Notes: --Placing Buswell at Papoose Lake. --Use of the term "The Star lake country" --Daily stage from Minocqua to "all the resorts" --the "famous Trout lakes, First and Second" --fifty miles of logging railroad penetrating the forests to the north of Star lake --"new trails have been opened up between old and new resorts"
- Bookwood Historical Collection, Star Lake
REGION FULL OF FISH
Wisconsin Lakes That Abound in Gamey Varieties.
There is splendid fishing for bass and muskellunge to be had near Minocqua, 184 miles from Chicago, on Lake Kawaquesaga, in Oneida county. All the resorts near by are reached by daily stage from Minocqua. No better fishing anywhere than can be found in these lakes: Spider, Muskellunge, Boat, Bass [no comma] Mercer, Willow, Pine, Stone, Squaw, St. Germain, Clear, Carroll, Arbor Vitae and Tomahawk. The Lac du Flambeau Indian reservation is only twelve miles from Minocqua. This is one of the most beautiful fishing and hunting regions in all the great Northwest. Under the present fish and game laws it seems impossible to exhaust this fish and game country.
Sayner, 397 miles from Chicago, via the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, is on Plum lake, which is five miles long by one mile wide, with high banks, covered by a heavy growth of timber. Bass and muskellunge fishing was very good in this lake in 1912. This is in the famous Star lake country. Within easy reach are Big and Little St. Germain lakes, Lost, Star, High and Fish Trap lakes, all splendid bass and muskellunge waters. Five miles north of Plum lake is Star lake. which is near Lakes Laura, Ballard. Irving. Partridge and Lone Tree. Directly west of Star lake are the famous Trout lakes, First and Second. There are fifty miles of logging railroad penetrating the forests to the north of Star lake. This road reaches some of the very best lakes and rivers in the country. As we continue northward we reach White Sand lake. Boulder, Rice and Crooked lakes and Big and Little Papoose lakes, at Buswell. These lakes all afford splendid fishing for bass, muskellunge pike, pickerel, bluegills and crappies.
Conditions are better up in this great game and fishing country today than they were twenty years ago. Many new trails have been opened up between old and new resorts. Better hotel accommodations are now offered the visiting sportsman. The fish and game commissions have been busy stocking these waters with scores of millions of young game fishes, at the same time rigidly enforcing protective fish and same laws.
Muskellunge can be taken by trolling with a spoon hook or by casting with a large bucktail fly with a small spoon attached, or by still fishing, using a small live perch or sunfish, which must be kept afloat about two feet below the surface of the water, just at the edge of the weed beds. Pike are deep-water fishes, and live minnows are the best bait, although they will often bite well at cut perch bait. Black bass can be taken during the month of June with artificial flies or by bait casting. using live small frogs or pork chunks. This is surface fishing, and is the most enjoyable way to catch bass. But later in the season, when it grows hot, the bass seek the cooler depths, and still fishing with live minnows or by sinking small live frogs is the only sure way to catch them. Anglers intending to fish these Northern lakes during July and August should take along a glass minnow trap, which will catch plenty of minnows