Fishing Season Arrives
Ron Klimcke knows the Chippewa Flowage and how to catch walleyes.
Finished a three- day, 900-mile Wisconsin trip that included fishing the Chippewa Flowage near Hayward with friend Ron Klimcke as part of the Governors Open, grabbing a truck load of daughter Taylor’s campus furniture as she finishes college at Eau Claire, delivering literally thousands of On Wisconsin Outdoors May-June issue hot off the presses to distribution points far and wide, and landing at the cabin near Vilas County to discover no water and a sand point that needs re-pounding. John Ellis and Lori head north with me again this weekend to take care of that chore and open the cabin for another year of hunting and fishing.
Scott Walker was presented a .44 caliber lever action rifle from Wisconsin-based Henry Rifles at the Governors Open.
Read all about the Governors Open under Outdoor News and Inland Fishing on this website in media releases and stories submitted by Wisconsin-based Henry Rifles, which presented Governor Walker with a .44 caliber lever action rifle, and Jim Onarheim, vice-president of the Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau and owner of Mystic Moose Lodge. Klimcke and I interrupted fishing only to take advantage of an unsurpassed fish fry and shore lunch for Open participants at Treeland Resort. Cheryl Treeland is the President of the Hayward Lakes VCB. Cheryl and Harold Treeland have been in the resort business with family for decades. They proved once again that they know how to take care of their guests.
The Treeland Resort Family and staff took great care of Governors Open guests when they hosted a shore lunch. Pictured are Tatum Treland, Mallory Treland, Linda Treland, Cheryl Treland, Harold and Jan Treland, and Betz Latsch.
Klimcke and I had an outstanding time on the Chippewa Flowage in bluebird weather hovering near 80 degrees. It was great to fish an excellent 17,000 acre fishery and Wisconsin’s largest wilderness lake. More than 90 percent of the shoreline is unbuilt upon. Ron gave me some lessons in jig fishing for walleyes, and he actually had some success with this student. Ron makes his own jigs in the winter months and I did lose a few of those for him in the wood, but I also managed to land some walleyes. Nothing at all big and in fact Ron came in with the largest walleye at 18 inches. But he is such a student of structure, this fishery and jig fishing for walleyes in particular that I was in good hands and think I graduated to the 3rd grade.
Hit the Chippewa Flowage this year. You won’t regret it.
Robin Oneil showed husband Dan how to do it right on the channel near their Wellington Florida condo April 22 and she sends us a photo of the pig largemouth that she caught and released. But let’s let Robin tell us about it.
Longtime Ellis friends Robin and Dan Oneil of New Berlin were fishing a Florida channel when Robin caught and released this monster largemouth.
“Dan was fishing and I rode my bike to where he was. I made two casts and then he hit. I used a plastic worm and while I was trying to land him, he went into the weeds. I kept my rod tight (as Dan was telling me to do even though I knew that). He jumped once and tried to spit out the hook, but I kept the line tight and finally pulled it into shore.”
Robin says it was the largest bass she has ever taken, with an unbelievably big mouth, as we can see. We’re not certain of the weight since she released the fish but we’re thinking as heavy as seven pounds or so.
Find lots of fishing reports from the experts under Inland Fishing on this website, and all kinds of features, announcements, and news under Outdoor News. Personally, when I’m done with the sand point work this weekend Lori and I will try to get into the crappies to 12 inches that Jim Ellis found in the reeds and shallow water at 62 degrees.
The May-June issue of On Wisconsin Outdoors is on the shelves and posted on our homepage. Thanks for picking it up at any Wisconsin Kwik Trip and thanks too for connecting with our website. 26,000 of you did in March and left more than 400,000 hits. We’re waiting for April numbers but seriously, you are welcome here and your time with us is appreciated.
I will be looking for a monster Tom season 6. Thanks for connecting with On Wisconsin Outdoors. Shoot straight.
Dick Ellis