Fishing weekend: With boats in tow, fishermen headed ‘Up North’ for fishing season opener

SPOONER — It seemed like almost every truck was towing a fishing boat as the weekend neared and anglers flooded the region. The opening weekend of the 2024 Wisconsin fishing season had arrived.

The Saturday opener was a little disappointing for many, as the weather turned sour. Dawn was dark and chilly, with a steady mist and a gusty wind. The usually-crowded Shell Lake boat landing was quiet. A few brave souls launched boats on Saturday, the fishermen bundled up and wearing rain gear. And they needed it, as the skies opened up later in the morning, delivering a steady rain for much of the day.

It was the same quiet story throughout the area on Saturday. The usually-busy docks at the Yellow River Flowage dam in Spooner were empty. There was one boat trailer at Tozer Lake, and not many more at Big McKenzie.

Day two on Sunday morning, however, was a different story. Morning woke up covered by a thick blanket of white fog. Moments later, the first rays of warming sun inched over the horizon, turning the fog golden. All of those vehicles towing boats that had rushed into the area were out in force. The rain had stopped, and fishing was starting for real.

The boat landing at Shell Lake was full as one by one boats were launched. On the shore, fishermen loaded gear into their boats, from rods and tackle boxes to boat cushions and thermos bottles of coffee. Motors rumbled, water bubbled and they were off in search of northerns, walleyes, crappies and panfish.

It might have been a slight delay caused by a grumpy Mother Nature on Saturday, but the Wisconsin fishing season was underway full force!