Wisconsin 2004

Arriving to Torrey

Seth and Mom working Torrey

Mom, Mandi, Seth, and I got to Kubley's on Saturday, Sept. 18th, and went to work immediately. Mandi finally saw her first 'ski, even though it was just a little guy. Way to go, Suick--once again you didn't fail. Wayne, Dan, Andy, and Brad joined us later that evening and we got the gear ready for Mason / Evergreen.

1 2

1) Another pic of Mom and Seth

2) I broke the seal with the first 'ski of the week

Mason/Evergreen

Fished hard, hardly saw fish. There are pics somewhere from this day, but what the hell, we got skunked. Have to wait till next year for Seth and Mandi's 'skis, as they left for home later that afternoon.

An interesting note: Seth lost his cell phone at Mason/Evergreen, and it just so happened that a South Dakotan from the DNR was also fishing the lake and found it. He saw a number on it and knew the area code was South Dakotan, so he brought it back to Sioux Falls with him. Seth was pretty happy to go only 15 miles from his house to pick up his phone.

Superior Day

Dan with his first Superior fish, a Chinook--he had many more to catch.

Superior was up next--beautiful weather (low 70's) and beautiful fish. Dan-O led the way with 3 Chinook, and our guides kept us on fish all day. I believe we caught a total of 10 fish (2 steelheads thrown back).

Wayne isn't satisfied with just catching fish--he scales them before getting them in the boat!

My only Chinook of the trip

Beauty of a Brown

End-O-the-day Steelhead

Final Score: 2 Splake, 1 Brown, 5 Chinook

What a day!

Solberg Lake for Drymal-'skis and Korzan-'skis

View from our shore lunch beach

Muskie day was next, and Solberg was the lake. Andy (the Guide) and I in one boat, Brad, Wayne, and Dan in the other. The day started slowly--a sub-legal 'ski was all between the 2 boats until 4:00pm. A front was on the way in, and our luck was about to turn. I lost a nice-sized fish when I failed to reef on my suick when the fish hit--I pulled it slowly to the boat, but it stayed down, went under the boat, and eventually just let go. Couldn't even get it up for a look-see. The guide prophetically said, "If you have anything hit the sucker, I want you to set the hook with all the anger you have from missing that beautiful fish."

15 minutes later, further down the shore, the sucker bobber plunged under the water, and with a huge reef on the rod this time (making up for my sissy one just minutes before), I had a nice fish on the line, pulling out drag and putting up a nice fight. The guide expertly netted the fish and gave me the numbers--39 inches (a nice slab of fish!).

Minutes later, the other boat skimmed up to us, and Brad asked if we had a first-aid kit. He showed us his finger--a huge slash was in his thumb. About 30 minutes before my 'ski, Wayne had pulled in a 42 inch 'ski on his sucker. Wow--two (almost 3) great 'skis in about 30 minutes. And Wayne caught his first keeper muskie--and what a beauty!! Just like that, Wayne wins the biggest-fish-of-the-trip award.