Apparently there is still enough ice and some are brave(?) enough to get out there and give it a try. Numbers (participants and fish) are way down, as you would expect. My understanding is that Wendt's is still one of, if not THE, headquarters of the sturgeon experience for this week or so - but I've never been a part of this community. We're supposed to see high temps around 50 for the next few days, so I'm hoping we don't hear any unfortunate stories from out there.

Just looked this up for you:

https://fox11online.com/sports/outdoors/48-lake-sturgeon-winnebago-system-poygan-winneconne-butte-des-morts-wisconsin-dnr-daily-report-february-16-2024

Sturgeon spearing is still very much a thing on Winnebago Dog, and it's going on right now. Extremely bad conditions this year though, so I haven't been hearing anything other than the occasional comment. I thought I heard part of a report mentioning a 100+ pounder, but all I know is that I wouldn't consider going out there. I enjoyed your reference to skating out on the Fox to get to your fishing spot, but we really didn't see any ice on the river this year.

It is a good point. I used to connect every day and found many worthwhile posts. Since the change I check in once a week or so and scan through all the topics while only opening a few.

You could try an alternate search engine if you prefer. (DuckDuckGo is my preference.) Point is, numerous groups evaluate the reliability of news sources and you can find surprisingly similar results from many different sources. Bias is generally pretty obvious if you're willing to see it, and most facts can be checked.

For anyone actually concerned about the reliability of their chosen news source, multiple evaluations and graphic interpretations are available with a google search of "media bias".

I think they did Betts - we were never that kind of family. Guessing my face was buried too deep in the MoJos to notice. I do remember a game room (precursor to video games, I think) and I'm pretty sure they had one of those "animal band" setups too.

For a middle class family (at best), we were pretty darn spoiled!

Not sure if they were call MoJos everywhere, but the Shakeys up here had these fried potatoes - thicker than chips so they were still soft in the middle. I can still taste the grease.

Shakeys! Remember MoJos? Makes me feel a little sick just thinking about them now, but we sure ate a bunch back then.

Just adding my vote in agreement with all here. I can't afford the time to find what I'm looking for under the new format, and will unfortunately not be a daily visitor anymore.

It's always a special surprise when someone posts a joke that hasn't already made an appearance (multiple times) in this forum. I haven't stumbled across this one before - thanks BF!

Thanks DM - I was wondering about that. I have no idea how/why that would work, but I'm going to take it on faith just so I can feel better when out there!

Are you fishing for anything in particular J? The pedestrian bridge over Little Butte des Morts (and the surrounding areas) might offer some opportunity, but I've never tried it. Otherwise it's mostly about the Fox River in the Fox Valley area (ignoring Winnebago, which I suspect is tough from shore). Grab a map and start trying the parks from Neenah/Menasha all the way to Little Chute - lots of options, some better than others. You'll know by seeing other anglers or just because some areas look "fishy". Not much access to deep water areas from shore in general, but the river is loaded with smallmouth now and they can be caught most of the year with the right approach. If you're not particular, carp/catfish/drum can be lots of fun in the warmer months and those species were invented for shore fishing.

Thanks for adding some much-needed details and perspective Papa. It seems like 90% of the population just wants to pontificate in cartoonish good-vs-evil terms these days, refusing to acknowledge any shades of gray in complicated situations. This was an unfortunate series of events for everyone involved, and the consequences will be widespread.

Thanks for the commentary Fix - it takes some courage to post that on a forum where you can anticipate some significant backlash. I generally refuse to participate in the partisan political bickering that has come to define this nation, but it should be pretty obvious to everyone that both sides consistently manipulate the "facts" in an effort to support their current position and "win" - despite the actual implications for the country or the citizens.

It's a systemic/structural problem, more than a failing or character flaw in (most of) the individuals we choose to govern.