On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:15:57 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:


The only place I've fished in Wisconsin lately is up near Hayward where a
friend has a place. I checked Okee on the map and that's right by the Dells
tourist trap area. Too crowded for my blood.

I've been to Okee 3 or 4 times, never for more than a couple days,
and never knew the Dells was anywhere around. Of course I90
had pretty heavy traffic on weekends, but that even went past the
Dells. I never went to the Dells, but one thing I noticed about
Wisconsin is no matter how heavy I90 was, the state sucked up
that traffic so when you got off the interstate it was never crowded.
At least all the fishing areas I went to.
Anyway, lot of my dad's talk about Okee probably comes from memories
of fishing there in the '40's and 50's. Okee fishing never impressed
me.
I used to vacation at Grindstone lake near Hayward and did some
exciting Muskie fishing in that area with buddies one year when we
hired a Muskie guide. In fact I caught a Muskie when on vacation at
Grindstone, but it was a snake, maybe 24." I was spinning for
smallmouths. Too much work fishing for Muskie.
When I was a kid I summered every year at the Chain of Lakes in
northern Illinois with my grandfolks and that spoiled me forever.
Of course that area went all the way down the hill in the '60's and
has been wall-to-wall drunk power boaters since.
I get a kick from seeing pictures in "Fishing Facts" showing stringers
of Crappies, Bluegills, Bass, Walleyes caught in the chain.
Those pictures are 50 years old! That's the fishing that spoiled me,
but it's long gone. I haven't seen a "Fishing Facts" issue in some
years, and maybe they stopped doing that.
Personally I've never had much fishing luck in Wisconsin, I suppose
because I never learned one area well and always went in deep summer.
But I've had some good times there. Might take a weekend trip up
there this year, but doubt I'll fish. Just smell the piney woods.

Believe it or not I have not kept a single fish in the 15 years I've been
here in Florida. Friends of mine do keep some crappie and they are quite
tasty. The ones I mentioned from the Stick Marsh go over two pounds and are
easily filleted.

Just for fun I posted a picture over in alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean
you might get a kick out of.

Crikey! Wish I'd been there mate! Beautiful creature!

When fishing with wild shiners and not free
lining we use balloons as floats. They attract pelicans and alligators.
Just after I snapped the pix I posted that gator opened wide and clamped
down on the balloon. It held on for quite a while as by partner tried to
get it closer to the boat for a better picture. It's not unusual to see a
pelican flying around with a shiner in his mouth and the line/balloon
trailing behind.

WitchBay has come a long way with the equipment they offer. We I first went
there in 1969 they had 14 foot Lunds with 10 horse motors. Not much of a
rig for all that available water. And it's soooo much nicer to have your own
boat that is rigged especially to your liking. Also when I first went there
it was $10/day for room and three squares.

I had a couple of interesting bear encounters over the years. The year I had
my 11 year old son up there with me for his first Canadian trip we came
across a bear swimming from one shore to another. I got quite close to get
a good picture. My son was petrified. Had a death grip on the gunwales.
He thought for sure that bear would climb in the boat. I took some pictures
and the bear continued his journey.

A friend I was fishing with had to relieve himself in the middle of the
night. The cabins don't have indoor facilities. He opened the door to go
outside and a big ole black bear was on the cabin porch. Took about five
years off his life, my friends life that is.

Saw one once in Canada, swimming from shore to shore as you did, and
the occasional moose. I prefer not to see bears.

I get real home sick to be up there when I start thinking about that place.
Hopefully this summer.

Good luck!

--Vic