It’s not often that the winning salmon in the Kewaunee/Door County Salmon Tournament is hooked the first day, but that just might be the case this year.
While we’re only halfway through the 10-day event at the time of this writing, Steve Ravet of Luxemburg had a better than 7-1/2-pound lead with the 42-inch, 33.60-pounder caught while fishing with friends Mike and Dale Petersilka aboard Mike’s 27-foot Baha Cruiser, Total Chaos, last Friday night near Washington Island.
“It was a little total chaos,” Ravet said. “We had two lines tangled together and a fish on. They were cleaning it up, and while I’m netting that fish this one hit, so I got it because they were taking care of the mess.”
The trio had landed a pair of 14-pound-class salmon earlier. Each made one run. So when Ravet’s fish sizzled out line on three separate runs and battled for nearly a half-hour, they knew it was a big one.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Ravet, contacted via phone after weighing in at Mann’s Mercantile. “I’ve been fishing a long time, many years, and this is my first fish over 30 pounds. I always said if I get one over 30, I’d get it mounted. All these years, and finally it happened.”
A 1984 graduate of Luxemburg-Casco High School, Ravet’s previous best was about 28 pounds. He said he’s been fishing with four Petersilkas and another friend for about 35 years, the last decade or so at a friend’s place on the island.
“We spend a week up here with two boats,” Ravet said. “It’s more than fishing. All the years of razzing and what-not happening. You know how it is.”
Only 64 20-pound-plus Chinooks were weighed the first five days, a massive change from recent seasons. Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists had warned of declining body weights the past three years at egg collection facilities, but few expected such a sharp drop this year. Last year, there were 164 “kings” larger than 25 pounds. Through Tuesday, there were only three.
The contest runs through noon Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at Center Court BP and Yacht Works in Kewaunee, Algoma BP and Citgo in Algoma, Greystone Castle and Howie’s Tackle in Sturgeon Bay, JP Express north of Carlsville, Baileys 57, and Mann’s Mercantile on Washington Island. Track the leaderboard and see more photos at
The 44th Marinette & Menominee Great Lakes Sport Fishermen Brown Trout Derby — a multi-species fishing contest on Green Bay and Lake Michigan — has announced a major increase in cash prizes for the July 26-27 event.
New this year, the heaviest brown trout will be worth $1,500, nearly four times higher than in the past. In addition, the largest Chinook will be worth $1,000, five times higher than last year. The top rainbow trout will be worth $500 (up from $100), and the heaviest walleye $300, triple the ’24 award.
There are 30 places paid down in the brown trout category, 10 in the salmon and five each in the rainbow and walleye divisions. The derby is headquartered at Menominee Memorial Marina.
Tickets cost $25, with raffle tickets for cash and fishing prizes also available. They can be purchased at A&K Bait and Tackle and a number of other Bay Cities businesses. For more information, check out the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064477998332.
Wolves have killed at least 15 calves, 11 hunting dogs, two steers, one pet dog and one livestock guard dog in 13 northern and central Wisconsin counties so far this year.
In addition, there have been verified wolf harassment or threats on five other dogs (three pets, two guard dogs), two horses, 79 cattle and 150 captive whitetails in eight counties. There have also been 12 unconfirmed wolf depredation and five safety complaints in 12 counties. See an interactive wolf depredation threats map at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/wolf/maps.
Lake Michigan’s water levels have risen about three inches since mid-June, but are still about 10 inches lower than they were last summer. The lake has lost about 38 inches since the record high in 2020, and is about 5 inches below the 100-year average. Water levels are still 28 inches above the record monthly low, set in 1964.
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