I got lured up to WI by the promise of wish. Jon sent out a PM and I was certain it would be a good day for getting fish in the freezer. I climbed into bead and looked at the clock, the alarm was set. My wife wakes me and points to the clock at 5:45....I was going to leave the house at 5:00. She set the alarm to get my daughter up, not me! Gahhhh.... I scramble and PM unirdna to let him know I'm a little late. My intent was to get to unirdna's about 8:30 - 9:00, but I got there at 9:30.
As unirdna and I were getting ready at the lake I got a call from Jon. He was getting out of the water. Jon got in at 8:30 and got out at 10:00. The report was, no fish. NO FISH! I just drove 3.5 hours for no fish and Jon is done and heading home!?! Are you kidding me! unirdna's report of good vis turned out to be low vis as the winds were whipping. Holy carp!
Unirdna fired up a boat and we went scouting. I noticed a patch of seaweed floating and suggested that we jump and look for Mahi under it. Unirdna didn't think there would be any uner the 2' round patch....and in fresh water....
We went to the east end of the lake and the water looked awesome. But no weeds to hunt. So we went to a high spot in the middle of the lake. It was like a 12' tall kelp forest on a cobble stone hill. Many Buffalo Carp hanging around. I was weilding my 55cm OMER Cayman. I shot a big buffalo unirdna and I guesstimated to be about 35lbs. It was fat.
We left that spot for a shallow spot on the west end. The vis was clearing up fairly quick. Still no fish though. I still have trouble ID-ing fish, so I was following a Walleye making sure it wasn't a perch (can't shoot Walleye, can Perch though). The Walleye heads left and I see a MASSIVE outline of a carp on the edge of visibility. As I decided from what unirdna has told me, this fish is to big to be a Perch in this lake I look back to the big carp. It's bigger than the buffalo I shot earlier. This thing was 45lbs...maybe 50lbs. I'm still armed with my 55cm gun with just 1 wrap on the shooting line. I had drifted in close and still not pointed the gun at the fish. It started moving off slowly. By the time I got my gun in the general direction it was moving away. I missed my opportuity. I'm still kicking myself.
We went to one more spot. We say a bunch of Walleye camped on the bottom and some Drum. Then a 10lb Carp came sliding by about 6 feet away. With a quick draw and little aiming, I pointed the spear tip at the carp's gills. Done. Right in it's spine, stoned it. It's not Oceans in Action II type fish, but it did the same manuever. Once quick flutter towards the surface, then a death spiral to the bottom. It took a bit of work for the fish to give up the spear! It was into the spine good.
One more shot on a Drum, to end the day.... Brand new spear tip, first time it's been in the water.... Done great all day.... Last shot of the day.... Hit a rock and bent the tip! Unirdna let me use a vice to get it straight, but I still have to grind a point back on it.
No pan fish, but still I had a good time. Unirdna is fun to hunt with just like the rest of the Wisconsin guys here, always a good time. A friend here in Peoria wants me to bring him home a smaller Buffalo next time. I'll have to bring one back for my mother-in-law too.
I'm hoping to get to WI again next weekend. Not holding out a lot of hope for panfish though.
As unirdna and I were getting ready at the lake I got a call from Jon. He was getting out of the water. Jon got in at 8:30 and got out at 10:00. The report was, no fish. NO FISH! I just drove 3.5 hours for no fish and Jon is done and heading home!?! Are you kidding me! unirdna's report of good vis turned out to be low vis as the winds were whipping. Holy carp!
Unirdna fired up a boat and we went scouting. I noticed a patch of seaweed floating and suggested that we jump and look for Mahi under it. Unirdna didn't think there would be any uner the 2' round patch....and in fresh water....
We went to the east end of the lake and the water looked awesome. But no weeds to hunt. So we went to a high spot in the middle of the lake. It was like a 12' tall kelp forest on a cobble stone hill. Many Buffalo Carp hanging around. I was weilding my 55cm OMER Cayman. I shot a big buffalo unirdna and I guesstimated to be about 35lbs. It was fat.
We left that spot for a shallow spot on the west end. The vis was clearing up fairly quick. Still no fish though. I still have trouble ID-ing fish, so I was following a Walleye making sure it wasn't a perch (can't shoot Walleye, can Perch though). The Walleye heads left and I see a MASSIVE outline of a carp on the edge of visibility. As I decided from what unirdna has told me, this fish is to big to be a Perch in this lake I look back to the big carp. It's bigger than the buffalo I shot earlier. This thing was 45lbs...maybe 50lbs. I'm still armed with my 55cm gun with just 1 wrap on the shooting line. I had drifted in close and still not pointed the gun at the fish. It started moving off slowly. By the time I got my gun in the general direction it was moving away. I missed my opportuity. I'm still kicking myself.
We went to one more spot. We say a bunch of Walleye camped on the bottom and some Drum. Then a 10lb Carp came sliding by about 6 feet away. With a quick draw and little aiming, I pointed the spear tip at the carp's gills. Done. Right in it's spine, stoned it. It's not Oceans in Action II type fish, but it did the same manuever. Once quick flutter towards the surface, then a death spiral to the bottom. It took a bit of work for the fish to give up the spear! It was into the spine good.
One more shot on a Drum, to end the day.... Brand new spear tip, first time it's been in the water.... Done great all day.... Last shot of the day.... Hit a rock and bent the tip! Unirdna let me use a vice to get it straight, but I still have to grind a point back on it.
No pan fish, but still I had a good time. Unirdna is fun to hunt with just like the rest of the Wisconsin guys here, always a good time. A friend here in Peoria wants me to bring him home a smaller Buffalo next time. I'll have to bring one back for my mother-in-law too.
I'm hoping to get to WI again next weekend. Not holding out a lot of hope for panfish though.
