Good times in Sawyer County
An Outdoorsman’s Journal
Mark Walters sponsored by
435
Hello friends, This week I am writing to you about an annual trip to Sawyer County where I ice fish and generally have a blast with six friends. Before I go any further I would like to thank Ken and Cheryl Olson who have opened up their summer home to us for at least 15 years for this annual expedition.
Ken Olson recently passed away and Ken was a man that was respected by everyone who knew him. For many of the guys I am about to write about, he was the leader of their deer camp, a leader in the Birchwood area and far beyond.
Friday, Jan. 8 High 31, Low 22
This is one of those stories that had a lot happen, so I will have to be vague to get it into the space that I have. My stepson Joey Dushek and I drive up from Necedah. Ryan Ransom takes the same roads and is from Black River Falls. Paul Bucher comes from an hour west, Cumberland, and Ron Wesoloski and Preston Johnson both live in Rice Lake. Chris Schiefelbein rounds out our crew and lives on the lake we would be fishing.
A lot of these guys grew up together in Black River Falls so this party, I mean fishing trip, is like a class reunion and it sounds like they had a lot of fun growing up.
Chris Schiefelbein was playing it Covid safe, so he spent the weekend fishing out the door of his Chevy pickup and 100-percent jamming out to classic rock while catching fish.
Ron Wesoloski is with Eskimo and, besides Bucher’s shanty on wheels, had an incredibly nice pop-up shack for us to fish in. This shack is one of Eskimo’s newer models and is big, light and very easy to set up.
Five of us hung out in it Friday night while fishing crappies and I even had a table set up to cook chicken, venison steak and fried potatoes.
During the day Friday we fished out of the shacks and had really good luck on 9-11 inch perch. Tonight it was 9-11 inch crappie with a couple close to a foot. So how the heck can that not be fun?
Chris had a good friend that put up a permanent shack up next to ours that he wanted me to meet. Tonight I spent some time in the shack that Cody Rurup built and was fishing in it with his 5-year-old son Brody and 3-year-old Cole. This sleeper shack was as intelligently built as any I have ever seen and spending time with Cody and his sons reminded me of 20 years ago when I had Kevin, Travis and Joey on the ice with their sister Selina.
We fished hard until after midnight and also laughed very hard.
Saturday, Jan. 9 High 30, Low 24
I might make it sound like we are a bunch of clowns, but these guys are the best fishermen that I spend time with in a year’s time. They are technological, have a gofor- it attitude and fish a lot.
Today we spent the day chasing perch and it was a full and very good day. We literally did not take the time for any form of lunch break. What we did was fish and fish hard. At dark we headed back to Paul’s shack. Though the crappie action was slow, it was steady and they were big. Paul Bucher has the Saturday night meal each year and he cooked brats from Louie’s Finer Meats out of Cumberland. People from all over the planet are aware when I say this, get your meat from Louie’s. It is incredible. At about midnight brats and beans kept us on the ice until after 2 a.m.
Here are a couple of hot tips. “Demons” are an ice fishing jig. If you only have one jig in your box it should be a Demon. Beaver tail is the other tip. Joey has been trapping beaver and using pieces of the tail to put a hurting on the panfish this winter.
Back to Ken Olson, our good friend who passed away this fall. If every American was half as wise and good as Ken was, this country would not have near the problems it currently has.
My guess is we will all be back in a year and we will cook, laugh and probably even catch fish!
Sunset
On the trails
_ Don’t drink and ride.
_ Stay on marked trails and routes.
_ Always stay to the right side of the trail, especially in corners. The trails are public. Never ride like there is no one else coming.
_ Come to a complete stop at all stop signs and road crossings and yield to motor vehicle traffic. When stopped, look both ways and cross only when it’s safe.
_ Always wear your helmet and safety gear.
_ Use extra caution at night. When traveling at night, operate at reasonable speeds as to not overdrive what headlights can illuminate, such as trail markers or hazards. Remember that there is a 55 mph speed limit at night.
_ Travel with a friend, carry a cell phone and let people know where you are going and when you’ll return home.
_ Dress appropriately and carry a first-aid kit and navigation tools.
_ Take a snowmobile safety course. Visit the DNR Safety Education webpage (https://dnr.wisconsin. gov/Education/OutdoorSkills/safetyEducation) for details and to locate a class or take an online course.
Ice safety
The DNR does not monitor local ice conditions or the thickness of the ice. Local bait shops, fishing clubs and resorts serve winter anglers every day and often have the most up-to-date information about ice thickness on local lakes and rivers, as well as areas that are especially dangerous.
_ Remember that ice is never completely safe under any conditions.
_ Contact local sports shops to ask about ice conditions locally.
_ Wear proper clothing and equipment, including a life jacket or a float coat to help stay afloat and slow body heat loss.
_ Do not travel in unfamiliar areas.
_ Slow down when traveling at night.
_ Know if the lake has inlets, outlets or narrows with currents that can thin the ice.
_ Watch out for pressure ridges or ice heaves. These can be dangerous due to thin ice and open water.
