SHAKAMAK REVISITED
Faithful readers of The Waynedale News know it is time to talk about ice fishing. While most of Waynedale was getting ready for the Super Bowl, Dan Madru and a few of his friends were down at Shakamak State Park getting ready for ice fishing. Shakamak is located in southwestern Indiana about four hours drive from Waynedale.
I made it to the park cabin by halftime of the Superbowl. It was a stag event, so there was no one in the cabin to be appalled by the Janet Jackson expose’, in fact, we were all talking and having a brew, so no one even noticed any of the shenanigans. Our cabin was outfitted with one double bed and two sets of bunk beds, which were all occupied. Dan went next door and pirated a mattress so I would have a place to sleep.
This most recent cold snap had created about three inches of ice over the old strip mines that are now great habitat for bluegill, sunfish, and red-ear.
Dan was up and fixing breakfast by 7am on Monday and after putting on our ice fishing clothes, including rain gear, we headed for the lake.
Dan fishes three poles, so we naturally expect him to catch three times as many fish as the rest of us, and that proved to be approximately correct.
Fishing was slow to medium, with the people fishing one pole, catching a couple of fish an hour.
It had warmed considerably overnight, and the warm front brought in rain, which aggravated us until about 10am. Another cold front rolled through, clearing out the soupy weather and providing us with fairly comfortable conditions.
We broke for lunch, dined on burgers and hot soup, and then watched Dan prepare for dinner. He placed a large venison roast in an aluminum pan, smothered it with mushrooms and onions and lavishly applied salt and pepper. The entire conglomeration went into the oven, and it was back to the ice for the rest of the daylight hours.
It is said that hunger makes the best sauce and this proved to be true. A few hours on the ice seems to whet an appetite as well as any endeavor I know. The fishing picked up in the afternoon, and our cabin full of fishermen filled a large cooler with very edible panfish.
The venison roast was a big hit as there was nothing left but dirty dishes and empty bottles. I headed back to the Fort, through about four hours of freezing rain. It was worth it, to get away for a short stay with people of like interests.
> Read More Information About Us
> More Articles Written By Our Staff
- Community Invited To Paint Rocks For Urban League Project - April 26, 2024
- The “Bad Guys” In Your Garden & What To Do About Them - April 26, 2024
- Why Voting In The Primary Election Matters - April 26, 2024