Crappies, Toms, and a Red Hot Lake Michigan
On Wisconsin Outdoors writer extraordinaire John Luthens took his nephew on his first Lake Winnebago crappie expedition this week. Do you think maybe Indigo Thede, 10, of Oshkosh enjoyed landing his first crappie?
Send us photos of your kids (must be under age 95) working the big outside for posting on our website.
The Ellis family’s biggest kid at 60-something sent me a nice smallmouth he caught along with a bunch of nice walleyes bait casting this week. Steve won’t tell me the lake though unless I promise not to blabber to the masses. I know he’s somewhere south of Ashland and north of Boulder Junction. I’ll get him going around the campfire with some Old Crow and make him slip. Stand by on that.
It’s a cold rainy Thursday and I hope to be out of here by late morning to join buddy Mike Hart on his Zone 3 property near the Dells for a period 5 turkey hunt. Remember my nightmare hunt during period 3 when two Toms showed up at the most inopportune time (read last week’s blog)?
Well Mike hunted hard for several days and long hours and had a nightmare of sorts himself when every stand he picked was the wrong stand. He saw more Toms and talked to more Toms than a hunter could hope for; but always from a distance.
When Mike’s nephew Tyler, 10 came up on the weekend, Mike was wearing that “Hunters’s Fatigue” that comes from so many hours in the field without a break. He took a break to sit with Tyler. 10 minutes after they settled in on Tyler’s first morning out, the young gun was done as a nice Tom walked right up to within 10 yards. Go figure. It’s why we hunt though.
Tyler Hart, 10, showed his uncle how it’s done 10 minutes
after taking a stand on family property in Zone.
Tyler’s dad, Tom Hart, sends us this photo of three strutting Toms at a distance. They were on the same field 10 yards from where Tom Hart sat 11 hours the day before with no appearance by any gobblers. Tom Hart’s quote here is censored.
Tom’s Toms didn’t cooperate either.
Next Tuesday Kwik Trip Outdoors' friends and I will be out with Jack’s Charter Service in Racine. According to Captain Ken, fishing has been red hot on Lake Michigan with limits being taken very quickly. When I talked to him at 8:00 one morning this week, he said, “Today’s a typical example. We’ve been done for quite a while with five fish per person.”
Call Jack’s Charter Service, which works both Racine and Milwaukee each year, at 414-482-2336.
Speaking of Kwik Trip Outdoors, have you signed up yet for your chance to win a day fishing with Hooksetters Fishing Service and Mosinee-based super guide Phil Schweik? Every one of Kwik Trip’s 252 Wisconsin stores has literature promoting the contest. While you’re there, every store also has On Wisconsin Outdoors available at no cost. Check out page 15 for the contest details. Or check out the issue posted on our homepage.
Time to thank our other major distributors too for helping to bring you On Wisconsin Outdoors to you at no cost.
Each of 44 Wisconsin Menards stores now carries On Wisconsin Outdoors at no cost to the consumer. See the Menards location nearest you on our website homepage. Pick up On Wisconsin Outdoors in the Menards camping and fishing aisle. As you know, some of these Menards stores are huge. Just ask. I find them near the Plumbing section.
As advertised in the May-June issue of On Wisconsin Outdoors, find Berkley and Shakespeare fishing products at Menards including Gulp, Trilene, Flicker Shad and Kid’s Fishing Kits. If you’re looking for a new rod and reel, choose from Synergy, Contender, Amphibian and Crusader spinning combos.
It’s also camping season at Menards. Find quality Coleman products including the Weathertec system Instant cabin tent, queen double high air bed, lantern with case, 20,000 BTU Propane stove, and Nimbus sleeping bag.
Connect with the Menards website on our homepage.
Elliott’s Ace Hardware stores in West Allis, Elm Grove, Muskego and Pewaukee have offered On Wisconsin Outdoors right in the entranceways at all four locations. Those West Allis hunters and anglers in particular are a bit nuts for the outdoors I think. They pick up an average of 2,300 papers at that store alone. That’s not a misprint. Over two thousand.
Elliott’s offers big stores with friendly help. I know this personally because I’ve been stocking the stores as a paper boy for year. And if you like to grill out, check out the full page Elliott’s ad on page 19 of the May June OWO. Several new Weber grills and Smokey Mountain cooker with great prices, a Little Tex Elite Pellet Grill, and 2013 model closeout are showcased.