Bow Buck

Officially tagged out after I harved this small buck on what I had predetermined to be my last hunt before gun season.  I had a few encounters with bucks that would make you dizzy, with one being an absolute trophy.  I hunt on a private fifty acres in Marathon County that is a phenomenal funnel zone for bucks cruising during the rut, with 7 tree stands and a few good ground blinds.  We noticed most of the bucks were hitting a particular edge that didn't have a stand, so the day before I shot this deer, I moved a stand to that edge.  Jackpot, this buck came to 15 yards, nose down, hot on a doe that moved through a half hour before. 



Bow Doe

Had an unbelievable bow season this year with an rut that produced upwards of 23 different buck sightings, with several close encounters.  Got my confidence going after I laced this doe directly through the thumper. 

God's Playground

Got Lakes?

Welcome to Northern Wisconsin.  Welcome to God's Country.

My Aspirations

My aspirations are not complicated.  I’ll tell it to you now, I intend on catching a true world weight-class record muskie.  Someone please explain to me why this isn’t a possibility.  Detailing all my collegiate and professional education and my personal studies about fish, coupled with my personal water-time (1600 days on the water (I am 28)), I absolutely know that a 70 pound muskie does roam the waters of Northern Wisconsin.   

I think that the growth potential for musky is completely misunderstood, creating a mythical misnomer when the subject is ever brought up.  The potential for fish growth is underrated to the point where it makes me sick.  How is it even possible to say that she does not exist, and not only one, but several record fish?

Isn’t it retarded to think that a record fish once existed and doesn’t anymore?  What has changed?  Nothing!  And there being more fishermen presently is erroneous.

Catching 40”, 50” muskie is considered awesome, and I must agree 100 percent.  But people have to realize very simple ideas about biology.  What makes a creature old?  Answer – not dying.  What does an old creature do?  Answer - keep living.  How do they do that?  Rely on past experience and conditioned responses. 

Past experience, or conditioned response, creates an environment where a successful animal works off maximum body efficiency.  And in terms of giant fish, that relates to ultimate extreme efficiency, or as I like to call it, nearly impossible to catch.  I hope you like the word ‘nearly’.  These extreme big fish target food very differently than do sub-50”ers; they know what’s up.  Could you imagine a 60# musk eating bucktail or suiks her whole life with no consequence?  Nah.  Because a 60# fish isn’t going to exist where people fish, and if by chance she does, she’s not going to eat a lure seen a million times before.

It’s going to exist where people don’t fish.  Not only that, a 60+ pounder only eats during one season of the year, then lays dormant the rest.   They likely eat food starting immediately when the fall surface temperature becomes cold enough to drop and mix with the lower layers of lake…when baitfish find it suitable to seek shallow water, creating an easy seining adventure for the most robust musk.  It becomes an overindulgent slaughter.  

Big fish are big fish for one reason, and that reason is the food supply is such where it is predictable and not expensive on the fishes body.  Less stress = more growth.  I’m not implying that high traffic lakes don’t hold nice muskies, or that every private lake holds a giant fish.  I just want to say that sometimes there is a perfect combination of elements, and I’m excited about that.   

I may not fish for her everyday, and I may not know where she is, but she’s out there.  I am totally convinced that she exists, and am totally consumed by thinking about where.  6/26/2012

One of a kind footage; athletic muskie

I bet Wipfli a beer that I didn't get this action on film, but I was glad to cough up a cold one when I reviewed the footage.  Amazing!  I was only working a five foot trough, pretty much jigging a double dawg just below the surface when this muskie completely missed the lure and its momentum caromed him four feet into the air and into a complete somersault. 

This footage will undoubtedly be edited into an ultra slow motion zoom-in deal on our 2012 compilation video.  I'm almost willing to bet that there is no other footage quite like this. 

Scottie Blades

After a confusing five minutes of following this musk around after it nipped one of my suckers, we finally felt the ski had the suck secured enough to set the hook, and Blades did just that, and taking his muskie virginity with it.

White Pine Growing Through House; Removal

No, this is not an illusion.  These clients actually had their roof constructed around this towering white pine decades ago.  Through the years, they could actually feel the house move during windy days.  I can't believe they stared up at this thing through their sunroof and were able to sleep soundly.  They called Dano's Tree Service to piece the threat down to safety.  Figuratively, no sweat; plenty of sweat, literally.



Forgive my absence, oh faithful reader

Dear Faithful Reader,

I have been the fortunate beneficiary of no internet services for several months, save for scant stints of second-rate coffee shop uploads. 

A life lived apart from monotonous phone handlings and website updates is a style I have continuously found to be most productive in genuinely successful outdoor pursuits, and those journeys of northwoods adventures have nut-shelled my base personality, and ultimately, my true inspirational serenity.

However, the forthcoming days of anticipated uneventful activities, coupled with an internet connection, will put heavy doses of Northwoods Way flavor on your plate.

Hope this is satisfactory, and please forgive.

Work Barge

Removed a pine off an island last week.  Had to make a couple trips to get all the lumber back to the trailer.  This was our last load.

QUAD

Best night of the year so far with Jeff Van Remortal.  Only out a couple hours on the Manny Chain, laced a 43, 37, 40, and a 42, in that order.  #JackPot

"Oh, I'll never leave Wisconsin, brother"

My brother, Matty, and my cousin, Jake Hanke, were recently part of a picture that was selected from thousands of Packer fan photos to be featured on every ticket for the Aug 16th preseason Packer game. No shit, guy, not kidding.  A week later they borrowed my boat and had some muskie success, putting a 38 and a 46 in the net, along with some other action as well. 

Outdoors with Lauren: Musky Fishing

Me and Raley straight up put clients on muskies consistently...

Check out this segment channel 9 sports director Lauren Magiera put together after her guided muskie trip with Hideaway Hollow Outfitters.  She was awesome, understanding that hard work always pays off when casting for Wisconsin's greatest and most elusive target.  She tagged a beaut 37 incher, her first muskie.  I eventually put a dandy 44.25 incher in the boat shortly after, but she remained the star of the day, and her enthusiasm and excitement were reminders for me and Matt of why we do what we do.

Outdoors with Lauren: Barefoot Waterskiing

Gotta love when hot girls sharpen your hooks

Lauren takes good care of me, and by good, I mean excellent.

WMT Manny Chain

World Musky Tour Manitowish Chain RAMM Cup Championship Recap

I only fish one spot on the tour each year, simply to qualify for the WMT championship at the end of the year, which generally only requires one good fish in the boat to be top 50 in the standings.  That spot, the Manitowish Water chain of lakes, is my favorite body of water in Wisconsin, not because I live on its beautiful waters, but because it offers awesome numbers of fish, especially trophy fish.  

Fishing hours are 6 am to 3 pm.  We were on fish for a good chunk of the morning but experienced a terrible lull from 930 to 230.  However, in the bottom of the ninth, I stroked this 42.5, registered the fish at 250.  I could barely stand up afterwards and could hardly believe the turnaround.  Sittin in 4th after day one.  There were only 7 fish caught that day.   

A fog delay of roughly an hour to start day two was perhaps a blessing in thick disguise.  I monkied with a lot of gear during the delay, sharpening hooks on baits I rarely use, one of those baits, the J Mac jig, I replaced the existing white grub tail with a fresh black one, and sharpened the hook to a lethally dangerous state.  The night before yielded some unexpected information regarding potential hot-spots, and had figured out where most fish were caught from day one, and knew where a pile of muskies were to be on day two, and in turn, where we were going to be.

Sure enough, we saw two different fish a couple of different times on that particular spot, and noticed three other boats had experienced similar events.  I was busy trying to get one of those fish to eat, when I hear my brother yell, 'got em'.  I looked over and the thing was completely out of the water, but before long, it was in my net.  I proceeded to dislodge the bait, and I couldn't believe it, I was pulling the J Mac out of the his mouth, the same damn J Mac I spent a little time fine tuning during the fog delay.  'You were using the J Mac?' I said.  'Just for one cast', my brother replied.  Possibly the first person ever to catch a fish on a jig in a proffessional musky tournement. 

A total of 8 fish were caught on day two, for a total of 15 for the tournament.  Only three teams caught two fish, and only one team caught a fish on both days...us.  We finished in 3rd place.  But more importantly, qualified for the Championship, which will make the winners 100,000 dollars richer.  Fishing for that kind of coin will be retarded awesome. October 6th.

Front and Center.

Prefish

Prefishing for the WMT on the Manitowish Waters chain.  I don't actually know if this is considered prefishing, because I reside on the chain itself, but if it is, I've been prefishing all season.  Went out on a quick scout mission to make sure I was dialed in and that the fish were still where I've been finding them the last couple weeks.  Made one cast and.....jackpot, smoked this nice musk.  Decided not to educate my prey too much, especially the bigger fish, so just called it a day.

Noteworthy

A noteworthy musk with a noteworthy slayer, Matt Raley

Aerial Muskie

Pushed F/V Glory Hole into this gem of a lake

Hump Day

Seems like the fish have finally been moving and transitioning from pelagic waters to profundal zones, particularly relating to mid-lake humps and islands.

2012 Muskie Project Sneak-Peak

We are working on splicing together oodles of muskie angling hook-sets this year. The majority of our fish caught have been on film, but just wanted to share this little sneak peak preview to keep people anxious. 

This bruiser 43.25" hit boatside, then went airborn, and finally into the net...

Fast, Professional Tree Removal

Dano's Tree Service has been efficiently removing dangerous trees all season.  Simply Another shining moment in Northwood's living.  Manitowish Water's, WI.

Jeffrey's 47

Jeffrey's beaut 47.  Finally got this big girl to eat.



Stylin THE BEACONS

Wind blown tree hang up on the dock system at The Beacon's of Minocqua.  Money.

Workin Hard

Muskie Glory

Two days of 90 degree heat, carried the boat through the woods, pushed it up this creek....to a lake chalked with musk that only a handful of people have ever fished.  GLORY

Muskie Bites

My brother raised a giant, went back to later to lace it, caught this one instead.  Pretty sure the one we saw took a chunk outta this guy.....

Boatside 43.25 while filming

El Tigre

This gem of a musk came from a small lake on big blades.  My last couple fish have come on blades and it seems the bucktail bite is improving as this first substantial heat wave continues.

Senior Pics

Our most recent senior picture... ten years after high school. 

Dano's Tree Service - serving the greater Northwoods with prompt, professional tree care.

Typical

A most typical sighting in front of my cabin

Finally....

Boated this gem of a musk the other day while working a new body of water.

Fence Lake Pruning

Precision pruning with Dano Laham

80 ft. white pine in one load

While loading this entire 80 ft. white pine, our thoughts were purely on whether or not we would be able to haul the trailer up a 40 degree dirt slope from lakeside to the driveway.  Got'er up the hill on the second go.  Real nice.

Walleyes Remind me of the Good Days

After rediscovering recently what it takes to pound out limits of walleyes again, and refocusing my efforts towards simple tactics, I have not starved.  I remember the days of simple chillin with a jig and a minnow during prime time, chewin seeds and watching the sun set, and subsequently waiting for the walleyes to snap.  You, the reader, should know however, that this mentality will doubtlessly change this Saturday when the muskie tides churn and we are in full lou of thy most cherished bounty, the musk.

Lakeside Pruning

Is it muskie season yet?

Strokin it

Dano's Tree Service

NUFF SAID