As the most popular seasons for fishing approach it’s important to scope out the hot spots early on. Some of the public places can be an excellent place to bring home a good catch, but the big fish are usually well hidden. Green Lake, Wisconsin is a town close to where I grew up and where my father always took me fishing. I won’t give away any of his personal hot spots on the lake, but here is my good as gold fishing spot.
Before you go:
The first thing you need to have is a fishing license. There are a few different options in Wisconsin depending on your age. An adult fishing license that is good for one year will cost $20.00. If you are 16 or 17-years-old you will only need a junior’s license which will cost $7.00. The same price ($7) applies to senior citizens (65 and older). If you are under 16-years-old you do not need to purchase a fishing license. Couples (Husband and Wife) can purchase a set for $31.00 with proof of marriage. Those are just the general fishing license pricings. There are also specialty licenses that you can purchase that will range on age of the individual, duration of license, and intended fish type. http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/cs/restypes.asp will provide you with a detailed list of all the license types and regulations in the state of Wisconsin.
Now that you have your license you need to prepare yourself for a good long day of fishing. Make sure to bring your fishing license, driver’s license, and boat registration if you are boating. All of these things can be requested by your local DNR and you can be fined if they are not within your possession. You will need a minimum of one pole strung with sinkers, a hook, and a bobber if desired. Don’t forget the bait, whether you are using a lure or insect of some kind (typically a worm). You should also bring a stringer and/or cooler to put your catch in.
That is simply the bare minimum essentials. There are many other options to take along that will be a little more luxurious. A book to read to pass the time, some food to munch on, a flotation device for your personal safety, plenty of water to stay hydrated, a tackle box filled with additional supplies for fishing, and a sweater or blanket in case the weather changes on you. For this particular spot, and many others, make sure you bring some kind of bug repellant. My Nana used to say I’m Irish so my blood must be sweet because I get attacked by mosquitoes like crazy.
To the hot spot:
Now that you have the proper licensing and the proper equipment to begin this fishing expedition I’ll clue you in on to where my secret spot is. When you are going into green lake on Lakeview Road, take a left on Horner until you can’t go straight anymore. There will be plenty of grass to park your car on, and no one is every around to issue a ticket or wonder why your vehicle will be parked there. Walk straight through the small wooded area until you reach the shore. You could swim here, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you walk about 50yards to your left you’ll see a place where there used to be a dock. The dock must have fallen off into the water many years ago. This is a great place for the big fish to hide. Try and drop your line as close to the edge of the underwater habitat and lure the big fish out. Don’t try to cast your way in, either you’ll tangle yourself up, or you’ll hook a big one and the fish will do it for you. I’ve lost many a hooks, sinkers, and lures, trying to get a fish out. It’s so time consuming to re-tie everything on your line and begin again that it just isn’t worth it to me.
Other fisherman will tell you to go to Sand Bluff Stone. This is about 2 miles away from this spot, and that’s alright fishing, but they don’t know about this spot. My Dad would pull me out of school every year on my Birthday and we could do anything. I’d always suggest fishing and he was thrilled ( I think he wanted boys but instead got three girls). We stumbled upon this spot while just driving around with our vanilla ice cream after getting skunked (not catching anything) all day. We cast just to try it out and who would have thought that we’d catch something right away! No one should get skunked on their Birthday.
Licensing information found on www.dnr.state.wi.us.org
