You’re Guide To The Big Chip

Now, for a little story about my experiences on the Big Chip. In 1992 the Colorado Chapter of M.I. decided to make a pilgrimage back to fish our first Chapter Challenge. The previous year’s winners, the Fox River Valley Chapter were hosting the Challenge on the Chippewa Flowage at Treeland Resorts. Eight of us loaded up and headed back for a week of fun. The facilities at Treeland’s Resort were outstanding. We met a swell bunch of fellow Muskies, Inc. guys and just had the time of our lives, especially me. The first day of the tournament, my boat captain (who out of respect shall remain nameless) left the dock at Treelands and headed out to Musky Bay on the North Fork of the Chief River to see how his GPS would work.
Unfortunately for him, fortunately for me, he ran his nice new Stratos up on a little sand bar and still in sight of Treelands Resort. Of course, I was a lot of help. I quickly seized the moment and began casting into the cabbage along side of this sand bar. My Captain was finally able to jockey his boat off the bar. We drifted along the river channel for a while and I stuck a 30” muskie on a suick. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to have scored my first muskie of the Challenge. We went back in the afternoon to this same cabbage bed and I stuck a 36” muskie. Now I was pumped!

Well to make a long story short…next day same weed bed, same Suick and two more muskies, a 36” and a 40”. Now the Colorado Chapter won the Challenge that year amid cries of jealous M.I. folks who just couldn’t understand how a bunch or rummies from Colorado could even spell muskie, let along know how to catch them.

Our secrete was simple. Most of us were originally from the Midwest and have fished muskie most of our lives. We just happen to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the Rocky Mountains and return every year to Wisconsin and Minnesota to haunt you guys……Yes!

I have fished the Chip other times and have not been so skilled or lucky. The Chip is a beautiful body of water. The skies are full of eagles and ospreys, the shore abounds with deer slipping in and out along the banks. The loons call to each other as the spray of water leaves your reel. It may be one of my wife’s favorite north woods secrets. I don’t care how much you fish muskies, or where in the world you have fished for them, if you haven’t fished the Big Chip you haven’t fished some of Northern Wisconsin’s best muskie waters. Just up the line on County Road B, you’ll come to Hayward, home of the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. This too is a must place to see when you’re in the area.

author contact: jamestsmith@cox.net | author bio

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