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Posts: 1270
Location: E. Tenn | I'm thinking of trying new water on at least one of my semiannual forays to the Northwoods. The Cisco Chain drew my attention, particularly Thousand Island Lake..
I did a search on the site, but it seems as if all the interest was in the "04-'08 time frame..
Anyone care to share some thoughts/info??
Thanks
Edited by miket55 11/13/2022 10:11 PM
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Posts: 504
Location: Ludington, MI | I was just there at Wilderness Bay Resort in the last week of September and it's a beautiful-looking lake, but heavily resorted and surprisingly busy when the weather is fair. If you have a rainsuit and a trolling motor that can buck the wind, you can have it all to yourself, but if there's a scintilla of sun, there's pretty heavy traffic. I was not able to hook up, but I was very impressed with the range of habitat available there. You can find a place to fish pretty much any pattern you've ever heard of. |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | Many of Northwoods guides fished here and like in Northern Wisconsin you won't be by yourself. |
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Posts: 333
Location: SE Wisc | If you’re up there during a non-holiday week and fish the weekdays you won’t see too many people. Weekends will always be busier. It really has gotten busier over the last 20 years though, in the past it seemed like I had the entire chain to myself most days. Spots and presentations will be based on time of year and conditions. You will have a Mi license anyway so don’t be afraid to try some other lakes. Fishhawk is a nice small weedy lake and tucked away a little so typically not much recreational boats. There is some Eurasian millfoil but they do a pretty good job of marking with buoys so just stay out of those areas.
The chain is a tough nut to crack and no fish days are common but my average size caught over the years seems better than most places and there are big ones although I’ve yet to get a 50” there. Someday.
The Wi side seems to have more numbers and I spend most my time there, when I feel like hunting for that 50” I go to Thousand Island |
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Posts: 1270
Location: E. Tenn | Thanks again for all the insights, there certainly seems to be a lot of different water in the chain.. I'm not looking for solitude, just fewer jet skis, wake boats, and those pontoon drivers who can't seem to be able to cruise around the lake more than 50' from shore.
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Posts: 1141
Location: NorthCentral WI | The Cisco Chain is awesome. I've fished all the lakes in the chain and Mamie and Big have been my best producers for musky. All of the lakes are great for panfishing too when you want to take a break or just score some fish for a shore lunch. Great place to spend a week as there is a lot of water to explore. I've always stayed at Bent's Camp on Mamie which is busy but still very nice. |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | For the last 50 years I've been all over the great Northwoods of Ontario, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Ontario with it's big waters give us the true edge for large fish. Minnesota has larger sized lakes then Wisconsin and for a while in the 90's really kicked out some giants and to a lesser extent still does. Wisconsin has smaller lakes and makes it harder to get away from other fishermen. The U.P. is a little off the beaten path for the most part, however the Cisco Chain is really extension of Vilas County.
Ontario has the best fishing but has nothing to offer the non fishing members of your family you may bring along.
Wisconsin we have to work to catch the big fish but has so much to offer in places to eat, shop and recreate. Minnesota is kind of in the middle of the two. I've spent the most time is Wisconsin I think there are less fishermen then in times past but more boats. Another thing with Wisconsin a lot of resorts have gone away. I've fished some famous Wisconsin lakes and fished some that are off the beaten path that are crowded as heck. Fish early and late in the season or if you come during the summer fish at night or early morning and fish right down the middle of the lake for suspended fish. But do come to the Northwoods the greatest place on earth. |
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Posts: 333
Location: SE Wisc | chuckski - 11/16/2022 11:16 AM
For the last 50 years I've been all over the great Northwoods of Ontario, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Ontario with it's big waters give us the true edge for large fish. Minnesota has larger sized lakes then Wisconsin and for a while in the 90's really kicked out some giants and to a lesser extent still does. Wisconsin has smaller lakes and makes it harder to get away from other fishermen. The U.P. is a little off the beaten path for the most part, however the Cisco Chain is really extension of Vilas County.
Ontario has the best fishing but has nothing to offer the non fishing members of your family you may bring along.
Wisconsin we have to work to catch the big fish but has so much to offer in places to eat, shop and recreate. Minnesota is kind of in the middle of the two. I've spent the most time is Wisconsin I think there are less fishermen then in times past but more boats. Another thing with Wisconsin a lot of resorts have gone away. I've fished some famous Wisconsin lakes and fished some that are off the beaten path that are crowded as heck. Fish early and late in the season or if you come during the summer fish at night or early morning and fish right down the middle of the lake for suspended fish.
But do come to the Northwoods the greatest place on earth.
??? |
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Posts: 1270
Location: E. Tenn | chuckski - 11/16/2022 12:16 PM
For the last 50 years I've been all over the great Northwoods of Ontario, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Ontario with it's big waters give us the true edge for large fish. Minnesota has larger sized lakes then Wisconsin and for a while in the 90's really kicked out some giants and to a lesser extent still does. Wisconsin has smaller lakes and makes it harder to get away from other fishermen. The U.P. is a little off the beaten path for the most part, however the Cisco Chain is really extension of Vilas County.
Ontario has the best fishing but has nothing to offer the non fishing members of your family you may bring along.
Wisconsin we have to work to catch the big fish but has so much to offer in places to eat, shop and recreate. Minnesota is kind of in the middle of the two. I've spent the most time is Wisconsin I think there are less fishermen then in times past but more boats. Another thing with Wisconsin a lot of resorts have gone away. I've fished some famous Wisconsin lakes and fished some that are off the beaten path that are crowded as heck. Fish early and late in the season or if you come during the summer fish at night or early morning and fish right down the middle of the lake for suspended fish. But do come to the Northwoods the greatest place on earth.
My trip next June will mark 60 years since Dad packed Mom, me and five siblings into a Chevy station wagon, with enough stuff to get by for a couple weeks at a Mom-n-Pop resort. (which I still spend a couple weeks a season at).
Yeah, it really is a great place to visit, and I've done well fishing up there but...
A lot has changed, and a lot not for the better... This past spring, I read an article in the Vilas Co. paper about road rage incidents locally.
I'll leave it at that..
Edited by miket55 11/16/2022 10:23 PM
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Posts: 644
Location: Duluth | Cisco Chain will take effort, that is without a doubt the most crowded part of the UP musky range aside from some one of the GB tribs on opener.
Good fish in there, these days more tempted to bring a fly rod and chase cold water fish if I'm in that neck of the woods though. |
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Posts: 504
Location: Ludington, MI | And she's locked up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCJwEHZNyX8 |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | Looks like a good time to be in Deer camp. |
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Posts: 1270
Location: E. Tenn |
This boy's been livin' down south too long, and my blood has thinned considerably...my days of breaking ice at the ramp, and picking ice out of the rod guides are over...lol
...and I gave away all my ice fishing stuff on the way out of Des Moines Iowa in '89.
Edited by miket55 11/23/2022 9:30 PM
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Cisco Chain/Thousand Island Lake