Good angling and good food go together

All too often, there appear to be members of our beloved angling community who focus more energy on lure selection, fish location, line choices, rod and reel selection, and the like.

I say there is an important element that should rank as high as the cranks and jigs.

Former guide and noted kitchen wizard Todd Berg helped open my eyes and mouth some years ago when we shared space and time on his boat. I was very fortunate as well to indulge myself with tasty morsels of food and drink he had prepared the night before our trip.

Those of us who revel in the joy of ice fishing (don't leave me yet) can usually put the important angling gear together in a matter of minutes, save for the fish-finder that has to be fully charged.

Aside from the wonderful, two-person Fish Trap shelter I use on the lakes, I also have a one-person Trap that I load into my vehicle when I know it's just going to be me on the frozen stuff. And because of Berg's insistence that having the "right stuff" with me when I'm out there, I now prepare on-ice meals that will keep me fueled and wide awake.

In past columns I have referred to Berg as the "Angling Gourmet," all because this guy has gone to great lengths to ensure his taste buds never lack for want. When he talks about food, he always seems to be drooling. His famous egg salad sandwiches and freshly cut vegetables bathed in herbs and concoctions of secret ingredients are widely known around the local fishing scene.

Taking Berg's cue, I experimented with a few dishes of my own design last year and am ready to duplicate those efforts again as soon as I head for the frozen wastelands.

I am a meatloaf fan and will make four or five good-sized baked specials and then freeze them. I'll do the same with hamburgers. Comes ice fishing time, I'll bring several cold sandwiches wrapped in rye or pumpernickel and chips all packed in a small cooler.

When it comes to hot food, in my opinion, nothing beats homemade chicken soup with thick noodles. I generally prepare a 12-quart pot of my soup, freeze it in smaller containers, and then bring some of it along into the shanty.

Cold shrimp and crab salad with little cocktail rye breads is another favorite, as well as Berg's recipe for egg salad. And then there's the treat of all treats: deer venison sausage provided by Mike Seeling.

Night fishing for crappie and walleye has become a real passion for me, especially on a local lake noted for bigger, winter time fish. When I know I'll be out there during the dark hours, the food I bring along is as important as the fuel for the tent heater.

I realize that some folks are more concerned about finding and catching enough fish to provide them with a decent meal. I look at that a little differently, reversed if you will. I'd rather start with an outstanding, on-ice meal right out of the gate and then worry about dropping the ice jig into the depths.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Survey says: The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has been conducted every five years since 1955, and the 2006 survey is out now.

The 2006 Survey shows that 87.5 million U.S. residents 16 years and older participated in wildlife-related recreation, a 6 percent increase from 2001. The number of hunters and anglers fell from 37.8 million in 2001 to 33.9 million in 2006. The most recent survey also showed an eight percent increase in the number of wildlife-watchers since 2001, but little change in total expenditures for that activity.

Those of us who write about fishing and hunting already suspected our numbers were down -- now the big task is how to bring those lost souls back in to the fold?

Fishing report: Cold or not, this is an outstanding time to be on the water chasing the great fall angling bite.

Fox Chain: Excellent walleye action on the following lakes: Petite, Fox, Marie, and Channel. Trollers having better success than stationary fishermen.

Fox River: There's been an upswing of action regarding smallmouth bass right in downtown Elgin. Walleye activity is strong near the Route 176 bridge.

Illinois River: The old reliable Peru Flats is slowly coming alive with decent sauger and a few walleye showing up on jig dropper and crankbait drop-back double rigs.

Lake Michigan: A few perch have been taken from Government Pier at Waukegan while signs of returning perch schools are showing up near 95th street.