Wakeboards and Skis and Tubes OH MY!

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

Schools are out and we can now say summer is truly here.  Congratulations to all of the graduating classes of 2014! Now is the time when everyone has the chance to join their own Redneck Yacht Club for some fishing, sand bar relaxation, and a little behind boat towing.  There are a number of great options to get out on the water for a bit of recreation while the summer is here. 

Waterskiing has its roots dating back to Minnesota’s own Lake Pepin in 1922 when Ralph Samuelson fashioned the first water skis using wood planks.  Now and days we've moved from wood to fiberglass, carbon fiber and polymers to keep you moving and grooving on the water.  The two types of skiing out there are combo skiing (more basic and easier to start with) and slalom skiing (more advanced single ski).  Combo skis offer bindings that fit a wide range of foot sizes and are built to get any skier up on the water no matter the skill level.  Combo skis also have a rear binding on one of the skis to help the skier learn to drop a ski as well as learn deep water slalom skiing starts.  By contrast, slalom skis are sold as a singular ski and are a more robust to handle faster boat speeds and more aggressive turning.  Speeds for skiing vary on skier preference.  The general range is 22-28 mph for combo skis and 26-36 mph for slalom.  The last thing you’ll need to get set up for a day on the water is a stretch line tow rope for skiing.  The standard tow ropes have high degree of bound and rebound to aid the skier turning and absorb the shock from the boat bouncing on the water.

Wakeboarding started sometime in the 1980’s as its winter counterpart snowboarding was gaining popularity.  Wakeboards have various designs from simple curved shapes for cruising behind a boat to aggressive shapes that will launch the boarder high in the air giving them time any combo of spins, grabs, or flips.  The three build types are known as rocker come as a continuous rocker for ease of use and forgiveness on the water, 3-stage rocker for aggressive turning and pop for spins and grabs, and finally, hybrid boards that blend continuous and 3-stage for better pop with some forgiveness.  Board bindings can vary from an aggressively supportive boot a 2 shoe size range to a softer sided recreational boot that has a range of 5 sizes or more.  Like waterskiing, wakeboarding speeds are based on user preference and are generally between 18-24 mph.  The towropes you’ll want to use are a low to no-stretch line with a wider handle then ski ropes.  The more a wakeboard rope is able to stretch, the more off center the boarder will be in the air making landings tough when you are going head first into the lake. 

Finally, if neither of the first two sports sounds like your cup of tea, strap a Towable to your boat and hit the water for a leisurely cruise or more likely, a game of ditch the rider.  Towables come in a variety of shapes and sizes for 1-4 riders.  The most common are deck tubes which are both comfortable to lie on and can be sized for you as well as a friend or two to join in on the fun.  From the classic deck style tube, you can get as creative as you want from tubes the throw a big rooster tail to tubes that with throw you all directions while the boat is going straight.  Tubes are built to be tough but will eventually succumb to the abuse it will likely go through.  Personally, I average 2 years before I puncture a bladder and need to replace my towable.

This is the time of year cabin fever no longer exists and everyone can get out for the weekend or holiday to enjoy the warm weather and Joe’s Sporting Goods has the tools to help you make the most of the warm weather while it’s here.  If you want to learn more, stop by the shop and ask us questions.  We've been there before and want to make sure you have as much fun as we do.

And until next time, GET OUTDOORS!

Panfish Recipe

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

School is ending which means summer is finally here.  It is this time of year a whole new generation of fishers get their first exposure to the open water.  Whether by boat, standing on a dock or even on the shoreline, it is up to us to teach the next generation the joys of fishing.  It was on a warm and sunny day like today I got my own first taste of preparing a night crawler, casting my line and waiting for dinner to hook on my line.  My Grandfather was the one who taught me when I was 5 years old at his lake place in Wisconsin.  When we grand-kids would visit, we would climb in to his 16' Lund with our favorite Zebco 202 (mine was Snoopy) and we'd cast off to find ourselves some Bluegill.  After we caught our limit, Grandpa would put one of us at the controls of the motor and we would putter our way back to the dock.  Once back in, Grandpa would head over to the small cleaning shack and have us watch him gut and clean what would become our dinner for the night.

Back at the cabin, Grandma would have the kitchen prepped to bread and bake our fish as well as get the veggies and other meal ingredients ready for an evening meal on their sun porch.  We kids would horse around for a while outside until the dinner bell rang and we rushed back to enjoy a well deserved meal.  Before us was the spread of mixed vegetables, homemade chips and of course, our prize, the fish we had caught ourselves earlier that day.  Those days are now long past, but this will always be a great memory for me and what launched me into the sport of fishing.

It is early exposure to sports like these that teach the next generation to enjoy the outdoor activities that we love. If fishing is an area that you don't have too much experience in, there are great guide services like Kids Go Fish to teach the younger groups how to enjoy a day on the water, either to catch and release or bring home supper.  Speaking of supper, here is the simple recipe my Grandmother used to to cook up our catch for the day:

Cereal Crusted Panfish

2 lbs of fish fillets
3 cups of crushed Rice Krispies
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Rinse, and pat fish fillets dry. Set aside.

2. Place Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal in shallow bowl. Stir in salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Melt and pour butter into a second shallow bowl. Dip fish fillets in butter then coat with cereal mixture. Place a single layer of filets in shallow baking pan coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake fillets at 375° F for about 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork. When cooking, leave the fish alone until done. Internal temperature needs to be 145° for food safety.

If you would like us to give out more wild game
recipes, give us a comment below and let us know what kinds of game you'd like to get ideas for.

And until next time, GET OUTDOORS!





* After scouring through family recipe's, I could not find my Grandma's fish filet recipe in time so I borrowed the closest published recipe our friends at Kellogg's.  It is the same process and same ingredients I remember from all those years ago.

Introduction to Shotgun League Shooting

Trap Field at Metro Gun Club

By Kevin Lunzer

Firearms/Hunting - Lead Sales Associate

When you purchase a new shotgun the next stop you make is often a local gun club for some target shooting on the trap or skeet fields. Many gun clubs are open to public shooting, offering sportsmen or women the ability to stay on their game and practice for the next hunting season.

Skeet Field at Metro Gun Club

Trap shooting has become so popular in recent years that many clubs have added Women’s Leagues and Youth Leagues. Youth trap shooting has also expanded to the High School level.  Currently there are over 200 high schools offering trap shooting at a varsity or club level.  In June 2014 Joe’s Sporting Goods signed up as a sponsor for the Minnesota State High School Trap Shooting Championship in Alexandria, Minnesota. This is a 5 day event with approximately 4,000 registered shooters and 10,000 total attendees. The High School Championship is split into shooting classes allowing students to shoot against others at the same competitive level. Many organizations support youth events with prizes, awards, and scholarships.

Sporting Clays in Hugo, MN

           After shooting a little and getting familiar with your new gun, you may consider getting a few friends together and signing up for a league.  Shotgun Leagues run throughout the year and can include various shooting disciplines. You can choose to shoot trap, skeet, 5-stand, sporting clays or a combination of these and other types of shooting.  The gear needed to get started is minimal.  In addition to your shotgun you will need eye and ear protection which is required at shooting ranges.  While it is not a necessity a good vest or pouch to carry ammunition is also a great accessory to have.  League shooting is a great way for all levels of shooters to stay active and improve their accuracy.  Leagues run 10 to 20 weeks in length and participants normally shoot an average of 1 round per week. The first few weeks of shooting are used to establish the shooter’s “handicap.” The handicap levels the field for all shooters and in some cases; you will outscore the better shooters on your team as your shooting improves. Depending on the size of your league the club may split into 2 divisions. The teams with the best overall scores will be placed in an “A” division and the remaining teams will be in a “B” division. This is just another way to keep it competitive and give everyone the best opportunity to have fun shooting with others.

Browning Eye & Ear Protection

Starting a team is a simple process; all it takes is one person to captain the team and a few other willing participants. Ask a few friends or coworkers if they’d like to join the team and select when and where you’d like to shoot.  Many local shooting ranges including Metro Gun Club in Blaine, MN offer a variety of leagues to choose from.  If you would like more information on league shooting, contact your local gun club or stop by the gun counter here at Joe’s. We will be happy to direct you to any of the public clubs and help get you started.

Camping Preparations

By Andrew Clarke

Summer/Winter Sports Sales Manager

Night Time at Crosby Manitou State Park, MN

Many campers had their first camping experience as part of the Boy/Girl Scouts of America.  Because these organizations introduce so many to camping, Joe's Sporting Goods offers 10% off retail to any scouts when gearing up for the next adventure. Whether it's a glorified “car” camping experience or two weeks backpacking in the back country of New Mexico, scouting has been working hard to keep camping a mainstay in our technological age.  One issue I see often when gearing people up for a trip is what gear to bring on a camp out.  Depending on if you are car camping for a weekend at a state park with your family or backpacking for a week in Isle Royale with a few friends, your gear list will vary on where you are going and what you are expecting to face on your journey.  Though there are a number of lists out there (we are no exception to that) to give you ideas on what kinds of camping gear to bring, there are a few truth's learned from my own days hoofing it on the hiking trails to make any camping experience a success.

Isle Royale, MI

One of the most important things to keep in mind is something I learned from my own Boy Scout days… Cotton Kills.  While cotton is a comfortable material at home, when it gets wet, it stays wet.  Cotton is hard to dry and cold when the sun sets.  This is where nylon, polyester, fleece, and other synthetic fibers come into play.  Any of these synthetic or blended soft goods dry quickly when wet, are lighter weight, and can still keep you insulated even when wet.  Wool is a perfect natural material with the same properties as fleece and other synthetic materials and has never let me down, even after falling in a river.

Base Camp, Philmont Scout Ranch, NM

Next, you will want to make sure that you bring only the things that you need.  Pack ahead of time and shake your gear down to make sure everything is working as it should so you don’t get surprised when you arrive at your camp site moments before a rainstorm hits.  Leave the tech toys at home.  It does not matter if you are going to the Superior Hiking Trail or even a drive-in site at William O’Brien; make sure that the things you bring will help you enjoy your time outside.  When you stop and enjoy the world around you, all of the problems you once faced melt away and you have a sort of freedom that otherwise would be lost to the electronics you play with at home every day.

Crosby Manitou Park, MN: preparing for a cool night

Finally, when you are all packed up and your trip has ended, Leave No Trace.  Police your camp site(s) one last time before taking off and ensure that you did not leave anything behind.  Even small things like a misplaced tent steak to a piece of Pop Tart wrapper from that morning’s breakfast need to be picked up.  The Leave No Trace's motto is “Take only pictures and leave only footprints.”  This motto is LNT's core principle and allows the next group (like you) to enjoy the land just as the people before you.

Deep in the forest at Philmont Scout Ranch, NM

There is a lot to take in when you go outside and rough it.  For a final bit of food for thought, the two things to make any trip a success is to prepare you and your gear and most importantly, have fun.  Some of the greatest memories you can make are those that are set apart from your norm. 

And until next time, GET OUTDOORS!