I wonder if I locked my truck doors.

(Photo courtesy Blue Ribbon Files)
Wisconsin Fishing Club, Ltd.
http://www.wisconsinfishinclub.com
Our 46th Year
January 9, 2012

Since the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel didn’t print our meeting press release, we only had one welcomed guest.

FISH REPORTS

Mark Krmpotich recently has fished local waters. Jerry Opicka and Treasurer Dan Freheirr fished Fox Lake, in Dodge County. Both members caught crappies, bluegills and a few perch.

Surprisingly for this time of the year, our anglers were fishing Lake Michigan and with good success. German brown trout were in 25- to- 30- feet of water off the Milwaukee breakwalls. Also fishing the big lake was Dan Day who used white jelly plastics on jigs to take his brown trout.

A fine out-of-state fishing report was given by a member who fished Pigeon Fords in Tennessee. He caught 25 trout.

Secretary Larry read the minutes from the last meeting of 2011. They were approved as read.

Treasurer Dan said we have $1,464.93 in our checking account. His report was also approved.

A member brought up the idea of our club taking about ten disabled vets fishing every year. Per President Cliff, Gary Gerdman had originally brought up this fine idea. The membership present voted to pursue this agenda and a committee will be formed.

President Cliff stated that he is changing our meeting dates from two to one per month. This was met with immediate opposition by Secretary Larry who said he can’t do that without discussing this with the Board of Directors. After some discussion, a member asked some questions about the procedure for a member bringing up having one meeting a month. He was told that he must bring it up at the new business portion of a Board of Directors meeting. The member missed the word “Board” and proceeded to push through a present membership vote at this general membership meeting. While it appeared there were members who favored dropping to only one meeting per month, this vote was advisory at best. There was no advisory vote held for staying at two meetings per month. We will again bring up this topic at our upcoming, month away, February 13 Board meeting to be held an hour before our next general membership meeting .

Wayne Avery, our Kids Fishing Clinic Coordinator for both WFC and the statewide WCSFO, went over what was needed and who would do what for our upcoming Kids Ice Fishing Clinic at Wilson Park.

President Cliff handed out the fish contest prizes for our 2011 contest. Two officers fared well as did two general members.

President Cliff had a first place yellow perch by catching a 14½” perch from Green Bay.

Vice President George took first place in crappies with a nice 13½” black crappie from Crescent Lake.

Member Al Hutchinson boated a 44½” musky from Oconomowoc Lake for 1^st place

Member Tim Lowrey landed a 1^st place, 34” northern pike from the Onion River. Many members will recall that this trout stream was rebuilt just below Plymouth a few years ago, and the coverage was shown by past speaker Dan Small on Outdoor Wisconsin on PBS.

President Cliff asked that more members participate in the contest in 2012. Hopefully, we will give this contest more internal public relations in 2012.

Strikemaster , http://strikemaster.com,   has bibs for $95.00 and a jacket for $95.00 on their site.

Guide Andy Stuth, cell 920-554-2665, website: http://doorcountycharter.com, was our guest speaker. He talked on white fishing through the ice in Sturgeon Bay.

Stuth has made a few updates from his past talk, as he continually refines his techniques and tackle. He’s had success with a #12 Mosquito fly within 1 foot of the bottom. Some of his customers are using jigs upside down. The jigs are tipped with waxworms. He has another rig using a slip sinker below the jig. The sinker creates the action and sound, and the jig catches the fish.

Andy uses 5# PowerPro (braided) line, http://www.powerpro.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/power_pro_v2.html, with a 2# fluorocarbon leader. Others use a 4# fluorocarbon leader. He finds that there are days when heavier line produces fewer fish. Braided line makes for quicker hook sets.

When using Swedish Pimples, http://www.swedishpimple.com, he adds waxworms. Red is always popular. On the effective scud flies, he does not add waxworms.

An HT Enterprises, http://www.icefish.com/catalog/inventory.php?fam=112, rod with a flimsy tip and a strong backbone helps to set the hook and tire the fish.

When fishing for white fish feeding on zebra mussels, fish in about 50-60 feet of water near an underwater hill. Last year, he stated that white fish feeding on gobies are shallower. Walleyes are in the shallower water too.

The limit is 10 white fish, and there is no size limit. He recommends keeping the fish that are at least 17” long.

Respectively submitted,

Larry Van Veghel

WFC & WCSFO Secretary and Media Director & U.S. Navy vet

http://www.examiner.com/x-15565-Milwaukee-Fishing-Examiner