An Outdoorsman’s Journal – 1-27-2016

An Outdoorsman’s Journal – 1-27-2016

Walleye on Metonga

Hello friends,

This week’s field/lake work took place on Forest Counties, Lake Metonga. Lake Metonga covers just under 2200-acres, has a maximum depth of 79-feet and is highly respected for quality in the size and numbers department of it’s perch, walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass.

 

Friday, January 15th
High 26, low minus 12

Until today, I had never seen Metonga, which on its north end borders Crandon. I am a lucky guy and had my good buddy, Edward Smith, who owns Northwood’s Insurance Agency which is located right in Crandon as a major helper on where to put my Eskimo ice shack.

At this point people still were not driving trucks on Metonga, so I would be hauling all of my gear behind my 4-wheeler in a 9-foot enclosed trailer.

There was a sense of urgency for me as I only had about two hours of daylight left and one heck of a cold spell was just hours away from hitting my home on Metonga.

Our camp would be by itself, in other words, no neighbors and the first thing I did was pull out my Jiffy “Pro 4” drill three holes and put out 3 tip ups for walleye.

Then I went to work building a camp, which is a pretty good, sized job. I said “our” camp because my old buddy Jeff Moll would show up soon after the work was done for a weekend on the ice as well.

So it is dark, I have not had a flag and Ed who is in his shack about 400-yards away is texting that he is catching some walleye.

Then magic happened and I noticed I had a flag on my tip up that was only 20-feet from my cabin on the lake, even better yet, the line was being steadily pulled out at a slow but steady pace.

When I set the hook a good fight took place and soon after I iced an extremely FAT 21.5-inch walleye, I was so happy I felt like doing a cartwheel.

Minutes after every bit of work was completed I got the call from my buddy Moll that he needed his taxi to come and get him.

Jeff and I visited with Ed in his shack and then went to camp and put out Jeff’s 3 tip ups. What happened between 7:00 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. was a classic for Jeff and I. We caught four more walleye with the smallest being 20.5 inches and at 1:00 a.m I caught a very obese 28-inch northern pike.

Mr. Moll was highly energetic tonight and we laughed a lot.

Saturday, January 16th
High 3, low minus 14 “lots a wind”

Jeff and I gave catching “eyes” and “gators” our full attention during daylight hours and the weather was brutal (spit froze when it hit the ice). We did not come close to catching a fish, that is, until the sun said bye, bye!

This night was a true classic, we listened to the Packers and the Cardinals from inside of the shack and every time we thought we could warm up, another light on a tip up told us that we were wrong.

We iced 5-walleye with the smallest being 19.5 inches and the largest being 23.5.

The next day the high was minus 2. My 4-wheeler would not start so we hiked a mile to our trucks. Jeff’s Suburban would not start and had to be left in Crandon and we were the first “yahoos” to drive a truck on Metonga this winter. Since we had our “lets sink a truck hats on” we hooked my trailer to the truck, loaded the ATV and 5000-pounds of gear into it and drove off Metonga with a, “we just had a great weekend in subzero conditions smile” on both of our faces.

I promise you this. Unless I die soon, I will be back to Metonga! Sunset

THIS WEEK’S COLUMN IS SPONSORED BY: Hiawatha National Bank