All right.
Oh, you want to do this?
You're going to back me in?
Do you want me to or do you want to
back down or what do you want to do?
Are you breaking back down or what
you're gonna have to do?
Back again. That's fine.
If that's all right.
Oh, okay.
If you want to back me up,
you know how to drive this one.
Oh, it's that side.
It's the shifter one, but you gotta
push buttons.
UGH
Alright, you can go ahead.
You're good.
This is all I, you know,
fit in an interview.
It pops in my brain every now and
then.
Oh yeah,
yeah, that was pretty crazy.
All that happened just like that.
That's nice.
Yeah.
No, me and Stroop bring it up every
once in a while, too.
We're like, I can't believe that
ever happened.
You know, that's just,
it doesn't happen, but it did.
This goofy wind.
A bunch of little ones and we threw
them back in the morning because we
thought it would be a good day and
then we got one more the rest of the
day.
And actually right where we were
fishing, just this last Sunday,
in the aim, we were right by the
green cans that are right here.
Well, that's what you said before,
right around the corner was a good
spot.
Yeah, they were in there big time.
Today's a lot better out here than
yesterday, whatever.
Yeah.
Oh yeah, for sure.
Do the storms, do they pick up
when they come across the lake or
do they get knocked down?
Most of the time, they split it.
They go around it.
Okay, they follow the land.
But not yesterday.
Yesterday, that was down foreign
something.
So we had two and a half inches grab
my house there.
We started driving through it all
the way in Eau Claire.
We basically were chasing the edge
of it in and out of it all the way
down.
Yeah Yeah
Boy, this water is really dirty from
yesterday.
I ain't gonna guarantee you we're
gonna catch anything in this.
Usually we like it a little dirty.
But this is, this is
dirty.
Yeah, because we can just go right
to here, and we don't have to travel
anywhere if you don't want to, it'd
be... It's up to you.
No, we can go
right here.
We didn't fish here that
day anyways.
We were all down that way.
Push through.
You got your, you got a fishing
license? Yeah.
Oh, okay.
All right.
Yeah, we used all my rods in
my, in Mikey Blanks.
We were in a tournament in his boat,
but we use all my rods because
they're, they're sensitive.
The Denali's are, they
were one of the best ones, I
believe, and then you can feel what
you actually got on.
Kind of like, kind of like the,
the last show.
You can pretty much call any fish
that you get that you got on
Gotta get some bids.
So many to choose from.
Is that fake champagne or is that
season gone?
You thought no
Should be windy enough today just
to use this instead of the bomb or
you know with the waves pushing you
should be
alright because usually
you want to use your kicker
when you're trolling cranks
so your battery don't die as
quick.
All right.
Did you ever use these boards
before?
No, the last time I used planer
boards was
probably trout fishing in Canada a
long time ago.
You want to seat up there?
You're moving
Like right now we're going two miles
an hour and that's usually at
this time of the year when
the water is warmer.
You want to go faster.
The colder the water it is,
the slower you go.
See, like in
the beginning of the year, when we
were out that last time,
we should.
We were going like 1, 2,
1, 3 with cranks.
That's what you want to be at, at
that time of year anyways.
Ah, okay.
Yeah, so you're out of
the sun at all times.
Excuse me one second, just one
second.
This was a good one.
Yeah, every year changes with
baits, but the
number seven minnows have
been my
favorite for the last couple years
for sure.
Yeah, go ahead. We'll do it again.
And that clicker is on your left,
no, this side,
yep, so they don't take it off,
so you don't burn out the, burn
out the gears.
Before he's out, I'll get you on
camera.
Go!
Nothing on there, right?
The board just tripped.
I'm just going to grab a
screwdriver.
Yeah, and that one you just, yep,
make sure you tickle it.
Yep, hold on, let me do this before
it gets bad.
Yeah, you always, always hold your
thumb on it, yep.
Alright, you're good with that one.
Yeah, the water's pretty chocolatey
today.
And you got to twist these three
times so the line stays tight
on top.
They always say when the water is
dark, put dark stuff
on.
But I really don't.
I think that's a wise tale in my
eyes, but because we always think
that that never really works
for me anyways.
It always spells a little back
there.
Yeah.
So you've been out here
casually, or is there such a
thing as casually?
Yeah, actually,
every day last week.
I was old.
I was all from Monday
to Sunday every day.
I'm a little little heated
yet from that.
Yeah, that was that was too much
heat
Yeah, and it was tough fishing,
actually right where we are now.
My dad and I, we did very well the
one day right here.
And then the next three days,
I didn't do
hardly anything.
And then I had one good day in the
mud.
I had four good
ones. And one was over 25.
And uh...
But then, of course, you go back
there on a tournament day, they
don't bite.
That's just what I'm bagging a
little.
It's hard to put two days together
in this, in this
system.
Even though the system is booming
really well, there's
a lot of,
a lot of little, you know, the tens,
tens to fourteens.
What the DNR really needs to do
is put a size limit
because last
week and in the tournament where we
were fishing there was a lot of
little local boats and
whatnot and they uh...
They were keeping all them we
were watching because we were right
next to them. They were keepin all
them real little ones and it's like
You don't get much off of them
anyways, but if they come out here
every day the week and keep three,
you know
Yeah, it's just sad.
And a lot of guys say the
tournament guys are the ones that
hurt this lake that is absolutely
false and wrong because
we're the ones who put them back and
then most of us fishermen we always
go to Lake Erie where they want
you to go and take them out, take
them all out, every size out,
there that's different you know
so you know and there's only,
yeah there's two tournaments
besides the local
bar tournaments but there's pretty
much two tournaments that
catch-and-release that's Wally Rican
and Winnebago Wally series
here so
Yeah, we should catch one.
So if you come out here, there's
no other boats. Is that a sign
of like, what are you doing out
here? Or is that just like, the
whole lake is yours?
Well, I like fishing around by
ourself, that's normally
what we do, what we try to do.
But yeah, like today,
we are pretty much by ourselves,
which is nice.
Oh shit, we're at 13 feet.
So is this the quietest?
Yeah, yeah,
so pretty much,
pretty much from here on out,
like this week and I'm holding, I'm
running a tournament out of Paula,
Paula's Pub and Grill in
Kalimantville.
And
And yeah, we just had
a bad incident the other day.
Actually, though, one of the owner's
husband, Joey,
passed away.
So that guy kind of screwed up
with the...
Yeah, I think it's going to be a
pretty slow day with
this water being pretty dirty like
this, but usually on Winnebago,
half a day is she's clear already.
Really? Oh yeah.
Is that because it's shallow or
because of the wave action?
Well, zebra
mussels, cleaning up, you know,
years ago we never had zebra mussel,
they came from whatever different
lake that were, you now, stuck
in the live wells or something and
got here.
That's why it's hard to fish
rockfish, that's why,
it's always nice to have.
You know, pods, little schools
of fish out in the mud to get also
for a backup plan.
Because if the rocks are, if it's,
but this year is a little different.
Actually a couple, a couple days we
were catching them and you could see
the bottom and you were still
catching them all eyes,
which is that never happens because
they see your boat and they scatter,
you know.
Keep your chart up to date.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Was there ever a time where you're
out here and you're like, you know,
I'm kind of sick of Winnebago, I
need something different.
I am already right now because
we started fishing already in the
beginning of April, you know,
and I think I had
two or
three, maybe three,
three weekends off this
whole summer of not
having to worry about this, you
know.
But also, we're going to,
so I got a tournament this weekend.
And then actually we have the
Voight and Gable Memorial
next weekend at Mariton Tap,
that bar that we went by.
Close to my house anyways and
that's
for
That's from my partner that passed
away last year, so we got that
one yet, and then we got the
battle on the bay, or the AIM
series yet, then battle on a bay,
and we go to Erie the
third weekend in September,
then we go back to Erie again on
the first weekend
of October.
Do you bring your boat back and
forth?
This one will be going September.
I'm leaving it there and then
bring it back and when we come back
and all Yeah, cuz I'm tolls
nowadays that used to be
That used to Be
Like 80 bucks for tolls
now, it's a hundred and eighty bucks
there and back it's
Don't let the axle.
Yeah, they really raised.
We've got one wagon behind us there.
Oh yeah that's a fish.
Good call.
Yeah, and these fish have been
pretty tricky this year.
Them sheep had it full, yeah.
But this one feels like it's pretty
decent.
I don't know if you can see my
insides there.
I'm going to bring it on this side.
If it's a walleye, it's going to be
a pretty decent one,
one that I wanted last Sunday.
Yeah, and the bass this year have
been crazy, but
smallmouth.
And that line is down,
pretty sure this is going to be a
good walleye.
Get that net extended.
Clicker, nope.
Hold on, hold on. Alright, see you.
Turn it.
Alright, I gotta take off the board
first.
Or can you do that for me?
That's two clips, right?
Just, yep,
just squeeze it.
Hasn't done anything yet.
It's just pulling all
muscle on this one.
Still got 27 feet to go yet.
Oh yeah, this is going to be a good
one buddy.
Okay, now you're gonna wanna get up
there.
Over here
You don't want to stand.
Stay on, stay on.
I know this one's acting kind of
weird now, but
it's okay. It's gonna be right here.
Oh my god get him
That's what we're fishing for, boys.
That's nice.
Oh my god.
So what was he doing right at the
end?
He was trying to get back down to
the bottom, he was trying to get off
and he darn near did.
But he was hooked right through the
hard part of the bone on the lip.
Yeah, that's.
I'll get them off and I want to
measure them up.
This is crazy.
Good net job.
I wanted to make sure I wasn't the
reason it didn't come in.
Jesus, now I'm shaking.
Little skinnier on this one
that usually they're a little bit
fatter so we got 21 and three
quarters
This one's going to go back in the
water.
Almost hit him, damn it,
damnit, wanted you to get that in
there.
Sorry. Fuck.
Got to wait for me.
He's a little eager.
Yeah. Oh, he's hanging there.
Yeah, hopefully it'll be all right.
It'll be good.
These that we were in last weekend,
that was long and skinny, them are
the ones we want.
Because it gets,
it gets measured
by length and then converted
into pounds.
Okay, but the walleye weekend was
a strict comment, right?
Yeah, Wally, we can stray pollens,
yep.
The AIM series is ran just like
Otter Street now with the camera and
the pictures, same
stuff.
I like it,
a lot of guys don't like it.
I like because you're
taking a picture and you're throwing them
back in right away.
They don't see you live well.
So it's gotta improve the ability
of Christmas to rock.
Yeah.
Cool.
Like 99% of it.
Come back out how light
and silvery they are, like for
a half second I didn't recognize it
as a walleye because my brain
was waiting for it to be darker.
Yeah, and actually a couple weeks
ago I was in the weeds up
north and
it looked, obviously
they change color,
but that must have been in
the weeds, or they live in the weed
because they were dark.
They looked like they came from
Chambers Island up in Green Bay.
Yeah, it actually looked like
a rock bass.
Pretty neat looking.
Not so slow, right?
What's that? Not so slo-
No, that ain't...
I'm sorry, that's...
I didn't think we were gonna get
anything being this dirty.
Okay, coming up.
Yeah, yeah.
I thought that emergency was gone
already.
No, no, it's not that bad.
Now if we were drinking,
we'd have to go back to the truck.
Try to figure something out.
It's kind of,
uh, no, I'll just.
All right, six pitch.
All right. I'll let me see if I
can try to figure something out real
quick for you.
You have work to work.
Times ninety
Oh yeah.
Yeah, from being out in the lake all
week last week, my lips got
sunburned like a,
they're a little sore.
Last time we were out with you all
day, both Ethan and I felt like we
had sunstroke the next day.
Did ya?
That whole night we were both like
still on the boat.
Yeah
Another decent one.
Not as big as that other one.
Yep, this one isn't fighting at all
yet, hasn't did anything,
so usually that's a good
sign that it's a walleye.
But the bigger ones, they like to
jerk a little bit when they're
out there yet.
I think I got a little one on my
middle board over there.
How long can you leave him out
there?
Yeah, we try to
bring in two at the same time,
because you always want to keep
tension on
the line.
Oh yeah, this is it.
Yeah, this one isn't as big as the
last one. It's feeling kind of weird
like a sheephead now.
But it is staying down, no,
it's acting like a sheep head.
Yep.
Oh, you don't have to have that, I
got that. You got it.
See it was hooked sideways so
that's why it was staying down and
until it gets to the bolt then it
starts jerking
and rolling.
It's on this little guy
Not very big.
So what's the proper order when
you're out here by yourself to do
all this?
Well you can only have three lines,
so if I'm by myself,
yeah and it's tough to net a fish,
by yourself,
my buddy or my other partner,
oh nope it was weeds.
My other buddy, Mikey Blank,
he likes fishing by himself,
I don't know why,
because I think it's boring in my
eyes,
but he
does pretty well by himself
and he nets the fish by himself.
I want to get a close-up of him.
I already have to stop, or
else I'm going to hit bottom.
We're good.
That's good, probably.
Yep, yep
Well, the only thing that's shad,
you see them in the ice, but other
than that, no.
I wish it would kill all the sheep
head.
Yeah, during the whole weekend, down
on the south end there, we were real
tight to shore.
And we were catching giant
sheephead, just, you know,
20 pounders.
It was insane.
That's pretty much all the kids were
fishing and catching the little kids
doing the canals in there.
Yeah.
There are a couple of masts, but
most of them are seatbelts.
Yeah.
Time is at air 212
how you can learn to follow your
boat.
Oh yeah yeah
this last week in here there was
there was guys uh perch jerking
yeah well you can tell
they were killing the sheephead
because there'd be there'd be
20 of them around there right all
the way around this boat they eat
just bitching
Yeah, they need to do, the DNR needs
to do something with them, things
right there.
They're killing off, they're eating
a lot of walleye that they claim
10 to 15 a
day.
Yep, and then my buddy's on the
other side of the point there,
down in there.
So the walleyes are feeding on the
minnows. There's shiners in here,
like, an enormous abundance.
It's stupid.
They watch them.
They come up right on shore, and
they watch them, and they just open
their mouth, and they just watch.
They're... They're fuckin' nuisance.
This lake is finally coming back,
like, it's gonna be
something.
But they need, like I said, they
need to put a size limit, a 15-inch
size limit on it, that they need
bring it back. It always was for
years, you know.
There's the whole chain that doesn't
have any of the...
I eat
Yeah, you mean nothing.
The rivers?
Yeah, yep, that's all it's all the
same until you go
up so far I think.
I don't know.
I never go up that far because I'm
not that type of a guy.
I'll catch fish out here.
Then I don't have to worry about
wrecking my motor on
logs and
That gets pretty pretty skinny and
shallow up there because
there was a turn I had to go up
there
But I'll never fish that one again.
So I'll have to guess what's going
on this year.
Oh my god it's
stupid i can't yeah we
can't keep up and
homeowner as well
a month and a half you're out on
doing repairs yeah because we only
have one guy that can do them
i said and i got two crews running
full fucking time i said i
i'm only one guy and i
said i'm not i'm, not the guy that
does that
I said I don't have time to.
Yeah,
well, part of that.
But the phone calls that come in
every day for me to go do an
estimate on rooks, it's...
Yeah, I did one this morning.
83 square house
caught up just
dormers and Shit,
I oh we counted them 23
different areas on this roof
that are dip all separated
Lake or what?
No,
it's by my shop in Holstein,
it is out in the country,
and two 70 year olds live there.
They called me up, or my son
went and did the hover for me.
And he goes, yeah, they want steel.
They want EDCO steel on here.
And so I got to the shop, went on
the computer, and I'm like,
no, I'm not doing this
bid. I'm going to call them and give
them a close.
So I called up the girl and
I said, OK, I
will do your estimate for
you, no problem.
But I'm gonna get you close to a
number by just looking at it,
not that you flip out or have a
heart attack.
It's going to take me a couple of
hours to do this.
She goes, what do you think?
I said, well, in between 90,000
to 120,000.
She goes yeah,
I was figuring about that.
And I'm like, oh, you were?
Okay. And she goes, well how much
would asphalt
be? I said about 60,000,
cut her in half. It's usually about
half on every job I do.
And...
She goes, oh boy, I better talk to
my husband about this one.
Can I call you tomorrow morning?
Meaning today.
Said, yep.
And she calls me up and
she goes, yep, we want steel.
Only steel.
Yeah, ended up being 105,000.
Yeah, she's
coming in Monday morning to pick out
a color.
That's crazy,
that's... That's insane.
This color's on fire, but it's...
Yeah, and I just went to Flea Farm
two days ago and I
bought two more of them kind.
Well, whatever it is, it's big.
Yeah.
Like, ain't even real.
The fish does not want to come over
this way at all.
I'm guessing it's hooked sideways or
something.
So I'm not even wheeling.
Yeah I can see it on the back.
Sheep head hooked sideways.
Yep, I started
wheeling a little bit faster.
See like this fish here, if I had
a partner in the boat, they would
be doing this.
Oh, it was your turn.
Ah, he's 25.
Flavor of people though.
You know who I'm talking about.
Yeah, they do that a lot.
I mean, that's fine.
What the hell's on here?
The action's starting to heat up a
little bit.
Thank you.
It's actin' funny.
It's not jerkin'.
Put around that hook on the spring.
Yeah, you're probably going to want
to get the net on this one.
Ah.
What the hell is this?
It's act it's acting
weird
But it is going down.
Or Northern, one of the two.
Is there a lot of Northern in here?
Or it's hooked sideways.
Whoa
No, it's cheap, man.
You're all good.
Oh, and I got both baits.
That's why it was like they
were fighting each other.
Hmm
Jesus
What was that?
Was that a hawk?
Wasn't it?
Yeah, it was hooked on my...
Can you grab your pick?
Yeah, I've
never had that happen before.
That was crazy.
Come back.
That's it!
What the hell are you doing you're
gonna get fucked oh
man
Gahhh
This is this is not good
Ah, fuck!
Shoot, shoot, shoot!
Now we're getting a mess.
Did you get all that?
You've got to be shitting me.
You'll never see that again.
I guarantee you that.
That's never happened to me since I
was born.
That's crazy!
And that's why I came up with this
surface.
So I'm really excited.
Wow.
Did you see that thing look at us?
Oh, that was fast!
That was mean
Oh my god,
them boys are going to shit tonight.
Yeah.
Oh my, you can't make this shit up.
Get up. What?
Get off.
Every time we come out here.
Oh my god.
I don't even...
Okay, I'm going to put these rods
away because we're good, right?
Oh, he's got your bait on it.
Yeah, the bait's on her, yeah.
Hey
You gotta be shittin' me.
It's like a kite!
Yeah, I'm just going to say that, it
looks like a kite.
He needs an advertising.
Holy...
What a little streamer,
game-opening.
Holy shit.
Can I get a good shot of that?
Come here, bro.
That's crazy
a goose or a crane.
He's got it right in his tail end.
He's a shiny guy now.
I was trying to rip it open.
No, that's gonna suck,
especially when he lands, he's gonna
know it.
What was that that one?
Station should have.