Experiment - Try Someplace New

by Gary Engberg

October, 28, 2001

After a few days, where the wind blew so hard that I had three-foot waves going up-river, it finally warmed up and the gale force winds turned into a warming breeze from the southwest. A friend, Daryl Christensen called and asked if I was free to go fishing. Though, I'm leaving today for a week of fishing on the "lake of dreams", Lake Erie, I agreed to meet Daryl in Montello and fish Lake Montello which is located right downtown.

I had packing and wash to do, but Daryl is a friend that I get to see rarely and fish with less. Daryl has been a guide and professional fisherman for going on 30 years. He is a true pro and fishes all the major walleye circuits, besides giving seminars and schools all over the United States and Canada. Daryl knew I was trying to start a TV show and needed to film other species besides walleye. He said that there was good fishing right now on Lake Montello for largemouth bass and northern pike. Though, I love any type of fishing; walleye, smallmouth bass, and muskies are the fish I chase most. A body of water that I have never fished and species that I rarely fish for lured me to meet Daryl and try someplace and something different.

I met Daryl in Montello and within minutes we were motoring across the lake from a decent boat landing which can accommodate any kind of boat easily. I expected to be using jigs and plastic or pork, but Christensen said we were going to be casting spinner baits and twitching plastic across this shallow and weedy lake. The water temperature was below 50 degrees and most of the weeds dead.. We casted our baits to the open pockets and any structure that we could visibly see (logs, points, and turns.) It didn't take long for Daryl to hook up with a small northern. I casted a Mann's spinner bait and Daryl twitched some plastic.across the tops of the dead weeds.

Daryl had a pike explode at the boat and I had a bass bust me close up. Daryl caught another pike as did. Here it was the end of October, and much to my surprise you could still catch bass and pike on summertime lures. I'm sure that live bait could have caught these fish, but spinners and jerk baits worked fine, despite the cold weather and winds.

We had fished about 4 hours and had some good action that I never thought excisted this time of the year and only an hour from home. The best fish of the day was a largemouth about 5 pounds. We caught bass and pike most of the day. I don't think that there is any secret to catch fish on Lake Montello. Get a lake map and go. You can do this on so many lakes in south central Wisconsin, but you have to get out and experiment and try that new lake and you'll be glad you did.

Two issues that I spent time on in previous weeks have been rescinded. The ban on the "pledge" in Madison and the ban on hunting by Alliant Power. See things can be changed with a little support. Off to Erie...