Wisconsin is a fine place!

[steve garro]

just had a very enjoyable water-based vacation in the fine state of Wisconsin. pics here: http://coconinocycles.blogspot.com/2...e-was-had.html warning: high fishing content! Steve.

[Chad]

Thanks for sharing the photos. Awesome trip, looks like almost every species was boated, only missed perch and crappie.

Love the fish fry, we fried up a few white bass on the 4th, they were delicious. Thanks again.

[bbillington]

nice pics :) We were in Minnesota while you were in WI. Fished mostly up near Pequot Lakes area and then down near Mantorville/Kasson in the southeastern part of the state. My biggest catch was a 10# Northern. Not a fan of eating the toothy critters myself.

[steve garro]

Thanks for sharing the photos. Awesome trip, looks like almost every species was boated, only missed perch and crappie.

actually, we picked up two really nice black crappie, a couple rock bass and a teeny perch as well as a sauger, some sheepshead and a red horse. the stew of wildlife is amazing! a short list of birds: bald eagles, osprey, cardinals, kingfishers, green, blue & white herons, egrets, white pelicans, cormorants, ducks of allsorts, vultures, a great horned owl........also snakes & turtles of all kinds.

[rphetteplace]

yeah but did you get many brats?????

[gggross]

Fishing in Wisconsin is great. Lots of different types of fish to go after. I love smallmouth on a fly rod - nothong better.

Did you have a chance to stop by The Bike Hub? I know Dave is looking forward to the ride you are building him.

[steve garro]

yeah but did you get many brats?????

only one!! i was really proud of myself! they are goooood......Steve.

[steve garro]

Did you have a chance to stop by The Bike Hub? I know Dave is looking forward to the ride you are building him.

no, i was on the polar oppisite side of the state - but, i am filing down the fillets on it right now, and should get it to paint in a couple of days: copper penny with adam's gold topcoat. i put a couple of pics of it on my blog before i left for Wisconny. it's looking sweet.........

[Saab2000]

Go cycling around Madison, especially to the west, near Blue Mounds. It doesn't get much better anywhere.

[steve garro]

Go cycling around Madison, especially to the west, near Blue Mounds. It doesn't get much better anywhere.

i WAS impressed by the #'s of riders, many very fit looking. there are tons of rural roads, very little traffic, and miles & miles of crushed limestone rails to trails. flying into the Twin Cities looking at all the farm roads i thought "i see why Curt G. makes the bikes he does"

[ApplemanBicycles]

Wisconsin... Land of 10,000 Lakes! Oh wait... that's Minnesota, but WI has a lot-o lakes too!

The roads are wonderful there. Thanks to the dairy industry, nearly all of the "back roads" are paved for the milk trucks!

[caleb]

Seriously, what is that!? That slinky reptilian spawn of satan doesn't belong up here, that's for sure.

Picture 1.png

I know there are supposed to be bull snakes in the Mississippi Valley but I've sure never seen one. It could be a rattle snake, but I can't spot a rattle.

I wish I hadn't seen that picture - I hate snakes. From now on if you see a guy walking the bank of a trout stream with a 2 wt in one hand and a 12ga in the other feel free to say "hi".

***

Glad to see you found some fish. The water's still a little cold, but apparently they're feeding.



I'm headed up to the BWCA in two weeks to see if I can still find the lake trout up in the shallows. Fingers crossed. At least there won't be any snakes.

***



The bar with a dock is pretty standard. You know you've found a good one when they offer "to go" cups of libations after dinner and at last call.

[Dorman]

Seriously, what is that!? That slinky reptilian spawn of satan doesn't belong up here, that's for sure.

I'm headed up to the BWCA in two weeks to see if I can still find the lake trout up in the shallows. Fingers crossed. At least there won't be any snakes.

Good luck with that. I have the frickin' things in Isabella. Even had one in Dumbell lake try to sneak in the boat up the trolling motor.

Have fun in the boundary waters. I (probably a bad idea) put in for the moose hunt this year in a BWCA zone. We most likely won't win the lottery, but I am already dreading the possibility of portaging out a moose in a canoe.

[Nierman]

The roads are wonderful there. Thanks to the dairy industry, nearly all of the "back roads" are paved for the milk trucks!

WI looks like nirvana. One of the magazines I design is a dairy industry trade pub, so I'm working on a proposal for my company to fund me on a ~week-long dairy bike tour to stock up on our stock photography. I'd like to start on the west side of WI and then work my way up and over to our associate editor's family farm in the upper peninsula. Still working out logistics, but the idea would be to jump in and help work a few hours at each farm in exchange for dinner, shower and a spot to set up camp in their yard.

[rydesteel]

Common water snake nothing to much to worry about that far North. A few rattlers but no Cottonmouths. Largest Common I've caught was well over 4' long. We fish in MO during the summer on a small river you'd enjoy Steve called the Big Piney, smallmouth, linesides and goggleyes. Most of it is 50yds wide or less sand and gravel bottom crystal clear (it has Cottonmouths I don't catch them). Looks like you had a good time the Mississippi is still pretty high here.

[caleb]

Good luck with that. I have the frickin' things in Isabella. Even had one in Dumbell lake try to sneak in the boat up the trolling motor.

Have fun in the boundary waters. I (probably a bad idea) put in for the moose hunt this year in a BWCA zone. We most likely won't win the lottery, but I am already dreading the possibility of portaging out a moose in a canoe.

Really?! A big water snake in a real, clean Minnesota lake?!

Oh no. I might have to stop swimming forever. Muskies, leeches, and snapping turtles are all fine, but snakes give me the willies.

As for the moose permit, good luck. As long as you bone it out on the spot and leave the hide I've heard it's not too bad. And, we only get one chance, so ... you can do anything once.

PS. Last summer I noticed a guy in Two Harbors riding a new red Pinarello Prince. Would that by chance have been you?

[caleb]

Common water snake nothing to much to worry about that far North. A few rattlers but no Cottonmouths. Largest Common I've caught was well over 4' long.

When you say "caught," what do you mean? Will they bite on a lure or bait? Or did you snag it?

[maunahaole]

Really?! A big water snake in a real, clean Minnesota lake?!

Oh no. I might have to stop swimming forever. Muskies, leeches, and snapping turtles are all fine, but snakes give me the willies.

As for the moose permit, good luck. As long as you bone it out on the spot and leave the hide I've heard it's not too bad. And, we only get one chance, so ... you can do anything once.

I was swimming in Folsom Lake once in California and I look up and about eight feet away from me in the water there is a 3-4'rattlesnake swimming. Lots of rattlesnakes around there, but this was the first time I had seen one in the water.

[rydesteel]

When you say "caught," what do you mean? Will they bite on a lure or bait? Or did you snag it?

Caught, as in gently pinned it down, then grasped it behind the head and picked it up. One of the largest snakes I have held that I have personally caught in the wild. Had a big Bull Snake hung around the Barns when I was a lad but I never got close enough to catch him though. He grew long and fat on the rats in the Hog Barns...quick too ;>).

[Too Tall]

Good luck with that. I have the frickin' things in Isabella. Even had one in Dumbell lake try to sneak in the boat up the trolling motor.

Have fun in the boundary waters. I (probably a bad idea) put in for the moose hunt this year in a BWCA zone. We most likely won't win the lottery, but I am already dreading the possibility of portaging out a moose in a canoe.

I hear that even boned/hide out you are still looking at 700 lbs of meat!!! Which is prob. my fav. game meat EVER. Good luck.

GARRO - Before college each yr. I spent 2 weeks in Quatico/Boundary Waters paddling. My partner was an guide and we went hard and long to get to places nobody had been except wildlife personnel. Such amazing beauty out there. LOVE those fish with teeth, we fished almost every day. HAAHAHA NO GPS back than, we made lots of navigation errors ;)