method, but a way of thinking. Never become dependent on one walleye fishing technique or area. I don’t know of one method or spot that continually produces walleyes, yet so many anglers rigidly stick to them. Keep up to date on new fishing techniques written up in magazines, newspapers and online or demonstrated on videos, TV and online. Pick up some of the new tackle demonstrated and keep it in your tackle box. After all, trying new ways to catch walleyes is part of the fun and can mean the difference between going fishless and being on the bragging board at the bait shop.

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Prez./CEO at Davis J. Hennes, LLC

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So it was getting dark out and he wanted to stay so we stayed over night. When we got ready for bed we put the rattle reels down. The second I got in the bunk one of the reels went down and fast. I got up and waited to let it stop and go again. I pulled on it and I hooked it, took me awhile cause it was deep and i was fighting really hard. When I got it up to the hole it looked like a walleye. I didn’t want to loose it so I reached down and grabbed it by the mouth. When I brought it in the fish house I found out that it was a EEL POUT. Really an eel pout, but it was a 8lb eel pout.

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Often I see anglers clustered together like bees in a hive. They’ll cut holes only a few feet from each other and have several lines dangling over a tiny part of an underwater island, reef, or weed bed. Why not spread out and cover more area? Each angler is allowed two lines, so as few as three people can use six lines to cover a fairly large area.  If someone continues to have more action, then you can cluster together over the hot spot.

Let’s say you are fishing an underwater point that drops from 10 feet to 30 feet. Use a vexilar, depth finder or weighted line to find any “stair steps” or flat spots, in the drop off.  Walleyes and other game fish use these flat spots to cruise along and feed. Also look for any inside turns or small points jutting out from the main structure. Areas where there are rocks mixed with weeds are also good. It is the structure that attracts the fish, but it is these little irregular spots that hold the fish.

Once you’ve found these high percentage spots put lines down on each one. If you can’t find evident irregularities in the drop off, place your lines so you cover all depths.  Now you are making the most of your fishing time and the fishing suddenly becomes twice as exciting.

Spreading out becomes much easier if you use tip ups; after all, that is what they were made for. First of all, tip ups usually have a flag-type bite indicator so you can see that you’ve gotten a hit from a distance away. Secondly, most tip ups are constructed so the line holding spool is suspended under water so it doesn’t matter if the hole freezes over, the tip up will still function.

A frequent fishing companion of mine uses another device that allows you to cover a large area. He cuts out the bottom of a plastic pail and attaches an arm that holds a line spool over the pail. The whole thing is placed over the hole. On the spool is a piece of highly visible red reflective tape. He uses a bobber to suspend the minnow over the bottom and turns the spool so the red tape is positioned up. When a fish hits, the spool will unwind. The red tape makes it easy to see the spool revolving from quite a distance. The only thing this outfit doesn’t do is keep your ice hole from icing over and the line from freezing in. It works very well in warmer weather.

Regardless of what you do, don’t limit your chances of catching fish. Cover as much area as you can in a systematic manner. Just keep it legal and catch more fish!

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The display of tiny lures ran from the floor to as high as I could reach and many feet to the right and left. Fishing with jigs, small teardrop rigs and jigging spoons are handy because you can carry all you’ll ever need in a single small tackle box.

Using artificials makes you more mobile. If you decide you’ve given one spot long enough, grab your rod, tackle box, auger, and leave. Not as much gear when compared to live bait fishing. Also, use clear monofilament line that is as light as you care to use. A good guide is 6-8 lb. test for walleye and northern, 2-4 lb. test for panfish.

If northerns and walleyes are your prey, you might want to use a jigging Rapala. This minnow- shaped jig is called a “side planing” lure because when you lower it, it swings way out to the side. This action allows you to cover a large area under the ice. This lure is usually just as effective, if not more, than live bait. The way to use it is to lower it down to the bottom and reel it up a few feet. Lift the lure quickly, and it will swing out in a wide arc. Let it settle for a few seconds and give it another lift. The fish will often hit it just as it is settling. If you get no action at one depth, lift it a few feet and keep on trying until you find the depth the fish are at.

Jigging spoons, like the Swedish Pimple are old stand bys. These lures have little action when you lift them upwards, but when you lower them they tumble with a fish attracting action. They work well alone, but you can tip them with a piece of cut minnow.

Airplane jigs are heavy lures with wings molded onto their sides, which makes the lure swing wider than even the jigging Rapala. These lures are well known among lake trout fanciers. A favorite trick of theirs is to tip the hooks with pieces of smelt or sucker meat.

Ice-flies and teardrops are mostly used by panfishermen. Teardrops get their name from the shape of their body, although many are round or disk-shaped. They are simply a painted lead body molded around a fine wire#8 to #12hook. Ice flies have a small lead body dressed with a little hair, rubber, or feathers. This dressing adds flash and gives the lure more motion when you jig it. Tear drops and ice flies catch plenty of fish by themselves, but it helps to add a tiny minnow or wax worm.

Using these artificial lures for ice fishing is not only more convenient  than conventional live bait fishing, but it is more exciting because you feel the strike, rather than just see a flag trip or the bobber sink. It turns ice fishing into a fishing system rather than just a hit-or-miss situation.

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We will be in attendance at the SHOT from January 19-20 as non-exhibiting manufacturers. During that time we will be meeting vendors, distributors/dealers, retailers, manufacturers, representatives, buyers and others involved in the outdoor sports world.

This is a very exciting time for us as a company, directly in contact with industry leaders in order to promote the Rod and Rifle Rag. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter during the show and see what we are up to….see you there!

Steven D. Lust, Prez./CEO, Davis J. Hennes, LLC

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The year of 2011 was one of planting seeds, experiencing the retail world of the hunting and fishing industry and growing together as a young company. We set the year off with a trip to the SHOT show in Las Vegas, then on to Pheasant Fest in Omaha, presented our first show booth at the MN Deer Classic in St. Paul and did our second show at the Northwest Sportshow in Minneapolis. During that journey we met many wonderful people in the industry and introduced our product to fellow hunters and anglers. We also received wonderful feedback, some constructive criticism, which led us to develop and release our General Rag, Fly Fishing Rag and Waterfowl Rag. Each of which have been researched and built to suit the hunter and angler in their specific outdoor activities.

We continue along a similar path of showings that we made in 2011 through 2012. The main difference is that in lieu of just attending Pheasant Fest we will be there as exhibitors in order to introduce our Upland Bird Hunting Rag. Also in 2012 will be the release of our Big Game Hunting Rag, to which we have had many requests for. We expect the seeds that we planted in 2011 to start to grow in 2012 and will plant many more along the way.

A heartfelt thanks to all the special people that have aided us along the way since we started this endeavor three years ago. A few I have to mention in particular are: Jeff Howard, Trent, Jon Frie, Karen, Kari, Ben Dorn, The Oldhams, The Hirsts, all our suppliers and manufacturers, my wife and daughters. We are constantly building the Rod and Rifle Rag community into something special with your aid and support.

To all hunters and anglers, have a safe and harvest filled 2012 and remember “The outdoors is about the adventure….don’t leave it behind!”

Steven D. Lust, President @ Davis J. Hennes, LLC

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“Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that the young bucks were distressed. I opened up my back gate and we helped the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my years fishing, I’ve never seen anything quite like it! Once onboard, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering.”

“This is a picture I took of the rescued bucks on the back of my boat, the Alaska Quest. We headed for Taku Harbour. Once we reached the dock, the first buck that we had pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say ‘thank you’ and disappeared into the forest. After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help.

My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck to its feet. We didn’t know how long they had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive. My daughter later told me that the experience was something that she would never forget, and I suspect the deer felt the same way as well!”

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