Some thoughts for the 2005 Northwoods Classic

We can still stay at the Claridge Best Western, still have Thursday night dinner at the Rhinelander Pub and Cafe, Friday night's Al-Gen Fish Fry and a wild game feed at my place.

We can all trailer our boats about 20 miles west to Lake Mohawksin and have the tourney there. This is a body of water roughly the same size as Boom Lake (1,500 - 1,800 acres) and is also part of the Wisconsin River system. I've fished it for roughly 12 years and it's been a great smallmouth fishery, as well as one for walleyes, northern pike and muskies. Yes Warren and Charles, it also has dogfish in it as well, so rest assured, you'll still be in the running for largest non-bass. ;-p This would make the NWC primarily a smallmouth tournament.

I've caught many nice smallmouth bass (some approaching 6+ pounds) on this lake and it's my go-to lake if I have a client request a smallmouth guide trip. Kevin "Heavy" Hare, Ronnie Garrison, Chris Rennert and Zenbasser have all fished this water in the past and have done pretty good. After the last NWC, Ronnie and I went there and had a pretty good morning, and I even caught my first largemouth on that lake, a healthy fish around 4 pounds.

One of the reasons that I haven't had the NWC on this lake before is the distance from Rhinelander, so let me know if anyone objects to trailering 1/2 hour in the morning and evening.

Another reason that I haven't had the NWC there is that there is an additional potential for disaster on this lake when it comes to hitting things with a prop. But, unless you're Jerry, I can mark maps and show people where they can run on plane, and where they should slow down. BUT, the possibility still exists to make the prop shops more money.

Another reason that I haven't had the tournament there is because there's always a fairly large regional club tournament the same weekend as the NWC. I didn't want our guys to be fighting for places to fish with another group.

In order to avoid this, and to clear up time for me and my somewhat odd work/filming/hunting schedule, I was thinking of moving the NWC to the weekend BEFORE Labor Day. While this might mean a little more recreational boat traffic, it also might make it easier for others to come, with their kids and make this a family outing and also means that I can catch the archery season for rutting bull elk in Wyoming!

I've got a call into a Tomahawk area tackle shop to make for certain that there isn't a tournament on the lake that weekend.

So, what do you think?

I'll just be happy as hell to get back up there next year! Where do I sign up?

Boom has these guys snake-bit to the extreme. I like the lake too, but people want a change of scenery I guess.

But I'll put you down for 1 vote for Boom.

I hope you and Joe can make it again next year, it just wasn't the same without you two. It's not right having the get-together's without at least hearing a couple "y'alls" :)

Where've you been anyway???

Then, I was home for 4 days and left for the Bridger/Teton Wilderness area in Wyoming on an elk hunt. At 11,000 feet of elevation, and considering that I was either on foot or horseback, sleeping in a tent, I didn't have internet access.... ;-p

So now I'm home and catching up on everything, repairing some rods that came in while I was gone and getting ready for some guide jobs in 30 degree weather with snow!

Other than that, I've been around! :-)

I can admit defeat.

WW ;-)

I am willing to go whereever the group wants to go, but Boom suits me fine, too. Ronnie fishing.guide@about.com http://fishing.about.com

However, it seem to me that there are dozens of really great fishing lakes in Southern Wisconsin ( Dan'l knows ALL of them!!! ) that have great LM and SM populations. They are five hours South of Boom for all those coming from any place other than Northern Wisconsin. Wouldn't the extra ten hours of driving be better used by fishing, or drinking, or telling lies.....etc. ??? RichG

Prefishing Boom seems pointless to me. I've not caught fish in the same location or on the same pattern two days in a row there anyway, so how would it be if we prefished Mohawksin and held our first day of the tournament there. Then, we move to Boom for Saturday. Or, on Friday evening, hold a vote to decide if we stay there or move to Boom on Saturday.

Joe ___________________ "Jerry Barton (NervisRek)" <jbarton1@comcast.net> wrote in message news:nd2dnTAJgrwl1PLcRVn-pw@wideopenwest.com... BOOM !!!!

Helped me as well, I knew where I "wasn't" going to fish on the first day :-)

Chris

WW

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Heavy