NWI fishing action varies

Iowa Great Lake water temperatures have warmed up quickly and are a little warmer than 75 degrees, and should continue to rise with a warmer forecast. The extended forecast calls for temperatures ranging from the upper 80’s to low 90’s.

East Okoboji Lake: The walleye season is open. The water temperature is 71 degrees. There is a great panfish bite that is moving farther out into deeper water post-spawn. Bluegill, excellent. Large schools are moving into the shallows to bed and can easily be caught around hoists and docks. Black crappie, fair. Yellow perch, good. A good open water bite has started to pick up.

Lake Pahoja: Bluegill, good. Use small jigs tipped with waxworms. Black crappie, good. Try small jigs tipped with waxworms. Largemouth bass, good. Use rubber worms or other slow moving jigs.

Lost Island Lake: Yellow perch, fair. Walleye, fair.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye, good.

Spirit Lake: The walleye season is open. A great walleye and yellow perch bite has been seen lately with many yellows over 10 inches being caught. The water temperature is 76 degrees. Bluegill, good. Schools are starting to move deeper off shore post-spawn. Walleye, good. A fairly good bite lately can also be seen from shore. Try bottom bouncers or crankbaits to cover more water. Black bullhead, fair. Anglers have been successful at the north grade. Yellow perch, good. The bite has really picked up; fish are a little deeper than what can be easily fished from shore. Try small humps in the main basin or weed edges.

West Okoboji Lake: The walleye season is open. The water temperature is 77 degrees. The panfish bite has been great. Bluegill, good. Schools are starting to move deeper off shore. Try fishing in about 16 feet of water in the weeds or weed lines. Smallmouth bass, fair. Find smallmouth bass on rock piles or on the points. Largemouth bass, fair. Find largemouth bass on the weed lines. Yellow perch, fair. Schools have started to move deeper off shore.

Show Iowa to provide virtual recognition of 4-H exhibits

While safety limitations put a hold on the Iowa State Fair this year, 4-H youth across Iowa will still have plenty of opportunities to showcase learning exhibits and participate in events online.

A special exhibition, 4-H Show Iowa, will provide state level recognition to partially replace the loss of learning opportunities due to the postponement of the Iowa State Fair. Included in the virtual celebrations are 4-H exhibits, communication events and the Awardrobe clothing selection.

Counties will be encouraged to select exhibits in a similar manner to how they normally select exhibits and participants for the Iowa State Fair. Each exhibitor will provide one or more photos, an exhibit “write-up” and a brief summary of the exhibit. For communication events, video links will be submitted. Awardrobe participants will provide one or more photos, the event report form and a style show narrative.

Volunteer judges will evaluate all exhibits and events. Outstanding exhibits and communication participants will be selected in all departments and will receive special recognition. The Awardrobe event will continue to select five outstanding participants in each division. Ribbons will be awarded as in previous years.

A public showcase of all entries will be made available using the photos of entries and summary information. The public exhibition will be released during the originally planned Iowa State Fair dates, Aug. 13-23.

Information for 4-H youth exhibitors and families can be found on the 4-H Show Iowa webpage at http://www.extension.iastate.edu /4h /2020-4-h-show-iowa.

Writing prompt for HPL summer program

The writing prompt for the fourth week of the Hartley Public Library’s summer library program is “One of my all-time favorite books.”

Submit 1-2 pages to the library by Thursday, July 16 with your name and a phone number or email address, and whether you give permission for others to see your work with or without your name on Facebook, the library’s website or displayed in the library.

Named to spring dean’s list at Nebraska

Hunter William Dorhout, of Sanborn, has been named to the dean’s list at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the spring semester of the 2019-20 academic year.

Dorhout, a senior computer engineering major, was named to the dean’s list for the College of Engineering, which requires a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for inclusion. He is the son of Mark and Nicole Dorhout.

Rieck on MSU Honor List

The dean’s list for the past spring semester at Minnesota State University in Mankato was recently announced.

Among 4,290 students, a total of 1,485 students qualified for the High Honor List by achieving a 4.0 straight “A” average, while 2,805 students earned a 3.5 to 3.99 average to qualify for the Honor List.

Locally, Kyler Rieck, of Hartley, was named to the Honor List.