Mud Ducks

Hello everyone, I grew up in Northern Wi in Rice Lake. I like the Packers, Favorite food is Cheese Curds from Ellsworth and Honey Weiss, oh yeah did I mention I probably carry a few extra pounds. So how do you people come up with calling a guy with minnesota plates a mud duck. I can take a lot of sh– and I like to give it but I still wonder how you people managed to come up with something so stupid? Anyway I wanted to say that I would like to see this site grow in the Northern Wisconsin area and was wondering what we could do about this. Seems the post are not coming in and are not seeing a variety of different people responding. I am not pointing any fingers just wondering what we can do to help. Its nice when you come to the area to know what is going on. Thanks feel free to pm me if you have any ideas. Tight lines #5

I can’t answer the duck question. For years, I didn’t even know what that meant. Now that I do………..well, I still understand it’s origin…………I’m just glad I didn’t start it.

Glad to hear from somebody from that neck of the woods! My family has a cabin south of Bruce about 7-8 mi. in the township of Big Bend (just north of Island Lake township). I do some fishing up that way but not having stellar results on many outings, I’ve leaned towards other areas.

My observations so far have been this:

I think a lot of WI people don’t want anyone coming to their lakes. Seriously……….it’s a privacy thing. In some areas, the fishing really stinks and there’s still high numbers of meat hunters looking to fill a well or bucket. With results not being like “the good ol’ days”, I think they fear that there will be no fish left for them AND that there quiet little fishing hole will become crowded. Well……………..when not in the practice of C&R, secrecy seems to be the best defense.

I’ve had trouble getting info from locals and finding regular participants here on the WI forum has been like hunting pheasants north of Hwy 70! If there’s any around, there’s not many! The biggest participants I’ve seen here are either in the fishing business or people like me who travel to frequent these waters, and don’t get much time to really figure them out. Therefore, the info is sporadic and inconsistant for the bulk of this area. We have some great contributors around and I think we’ll grow over time, but for now, we’re a rare bunch.

The biggest way to make a difference on this forum is to just be a contributor on it. If you’ve got something to share, share it. Hopefully, with C&R pics and somebody else having a great day because of our input, we’ll warm some more souls up to the willing level of sharing a few tidbits. I’m going to be focusing a lot of my time up that way this year to help the forum out. I think we’ve got the ‘sippi, Croix, and other popular big waters decently covered, but we need to get WI more involved………..and it’ll all start with ourselves, giving and sharing and encouraging each other as we’re able to cough the info up.

The biggest thing is getting each other to realize that C&R guys won’t hurt the weekend warrior none. Growing the fish in bigger, better, healthier numbers for more to enjoy! Good luck in your efforts! We’ll see you here!

regarding the wisconsin people. I think “the kid” is right when talking about tight lipped people in this area. I think it is a love hate relationship as far as the WI people and the MN people. I live in Polk county and work in Burnett county, I also fish lakes in these counties hard, as well as the northern Croix.
Not being able to take a left turn on a friday afternoon in Siren in the summer is frustrating, that is when you hear all the four letter words coming out of the locals mouths including mud ducks, and even more popular swampies.
Bottom line is that people think that the lakes are being “raped” every weekend by Mn people
With that in mind is the thought of how business could survive up here without the tourism $$$$—–give and take i guess.
The way I deal with it is to fish during the week, pretty much have any lake without a resort on it to yourself, if fishing on the weekend, in the summer I am on the lake at five and off by 10—–before the skiers get out.

Give and Take that’s all, I am still glad I live here and “everyone else ” has to drive two hours to get “here”

I’ve spent a lot of time in the past 5 or so years on the lakes around the Polk & St Croix counties. I’ve never had anyone not share information when I’ve asked. I think what may impact this more is that alot of people don’t seem to ask. I’d say maybe 5% of the people that I troll or drift past will say something other than good morning. If I ask them how they are doing, most will tell me not only how they are doing, but also what they are using and where. Maybe it’s just that I’ve been told that I’m real easy to talk to, but I doubt it. There have actually been in a situation where I have to excuse myself in order to keep fishing. So I think it’s probably a two way street. We shouldn’t think that people need to volunteer the info, and maybe we just need to ask.
Just my .02$.
Steve

Hey Kid, I was reviewing the replies and got a bright idea I think wouldhelp this Wisconsin forum. I have connections to employees that work at The Bear Paw and Rainbow in Rice Lake. These people not only talk to the fisheman but put their share of time on the water also. Maybe I could ttalk them into a weekly report as to things going on in the area. I will also say that most of the time people are very friendly and respectful of one another. I have run into exactely the opposite though, I think our licence plates and boat Registation are made of neon. I Strongly believe in C&R and would like to remind residents that many meat hunters are probably not coming to that area, you have more conservative limits on almost every major lake I fish in the RL area. That is good to see them protecting the future and maintaining a balance to the fishery. I also urge people to give information that they are comfotable with, you will notice that this site has brought many of us down south better friends. Tight lines #5

In light of tourism dollars, it should interest your friends at Bear Paw and the Rainbow. Info here draws interest and interest = HERE WE COME!

Talk to everyone you can! I’d bring my business their way but I get no info on the area………………know what I mean? It’s quite universal that way.

I’ll be up that way quite a bit this summer so I’ll just keep doing what I can to carry the torch and spread the word!

Good idea #5. You & I must be on the same wave-length. Maybe it’s because I am also a mud duck. Only I’m a MN transplant now going on my 14th year as a WI resident! If I get time in the next couple days I’ll give Gen a call at the baitshop in Amery & see if she can give me an updated report for that area.