tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120980546340010602024-03-05T17:04:13.402-06:00Engbretson Underwater PhotographyUnderwater Images of Freshwater Game Fish in their Natural HabitatEric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-73174008597963447502023-03-19T11:00:00.003-05:002023-03-19T11:03:26.069-05:00Clearest Lakes in Wisconsin: The 2022 Report<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0LIZND7OyucJNfFusS6GgEOGaHYNx0qEM-yq2Pd9So_kaNs2gpbMpqWxlGBE9b1dvlCjUY1oCKjkkMUi9ltwOLMBAYpzkT3gmuxuvvlYJ893GmmD4JMNcKT57_F5dM_2tDCmesi9g6nV_L36ydipGGI_AIpGeCtSuZq9hYzCPNEqWk8sEWv9rYIrtw/s1200/Bluegill%20Group%20Engbretson%20Underwater%20Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1200" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0LIZND7OyucJNfFusS6GgEOGaHYNx0qEM-yq2Pd9So_kaNs2gpbMpqWxlGBE9b1dvlCjUY1oCKjkkMUi9ltwOLMBAYpzkT3gmuxuvvlYJ893GmmD4JMNcKT57_F5dM_2tDCmesi9g6nV_L36ydipGGI_AIpGeCtSuZq9hYzCPNEqWk8sEWv9rYIrtw/w400-h268/Bluegill%20Group%20Engbretson%20Underwater%20Photo.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p><span style="font-family: arial;">For the best underwater photography, finding clear water with high transparency is essential. So what are the clearest lakes in Wisconsin? Every year, I consult with Wisconsin's state-wide citizen's lake monitoring group. They're a network of individuals, usually lake-front property owners who monitor and regularly take a variety of water samples from lakes all across Wisconsin. The data they compile helps to give us a look at how our lakes are doing. <br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the many tasks lake monitors perform is to take regular secchi disc readings. This is a universal way of assessing and comparing water clarity. I'm always interested in knowing which Wisconsin inland lakes are the clearest so here are Wisconsin's clearest inland lakes and their highest single-day water clarity readings taken in 2022:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1) Lake Metonga, Forest Co.42 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>2) </span>Sand Lake, Burnett Co. 40 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3) Pine Lake, Waukesha Co. 39 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4) Maiden Lake, Oconto Co. 37 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">5) Lower Eau Claire Lake, Bayfield Co. 37 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">6) Delavan Lake, Walworth Co. 34 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">7) Thunder Lake, Marinette Co. 31 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">8) Wazee Lake, Jackson Co. 30 </span><span style="font-family: arial;">feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">9) Whitefish Lake, Douglas Co. 30 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>10) </span>Blue Lake, Oneida Co. 30 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>11) </span>Black Oak Lake, Vilas Co. 29 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>12) </span>White Lake, Marquette Co. 29 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">13) Archibald Lake, Oconto Co. 28 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">14) Crystal Lake, Marquette Co. 28 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">15) Stone Lake, Washburn Co. 26 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To see the list from 2021, <a href="http://underwaterfishphotos.blogspot.com/2022/03/what-are-clearest-lakes-in-wisconsin.html" target="_blank">click here</a></span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-53929151738888963192022-09-30T15:36:00.000-05:002022-09-30T15:36:01.108-05:00How Do Gamefish React to Fishing Lures<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSOj27yUPQbxIe77cg5H0eXGqngyBhtpVMJ4Dz3KknRjp3UXm7ErN0Y8fFnE7yn-TaIrG_eTbfJxlGLxw6p-pDtXeCRv-29DQr00ky4urEmLcRE8bjzzM53SnrrvC96ZdcSzO9kijJuDQ6myi3G2lc6k07uclZ44U1qYe4ITuZkUnTMKr30-5M_w0cUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="939" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSOj27yUPQbxIe77cg5H0eXGqngyBhtpVMJ4Dz3KknRjp3UXm7ErN0Y8fFnE7yn-TaIrG_eTbfJxlGLxw6p-pDtXeCRv-29DQr00ky4urEmLcRE8bjzzM53SnrrvC96ZdcSzO9kijJuDQ6myi3G2lc6k07uclZ44U1qYe4ITuZkUnTMKr30-5M_w0cUg=w400-h286" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">What do fish do when they see a shiny lure or bait? Do they strike immediately, or do they view it with suspicion? As a lifelong fisherman, <a href="https://www.thefishwatcher.com/about.html" target="_blank">Peter Sohnle</a>, of Milwaukee wanted to find out. He modified GoPro cameras into special housings which he attached to his fishing lines just a few feet from the lure and began trolling lakes in Wisconsin to see what he could learn about fish behavior. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">His website, <a href="https://www.thefishwatcher.com/" target="_blank">The Fish Watcher</a>, is a collection of fascinating underwater videos showing how fish relate to a variety of presentations. <a href="https://www.thefishwatcher.com/" target="_blank">Peter's website</a> also includes his own one-of-a-kind research findings in which he tries to quantify which species are the most curious, which ones eagerly follow and strike lures, and what depths and angles seem to be the most productive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I found his <a href="https://www.thefishwatcher.com/SUMMARY-CONCLUSIONS" target="_blank">research</a> and videos to be fascinating because they give us a glimpse into the underwater world of fishes and keenly identify many interesting observations. I'd also add that his work demonstrates how little we really understand about what motivates fish. After watching the videos, you'll undoubtedly find you have many questions about how to catch fish that you've never thought of. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Peter's continued research into this area will only become clearer as he collects more data. There's so much we're still learning about the behavior of our native freshwater fish, but Peter's investigation into how fish relate to lures is both interesting and informative.</span> </p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-55524141908744567812022-08-02T07:15:00.002-05:002022-08-02T07:31:02.833-05:00Michigan's Underwater Paradise<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxpjQ2BCQOkSQG5TJRsnDG0-F86y3FYw6fN0Q9JnNwweO2nitYrLRPqfIyuYyCbCBfUNeJ1ohqFHU6l0XoR9zAw2ZuoHFKjPDY2s5b0cnuY6PgXIIwtL157iGj-Rm-zH23bEEvriVifSu6lIOKcV6PRZb0AliA0E0FyUgy-Mi3BSwEv1mtqJQUG97gQ/s700/Ludington-State-Park-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="700" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxpjQ2BCQOkSQG5TJRsnDG0-F86y3FYw6fN0Q9JnNwweO2nitYrLRPqfIyuYyCbCBfUNeJ1ohqFHU6l0XoR9zAw2ZuoHFKjPDY2s5b0cnuY6PgXIIwtL157iGj-Rm-zH23bEEvriVifSu6lIOKcV6PRZb0AliA0E0FyUgy-Mi3BSwEv1mtqJQUG97gQ/w400-h161/Ludington-State-Park-3.jpg" title="Hamlin Lake at Ludington State Park, Michigan" width="400" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The following article appeared in the Ludington Daily News on 7/19/2022. </span></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ludington a snorkeling hotspot? Someday, group hopes</span></h1><p><span style="font-family: arial;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>By JUSTIN COOPER Daily News Staff Writer</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Could these waters one day be dotted with snorkelers? A small but international group aims to bring freshwater snorkeling into the mainstream, with a particular focus on the Ludington area. One member, Martin Ruiz, described snorkeling the Big Sable River, as "the most wonderful experience that you can have."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Ludington area has no shortage of outdoor activities to engage in. But someday, snorkeling could make its way onto that list.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A small but global group is imagining the city as an international destination for freshwater snorkeling, which they see as an untapped opportunity in outdoor recreation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s all in the very early stages, and some of those involved aren’t even sure if it will involve a formal organization, a physical location or simply a website.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But at the heart of it is a belief that peeking under the fresh waters of the world is an overlooked but rich way of connecting with nature.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“Anyone who’s ever been on vacation to Florida or Hawaii … they all (snorkel) on vacation, and they all have a good time,” said freshwater photographer Eric Engbretson.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“I think people just don’t realize that we have these opportunities right here in our local lakes. … We’d just like to see it become more mainstream.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Engbretson is part of the snorkeling enthusiast group trying to push its hobby — and Ludington’s opportunities for it — into the public eye.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Their plan could tack one more outdoor sport to the long list of them the Ludington area is known for.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But for them, it’s also a way of honoring a fellow freshwater explorer, whose favorite spot was right here in Ludington State Park.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The best place in the entire world’</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The glue binding the group together is their admiration for Nancy Washburne, a Michigan woman whose underwater films attracted an online community of like-minded snorkelers before her death in January this year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“She was so involved” in showing people “the incredible treasure that they have just below the surface of all these lakes and rivers all over the world,” said her husband, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/martin.ruiz.50746" target="_blank">Martin Ruiz</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In her 60s, Washburne spent three years snorkeling nearly 500 of Michigan’s inland lakes, traveling solo in what Ruiz called “a clunker.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Along the way, the former travel agent discovered Ludington was “the No. 1 location for snorkeling in Michigan, without any doubts — and No. 1 by far,” according to Ruiz.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“When she found the (Big) Sable River for the first time … she called me that night, and she said, you are not going to believe this. I just found the best place in the entire world,” Ruiz said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">He said the two of them returned to snorkel the river, which drains Hamlin Lake into Lake Michigan, for 15 consecutive summers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With shallow water, no boat traffic and “hundreds” of colorful fish schooling by the riverbanks, he said it’s “the most wonderful experience that you can have.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“It is nature at its best, and it’s always full of surprises,” he said, adding that “it’s very easy” and “free, basically.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s in honor of Washburne and her favorite snorkeling spot that her husband and followers have zeroed in on Ludington as the focal point of their efforts to promote the sport.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Once the group has its ideas firmed up, Ruiz hopes to get state agencies involved in advancing Michigan, and Ludington in particular, as the “headquarters for the global alliance of freshwater discovery.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The whole point is “to create an ecotourism industry,” he said, adding that just as Michigan draws snowmobilers in the wintertime, the Great Lakes could be a regional magnet for summertime snorkeling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“That represents millions of dollars when you start getting this at the level it should be,” he said.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Oh, it’s so cool’</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mary.larson.562" target="_blank">Mary Larson</a>, a “big” Washburne fan from Indiana, said she started out as a hiker who “didn’t even think to look underwater.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But she found inspiration in Washburne’s videos, and today, she is driven into freshwater by “a curiousness. I want to see what I can find, and once you actually do see the fish — oh, it’s so cool.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For her, snorkeling has “taken over” hiking, and she regularly shares on Facebook what she sees under the waves.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">She thinks it could do the same for anyone who “has that love for nature.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“If you love hiking and seeing what kind of birds you can see — what kind of deer, animals, turkeys, bugs — if you like that, then you’re probably going to love the fish, too,” Larson said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As for why freshwater snorkeling isn’t already big, “people don’t really understand what freshwater is all about,” said <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007216037538" target="_blank">Mark Barrow</a>, a Washburne fan in the United Kingdom who has been filming underwater for more than 30 years.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“They’re unsure of the species that live in (freshwater), and they tend to look at it as unimportant, even though they do rely on it,” he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s also partially because “the oceans always had Jacques Cousteau as an ambassador, and freshwater just doesn’t seem to have anyone,” he said — except, for some, Washburne.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Engbretson, who lives in Wisconsin, said freshwater bodies might fly under the radar because they’re “so close, and we drive by them everyday, (so) we just don’t think of them as being a destination” for snorkeling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“And, to be fair, a lot of them are Coca Cola-colored, or chocolate milk,” he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But he noted Michigan is “a special place for clear lakes." And those who look into their depths may find more than just fish and seaweed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In her “<a href="https://www.snorkelmichigan.com/" target="_blank">Snorkeling Guide to Michigan Inland Lakes</a>,” Washburne described snorkeling as “a great spiritual experience.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“Within seconds of parking the car and entering the lake, I can literally feel the tension oozing out through my fingertips,” she wrote.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">“One can come out of the water in a state of spiritual and mental healing.”</span></p><div><br /></div>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-68545448238808009842022-06-27T09:50:00.004-05:002022-06-27T09:50:58.036-05:00Overcoming Obstacles: Why Photographing Fish in Their Natural Habitat Isn't as Easy as it Looks<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqNmxZxcFzVNNFcIe4et_dn73HoSp8eyuQIF3nxAF8Ip-Cy6XHt4KK5H893bocLw1Y1EQCtb9AyyG3x5sEGuppvxgcyH2s7zmcIVjt0bwDfqudmoep0k6zKb_oKguQ85nX427Vt5ZrA7-i8es4x1jJfqJvLipo9O3ZUwoqWL0e_vKTEy0GDxjvZ8wcw/s1200/Largemouth%20Bass%20underwater%20Engbretson%20Underwater%20Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Largemouth Bass Underwater" border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1200" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqNmxZxcFzVNNFcIe4et_dn73HoSp8eyuQIF3nxAF8Ip-Cy6XHt4KK5H893bocLw1Y1EQCtb9AyyG3x5sEGuppvxgcyH2s7zmcIVjt0bwDfqudmoep0k6zKb_oKguQ85nX427Vt5ZrA7-i8es4x1jJfqJvLipo9O3ZUwoqWL0e_vKTEy0GDxjvZ8wcw/w400-h270/Largemouth%20Bass%20underwater%20Engbretson%20Underwater%20Photo.JPG" title="Underwater Image of Largemouth Bass" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Largemouth Bass (c)Engbretson Underwater Photography</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm often asked what
the biggest challenge is in taking underwater fish
pictures. There are quite a few obstacles and many things
that have to be right to be able to get a good picture.
First, the water has to be clear, which is actually a
greater challenge than you might think. Freshwater lakes
are typically pretty crummy so finding lakes that have the
necessary clarity is an ongoing process. I usually won't
even look at a lake if the clarity isn't at least 18
feet. Water clarity can change from week to week and
season to season too, so even though I have my favorite
lakes, they’re not always clear enough to work in.
Everything starts with water clarity and if you don’t have
that, nothing else matters. It’s always a challenge to
find clear water.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once I find a clear lake, I have to find fish. Next, I
have to find fish of desirable size. This is easier said
than done too. It's always a problem especially these
days when it seems like there’s fewer and fewer really
nice fish available. If I do find a lake that’s clear and
it does have a few good fish, another challenge is getting
close enough to photograph them. I like to be 2 or 3 feet
away. Any further and I won’t take a picture at all.
Fish often times have a problem with a diver being that
close, so it requires patience to even get close enough to
think about composing a picture. But once I have clear
water, good fish, and get close enough to photograph them,
I still have to make the shot. So even if everything else
is right, sometimes I blow it all on the final step
because I was moving, or the composition is bad or I
forgot to turn on the strobe, etc.….</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br class="" /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A lot goes wrong. Sometimes I feel like it’s truly a
miracle to get any good pictures at all because so many
things that I can’t control have to be right all at the
same time. But as I always say, "If it were easy, everyone
would be doing this".</span></p><p></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-90460105574869800152022-04-30T07:43:00.002-05:002022-04-30T07:43:41.035-05:00Photographing Walleyes in Their Natural Habitat<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sCNLV9BsUXJ9lTcy7dYBRY8vd_Q_Zf7sM7AulzDxvXJ1hBzbfuG7mzBJ0qEY3Tcx3Ctx7ZxDCxKkTD4wa_Kh8WgvtKZI0y_wYv_diYsQ_K2-bNPGqrsMoch0XkREmkPgz346rinrpa8eKw_Uh39eIuufApG_wyaV00z1sD1RZ8yzYGo0h9TdXh8Vhw/s1200/Walleye%20Underwater%20Engbretson%20Underwater%20Photography.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1200" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sCNLV9BsUXJ9lTcy7dYBRY8vd_Q_Zf7sM7AulzDxvXJ1hBzbfuG7mzBJ0qEY3Tcx3Ctx7ZxDCxKkTD4wa_Kh8WgvtKZI0y_wYv_diYsQ_K2-bNPGqrsMoch0XkREmkPgz346rinrpa8eKw_Uh39eIuufApG_wyaV00z1sD1RZ8yzYGo0h9TdXh8Vhw/s320/Walleye%20Underwater%20Engbretson%20Underwater%20Photography.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's been my experience that photographing walleyes underwater in their natural habitat can be either ridiculously easy or extremely difficult. I'm convinced that there's a lot of luck involved. As most fishermen can attest to, even finding walleyes in a lake can be a tough assignment. Some fish are especially sensitive to air bubbles from divers, and walleyes are one of these species that seem troubled by the unusual sound. They will usually move away quickly when they hear the sounds of a diver's air bubbles streaming to the surface. Other times, I've found walleye to be completely at ease with my approach, my bubbles, and my general presence. At these times I'm able to easily take close-up pictures with my cameras just inches from the fish. I've spent a great deal of time analyzing the various factors and conditions that sometimes make photographing walleye easy and sometimes make it impossible.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">After 27 years of encountering walleye underwater, I still don't have a definitive answer. One theory I have is that if the fish feels secure, a close approach is possible. If there are predators nearby, a lot of recreational watercraft traffic, or any other kind of perceived threat or disturbance, they will be anxious, nervous, and "edgy". When the lake is quiet and they feel secure near a piece of cover, they seem to be more relaxed and at ease. I think it all has to do with a sense of safety. Fishermen believe walleyes always prefer deep water and avoid light because of their sensitive eyes. I don't think that's necessarily true, or the real reason why walleye seem to seek out deeper, darker water. On some of the quieter lakes I visit, they can be found in very shallow, brightly sunlit water close to shore. On busier lakes, they almost always seem to be in the deeper stretches. It could be that the perceived threat to their safety has more to do with locations walleyes are found than depth or brightness of the sun.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I work with many fishing magazines and exceptional walleye images are seemingly always in demand. Consequently, I've spent a great deal of time learning about walleyes and their behavior to gain a better understanding of how to best find and approach them to take their pictures. Certainly, being in the water with the fish gives you a glimpse of their "real" behavior-a snapshot few people ever see. Correctly interpreting what you observe is another matter and is the beginning of understanding and wisdom.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Like all animals, walleyes have many secrets and as we begin to learn more about their endlessly fascinating lives, we'll be able to appreciate them more and more for their inherent beauty and magnificence. I know I do.</span> </p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-15902987222489178892022-03-15T10:39:00.000-05:002022-03-15T10:39:14.280-05:00What are the Clearest Lakes in Wisconsin? The 2021 Report<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDsKiVcrKtGyd9lkkv__lX5YhPRPE5iLVVE5aD_ePEYH1APTModEcp7RKMqaowf3Mhx_UwoZJaIoBvdvTLDIiVyLlJHm9THuV0JFtodLpwFq6mUX6NpYvKZwzOLkRL0S_2iVuECzE08fRYtXAkbsGeV75iuHcQ7jInqfxIZNHOaNWyeYn0xwHiIWn1zg=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1200" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDsKiVcrKtGyd9lkkv__lX5YhPRPE5iLVVE5aD_ePEYH1APTModEcp7RKMqaowf3Mhx_UwoZJaIoBvdvTLDIiVyLlJHm9THuV0JFtodLpwFq6mUX6NpYvKZwzOLkRL0S_2iVuECzE08fRYtXAkbsGeV75iuHcQ7jInqfxIZNHOaNWyeYn0xwHiIWn1zg=s320" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For the best underwater photography, finding clear water with high transparency is essential. So what are the clearest lakes in Wisconsin? Every year, I consult with Wisconsin's state-wide citizen's lake monitoring group. They're a network of individuals, usually lake-front property owners who monitor and regularly take a variety of water samples from lakes all across Wisconsin. The data they compile helps to give us a look at how our lakes are doing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the many tasks lake monitors perform is to take regular Secchi disc readings. This is a universal way of assessing and comparing water clarity. I'm always interested in knowing which Wisconsin inland lakes are the clearest. Ordinarily, I rank the lakes that recorded the highest average water clarity for the previous year. This year, I'm looking at lakes that recorded the single highest Secchi disc reading in 2021. Because of Covid-19, not all the usual lakes were sampled at their usual intervals, so we have only the data that was collected. With that in mind, here are Wisconsin's clearest inland lakes and their highest single-day water clarity readings taken in 2021:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1) Lake Metonga, Forest Co.39.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2) Nagawicka Lake, Waukesha Co. 38 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3) Sand Lake, Burnett Co. 35.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4) Upper Eau Claire Lake, Bayfield Co. 34.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">5) White Lake, Marquette Co. 33 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">6) Delavan Lake, Walworth Co. 32 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">7) Lake Mendota, Dane Co. 30 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">8) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Pearl Lake, Waushara Co. 30 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">9) Forest Lake, Vilas Co. 29.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">10) Big Arbor Vitae Lake, Vilas Co. 29 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">11) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Sugar Camp Lake, Oneida Co. 29 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">12) Blue Lake, Oneida Co. 29 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">13) Butternut Lake, Forest Co. 28 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">14) Lake Owen, Bayfield Co. 27 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">15) Black Oak Lake, Vilas Co. 27 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To see the list from 2020, <a href="http://underwaterfishphotos.blogspot.com/2021/02/what-are-clearest-inland-lakes-in.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.</span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-55915299435043930012022-02-10T10:00:00.000-06:002022-02-10T10:00:42.874-06:00Why Do-It-Yourself Artificial Fish Habitat Fails:<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXo_lhbxt034jA1X-OfoeZFEPPxCFgv7oT9KMiMTQavFSJqPI3B3WfV1KvXsYV30Fss1ozJzTXo7uR-8S6qqqFLml00fzc6toCUjHmmTfd8fgo9ML4lbv2N-FzgGhG6vToQChGXotZytCRz0ZSR97dqZBp_cpLwG9MexlAxlbSNDXGLu2d38Nd_uRNBg=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXo_lhbxt034jA1X-OfoeZFEPPxCFgv7oT9KMiMTQavFSJqPI3B3WfV1KvXsYV30Fss1ozJzTXo7uR-8S6qqqFLml00fzc6toCUjHmmTfd8fgo9ML4lbv2N-FzgGhG6vToQChGXotZytCRz0ZSR97dqZBp_cpLwG9MexlAxlbSNDXGLu2d38Nd_uRNBg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishiding Artificial Fish Habitat is unique because of its size, complexity, and the protection it provides juvenile fish.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Constructing a conglomeration of rubber tubing, plastic
barrels, and old hose, throwing it into the lake and calling it fish habitat
because we saw a bass next to it, is like putting a cardboard box on the street
corner and calling it “housing” when a homeless person takes refuge in
it. Most DIY fish habitat is as much fish habitat as a plastic tarp strung
between two shopping carts is “a house” to a homeless person.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Look around at your own home. Why is it comfortable? Why do
you like it? Look past the man cave you’ve built in the basement, the expensive
wall-to-wall carpeting, and the refrigerator with the built-in ice-cube
dispenser. What makes your house useful and practical is its <u>utilitarian
functionality</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The insulation keeps you warm in the winter. The roof keeps
the rain out. There’s a dark bedroom to sleep in at night. The doors and
windows all have locks that provide you with safety and security. Your pantry
is stocked with food and you have a kitchen to prepare it. Your home functions
in a way that addresses all your family’s needs in a <i>utilitarian</i> way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">By and large, DIY artificial fish habitat doesn’t do
anything close to that. To be comparable, artificial fish habitat needs to be
large to accommodate many fish. (You wouldn’t want to live in a one-bedroom
bungalow with a family of six would you?) It needs to provide a refuge for
young fish the same way your children have their bedrooms where they can be
away from grown-ups while hanging out with their friends. There needs to be
on-site food so you’re not driving to McDonald’s every single time you want a
snack. Size, security, protection, privacy, and food are just some of the
important aspects of any home that we would never compromise on in our dwellings
yet seemingly never consider when constructing habitat for fish. Instead,
we create the equivalent of tent cities in the most impoverished part of town
and congratulate ourselves when homeless people congregate there to get out of
the rain. That’s not a solution to the homeless problem any more than lashing
rubber hoses to cinder blocks is to solving the lack of fish habitat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">What’s needed in both scenarios is genuine housing/habitat
for both impoverished people and fish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">When looking at the wide variety of homemade so-called fish
habitat, one thing seems to be evident. Most well-intentioned builders don’t
seem to know exactly what fish need and the poverty of their designs betray
this fact. Bad designs continue to be copied, while far superior ones are
ignored. This is because so few of us can tell the difference between good
designs and poor ones. This failure is epidemic but also understandable. Fish
live in a separate world largely invisible to us. We rarely glimpse them in
their natural habitat and have little idea of how they live or how they spend
their time. Our only interaction is when we hoist them into the boat on the end
of our fishing lines. Occasionally we notice that fishing under the neighbor’s
dock or next to that old Cyprus tree stump seem to be good spots, but we’re
completely in the dark about <i>why</i>. We often leap to the false
conclusion that any structure in the water is a fish’s home and any solid piece
of material we find in the back of our garage could work just as well. Do
it yourselfers are thwarted not only by their lack of understanding of fish but
also by what materials might currently be available in their sheds and
garages. I think this explains why we see so many awful constructions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">To design and construct <i>authentic</i> fish habitats
and not merely dilapidated, makeshift shelters of the kind we might see on
urban streets, we need to think backward. We need to think first about function
over form. Utility over availability. We need our designs to meet the specific
needs of fish. We can look to natural habitats for guidance. Natural habitat
has a myriad of desirable characteristics but for this discussion, we can
single out the three most often violated elements that any proposed
artificially constructed fish habitat must have. The first is size. Is our
construction large enough to accommodate a community of fishes? The second is
protection. Are there tight spaces, crevices, alleys, pockets, holes,
depressions, and retreats that smaller fish can occupy that larger fish
absolutely cannot access? The third is complexity. Is the structure large and
complex enough to offer shade, to block sight-lines, and to hide or conceal
what’s in and around it? If it were in your backyard, could your kids use it
when they play hide and seek? Keeping in mind this trio of primary
functions will help you begin to understand what fish need and enable you to
reject bad design ideas and eliminate potential construction materials that
don’t amplify these important characteristics.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Across our country, there are many bodies of water from
large sprawling reservoirs to small backyard ponds. Many of them are lacking
fish habitat for a variety of reasons. In many cases, artificial habitat can be
a surrogate but only if it addresses in <i>utilitarian</i> ways the
features of genuine habitat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you work in the fish management sector, you and your
colleagues have an obligation to be very critical of the designs being paraded
in front of you. If we’re not more careful about scrutinizing and properly
evaluating artificial fish habitats, we run the risk of unknowingly filling our
waterways with useless materials instead of creating legitimate habitat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Certainly, there’s much to discuss about creating artificial
fish habitat, and because true innovation has slowed to a trickle, we find
ourselves mired in a kind of estuary between realizing we have a habitat
deficiency and creating the kinds of authentic habitat that will make any
difference. Artificial fish habitat needs to provide <i>functional</i> value
to our fish. The scale of the problem is enormous in many locations, and won’t
be solved by adding <i>more</i> sub-standard and inadequate
structures any more than human homelessness can be solved by putting out more
cardboard boxes and tents. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-84786630985753221642022-01-27T09:03:00.001-06:002022-01-27T09:03:55.547-06:00King of the Deep: Swimming with Muskies in Their Natural Habitat<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaXkR3I41YopODISPvEv4AlyK2U7wtguEbYWjks_saoNCegl7uzdrjjvukr3k9-EAiQhgrdZpvQGpxLpQytAusfASWYGxXw3YNykchG1l_vS7k0mblH7OVwC8fFr1ZSFjp4kbjqLCyARaqKxtfmc2EmryOj0h_RgX41phjutoAjIghS6RvrUcoZ29mEQ=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaXkR3I41YopODISPvEv4AlyK2U7wtguEbYWjks_saoNCegl7uzdrjjvukr3k9-EAiQhgrdZpvQGpxLpQytAusfASWYGxXw3YNykchG1l_vS7k0mblH7OVwC8fFr1ZSFjp4kbjqLCyARaqKxtfmc2EmryOj0h_RgX41phjutoAjIghS6RvrUcoZ29mEQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m very lucky that I just happen to live in an area that’s home to some of the most legendary muskie lakes in the country. Over the years, I’ve had a chance to swim in some of these famed waters and encounter muskies up close in their own environment. There’s nothing quite like seeing a large muskie underwater. They glide effortlessly through the water with the supreme confidence reserved for members at the top of their food chain. Because of this, they’re not afraid of divers and I’m able to approach them usually fairly easily. They are surely aware of all the other fish and animals that populate their world and because divers are an anomaly, they will routinely approach me with what I can only characterize as curiosity. They often make a complete circle around me as if to inspect this ‘strange creature” from every angle. They also display keen awareness. When I enter a lake, I don’t have to search for the muskies. I’ve discovered that if I’m patient, they will find me. Drawn, I’m sure by acute imperceptible sensory abilities and also probably just by the noise of my air bubbles too.</span></p><p></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-13821252709439519662021-12-28T10:53:00.000-06:002021-12-28T10:53:15.654-06:00What Makes A Captivating Image?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwzZuSGTzf5ENnd8HMmD5qwIBy7pmOkHWnTjEpri-RFW6wNxyUZviuChiti9-d3lQXrgyiKk4-2j6Jf3VkQpDWdXN97buv8oOPjWwtoi2DBrBbrQuUwrtbM1BeTFyOyT4MOAxxzeZF0yZEiqxAPEmWNpdF8lDE42dldDU6VWTl5JXDt03xKrnU7RoHfA=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwzZuSGTzf5ENnd8HMmD5qwIBy7pmOkHWnTjEpri-RFW6wNxyUZviuChiti9-d3lQXrgyiKk4-2j6Jf3VkQpDWdXN97buv8oOPjWwtoi2DBrBbrQuUwrtbM1BeTFyOyT4MOAxxzeZF0yZEiqxAPEmWNpdF8lDE42dldDU6VWTl5JXDt03xKrnU7RoHfA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Imagine you’ve invited some friends over for dinner. You
spend all afternoon preparing and cooking a well-planned meal. After your
guests finish eating, they enthusiastically proclaim it be one of the best
meals they’ve ever eaten. Then they ask “</span><i style="font-family: arial;">What
kind of stove did you use</i><span style="font-family: arial;">?” In this
context, it would be a nonsensical question that no one would ever ask. But as a photographer, I’m very frequently
asked </span><i style="font-family: arial;">what kind of camera I use</i><span style="font-family: arial;"> when
well-meaning admirers view my underwater images.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The implication is that all the magic happens inside the
camera, and the photographer is merely the lever puller who simply manipulates
the marvelous technology that’s really responsible for creating the magical
images. To ask photographers what kind
of camera equipment they use is as meaningless as asking a chef what kind of
stove he uses. The question usually
comes from novice photographers who are looking for a shortcut to propel their
own photography to a higher level. It may seem like an innocent and not
irrelevant question, but it fails to identify the secret that’s the real
foundation of stunning images.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thirty years ago when I first began taking underwater
pictures, I was consumed by the same quest. If I could just find a great
underwater camera, I’d be able to take pictures for National Geographic just
like the pros did. Every few years I would buy a better camera, a faster lens
or a more durable housing. While that
did make a difference in the quality of the pictures I took, something was
missing that took me years to detect. In my case, with underwater photography,
I had some of the best equipment I could afford, but what was lacking was
sufficient knowledge of my subjects.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">This wasn’t something I was aware of decades ago. Instead, it
was a shortcoming that has only revealed itself in retrospect. Over time, as I
learned more about the lives of the fish I was photographing, my images of them
became more appealing and more penetrating. I began to study their behavior and
their body language and I began to notice how my own body language, movements, and
behavior affected them. In time, a kind of communication developed. I became
able to recognize subtle cues from timid fish and learned how to approach them
in non-threatening ways. I also learned how to send out my own signals which
fish could decipher that would put them at ease.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">My office bookshelves that were once filled with
photography books began to be populated with books about fish and fish biology.
As I learned more and more about my subjects, not only did my appreciation and
knowledge for them grow, but my photography of them improved dramatically. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Reading about fish was invaluable, but my real education
came from the fish themselves. As I spent more and more time underwater
observing and interacting with them, they divulged more and more about
themselves. Over time and one by one, all their habits, routines, and
individualities that weren’t discussed in fish books were revealed like a
cascade of unmasked secrets. I make no apologies for anthropomorphizing fish
when I talk about their personalities. When you’ve spent as much time with them
in their underwater habitats as I have, these conclusions feel not only
justified but undeniable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today, when young photographers ask me what kind of camera I
use, I ignore the question entirely and instead encourage them to learn all
they can about their subjects. In all
areas of wildlife photography, if you fall in love with your subjects and let
them teach you, it will be impossible for your images to not mirror that love and
appreciation. And I think that single element, one that admittedly can’t be
quantified precisely, is what makes a captivating image. </span> <o:p></o:p></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-40315749801939795772021-11-23T17:07:00.002-06:002021-11-23T17:53:48.046-06:002022 Underwater Fish Calendar from Engbretson Underwater Photography<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Looking for a cool wall calendar for 2022? Check out the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fishing-2022-Hanging-Wall-Calendar/dp/B0096IA0KM/ref=sr_1_192?keywords=Cool+Calendars&qid=1637707653&sr=8-192" target="_blank">2022 Fishing Calendar</a> from <a href="https://www.kooziegroup.com/US/fishing-spiral" target="_blank">the Koozie Group</a> featuring 13 underwater images from the <a href="https://www.underwaterfishphotos.com/about" target="_blank">Engbretson Underwater Photography team</a>. Bass, salmon, walleye, trout, panfish, and others are all represented in vibrant color expertly photographed underwater in their natural habitats. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fishing-2022-Hanging-Wall-Calendar/dp/B0096IA0KM/ref=sr_1_192?keywords=Cool+Calendars&qid=1637707653&sr=8-192" target="_blank">Click here</a> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">to order from Amazon.com Only $7.98!</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5rT6iKM7qiAK1Ux9qjKtty_grjAi8uRDVf4FV4GzYQgXHmmHsB-WTqLS_SzS1abUzL6LB_lSfl3vz_wd9LQPSINElPxnN2Yyta3NwBfYCgkmjXQ8H2LsZmn55PYsMnboVQUp2eM-_YFl/s1050/61DS8dZORDL._AC_SL1050_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Engbretson Underwater Fishing Calendar Cover" border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1050" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5rT6iKM7qiAK1Ux9qjKtty_grjAi8uRDVf4FV4GzYQgXHmmHsB-WTqLS_SzS1abUzL6LB_lSfl3vz_wd9LQPSINElPxnN2Yyta3NwBfYCgkmjXQ8H2LsZmn55PYsMnboVQUp2eM-_YFl/w400-h306/61DS8dZORDL._AC_SL1050_.jpg" title="Cover of 2022 Fishing Calendar" width="400" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMy3H1yVUUAtaKPhVSExFUWDQqT0HladxggSFuNhxmXpfwbyCPND_8UiFpLRSVPQo0wfu6oQS2DO-PRQF3VYLqjTzlyvsN6HJn1bYPE7IWl-CXAbb6JMYwtsmuLxGipzuLyG2OD8WnVyww/s1500/71wp6hsJauL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Interior of Engbretson Underwater Fishing Calendar" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="967" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMy3H1yVUUAtaKPhVSExFUWDQqT0HladxggSFuNhxmXpfwbyCPND_8UiFpLRSVPQo0wfu6oQS2DO-PRQF3VYLqjTzlyvsN6HJn1bYPE7IWl-CXAbb6JMYwtsmuLxGipzuLyG2OD8WnVyww/w258-h400/71wp6hsJauL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" title="Inside 2022 Fishing Calendar" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdUnb_IBWZWBMbb4eJW2pA8nXir7sJOyPAJelPXUIJOhZsulL8wcKNL0yUk01Re4p-jMP7oaXWs2SliUxNWboqe4Rxtttc800ruJyf24XTCnaqWQ2etuzgvScrJpP5Nbp3iSXRrkORxP_/s1068/71647SRvAxL._AC_SL1068_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="2022 Engbretson Underwater Fishing Calendar Images" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1050" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdUnb_IBWZWBMbb4eJW2pA8nXir7sJOyPAJelPXUIJOhZsulL8wcKNL0yUk01Re4p-jMP7oaXWs2SliUxNWboqe4Rxtttc800ruJyf24XTCnaqWQ2etuzgvScrJpP5Nbp3iSXRrkORxP_/w394-h400/71647SRvAxL._AC_SL1068_.jpg" title="2022 Fishing Calendar Underwater Images" width="394" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-40959239160290738242021-11-20T12:52:00.002-06:002021-11-20T12:52:50.631-06:00Underwater Photography of Reptiles and Amphibians<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000JGLovyImJC0/s/500/I0000JGLovyImJC0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" height="334" src="https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000JGLovyImJC0/s/500/I0000JGLovyImJC0.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At <a href="https://www.underwaterfishphotos.com/index" target="_blank">Engbretson Underwater Photography</a> we're best known for our exceptional underwater images of freshwater fishes of North America. But because our photographers spend so much time under the surface of lakes and rivers, they also often observe and photograph a variety of aquatic non-fish species. Over the years, we've accumulated many underwater images of turtles, snakes, and salamanders. We've added them to our online galleries because they represent a segment of the underwater ecosystem that helps make these freshwater environments both interesting and diverse. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today we've added some new <a href="https://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery/Hellbender-Salamander-Underwater/G00002g6OJVwrZro/" target="_blank">Eastern Hellbender Salamander images</a> from our ace photographer Isaac Szabo. Because Eastern Hellbenders are largely reclusive creatures whose range is shrinking, they're not easy to locate and photograph. Isaac's done a great job of traveling to remote areas in North Carolina and other places where they can still be found in significant numbers. His hellbender images are striking. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To view all of Isaac's underwater material, see our <a href="https://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery/Isaac-Szabo-Gallery/G00004KGOA_Ve4C4/" target="_blank">Isaac Szabo Gallery here</a>, or visit our gallery solely devoted to <a href="https://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery/Reptiles-and-Amphibians-Collection/G00006bLqCqPTAhw/" target="_blank">underwater images of reptiles and amphibians</a>. </span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-69029519175779810612021-09-30T08:31:00.002-05:002021-09-30T08:31:55.073-05:00Noted Conservation Photographer Joins Our Team<p> <a href="https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000a5m3acRmsUU/s/500/I0000a5m3acRmsUU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" height="267" src="https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000a5m3acRmsUU/s/500/I0000a5m3acRmsUU.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the best parts of operating a stock photo agency is acquiring exciting, new photographers to represent. Our newest contributor is <a href="https://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery/Fernando-Lessa-Gallery/G0000CadWUAeJLLM/" target="_blank">Fernando Lessa</a>, one of the country's most talented Salmon photographers. Fernando's amazing images of salmon, taken underwater in the iconic streams of the American Pacific Northwest and Canada are among the most stunning ever made. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Lessa has both a biology degree and a master’s degree in photography and specializes in documenting the relationship between humans and mother nature. He's spent a great deal of time in the field, having worked on projects in a wide variety of areas, including the untouched Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, the unique Brazilian Savannah, and the Pacific Northwest. He's a book author, filmmaker, and superb underwater photographer. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Fernando joins Patrick Clayton, Jennifer Idol, Sean Landsman, Victor Vrbovsky, Garold Sneegas, Bryce Gibson, Todd Pearsons, Christopher Morey, Isaac Szabo, Paul Vecsei, and Roger Peterson on our "dream team" of the USA's best freshwater fish photographers. His work can be licensed for commercial and editorial purposes by contacting us here at <a href="https://www.underwaterfishphotos.com/index" target="_blank">Engbretson Underwater Photography.</a> To view more of Fernando's work, check out our <a href="https://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery/Fernando-Lessa-Gallery/G0000CadWUAeJLLM/" target="_blank">Fernando Lessa Gallery here.</a></span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-90950195940571121592021-08-21T09:51:00.002-05:002021-08-21T09:51:33.503-05:00Ambassadors from an Underwater Realm<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlLMlPaTSw0Xhfb8us1YuWKXlqSVdyaVFBGqRnwClGQVoTsOFgRfK7VJnoW24fI85bVfsLUjiT9F4z8HQ_j_z_l1_UTvpKvkOSZdVhx38hnRP02-m0SxsrsuQrGaSX3qIGu9evocWkSM7/s1800/Smallmouth+Bass+Enbretson+Underwater+Photography.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlLMlPaTSw0Xhfb8us1YuWKXlqSVdyaVFBGqRnwClGQVoTsOFgRfK7VJnoW24fI85bVfsLUjiT9F4z8HQ_j_z_l1_UTvpKvkOSZdVhx38hnRP02-m0SxsrsuQrGaSX3qIGu9evocWkSM7/w400-h266/Smallmouth+Bass+Enbretson+Underwater+Photography.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m often asked what my favorite fish is. That’s an impossible question because I love them all. While they’re all so wonderful in their own special ways, I do enjoy spending time with my Smallmouth Bass friends. They’re always friendly and curious and will eagerly pose for my cameras. They wait patiently while I fumble with the camera and strobe settings all while demonstrating my lack of swimming skills. To the fish, I’m a tourist visiting their world-largely ignorant and out of place despite my best efforts to fit in. Smallmouth Bass always make me feel welcome. Because they’re tirelessly cordial, friendly, and uncritical they are one of the best ambassadors of the piscine world. It’s a privilege to spend time with them and photograph them in their watery homes. </span><p></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-39296902463081819702021-06-24T09:03:00.003-05:002021-06-24T09:53:07.918-05:00How Bio-Manipulation Saved the Walleyes of Wisconsin's Lake Metonga<p><span style="font-family: arial;">My underwater images and my article about Lake Metonga's walleye recovery is the cover story of the July/August issue of <a href="http://www.badgersportsman.com/" target="_blank">Badger Sportsman Magazine</a>.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1aUqbNQrr07fo4q2XmABIFIcTTvU4i52J802YAegLEQUZ6VwM62OZ2z58PxQ8sa0YbGC-WlIRYCwExNlnrDMw-wuqzc6f3djCJ7YuQp2yTqyG8SOIDMr2qk_YUihBJxczdrAS-0MWBKp/s1024/Cover1024_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="786" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1aUqbNQrr07fo4q2XmABIFIcTTvU4i52J802YAegLEQUZ6VwM62OZ2z58PxQ8sa0YbGC-WlIRYCwExNlnrDMw-wuqzc6f3djCJ7YuQp2yTqyG8SOIDMr2qk_YUihBJxczdrAS-0MWBKp/w308-h400/Cover1024_1.jpg" width="308" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfl9KCWrUSIt7xpSxU6kOL4zF3FEXbUCgtKoc7KJPs74oJ9CdtG_32UTfbtowTu2pyzo15T0oiRKslz-Hyd-h0aLWUMYwuDPIxUjrycKENQFGYJSkYudbB78GUM_hTDRVID3KaBwYcXRb/s1024/Engbretson1024_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="786" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfl9KCWrUSIt7xpSxU6kOL4zF3FEXbUCgtKoc7KJPs74oJ9CdtG_32UTfbtowTu2pyzo15T0oiRKslz-Hyd-h0aLWUMYwuDPIxUjrycKENQFGYJSkYudbB78GUM_hTDRVID3KaBwYcXRb/w308-h400/Engbretson1024_1.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHeuMrQ1gd2sCe3OlbeCBUt-omZKzMmYBddwyILS84g7qYGbO1BhReu7L1V9ut0XaXO_Z8jE4vipavTFlYfTwsEFg-c0PiLkF5XZHKgclPLOHI4wv6Ye4KW5LbFT8u23ehjAdKEjfWQOw/s1024/Engbretson1024_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="786" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHeuMrQ1gd2sCe3OlbeCBUt-omZKzMmYBddwyILS84g7qYGbO1BhReu7L1V9ut0XaXO_Z8jE4vipavTFlYfTwsEFg-c0PiLkF5XZHKgclPLOHI4wv6Ye4KW5LbFT8u23ehjAdKEjfWQOw/w308-h400/Engbretson1024_2.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2PzQg19vV-sFucOYbu1WWNMLjkdR6sau_yPssZidPRV9v_ZJnxRPvODZ8N4A1RiatoVG7X_tJCS1Cm_SjNWdIko8dmj8-R-jdWeUYh_sKhpDVxOZVGqclfc_by7Axr-OwPCQ0ysadVEZ/s1024/Engbretson1024_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="786" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2PzQg19vV-sFucOYbu1WWNMLjkdR6sau_yPssZidPRV9v_ZJnxRPvODZ8N4A1RiatoVG7X_tJCS1Cm_SjNWdIko8dmj8-R-jdWeUYh_sKhpDVxOZVGqclfc_by7Axr-OwPCQ0ysadVEZ/w308-h400/Engbretson1024_3.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was in contact with Mike Pruel today to see how things are going this year on Lake Metonga. "Unfortunately, the bullheads have risen again, so we will do our best to knock them back in next few years", reports Pruel. Mike's crew has removed an additional 12,000 bullheads in the spring of 2021. "We're working closely with the Lake Metonga Association to organize and support efforts to remove baby bullheads this year and beyond. This is their part in the project, and a key for long-term management of bullheads in Metonga."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite the recent uptick in bullhead numbers, walleye recruitment remains robust. Spring walleye surveys continue to show young walleyes from the previous years are thriving and growing quickly, indicating that the walleye population is in great shape.</span></div>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-58563673062622727532021-05-19T15:23:00.000-05:002021-05-19T15:23:27.147-05:00The Pros and Cons of Early Season Scuba Diving<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3OcA3PxvspHGOFpsZ1HlOaxI3hM0xZM-__V1oUbyU-O7Wmtu8kQpp-a08IMmsgRGdOmzFuHBvmPXOI7VLxhNxm9ImWDU-bWlZFRuQIeQn6Ph8xzy8XvUEAIGNE9xUeOHvish6Z8e9AS5/s1800/Muskellunge+M-895alow+res+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1800" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3OcA3PxvspHGOFpsZ1HlOaxI3hM0xZM-__V1oUbyU-O7Wmtu8kQpp-a08IMmsgRGdOmzFuHBvmPXOI7VLxhNxm9ImWDU-bWlZFRuQIeQn6Ph8xzy8XvUEAIGNE9xUeOHvish6Z8e9AS5/w400-h268/Muskellunge+M-895alow+res+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The 2021 season is underway. Water temperatures finally broke the 60-degree mark here in northern Wisconsin, which moved fish out of deep water and into the shallows for spawning. At this time of year, I don't see many panfish, but the muskies are in the littoral zone completing their spawning rituals. I'm focusing on them now and getting some excellent pictures of post-spawn fish. In the next few weeks, I'll be switching my attention to the bass and crappie that will be spawning next and providing some excellent photo opportunities. Bluegills and pumpkinseed will be the last to spawn, with many bluegills still on nests well into July.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At this time of year, water clarity varies widely. Some lakes have excellent clarity very early in the year that degrades very quickly and never clears up. Other lakes are murky in spring and gradually clear up by mid-summer. Quickly rising temperatures also cause the water to stratify. A barrier can be formed that's difficult to see through. As long as you're looking straight ahead in a horizontal column of water that's the same temperature, you can see well. However, if you look up or down, even a few feet, you won't be able to see far because of this thermal barrier. This can make finding fish difficult. Once the water temperature warms enough, this layer will fall dramatically and form the thermocline, which is typically 20-30 feet deep.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the best things about diving Wisconsin's lakes in May is that boat traffic is still very limited. Kids are still in school, summer visitors haven't arrived and many cottages have yet to open for the year. This usually means that during the week, I have the lakes all to myself. After Memorial Day, things get busier. The increased boating traffic always drives the fish away from the shallows to deeper stretches where they're not as easy to find and photograph. Right now, even walleyes are in untypically shallow water and I've seen a few of them near shoreline cover in less than 10 feet of water. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If you've always wanted to see our native fish in their natural habitat, pick up a snorkel and some swim fins and jump into the closest lake near you. You'll be surprised what you can see this time of year. </span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-82358466747829680632021-04-21T08:30:00.000-05:002021-04-21T08:30:37.433-05:00Making Fish Look Their Very Best<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoMnYZzlOty_yxRxsYLahgs2nHPoofx0w2X2y-EeQTdkzinibXUNvn6gkHWgwplvC9Y4GRu5qS8VMQ767Sccgnej_NVb3im0I389LJQC9MdoYkzr5ZvNG42Pn_O6wpw0Fj8l9w4mrMU_Y/s1280/Walleye+by+Engbretson+Underwater+Photography.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoMnYZzlOty_yxRxsYLahgs2nHPoofx0w2X2y-EeQTdkzinibXUNvn6gkHWgwplvC9Y4GRu5qS8VMQ767Sccgnej_NVb3im0I389LJQC9MdoYkzr5ZvNG42Pn_O6wpw0Fj8l9w4mrMU_Y/w400-h225/Walleye+by+Engbretson+Underwater+Photography.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I once read an article about how fashion photographers for Vogue and Cosmo never shoot a super-model from below unless she has a terrific jaw-line. It occurred to me that fish, with their gills, all have great jaw-lines, so I began getting below eye-level and photographing them from below. The results were so breathtakingly stunning that I began to try to compose every fish picture this way. Over time, it's become a distinct hallmark of my work. I'm convinced that it's the best angle to photograph fish underwater.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I think it's incumbent on all wildlife photographers to portray their subjects with as much style and beauty as possible. This is easy to do with cuddly puppies and furry baby seals, but with reptiles, amphibians and even fish, we often have to work hard to convey their inherent beauty to our audience. People will always care more about pretty things than ugly ones. That's just human nature. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As a fish photographer, I feel a responsibility to my subjects to try to portray their magnificence in every picture I make. Because of this, I usually won't shoot fish with split fins, scars, injuries or other physical deficiencies. Instead, I look for fish that are healthy and vibrant. I want the best ambassadors of each species to represent the entire population. If I want viewers to care about fish the way I do, I have to make it as easy as possible for them to appreciate and embrace these finned marvels.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2021 will be the start of my 28th year of photographing native North American freshwater fish underwater in their natural habitat. I can't wait to get back in the water with my super-models!</span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-80983908034244796262021-03-24T12:48:00.005-05:002021-03-24T12:56:59.158-05:00A Critical Look At Artificial Fish Habitat:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EY5w8TFwVu0" width="320" youtube-src-id="EY5w8TFwVu0"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">When considering fish habitat, I
think we need to discuss the role artificial fish habitat can serve. They're
being used more and more, especially in large southern reservoirs devoid of
important structure fish need. Fish managers have traditionally placed
bundles of Christmas or cedar trees on the lake bottom to provide cover for
fish. Because the lifespan of tree bundles and brush piles is limited,
replenishing them has always been an ongoing and expensive process. One
advantage of artificial habitat structures that help explain their growing
popularity is that they don't decay or deteriorate.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">But can “anything” man-made be
placed in our waters and be called fish habitat? If we throw a rusty
wheelbarrow into a lake today and catch a fish on it next week, can we
genuinely say we’ve added fish habitat and therefore improved the lake? Are we
unknowingly turning our lakes into landfills or the equivalent of the town dump
under the guise of creating fish habitat? Is it really true that any structure
of any kind is better than nothing? If you’ve ever wondered if there’s
any discernible line between “junk” and authentic fish habitat, you wouldn’t be
alone.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">If there’s any hope of understanding
the potential benefits using artificial fish habitat might offer, I think we
need to uncouple two terms: Fish habitat and fishing. Effective fish habitat
needs to protect young fish too small to be of interest to anglers. The metric
to evaluate how useful fish habitat is must be re-calibrated. The question
shouldn’t be how many trophy bass did you catch this year on the habitat, but
how many young-of-the year bass survived the brutal gauntlet of their first
year of life because of the protection that habitat provided. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">It could be
argued that the most successful fish habitat would be one that only attracted
age 0 fish and was a lousy fishing spot. As anglers, we need to modify our
point of view. Fish habitat should be regarded as an investment in the hope of
a better day’s fishing in the future, not something with instant payoffs today.
If fish habitat isn’t a vehicle for fish recruitment, what good is it?</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Today, there isn’t a single designer
of any artificial fish habitat that doesn’t promise their product or design
will protect young fish. These are merely assertions that haven’t met their
burden of proof. These claims must be demonstrated before we have warrant to
accept them as true. Where is the evidence that any assemblage of man-made
parts and scrap material does anything to help even a single fish survive its
first year, let alone to adulthood? So far, </span><a href="https://www.fishiding.com/" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;" target="_blank">Fishiding</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"> is the only design that
has continuously and consistently documented in hundreds of underwater pictures
and videos over the years the efficacy of their product.</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you work in the fish management
sector, you should absolutely demand evidence that whatever artificial habitat
you’re considering spending resources on legitimately works. As condescending
as it may sound, intuition or gut feeling is not evidence. If we’re not more
careful about scrutinizing and properly evaluating artificial fish habitat, we
run the risk of unknowingly crossing what should be a distinct line between
what authentic habitat is and what’s simply junk. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p>
</div>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-65247169097243689822021-03-17T11:23:00.000-05:002021-03-17T11:23:14.946-05:00What we Can Learn From Fish When We Spend Time With Them:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOYxfTZk9G_9xZsIf7Fgye2avvYRIYxD-htSzNRP2xDWTFVaDXfwuTfibyzq0EqqzIUyM4s6edo5dgJN6uJKJfFELHAqTWvMtYBOWtSGnBK7yYoOqbDeMWG0fj29dmN3pM9f1oVhyphenhyphengcjh/s2048/Bluegill+Trio+Underwater+Engbretson+Underwater+Photography.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOYxfTZk9G_9xZsIf7Fgye2avvYRIYxD-htSzNRP2xDWTFVaDXfwuTfibyzq0EqqzIUyM4s6edo5dgJN6uJKJfFELHAqTWvMtYBOWtSGnBK7yYoOqbDeMWG0fj29dmN3pM9f1oVhyphenhyphengcjh/w400-h266/Bluegill+Trio+Underwater+Engbretson+Underwater+Photography.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Do fish have individual personalities? I'm often asked this question and I have some definite thoughts about it. For me, the answer is unequivocally yes. I’ve been photographing fish underwater in their natural habitat for over 25 years. In that time, there are long stretches when I’ve worked with the same individual fish for years at a time. I think most would agree that just like the personality distinctions one could make between say poodles and collies, distinctions between different types of fish certainly exist. Northern pike have different personality traits than largemouth bass and bluegills. Each species possess their own “group personality identity”. But I would also suggest that it goes further than that. Individual fish behave differently from their cohorts and exhibit what can only be regarded as unique personalities with as much depth and richness as those of our own pets. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Epiphanies about fish like this one can easily escape the casual observer and are only possible when one spends an extended amount of time observing and interacting with them. But because fish live in a world separate from ours, it’s difficult to do this in the same way birdwatchers can for example. To observe fish in their natural habitat, we have to go under the surface with masks & snorkels or diving equipment. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">On warm summer days, our lakes are filled with swimmers and boaters, but they’re largely unaware of the diversity of life that swims just below them. We’re deaf to a grand symphony in concert under the surface. In recent years <a href="https://kayakanglermag.com/" target="_blank">kayaking</a> has become a very popular way to enjoy our waters. I’d love to see <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Snorkeling-Rivers-Streams-Underwater-Discovery/dp/0811738450/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=snorkeling+guide&qid=1615997567&sr=8-6" target="_blank">snorkeling</a> gain that same kind of popularity in our inland lakes and become something you do every weekend, and not just when you’re in Hawaii on vacation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I’d encourage anyone interested in animals, and especially those interested in fish specifically to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Snorkeling-Guide-Michigan-Inland-Lakes/dp/096585700X/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=snorkeling+guide+to+michigan&qid=1615997484&sr=8-2" target="_blank">explore snorkeling</a> as a way to observe and enjoy fish. They’re so fascinating to watch and there’s much we can learn about them.</span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-28947829334151312492021-02-20T09:38:00.000-06:002021-02-20T09:38:08.305-06:00What are the Clearest Inland Lakes in Wisconsin? The 2020 Report:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0VeClLYTXxPAvRIQcO7XeQTWUgU9ejtaQauaCndDqyedhyT4Xaxu8Hen9VnohSiN1qOcJ48rRNxf80vkCzLHrcY8aZCUjFwBk3R08Dhj08CAFx8SbPNnz5eyNYDU1-RML4aDdE0ON4MB/s400/Underwater+Scene+UW-421low+res.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0VeClLYTXxPAvRIQcO7XeQTWUgU9ejtaQauaCndDqyedhyT4Xaxu8Hen9VnohSiN1qOcJ48rRNxf80vkCzLHrcY8aZCUjFwBk3R08Dhj08CAFx8SbPNnz5eyNYDU1-RML4aDdE0ON4MB/w400-h268/Underwater+Scene+UW-421low+res.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For the best underwater photography, finding clear water with high transparency is essential. So what are the clearest lakes in Wisconsin? Every year, I consult with Wisconsin's state-wide <a href="https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/clmn/Stations.aspx" target="_blank">citizen's lake monitoring group</a>. They're a network of individuals, usually lake-front property owners who monitor and regularly take a variety of water samples from lakes all across Wisconsin. The data they compile helps to give us a look at how our lakes are doing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the many tasks lake monitors perform is to take regular <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secchi_disk" target="_blank">Secchi disc readings</a>. This is a universal way of assessing and comparing water clarity. I'm always interested in knowing which Wisconsin inland lakes are the clearest. Ordinarily, I rank the lakes that recorded the highest <i>average</i> water clarity for the previous year. This year, I'm looking at lakes that recorded the <i>single</i> highest Secchi disc reading in 2020. Because of Covid-19, not all the usual lakes were sampled at their usual intervals, so we have only the data that was collected. With that in mind, here are Wisconsin's clearest inland lakes and their highest single-day water clarity readings taken in 2020:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">1) Upper Eau Claire Lake, Bayfield Co. 39.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">2) White Lake, Marquette Co. 36 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">3) Middle Eau Claire Lake, Bayfield Co. 35.75 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">4) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Whitefish Lake, Douglas Co. 35 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">5) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Blue Lake, Oneida Co. 32 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">6) Lee Lake, Oneida Co. 31.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">7) Black Oak Lake, Vilas Co. 30.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">8) Forest Lake, Vilas Co. 30.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">9) Stone Lake, Washburn Co. 30 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">10) Pearl Lake, Waushara Co. 30 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">11) Lower Eau Claire Lake, Bayfield Co. 29.75 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">12) Bass Lake, Oconto Co. 29 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">13) Smoky Lake, Vilas Co. 29 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">14) </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Sugar Camp Lake, Oneida Co. 28.5 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">15) Upper Nemahbin Lake, Waukesha Co. 28 feet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">To see the lake list from 2019, <a href="http://underwaterfishphotos.blogspot.com/2020/05/what-are-clearest-lakes-in-wisconsin.html" target="_blank">click here</a>. </span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-84493445357058180212021-01-25T15:44:00.000-06:002021-01-25T15:44:29.783-06:00Why Underwater Photography in Freshwater?<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7e8mdZiSRTiYKugBg-BHAtcv4fZA5Rb2wEn_FQ1VDsc5EABgJW60qKBDZGMD_Z3sz8E_5PZzzkNCCQ8B9y0h4yO2Q8uuSToCh-Drn0MLJucteeItzKz9TCvJQs7jOmTiyDrETMIkNtLF/s1280/Smallmouth+Bass+Engbretson+Underwater+Phtography.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7e8mdZiSRTiYKugBg-BHAtcv4fZA5Rb2wEn_FQ1VDsc5EABgJW60qKBDZGMD_Z3sz8E_5PZzzkNCCQ8B9y0h4yO2Q8uuSToCh-Drn0MLJucteeItzKz9TCvJQs7jOmTiyDrETMIkNtLF/w400-h268/Smallmouth+Bass+Engbretson+Underwater+Phtography.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />I'm often asked why I'm interested in freshwater fish like bass and walleye. Well, the freshwater world has never had an ambassador in the same way the oceans had Jacques Cousteau. Perhaps, all of us who spend time in lakes can collectively be some sort of equivalent to that.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I think there’s always room for more good photographers, and I think interest in freshwater fish will continue. I’d encourage beginners to learn about their subjects. Become an expert on the life and behavior of these fish. Become a steward of their habitat. Whether it's a musky, a largemouth bass or a bluegill, think of yourself as a PR person for that particular fish. If you do this, you’ll show them in the best light, you’ll be mindful of disturbing them, and your work will automatically show these creatures at their most magnificent. Don’t sell pictures or videos. Instead, fall in love with your subjects and sell that love! And instead of exploiting them for personal profit, you’ll become partners with them in calling attention to their inherent beauty and value in the ecosystem, and the special problems each one of them face in an increasingly crowded world.</span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-63539753778686129572020-12-27T13:28:00.003-06:002020-12-27T16:50:34.621-06:002021 Fishing Calendar<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Looking for a cool wall calendar for 2021? Check out the 2021 Fishing Calendar from Bic Graphics featuring 13 images all from the <a href="https://www.underwaterfishphotos.com/" target="_blank">Engbretson Underwater Photography</a> team. Bass, salmon, musky, trout, and panfish are all represented in vibrant color expertly photographed underwater in their natural habitats. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fishing-2021-Hanging-Wall-Calendar/dp/B08NC2CTNG/ref=lp_15855325011_1_9?s=specialty-aps" target="_blank">Click here</a> to order from Amazon.com</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDk2NyzJnlzq76-J4caatLj1lR2eEH1CFiEM3LKw2g24d0JOIKV26la7mwOk3E1IHHcMb0XcLKXDJw2GdLK673B7bAqZqaHJN7hAmX-kvzAdaFQbXRMh65u-hflr267LTwE68h3_jEsgN/s955/61OsCeH5hqL._AC_SL1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="955" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDk2NyzJnlzq76-J4caatLj1lR2eEH1CFiEM3LKw2g24d0JOIKV26la7mwOk3E1IHHcMb0XcLKXDJw2GdLK673B7bAqZqaHJN7hAmX-kvzAdaFQbXRMh65u-hflr267LTwE68h3_jEsgN/w400-h306/61OsCeH5hqL._AC_SL1000_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0aYdKNsl1IUyF3AKARZWIfkVRWjQQ1bps76568Khq24IuQgaaHH2vZrUrA_yXE1MFbU5fPu525PLz5lGpFgi0uJQESFHFUNqfHSFzB_79VuV_rdEbymuBIJ_TqGBuNK-Qu_5AUVPCWiR/s1068/81byzmjCOeL._AC_SL1068_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1050" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0aYdKNsl1IUyF3AKARZWIfkVRWjQQ1bps76568Khq24IuQgaaHH2vZrUrA_yXE1MFbU5fPu525PLz5lGpFgi0uJQESFHFUNqfHSFzB_79VuV_rdEbymuBIJ_TqGBuNK-Qu_5AUVPCWiR/w394-h400/81byzmjCOeL._AC_SL1068_.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4IcYzM9c8eHkf3pc38ybuA-l72fydv8EM_K6KY-NaVeLfB9SDxjnOmvOEs7_ZgX6sr_UYJ1kNMvguJZRDHDYVEhforJwNkapOFbb16bGmW-CvmcKjeXFSngxykAD8dPyknstkdZ_eNJg/s977/61xc9U0zncL._AC_SL1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="977" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4IcYzM9c8eHkf3pc38ybuA-l72fydv8EM_K6KY-NaVeLfB9SDxjnOmvOEs7_ZgX6sr_UYJ1kNMvguJZRDHDYVEhforJwNkapOFbb16bGmW-CvmcKjeXFSngxykAD8dPyknstkdZ_eNJg/w400-h360/61xc9U0zncL._AC_SL1000_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-50301951228544914002020-11-30T08:36:00.001-06:002020-11-30T08:42:36.486-06:00How to Use GoPros to get Great Underwater Fish Videos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kQsK9ADL7Qw" width="320" youtube-src-id="kQsK9ADL7Qw"></iframe></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Whether you're scuba diving or just snorkeling, shooting nice underwater footage of fish from a nearby lake has never been easier. Here's a few answers to questions I'm often asked by beginners:</span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Where can I go?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No matter where you live, there's probably a pond, lake or river nearby teeming with fish and other interesting underwater subjects. It's important to find the clearest body of water you can, since clarity is critical to underwater videography. Contact your state's fish and wildlife office. They're very familiar with the characteristics of local lakes and can point you in the right direction.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Which GoPro should I use?</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Gopro seems to come out with a new camera every year. Their latest, the Hero 9 is their best by far. Waterproof to 33 feet without a supplemental housing, it's video and stabilization capabilities are superb. If you can't afford the newest GoPro, the Hero 8 and Hero 7 are also good choices. I wouldn't suggest using anything older than the Hero 6. The earlier models (1 thru 5) just don't work as well.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: arial;">Do I need to use a filter?</span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you use strobes as I do, you won't need filters to correct for losses in the light spectrum which filters are designed to compensate for. The term "strobe" is a bit of a misnomer. Basically any powerful waterproof flashlight will work as well. If you use strobe lights, you'll also need a handle and tray that you can attach your camera and lights to. This keeps everything together and is easy to hold and swim with. Strobe lighting is wonderful because it brings out colors and fills in dark shadows. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: arial;">How do I get close to the fish?</span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The best way is to let them come to you. If you remain relatively still and non threatening, fish will usually come right to you which makes your video of them much more interesting that than the "tail shots" you'll always get if you chase them. Fish are naturally curious and if you're patient, you'll find that they'll swim directly into your lens on their own.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span style="font-family: arial;">I don't want to get wet. Can't I just mount my GoPro on a pole and shoot video that way?</span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">You can try, but you'll be frustrated. Using a pole cam seems like a good idea, because you won't have to get your head underwater. But because you're not able to see through the viewfinder, you'll never be sure your videos are being framed correctly. I've shot many videos using pole cams trying carefully to aim the camera at the fish. Many times I've been disappointed because I've guessed wrong and the fish was barely in frame. When you're underwater, the aiming is precise every time. Also, being underwater with the fish is half the fun! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>If you have any questions about using GoPros to film fish, please let me know. I'm happy to share what I've learned over the years. Filming fish underwater has never been easier, and most anyone can get great underwater video with a little patience. If you try it, let me know how it goes for you.</span><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><br /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">To see more of my underwater fish videos, visit my </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/Underwaterfishphotosandvideo" target="_blank"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">YouTube Channel</span></a><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">.</span></span></div>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-69547169736401653182020-10-29T08:31:00.000-05:002020-10-29T08:31:14.518-05:00Photographing Native Fish in Freshwater Lakes: Overcoming the Obstacles<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5o7AhF6I35bIBP0ZsX8X889vXBnwRARU1NEomxRlUO5mCGDrP4vMCvWSJ5nGaXrAsiMiB89yqKoC3ncGFoaAbzxi2btk8g18ABtf23av3LTi7BEISfNfDbFtvXD3LHfSqgwwgPFm2aJv/s1200/Walleye+W-3302.JPG" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Walleye Underwater" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5o7AhF6I35bIBP0ZsX8X889vXBnwRARU1NEomxRlUO5mCGDrP4vMCvWSJ5nGaXrAsiMiB89yqKoC3ncGFoaAbzxi2btk8g18ABtf23av3LTi7BEISfNfDbFtvXD3LHfSqgwwgPFm2aJv/w400-h266/Walleye+W-3302.JPG" title="Engbretson Underwater Photo of Walley" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> often asked what the biggest challenge is to taking underwater fish pictures. Well, there are quite a few obstacles and many things that have to be right to be able to get a good picture. First, the water has to be clear, which is actually a greater challenge than you might think. Freshwater lakes are typically pretty crummy so finding lakes that have the necessary clarity is an ongoing process. I usually won't even look at a lake if the clarity isn't at least 18 feet. Water clarity can change from week to week and season to season too, so even though I have my favorite lakes, they’re not always clear enough to work in. Everything starts with water clarity and if you don’t have that, nothing else matters. It’s always a challenge to find clear water.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Once I find a clear lake, I have to find fish. Next I have to find fish of desirable size. This is easier said than done too. It's always a problem especially these days when it seems like there’s fewer and fewer really nice fish available. If I do find a lake that’s clear and it does have a few good fish, another challenge is getting close enough to photograph them. I like to be 2 or 3 feet away. Any further and I won’t take a picture at all. Fish often times have a problem with a diver being that close, so it takes a lot of patience to even get close enough to think about composing a picture. But once I have clear water, good fish, and get close enough to shoot them, I still have to make the shot. So even if everything else is right, sometimes I blow it all on the final step because I was moving, or the composition is bad or I forgot to turn on the strobe, etc.….</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A lot goes wrong. Sometimes I feel like it’s truly a miracle to get any good pictures at all because so many things that I can’t control have to be right all at the same time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Conditions underwater are typically very hostile to a photographer. The lakes and rivers where I shoot can be very cold. In rivers, currents can be strong, and visibility is always an issue. Underwater photography is inherently tricky. Water is 800 times thicker than air, and there's always particles floating around or algae and things like that, so you've never going to get the really "clean" look you can get shooting through air. The water is often cold, the fish can be elusive, and you've got to always be concerned about your air supply, so there's a lot to think about. The light underwater is very poor too, so often I have to carry underwater strobes to illuminate subjects in deeper water. If you can imagine taking photos on a dark, cold, foggy, windy day… that sort of comes close to the everyday conditions of the environment I work in. Saltwater environments are infinitely easier. The water’s 100 times clearer, there’s 100 times more light, and ocean fish are used to seeing very large things swimming around them. In freshwater, you look like Godzilla to those poor fish.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So, yes-the challenges are many, but as I always say, "If it was easy, everyone would be doing this".</span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-57531916151395163162020-09-26T11:44:00.000-05:002020-09-26T11:44:50.197-05:00The Prettiest Freshwater Fish<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000S66vnZWdKks/s/500/I0000S66vnZWdKks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pumpkinseed Sunfish by Engbretson Underwater" border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" height="267" src="https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000S66vnZWdKks/s/500/I0000S66vnZWdKks.jpg" title="Underwater Image of Pumpkinseed Sunfish" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"A very beautiful and compact little fish, perfect in all its parts, looking like a brilliant coin fresh from the mint."</i> - David Jordan and Barton Evermann-American Food and Game Fishes, 1905.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the most colorful of our common freshwater fish is the Pumpkinseed Sunfish. Like other sunfish, I think the most striking photographs of pumpkinseed are images of male fish photographed in the spring when they display their vibrant spawning coloration. They look like jeweled treasures. However, pumpkinseeds retain much of their brilliant hues all year as evidenced by this photo I took in mid September. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the most interesting things about Pumpkinseeds is the strong instinct they have for a home range. Pumpkinseeds have a remarkable ability to find their way back to a familiar location. In fisheries studies, pumpkinseeds that have been captured, marked, and then released in another part of the same lake, are often recaptured near the location where they were first caught.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As fall began I was able to take pictures of several gorgeous Pumpkinseeds staging in deep water along well defined weed-lines in a northern Michigan lake. Aren't they magnificent little fish? You can view all of my newest underwater pumpkinseed images in our <a href="https://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery/Pumpkinseed-Sunfish-Underwater/G0000bFGgRFiPTNY/" target="_blank">Pumpkinseed Sunfish Gallery here</a>.</span></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-812098054634001060.post-16297454602818704162020-08-23T09:34:00.002-05:002020-08-23T09:34:54.182-05:00Summer Largemouth Bass-Where to Find Them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ssl.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000W9W_d49CjWM/s/500/I0000W9W_d49CjWM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Largemouth Bass in Milfoil" border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" height="334" src="https://ssl.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000W9W_d49CjWM/s/500/I0000W9W_d49CjWM.jpg" title="Underwater Largemouth Bass in thick vegeatation" width="500" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's late summer </span><span style="font-family: arial;">and we're getting
some really attractive Largemouth Bass images showing these fish using
thick weed cover and a variety of other natural habitat elements. </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">At
this time of year, we face several obstacles when photographing bass.
They tend to be harder to find because they're occupying all areas of
the water column and tend to be widely dispersed. Water clarity
diminishes this time of year as well, making normally suitable lakes too
murky or "green" for good photography. Finally, there's a seasonal
shift in attitude of these fish by August. Bass that were very
approachable in the spring have become more wary and timid by late
summer, so getting closeups of them becomes more difficult. <br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite all
those challenges, we're still able to get some fine images of them in
their natural habitat. Check out all our latest Largemouth Bass in our<a href="https://fish.photoshelter.com/gallery/Largemouth-Bass-Underwater/G0000L4ydjqL9PkI/" target="_blank"> Largemouth Bass Gallery</a>.</span></div><p></p>Eric Engbretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06588726118054953367noreply@blogger.com0