June 1, 2023 at 11:20 a.m.
Take advantage of Free Fishing Weekend
The nice thing about fishing is that it does not take a lot of money to get involved. Simple open bale spinning combo setups can be purchased at a local sports shop for a reasonable price. From there, with some hooks, bobbers and live bait, an angler can be on the way to the lake.
Live bait can be a good place to start for those unfamiliar with fishing. While artificial baits are numerous and come in a wide variety of styles and colors, for the occasional or novice angler, live bait can sometimes bring about better results. To prevent the spread of invasive species, live bait should never be moved from lake to lake. If a bait bucket was submerged in one body of water, for instance, that bait should not be used in another body of water. Likewise, live bait that is left at the end of the fishing trip should be discarded properly. Nightcrawlers are the exception as long as they have been in the container on dry land for the whole trip. These can be brought home and refrigerated for use the next day, even on a different body of water.
Aquatic invasive species
Anglers, even those fishing from shore, should be aware of aquatic invasive species (AIS) that may be in the lake in which they are fishing. Plant species such as Eurasian water milfoil (EWM) can be moved from lake to lake by just one small frond of the plant being stuck to a bait bucket or fishing rod, for instance. When that piece of equipment is used in another lake, that invasive species can drop off of the equipment and start a whole new stand of EWM. Other species such as spiny waterflea are very hard to detect. They cannot be seen until they form a large clump on something such as an anchor line. They can be reeled up on fishing line and stay alive inside the spool as long as line on the spool stays wet. For that reason, when fishing in lakes such as Trout Lake, which is known to have spiny waterflea, it is best to let all equipment completely dry for seven days before taking it to another body of water. Anglers should completely clean all gear and equipment that has been in the water after fishing.
Safety
Anglers should remember to be safe on the water, and even when fishing from the bank. It is easy for young anglers to get excited when catching a fish, or simply curious when they see something moving on the substrate, and they may fall into the water. It can happen quickly and ensuring they are wearing a properly fitted life jacket can save the day. A small first aid kit should be part of every outing when fishing as well.
Where to fish
There are many places to fish from shore in the Northwoods. Some, such as the fishing pier in Minocqua near Highway 51, or the ADA-compliant pier at Perch Lake west of Rhinelander are easy to find and can accommodate the whole family. But there are plenty of other spots where anglers can take a piece of the shoreline on a lake, river or stream and spend the day fishing. It is important, however, to ensure the spot an angler would like to fish is on public land and that an angler would not be trespassing to get to the fishing spot. Here are a few good places to fish from shore in the Northwoods.
Boom Lake
Boom Lake fishing pier in Rhinelander is a popular fishing spot and also provides a lot of fun for kids who may be bored when the action slows down. Not only is the pier good for fishing, but there is shore fishing all along the park.
The Rainbow Flowage
The Rainbow Flowage offers some good shore fishing as well. Anglers can travel from Highway 47 in Lake Tomahawk east on Highway D approximately 3.5 miles to the Rainbow Flowage. They will find an accessible pier with an asphalt path from the lower parking lot just west of the bridge.
Lake Tomahawk and other spots from shore
Lake Tomahawk also offers a great place to fish from shore at the landing right in town. There is an ADA compliant pier for fishing and plenty of room for the kids to run around. There are also many bridges spanning over rivers and streams in the Northwoods. While it may be tempting to stop and cast a line off of any of these, anglers should be aware that there are some bridges where fishing is not allowed due to safety concerns.
Anglers should check regulations before fishing from any bridge.
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