Babe Winkelman Productions

Waterfowl Mistakes From countless early mornings, sleepless nights, and endless preparation, it all comes down to that moment you raise, pulling that trigger at the birds cupped over your decoys that make it all worth being a waterfowler. From die-hards to beginners...

Fall Muskies As summer turns to fall, leaves begin to change, days get shorter, evenings get cooler, which in turn sends many of us to the field in hopes of tagging a deer or having cupped wings in our faces. Although many of us have put one of the greatest we...

Babe WInkelman's Golf against MS Babe Winkelman’s Golf against MS  For you folks out there that don’t know, my daughter Jasmine was diagnosed with MS in 2010. Having first hand experience with this disease, I know how it can affect a person’s daily life and well-being. In an attemp...

Fishing off the beaten path: The Oxbow If you’re one part fisherman, one part detective, and one part bushwacker, then this article is for you. Having those characteristics can put you on fish that few anglers will ever have the pleasure of battling.   Here’s a story that demonstrates w...

Fish where the fish are By Babe Winkelman There is a 100% chance you won’t catch a fish that isn’t there. Yet it’s amazing how much time anglers spend on spots that simply don’t have any finny-critters around. So, before you even think about what live bait or lure you’re going to use, or how...

Very, Very Venison Very, Very Venison. By Babe Winkelman Every time I knock down a deer with the .300 Win Mag or put an arrow right through the boiler room, one of the first thoughts that goes through my mind is the taste of grilled venison. After all these years, al...

Lindy Rigging Walleyes, Plain and Simple Lindy Rigging Walleyes, Plain and Simple By Babe Winkelman  If you’ve ever felt that “thump” when a big walleye has taken the bait… if you’ve ever seen your line spit out the spool on an open bail as a walleye makes a run… if you’ve ever leaned in ...

Babe and Alumacraft Join Forces!

Barnyard Bounty I know a wingshooter who once suffered from depression. When the grouse, pheasant, woodcock and duck seasons ended, my friend got the blues. His dog got the blues too. His wife, because her husband and dog were downers, suffered as well. The whole ho...

Little Tips For Bigger Fish Think about fishing trips that could have been great, but certain little things happened to prevent you from filling the limit or getting that giant trophy to bite. To make the most out of your time spent on the water, it’s important to pay attention...

Are Fish Smart? It’s been said that fish have a 3-second memory. Wrong! Many years ago I had a pet largemouth bass in an aquarium. He was my pal, as well as my teacher. I learned a lot about fish behavior from watching him, and he gave me a special respect for a fis...

Now We're Talking Turkey Alright, I’ll admit that the ideal picture of a hunting day involves crisp temperatures, leafless trees, maybe a bit of snow on the ground, Canada geese calling on their southward migration and a rutting whitetail bird-dogging a doe.   But for many...

2013 SHOT Show The 2013 SHOT show is this week and our team is here to see what's new within the shooting, hunting, and outdoor trade world.  This is the 35th year for the show and attendees come from all 50 states and over 100 countries around the world.  With dis...

Good night summer fishing. Good night summer fishing. By Babe Winkelman As the days get shorter and temperatures lower, it means two things: the end of summer fishing and the beginning of hunting season. Even though it might not be winter yet, it isn’t too early to at least ...

Get Rattled, by Babe Winkelman Get rattled. By Babe Winkelman As the booming, click-clack music of clashing antlers echoed through the quiet timber, I heard the telltale sound of crunching hoofs from across a brushy draw. My pulse immediately became palpable, and I reached for m...

Coyote Hunting Basics, Part 2 of 2. By Babe Winkelman Coyote Hunting Basics, Part 2 of 2. By Babe Winkelman In my last column I made a case for WHY you should go coyote hunting. In this piece, I’ll lay down the fundamentals of HOW you can go about your hunt. To recap a little bit, every hunt starts wi...

Spring panfish on the fly. By Babe Winkelman Spring panfish on the fly. By Babe Winkelman If you’re like me, then springtime for you means crappies and sunfish. I love finding them, catching them and eating them. My typical approach to spring panfish is with a spinning rod, 4-pound line, a sl...

2012 Chevrolet Dream Fishing Sweepstakes winners announced Congratulations to Dave Hyde of New York for winning the 2012 Chevy Siverado dream fishing sweepstakes!  Dave and a guest will be the receipients of a fishing trip of a lifetime to Gangler's North Seal River Lodge, some free Cabela's Guidewear, and a...

What to hunt in February? What to hunt in February? By Babe Winkelman Where I live in Minnesota, February is a rough month on a sportsman. The mid-winter ice fishing can be a bit slow. And although we’ve had it pretty darned good in 2012 weather wise, February in the north ...

Dial in lure retrieval for bass by Babe Winkelman Dial in lure retrieval for bass By Babe Winkelman   I’m sure everyone reading this has had this happen: you’re in a boat fishing with someone else and the other guys is killing the bass while you can’t buy a bite. So you switch to the exact same l...