Thankful Outdoors: Is Scott Bigfoot?

MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – This summer, I have spent a lot more time in the rivers fishing, and when I say in the rivers fishing, I mean wading in them. I chuckled this week when I saw a post about a kayaker catching a video of Bigfoot! See the article here.

A friend even sent the article to me and said, “Hey Hopper, they caught a picture of you!” I promise you that I have not been out posing as a Bigfoot in my spare time. If you find yourself out in the wild, though, and you see something that you believe is Bigfoot, yell out, “Hey Hopper!” that way, you will know it’s just me and not a mysterious legend!

Sunday brought another adventure on the Black River; walking to the access point showed that the water had risen quite a bit since Bryce and I had fished it last week. I had not given much concern to the recent storms that rolled through early Saturday morning.
My sense of adventure said: “Oh, what the heck, jump in, and let’s see where we can go.” Angie was not as excited about wading in water that was soon up to our chest. I lead the way to rapids, where just last week, I had caught several smallmouth bass.

The process of getting to the “hotspot” was slow and tedious as we picked our way through the unseen boulders beneath our feet, fighting the current and high water levels. One thing I enjoy about fishing a river is reading the water: study the current, see where the eddies are, watch for a flash of fish or a jumping fish. Seeing where a hatch of bugs is coming off the water, all these little things can give you clues about where to cast your lure.

Throwing crankbaits and cranking for gills is a great way to spend time on the water. Its fast-paced fishing style does not leave you bored at all. I try to approach casting, where I dissect the section of the river into little quadrants to ensure that no area gets left untouched. After doing that 2 or 3 times, I will move on to the next section of the river. I often find that the fish will hit my crankbait on the 2nd or 3rd casting cycle. It’s a bonus to me when I can catch them on the first cast!

As I look into the chest freezer this year and see a void of walleye and panfish fillets, I tell myself that I have to get off this river fishing kick and get the boat back out onto the lakes to get some fresh fillets stocked up.

The river fishing has been so much fun during July that I’m sure I will squeeze in a trip or two yet before I call it quits. Having the boys or Angie with me will ensure that any bypassers will not mistake the lone figure off in the distance to be Bigfoot!

I’m sure if Bigfoot could get his hands on an Elk River Custom Rod, there would be more sightings on the rivers! Maybe that is why Marc built his shop in Phillips with that tall front door, waiting for Mr. Bigfoot to walk through his doors to order his first custom rod. Here I thought it was to get those tall rods out the door easier.

In closing, I hope you find a way to get into the outdoors, create your adventure and memories, but most importantly, find a way to “Celebrate the Experience.” Go check out www.thankfuloutdoors.com for more content and share your “Celebrate the Experience” moment with us!

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