MONTICELLO - Prizes for the biggest and smallest fish awaited the stalwart fishermen at the Lake Montesian Fisheree Sunday, but some just looked forward to the barbecued chicken.
Bob Ostby, Monroe, had been out for about half an hour with no luck in fish, but he said it takes the full day to find the prize-winner swimming underneath the ice.
"We have chubs and minnows down there. It's just a waiting game," Ostby said.
Ostby, who has been fishing at Lake Montesian for about 20 years, said the highlight is definitely the chicken.
The smallest fish caught gets a $15 prize, exclusively for fishermen under the age of 12. The largest fish of the day gets $35, but Ostby said he comes for the sport.
A fellow fisherman at Ostby's holes, Logan Clark, said he saw a foot-long northern pike underneath the ice.
"It was this big at least," Clark said, holding his index fingers a foot apart.
"It was a bass the first time he saw it," said Jason Campbell, a fishing partner.
"Yeah, but I remember seeing spots," Clark countered.
The smoke from barbecued chicken lingered thicker than the snow falling obliquely against ice shanties and pairs of fisherman sitting on buckets or on their haunches. Underneath the awning in the park, rows of chicken seared and smoked on the 50-foot-long grill.
The mercury hovered just below 30 degrees for most of the morning, but more than a few fisherman braved the elements, sans shelter, with only a thermos and coveralls to keep warm. About 20 fisherman set their lines down through the ice, each sportsman with his own theory on where the fish were.
Lukas Bright, New Glarus, pointed to his fishing partner on the west side of Lake Montesian and said the panfish congregate there.
"I'm hoping for a northern. Those fellows down there pulled a few out but none here yet," Bright said of some anglers south of his hole.
The ice was solid enough for a group of brave anglers to have an elevated fire pit, but most trusted the ice only as far as their feet, and even that was a gamble.
One in Bright's party, Mark Langbehn, stepped into an ice hole, dunking his foot.
"Yeah, I guess Mark does that often, so his dad brings lots of extra clothes," Bright said.
Bob Ostby, Monroe, had been out for about half an hour with no luck in fish, but he said it takes the full day to find the prize-winner swimming underneath the ice.
"We have chubs and minnows down there. It's just a waiting game," Ostby said.
Ostby, who has been fishing at Lake Montesian for about 20 years, said the highlight is definitely the chicken.
The smallest fish caught gets a $15 prize, exclusively for fishermen under the age of 12. The largest fish of the day gets $35, but Ostby said he comes for the sport.
A fellow fisherman at Ostby's holes, Logan Clark, said he saw a foot-long northern pike underneath the ice.
"It was this big at least," Clark said, holding his index fingers a foot apart.
"It was a bass the first time he saw it," said Jason Campbell, a fishing partner.
"Yeah, but I remember seeing spots," Clark countered.
The smoke from barbecued chicken lingered thicker than the snow falling obliquely against ice shanties and pairs of fisherman sitting on buckets or on their haunches. Underneath the awning in the park, rows of chicken seared and smoked on the 50-foot-long grill.
The mercury hovered just below 30 degrees for most of the morning, but more than a few fisherman braved the elements, sans shelter, with only a thermos and coveralls to keep warm. About 20 fisherman set their lines down through the ice, each sportsman with his own theory on where the fish were.
Lukas Bright, New Glarus, pointed to his fishing partner on the west side of Lake Montesian and said the panfish congregate there.
"I'm hoping for a northern. Those fellows down there pulled a few out but none here yet," Bright said of some anglers south of his hole.
The ice was solid enough for a group of brave anglers to have an elevated fire pit, but most trusted the ice only as far as their feet, and even that was a gamble.
One in Bright's party, Mark Langbehn, stepped into an ice hole, dunking his foot.
"Yeah, I guess Mark does that often, so his dad brings lots of extra clothes," Bright said.