Wild Things: Sturgeon Bay Guide Just Misses 300K Payday

Adam Rasmussen reacting to his placement in the Bassmaster Classic. Screenshot from the March 25 live weigh-in.

Sturgeon Bay fishing guide and professional angler Adam Rasmussen hooked a $50,000 payday last weekend, landing second place in the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Fishing on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, Rasmussen’s three-day total on 15 largemouth bass – five were allowed daily – was 55 pounds, four ounces, nearly five pounds ahead of the third-place finisher in the field of 56 pros.

Alabama pro Justin Hamner led wire-to-wire and finished with 58 pounds, 3 ounces, earning the top prize of $300,000.

Widely known as the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, the Bassmaster Classic lured top bass anglers from more than 20 states as well as Canada, Japan and Australia. Anglers had to earn a spot in the event. Rasmussen qualified by winning his first Bassmaster Open event on Wheeler Lake in Alabama last year, netting a $51,567 payday. 

Check out a gallery of photos and see what baits were working best at bassmaster.com/tournament/2024-bassmaster-classic/.

Finally, Some Rain

Heavy, wet snow last weekend and plenty of rain earlier this week came at just the right time for anglers hoping to cash in on the silver rush.

Water levels rose enough to lure spawn-minded rainbow trout (steelhead) and suckers into Lake Michigan tributaries, including smaller creeks that had been too low for fish to feel comfortable entering.

The long-term forecast is calling for highs in the 40s and lows in the 30s over the next week to 10 days, with only occasional chances for light rain. More rain would help the lakeside creeks have a decent April run, and replenish wetlands for ducks, frogs and many other species of wildlife.

Meanwhile, a few small boat trollers have tackled an occasional steelie or lake trout in the Lake Michigan shallows, but browns are far more common catches. 

A pair of trout-fishing contests are coming up: the Blue Door Brown Trout Derby, April 13, and the Baileys Harbor Brown Trout Tournament, April 18-21. Learn more at facebook.com/BaileysHarborBrownTrout/ and facebook.com/Bluedoortournamentseries/.

On the Green Bay side of the peninsula, anglers are catching some walleyes and northern pike casting or trolling. Any bass, muskies or perch caught must be immediately released. 

Don’t forget – new fishing licenses are needed by April 1. You can purchase licenses and stamps via the state’s Go Wild site (gowild.wi.gov/) or in-person at any business that sells them. A map of all locations is available online at experience.arcgis.com.

Bird Day Celebration

Algoma’s annual World Migratory Bird Day Celebration will be held Saturday, April 27, 9 am – 2 pm at Algoma High School. 

Organized by the Bird City Algoma Committee, the event supports Algoma’s ongoing efforts as one of the “Bird City Wisconsin” communities. 

There will be educational presentations, displays, vendors, door prizes and food from 11-12:30 pm from the Steel Belly BBQ truck. Admission is free. 

One of the programs, “Winged Wonders,” will be presented by wildlife educators Samantha Brooks and Cinna Smallwood of the Raptor Education Group. They’ll have several of Wisconsin’s common yet seldom-seen birds along, and talk about the importance of conserving them.

John Walch, an award-winning nature photographer, will offer another presentation, showing images that capture the beauty and diversity of birds in his session, “Birds and Bugs.”

Another presentation, “Tracking, Travel and Habitat,” will feature a panel discussion led by Jacob Woulf of the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory. Woulf will talk about the Neighborhood Habitat Improvement Project, and explain how the Motus monitoring system recently installed at Algoma High School – and several places in Door County – tracks migratory birds. Walch and his wife, Gurmit, will share highlights from their recent bird travel adventures. 

Learn more at facebook.com/Algoma2012 and birdcityalgoma.com. For questions, email [email protected].

Plant and Yard Survey

Property owners in the Algoma and Kewaunee County area can get a free gift (including native plant seeds, trees, or an upcycled bird feeder) from the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory – a group dedicated to advancing the conservation of birds through coordinated research, monitoring, and education – for completing a plant and yard survey.

The Observatory is looking to get at least 100 completed surveys from the Algoma area. The results will assist the group in planning programming and workshops.

Thanks to grant funding received by the Observatory, Cathy Pabich of Friends of Crescent Beach said Algoma will be getting 100 native trees for Peterson Park, and 1,000 native plant plugs for Crescent Beach.

You can access the survey at link lmbo.questionpro.com/lkmi24. Personal information needs to be included in the survey response only if the survey taker wishes to receive a free gift or additional information. Otherwise, the response is anonymous.

Though the gifts are free, an optional small donation at checkout would further the Observatory’s important work, including the Neighborhood Habitat Improvement Project. Learn more at lmbo.org/our-work/nhip.