Reeling in Bluegill, Bass & Lifelong Bonds in the Northwoods
Rolling through the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin, the kids were quiet for the first time since we left home in Chicago, suburban kids awed to silence by the forest seeming to stretch away forever in every direction from the narrow two-lane.
But the silence ended with a cheer when we reached the century-old one-lane bridge to Miscauno Island, clattering across its wood-plank deck to the Four Seasons Island Resort, our getaway destination.
We were here to give fishing a try – Wisconsin being a prime location for pursuit of every kind of freshwater game fish, especially in the pristine Menominee River that surrounds Miscauno Island — but more importantly this was a family outing. "Canoes!" shouted Brian, who at seven is still in a rugged wilderness explorer phase.
"And pontoon boats!" answered 10-year-old Cecilia. Both of these water conveyances came into view as we exited the bridge and the resort opened up around us.
"And shady nooks to sit in and read," my wife, Ellen, observed, approvingly.
My attention was drawn to the well-tended fairway lain out in front of the resort, part of a nine-hole course wending its way around roughly two-thirds of the approximately 100-acre island. I had brought clubs in addition to fishing equipment and was glad of it.
The Four Seasons lodge itself was the very picture of vintage charm, not surprising in that it was built in 1925 following a fire that destroyed an even earlier lodge built in 1905 by the Wisconsin and Michigan Railroad. In fact, rumors abound that the resort was a one-time retreat of dangerous Chicago gangster Al Capone, who was known to frequent the area in Prohibition times.
But we encountered nothing but friendly faces from the staff throughout our stay, and that included sumptuous meals in the beautiful wood-paneled dining room warmed by an attractive fireplace; brunch on the veranda looking out over the grounds; dips in the comfortable indoor, salt-water pool; play time in the game room; and relaxing in the snug library just of the lobby, perfect for rainy- or snowy-day reading.
The kids' favorite was Lillie's Ice-Cream shop, its patterned linoleum floors, stools and gleaming soda counter, antique Coca-Cola signage, stained glass decor and vintage soda glasses the very picture of soda shoppes of long ago.
Exploring, we found ourselves on the wooded southeast third of the island. Cecilia had been working on a nature-study project and enjoyed showing of her new skills identifying native plant species of the northern forests.
Pointing to stands of tall, straight trees, she said, "Those are white cedar. They make good telephone poles. And there are balsam fir, black spruce and black ash." She was even able to identify long-dead tamarack trunks standing craggy and still among the living trees. "Animals live in the hollow spaces," she told us.
Brian wanted to climb inside one to meet a raccoon, but we told him raccoons work nights, and need their daytime sleep.
Instead, we gathered our fishing gear and some picnic items and headed for the riverbank near the lodge.
"What are we fishing for?" Brian wanted to know as I baited a hook for him.
"Anything we can catch," I laughed. "The Menominee is a very clean river, so there are lots of fish species to try for, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, muskie, pike."
" I want to catch a pike," he said.
"Well, that would be great," I told him. "But pike are pretty big and they have sharp, sharp teeth."
"A pike would pull you in the river!" Cecilia laughed. "Would not!" Brian insisted.
I put a piece of worm on Cecilia's hook. "Well, probably not," I said. "But let's start with little bluegills, just in case." Within minutes both kids were squealing in delight as they hooked, landed and released bluegill after bluegill, a great fish for kids, as they'll bite on anything, put up a spirited but manageable fight, and small hooks are easily removed from their tiny mouths.
Leaving Ellen in charge of rebaiting the kids' hooks, I slipped away to a quiet spot a bit downriver to try for some of the smallmouth bass the Menominee is famous for. I found some rocks and a deep-scoured pool and tossed in my favorite grape-colored plastic lure. Letting the slow current drift it along a submerged weed edge, I felt the familiar hard hit of a smallie going for the worm.
He fought with vigor, as they always do, and even treated me to a tail-walk before tossing the lure with a final flip and disappearing into the water. But a strike on the first cast is always encouraging, and over the next 20 minutes or so I ended up catching and releasing a good half-dozen of them, most in the two- or three-pound range.
More might have made my acquaintance, but I heard a commotion from the family upriver.
"Up there, Dad," Cecilia cried, seeing me. Looking up into the trees across the river, we could see a large bird of prey perched regally on an upper limb.
"Its' an osprey," Cecilia said. "Cool!" Over the next few days, it was an experience that repeated itself several times, as the wild world is never far off in the Wisconsin Northwoods. From our resort room, we saw white-tailed deer nibbling tender shoots along the golf course early in the morning. Exploring around the island and at nearby Miscauno State Wildlife Area we spotted bald eagles, wild birds, such as scarlet tanagers and pine warblers, and otters playing in the river. Float fishing in the evening downriver some distance, I even saw a bear rambling along through the woody underbrush on the far bank.
When it came time to go, the kids put up a fight to rival the stubbornest smallmouth bass. Something about the wildness of the woods and the enveloping quiet seemed to have struck a deep chord in them. On our last night we walked over and stood on the bridge and watched the sky color in with an astonishing range of coral reds, pinks, oranges and dusty blues, all reflected in the quiet Menominee flowing below us. We came seeking fish but ended up going home with a trophy catch of memories.
4 MORE LAKE ESCAPES FOR FAMILIES
This resort on Lake Delton scores big with families, with a large sandy beach offering kayaking, volleyball and more; pool waterslides; nearby boat rentals; and easy access to the waterparks of Wisconsin Dells.
Just 15 minutes from Madison, in Stoughton, this six-cabin resort will keep the whole family busy on Lake Kegonsa, with boating, fishing, swimming and paddling.
Near Lake Geneva, this expansive waterfront property stretches for two miles along Delavan Lake and offers a host of water fun for the family as well as accommodating resort amenities.
