Laker 2 - June 9, 2023

Ropes | Page 9B

Fishery | Page 11A

NORTHERN

Riggings | Page 9C

Summer is here, so it is only appropriate to take advice from the lake:

Be clear. Make positive ripples. Look beneath the surface. Stay Calm. Shore up friendships. Take time to reflect. Be full of life.

We shine the spotlight on three local lakes in this issue; North Twin, Pike and Magnor. You will learn why a local landing is named for Al Granum, understand the difference between baits, read about Polk County's largest library and receive mouthwatering tips in featured recipes. You will also get schooled on Northern Pike and study up on Secchi.

You know what they say, “On a quiet night at the lake, you can almost hear the fish laughing.”

The 2023 publication dates are:

Laker #1 – Friday, May 19

Laker #2 – Friday, June 9

Laker #3 – Friday, June 23

Laker #4 – Friday, July 7

Laker #5 – Friday, July 21

Laker #6 – Friday, August 11

Laker #7 – Friday, August 25

Enjoy your Laker and your summer!

April Ziemer, Editor

editor@theameryfreepress.com

Galley | Page 3C

Ropes | Page 13A

Crew Members | Page 5C

Fishers of Men | Page 14A

Cover photo by Shauna Sheree

PIKE LAKE HAS A PLACE FOR YOU

By April Ziemer editor@theameryfreepress.com

Whether you are canoeing, kayaking, pontooning, boating, camping or just hungry, Pike Lake has a place for you.

Pike Lake is a 159-acre lake with a public boat access located on the West Shore of the lake off County Road H and Pike Lake Road. With maximum lake depth of 33 feet Pike Lake supports a wide variety of fishing species for the avid sportsman. Walleye, Pike and Largemouth Bass are very common catches in the lake. Panfish are also abundant in the lake making the lake the perfect spot to take the younger fisherman for the day. Whether you’re fly fishing, baitcasting or spinning your chances of getting a bite here are good.

For those who do not have a boat there is a fishing pier located on the east side of the lake which can be accessed from York Park.

If fishing is not your activity Pike Lake is the perfect place to take the family water skiing or fire up the wave runner for an afternoon of fun.

If relaxation is more to your liking cruising the lake on your pontoon boat is fun way to spend your afternoon.

Pike Lake has Port Vahalla Campground and Shoreview Supper Club located right on its shores. Port Vahalla is a peaceful resort offering picturesque lake and woodland scenes all around. Relax by the fire, hike, bike and jump in the lake! Located on Pike Lake for overnight camping or seasonal spaces available. Enjoy camping with a few modern conveniences, including complimentary on-site showers and flush toilets. There is also a coin operated washer and dryer located within the shower house and restroom building.

Shoreview Supper Club was first known as Bungalow Beach, a lakeside resort and restaurant that

Contributed

RESIDENTS, LAKERS AND ANY OTHER TAKERS

By Cora Waterman

Contributing Writer

The Amery Area Public Library is the place to go this summer to get connected to information, ideas, and experiences. It is also the logical spot to simply find a good book.

Located in the brand new City Hall at 104 Maple Street West, it’s open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Since it was founded in 1929 by the Amery Woman’s Club, the Amery Public Library has been a favorite of Amery residents as well as visitors.

No matter your age, interests, or purposes, the library has a variety of materials to check out, programs, and activities to offer you. Seasonal residents of the entire Polk County area can get a library card just as easily as permanent residents. Simply bring in a form of photo ID and proof of residence in your Wisconsin location such as an envelope addressed to your name and Wisconsin address.

This library card is good at all 52 libraries in the Indianhead Federated Library system, so if the item you’d like to borrow is not currently held at the Amery library, they can have it delivered from another library. With your library card you have access to not only a large collection of the latest books, magazines, movies, and audiobooks, but also puzzles and lawn games- options for all kinds of weather. Lawn games (Yes, you can borrow a lawn game from the library) include ladder toss, giant jenga, croquet, pickleball sets, classic Scandinavian yard games such as Kubb and Molkky, and more.

At the library there is an incredible play space with a toy kitchen, puppet theater, a train table, and more for the young patrons to enjoy, and an amazing

youth department full of books, movies, audiobooks, and kids magazines. Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. children can enjoy storytime in which they will hear a story read to them by a member of the library’s staff, then participate in an arts and crafts activity to go along with the story. For older patrons in the library, you will find a large collection of young adult and adult readings to interest both you and your teen

readers, along with terrific staff and resources that can help guide you from a reading slump and to an exciting new book or series for the summer. There are Caregiver Respite Kits and Time to Reminisce Kits to aid caregivers, along with a collection of resources for those living with memory-related illnesses and their caregivers and loved ones.

Programs at the library are perfect for kids and

adults alike. The Public Library’s Summer Reading Program is a popular one. It offers reading challenges for each age group that you can enter to win prizes and raffle tickets for prize drawings. They also offer programs for different age groups on Tuesdays (ages 6-11), Wednesdays (ages 0-6), and Thursdays (ages 12-18). A large assortment of all-ages special programs are also offered throughout the summer. Visit the library to pick up a calendar of events and a reading log to enter into raffle prize drawings.

If you are looking to involve yourself in community clubs, the library has lots of book clubs to choose from: SciFi, Classics, Mystery, and Books & Brews which meets at Amery Ale Works. The library has also planned two special author visits for the summer for adults to enjoy, the first one taking place on Saturday, June 17 with Ryan Bernsten, the second on Thursday, July 13 with Sara Deluca. Details on different events can be found on their activity calendar which can be accessed through the Amery Public Library website.

The new space for the library includes comfortable, air-conditioned rooms with lounge seating and free coffee, along with meeting and study rooms that can be reserved, a Makerspace room for crafts, games, and other activities, a STEM exploration lab where kids can get into cabinets full of learning materials disguised as fun and games, and soon a gaming room in which patrons may check out a PS5 or a Nintendo Switch, and a game or two to play in the library only.

Some technology resources offered at the library include free wireless access, a total of eight public computers

equipped with Microsoft Office, and the free printing, copying, and scanning of documents. For help in working with using a mouse/keyboarding, email accounts, search engines, printing and internet basics, the library offers a Beginning Computer Skills Course. Digital resources such as Genealogy research, WNA newspapers, digital book collections, and more are provided through the Amery Public Library

website. More information about the library’s wonderful resources can be found on the website as well.

At the Amery Area Public Library, there is a safe, welcoming space and friendly staff who can help you find what you need- or what you didn’t even know you needed! Located right on mainstreet, it is easily accessible. Whenever you are making a trip into town, stop by to escape the heat of the

summer, pass the time, or indulge in the books, games, and activities that can be found inside the building. The Amery library, which is the largest in Polk County, is a wonderful asset to all, including lake residents and visitors. Their amazing opportunities are extended to everybody in the Amery area and well beyond! ■

Contributed Contributed Contributed

PORT OF CALL ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼

PIKE LAKE | FROM 3A

was popular during the Great Depression era. Though the original Bungalow Beach building burned down in the early 1960s, the property still remained in use as a Bible camp and a camp for underprivileged youth run by Twin Cities Lutherans, before being converted back into an eating establishment again. Tony Wolter purchased Shoreview over 32 years ago and has been offering superb food and drink to those wanting to dine overlooking Pike Lake ever since.

In addition to serving food, Wolter also rents out dock space and pontoon boats.

Access to Pike Lake is easy from the boat landing located on 100 th Street or you can veer over from the south. The narrows connect Pike Lake to Amery’s North Twin Lake, which has a new boat landing located off of Highway 46.

Both lakes have very high water clarity that would rival most lakes in Polk County.

Pike Lake, like neighboring lakes, North Twin and South Twin, have Eurasian watermilfoil so users should be careful to clean their boats before they leave the landing, so as to not spread to other lakes. ■

KEEPING IT ‘REEL’, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NORTHERN PIKE

By April Ziemer editor@theameryfreepress.com

It’s all fun and games until someone loses a Northern Pike, because most likely you lost one heck of a fight.

This voracious predator is common throughout Wisconsin and one of the easiest fish to catch because it so willingly bites lures or bait.

A close cousin of the musky, the northern pike is only slightly smaller than its relatives, making it the Badger State’s second largest carnivorous fish.

Northern pikes appear a dull, muddy

green in coloration, and are usually speckled with lighter-colored spots across the left and right sides of their bodies. Their undersides appear white or otherwise very light-colored, and they measure on average between 16 and 22 inches long and typically weigh about 34 pounds. Perhaps the northern pike’s most distinctive feature is its teeth, which are razor-sharp and number in the hundreds.

Pikes’ tails are more rounded compared to their musky cousins, and while both

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

in at 38 pounds. It was caught in Lake Puckaway in Green Lake County.

Just about any Polk County lake is a safe bet for a day spent fishing for pikes, although you’ll want to consult the DNR lake directory to learn which bodies of water are particularly abundant in them. Pikes are especially prevalent in waters flowing into and near the Great Lakes or the Mississippi River.

The northern pike tends to prefer shallower, colder habitats with plenty of weed growth to hide out in while lurking for prey. During the hottest days of summer, you might find them hanging out near inlets and streams, or near the lake bottom in deeper waters.

Considering their preference for chillier waters, it might not come as a surprise to you that winter is a more lucrative time for catching pikes than summer is. August tends to bring hotter temperatures and peak food supplies, so the northern pike will be less inclined to bite and more apt to seek out a lake’s coldest depths.

Northern Pike are weak prolonged swimmers and jumpers and very susceptible to impediments. Northern pike have difficulty jumping over barriers, cannot swim effectively through fast moving waters

ONE CALL DOES IT ALL

greater than two feet per second and require frequent rest areas when traveling through streams.

Pike season officially spans from the first Saturday in May to the first Sunday in March of the following year. During the two-month hiatus, the fish will probably be spawning, which takes place in marshy, vegetation-rich locales during the night hours in late March and early April.

How to catch northern pike

Remember, they tend to be less discriminatory than muskies, so don’t be afraid to break out the colorful, noisy bait. Bright colors like white and orange, vibrations and sounds, and large bait are all known to attract pikes from great distances. Because the northern pike is stubborn and toothy, make sure your tackle is sturdy and substantive, and your leader is thick (ideally steel) so it doesn’t get bitten off! ■

Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

THE AMERY WILDERNESS

An Essay by Barry Tulkki

It is an early June morning when I launch my canoe in North Twin Lake, just off Hwy 46. Do passersby think I am a large green turtle carrying my canoe overhead to the lake, just a block and a half from my house? I am feeling a little old this morning, as the canoe seems heavier than it used to be. The lake is serene in the early morning, and the water is very clear. There are reflections all about. As I leave the highway and look down, I am transported to another world entirely--a world of lush green plants, clear water, and swimming fish. I feel like I am in an aquarium. A turtle pokes her head up and considers me, before diving away. I move into deeper water and can see down many feet. I cast my spinner and jig, troll along, and soon feel a tug on the line. It is a largemouth bass, and he jumps into the air as he approaches the boat--and spits out the hook. Good for him, I had fun almost catching him, and I don't have to decide if I will clean and eat him. Before long, another tug, and I expertly set the hook-- on a large weed. There are plenty of weeds to catch in the lake--that is probably why the water is so clear.

Drifting farther from the road, sounds of nature become more apparent. A loon is laughing--perhaps at me. It is the sound of wilderness right here in town. Later I find a loon crouched low on a nest just above the waterline on the narrows between North Twin and Pike Lake. This is a treat to see; I hope nobody throws up a wake with a boat that could swamp the nest. I hear whistles and notice ospreys flitting about looking for fish to snatch. They have the advantage of height to look down into the water to locate fish. Amery has become home for a good

population of ospreys in the past ten years--they seem to enjoy it here.

While looking up I notice a flock of a dozen or more turkey vultures riding a thermal over the peninsula between the lakes. They appear quite ugly to me when I see them on the ground eating a road killed deer, but in the air, they are a wonder of aviation. They tilt their wings ever so slightly to circle and soar ever higher, and rarely flap their wings. I remind myself to "look alive" lest they think of me as carrion!

Another tug on the line and I think I might have something really big. Soon the tugging stops and I feel like I am pulling in a board. It is a small northern pike, who gave a great battle for a few minutes before playing out entirely. Luckily, he is just slightly hooked in

the lip, and I release him to grow up and fight another day. Now I have that wonderful smell of northern slime on my hands, so I can convince my family I really did catch something.

I pull into a swampy backwater to enjoy the sounds of birds, the buzzing of insects, and lots of interesting looking plants. I feel like I am many miles away from civilization, even though I am only a few yards off the main lake. An eagle soars overhead. When I was a young boy in Minnesota, I never saw eagles. My teacher told me they would only live in remote areas, far from people. She was wrong. They live happily around us if we do not poison them with DDT. I wonder what poisons we are using now that will kill our wildlife in the future?

Now the wind has come up, and

I head for home before it gets too rough. It is hard to paddle a twoperson canoe by yourself in the wind. I'll bring someone else along next time--if they promise not to talk too much. I feel fortunate to live where this natural wildness is so close at hand. I love to travel to areas designated as wilderness, but these are elite places I can get to only rarely. We need to expand our notion of wilderness, and its importance to our everyday life, so we can leave some room for it right where we live. Even a small patch of garden can be a micro-wilderness, a home for an array of plants and creatures. Our Amery lakes are a precious wilderness resource. Let’s all work to protect and care for them. ■

Pam Hartmann

Sunday Worship 9:30 a.m. 715-472-2605

E. Foster Ave., Luck secretarypaula@lakeland.ws www.lucklutheran.org

Co-Interim Pastors: Maggie Isaacson & Mary Ann Bowman

Brought

08.12.23

Price is Right Amery’ $

SHOP BIG • WIN BIGGER

Shop Big in Amery! • 10am-4pm

08.12.23 SHOP

For every $20 spent at an Amery Community Club (ACC) business, receive a special card for your chance to win a BRAND NEW CAR, a TRIP and other FABULOUS prizes

Services, goods, food and drink, ANYTHING (legally allowed per type of trade) from an ACC business-Spend $20 and get a card.

The Chevrolet dealer for Amery. We believe that our customers are as special as our cars, so we take car shopping to a whole new level. Stop in and meet our friendly staff.

Glamorous Game Giver:

Food & Beer • 4 pm • Michael Park Grab your lawn chairs...food trucks and a beer stand will be waiting for those with cards collected throughout the day to register to play “Amery’s Price is Right”.

Game Time • 5:15 pm • Michael Park

Brought to you by the Amery Community Club with valued partnerships

The first five contestants will be called to “Come on down!” to bid on actual products from Amery stores. The closest bidder will play a Price is Right type game.

Games will be followed by spins of the big wheel, and the show will end with the famous showcase showdown.

Visit our old public school house, now bar, grill & event center in Amery, for a quick bite, date night, or a fun night out. Spectacular Showcase Showdown Sponsors:

Serving the Amery, Clayton and Clear Lake area since 1892. Published on Tuesdays, the Free Press is a tireless promoter of life in beautiful southern Polk County.

Bringing you PLINKO!

“Come

on Down” Donors:

Thinking about buying or selling a home? Our team will guide you through the whole real estate process and help you discover an amazing house to call home. NorthwestCommunications www.nwcomm.net .nwcomm.net

FOR FURTHER INFO ABOUT SPONSORING AMERY’S PRICE IS RIGHT, CONTACT

Polk-Burnett

or TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT, OTHER AMERY EVENTS or ABOUT AMERY COMMUNITY

Pike Lake

L KER

SECTION B

Nor th Twin Lake

PIKE LAKE AND NORTH TWIN LAKE FAST FACTS

Area

Pike 161 acres

North Twin 129 acres

Max Depth Pike 33 feet

North Twin 27 feet

Mean Depth Pike 14 feet

North Twin 11 feet

Boat Landings

Pike 1 • North Twin 1

Fish

Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Walleye

Invasive

Species Chinese Mystery Snail, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Eurasian Water-Milfoil, Purple Loosestrife (North Twin)

GO NUTS FOR NORTH TWIN

By April Ziemer editor@theameryfreepress.com

Settled just to the side of Amery’s Highway 46, the hustle and bustle of downtown fast fades away the moment you hit shore. The body of water is the epitome of why Amery is called, “The City of Lakes.”

The 135-acre lake with a maximum water depth of 27 feet provides year-round recreational activities for the residents and visitors alike. The lake is accessed by a boat launch on north Keller Avenue.

The ample lake supports enough room to allow both skiers and fisherman to enjoy the lake at the same time.

Fishing in the summer is a perfect place to take the kids out to catch a mess of Sunfish or just for guys to toss out a couple top water lures to catch a nice Large Mouth Bass. Winter is a mecca of fish houses, building up top the last weekend in January when the Amery Catholic Church sponsors an annual ice fishing contest drawing hundreds of people to participate.

Sunfish, Large Mouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill, Bullheads, Walleye and an occasional Muskie can be reeled in on North Twin.

Fishing is not the only activity the lake sees, many boats can be seen on weekends throughout the SEE

INDIANHEAD SUPPER CLUB

BIRCH STREET BAR

FOR NORTH TWIN AND PIKE LAKE

What Does That Mean?

When people recreate on lakes, or even just look out at the lake, they tend to gravitate to more clear lakes. This is generally referred to as water clarity by lake scientists. Both North Twin Lake and Pike Lake in Amery have excellent water clarity. How is this measured, and what does it mean for a lake user?

A simple device was developed in 1865 by Angelo Secchi to measure water clarity in marine environments. This device is now referred to as the Secchi disk. The first one was a round white disk. This disk has been modified for freshwater as an alternating black and white disk 8 inches in diameter. The Secchi disk is used to measure Secchi depth. This is done by lowering the disk into the water until it disappears. The depth that it just disappears is recorded as the Secchi depth. The deeper the disk is before it disappears, the clearer the water. A straightforward and low-cost, yet effective measure of water quality.

Low Secchi depths occur in more turbid or cloudy water. This lack of clarity is usually due to phytoplankton (aka algae) growing in the lake. These are typically

microscopic, one-celled organisms that produce chlorophyll (green pigment).

More algae will grow if a lake has excess nutrients, resulting in more cloudy water and a lower Secchi depth. This simple device can indicate that a lake has excess nutrients due to the lower readings without conducting expensive chemical tests. The water can sometimes be less clear due to factors other than algae growth. This typically occurs in the spring when the lake mixes and becomes cloudy or

turbid. By summer, the change in Secchi depth is typically due to changes in algae growth. Some lakes may have brown tannic water that can reduce the Secchi without algae as a factor.

Typically, around Amery, the Secchi depth starts to go down by August due to more algae growth. As the water warms, if excess nutrients are available, the algae can grow in population. However, in North Twin Lake and Pike Lake, this only happens less than in many area lakes. It is common

Now Open in Downtown Osceola

to get Secchi depth readings over 15 feet in August in both lakes. Any Secchi reading over 16 feet is considered excellent water clarity. Only a few lakes around Amery have such deep Secchi depths recorded in August. Our Amery lakes have this high-water clarity due to limited nutrients in the lake. Lake property values tend to positively correlate with the higher water clarity. It does not take many excess nutrients to decrease the Secchi depth dramatically, so reducing nutrient loading in our lakes is

paramount to keeping these incredible Secchi depths. Management practices such as restoring shorelines from lawns to native vegetation, reducing impervious surfaces (where rain will not soak into the soil) around the lake, avoiding fertilizer application, and the sediment pond at Flag Pole Park can all reduce the nutrient loading.

The Secchi depth can be an easy, inexpensive data set that can tell a person a great deal about the quality of a lake. If anyone is ever interested in a lake and wondering about the quality, look up the Secchi depth. Any lake with data can be searched at the Wisconsin DNR lake website: https://dnr. wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/.

The following criteria can be used to understand the Secchi depth as a water quality indicator:

• 16 feet or more = excellent water clarity (very little algae growth and a clear-looking lake)

• 6.5 feet to 15 feet = moderate water clarity (some algae growth and less clear, especially later in summer)

• Less than 6.5 feet = fair to poor water clarity (more intense algae growth and likely quite green later in summer) ■

Wisconsin DNR

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• Hand-dyed wool fabrics, quilt cotton fabrics and yarns for fiber arts, rug hooking, wool applique, quilting, knitting, and crocheting

• Beginner classes available and year-round inspirational groups

NORTH TWIN LAKE | FROM 2B

summer pulling skiers or tubers across the lake. Cruising on your pontoon around the popular water is an enjoyable activity as well.

North Twin Lake is a also a great place to take in all that nature has to offer by watching the wildlife. Bald Eagles and Loons are a common site on the lake. Often you will see a Loon diving for a fish or a Bald Eagle swooping down to catch a meal of a Walleye or Northern Pike. Every year there is a nesting pair of Loons on the lake.

Activities close to North Twin Lake include Cattail State Trail, an 18-mile scenic trail with wildlife. You can also explore York Park, which includes beautiful views of Pike Lake, a neighbor of North Twin Lake. Many other nature preserves are located within about 20 minutes as well. An assortment of bar and grill restaurants are within about a 15-minute radius of this destination. Conveniently located 5-15 minutes

from North Twin Lake are two beautiful golf courses (Amery Golf Club & Clear Lake Golf Club) where you can relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery around you.

Here are some fun North Twin stories from the past courtesy of the Amery Free Press:

February 2, 1915

Stop Ice Fishing

The Wisconsin Fish and Game commission have assured a number of our citizens that fishing for market through the ice on Twin and Pike Lakes will be stopped before another winter.

This is as it should be. The lakes are small and those who spend their time and money to get these lakes stocked with walleye pike and bass are stopped from reaping the benefits of their labor by a number who make a business of commercial fishing in the winter.

The pike are all full of spawn at this time of year and

should be strictly protected until after the spawn is produced. Let every Amery citizen be a game warden.

May 12, 1932

Break Into Cottage on North Twin

Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Stein and family narrowly escaped serious injury when their car skidded from the road and turned over in the ditch at the seven-mile corner south of Amery on highway 46 last Sunday afternoon. They were enroute to their cottage on North Twin from their home in St. Paul when the accident occurred.

Mr. Stein went out to the cottage after arrival here and found that hoodlums had broken in and turned everything upside down. Trunks, cupboards, etc., had been broken into and everything mussed and scattered, besides a quantity of articles being stolen.

All cottages on the shore of North Twin Lake were

broken into last winter and much damage done. From the fact that the cottages are more or less isolated it is hard to apprehend the guilty parties but it is to be hoped that they may be caught and an example made of them.

Among others, the Goldner cottage was broken into and much damage done and property stolen.

May 9, 1940

Amery Man in Possession of Frogs

An Amery pleaded guilty in municipal court this week to a charge of having frogs in his possession, caught from. North Twin Lake, out of season. The season opens May 1. He paid a fine of $10 and costs assessed by Judge Charles D. Madsen.

December 6. 1945

Hearing May be Held on Highway

According to a communication received this week by James McGinnis from G. I. Germond, division engineer for the state highway commission, it appears that a hearing will be held for the purpose of determining the route of state highway 46 North through town.

Present plans call for the construction of the new 46 south of Amery to commence in the spring. As long as heavy equipment was in the territory, the commission expressed its willingness to straighten the course of 46 North through town and to where county truck highway H branches off.

Tentative plans by the commission included filling in the east end of North Twin Lake to make the route straight at the point. However, some residents of Amery expressed their disapproval of this because of the present natural beauty. ■

Pam Hartmann

Lake Magnor

Water area: 231 acres

Total shoreline: 2.6 miles

Maximum depth: 26 feet

LAKE MAGNOR FAST FACTS

Area 231 acres

Max Depth 26 feet

Mean Depth 10 feet Boat Landings 1

Fish Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Walleye

Invasive Species Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Purple Loosestrife

FOR THE LOVE OF LAKE MAGNOR

By April Ziemer editor@theameryfreepress.com

Lake Magnor is a 229 acre lake located in Polk County south of Clayton. Rich in history, it has a maximum depth of 26 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from a public boat landing and it is filled with Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Walleye.

The Township of Clayton was organized April 4, 1875. The first town meeting was held in a log house on the east side of Hay Lake, or what is now know as

SEE 6C

COOKING BY THE LAKE

From surf to turf, lakeside recipes you’ll love

By April Ziemer editor@theameryfreepress.com

Experiencing catching a northern is the definition of an emotional rollercoaster. Most people think they have snagged themselves on a log when hooking into a huge one, but in reality, there is a freshwater beast at the end of their line.

Northern Pike, often referred to as the freshwater shark, is one fish every angler should pursue at one point in their life. Pike can grow to a size that almost seems fictional compared to other freshwater fish. What do you do once you slay one? Pickle it of course!

The best pickled Northern Pike recipe in the world!

Cut fillets into squares approximately pickled herring size. Cover completely with brine: ½ cup of salt (not iodized) to 1 quart of water.

Drain brine after 24 hours cover with white vinegar for 12 hours. Drain off vinegar and throw away.

Pack fish in jars and add raw onion slices in alternate layers. Add enough pickling solution to cover fish and then cover the jars.

Pickling solution:

4 cups of white vinegar

3 cups of sugar

1 cup of sweet white wine, preferably with hints of citrus

2 raw onions sliced fine

¼ cup of pickling spice

Add slices of oranges

Method:

Dissolve sugar in vinegar, heat do not boil, then cool. Add wine, onions, orange slices and pickling spice. Bring to a boil then cool.

Keep refrigerated

Terrific Tenderloin

One of the best recipes I have ever enjoyed, this grilled pork tenderloin is amazingly tender, juicy and downright divine. With the perfect combination of simple ingredients to make a dry rub, it grills to perfection in only about 10-12 minutes.

Pork tenderloin is one of the most delicious cuts of meat available. It’s lean, tender, and can be prepared with any number of flavor combinations. For this recipe, we’ll use a simple BBQ rub that’s both sweet and savory, which accentuates the natural flavors of the pork.

MAKE SURE IT’S PORK TENDERLOIN, NOT PORK LOIN

Pork tenderloin and pork loin are two different cuts of meat. Pork tenderloin is very lean cut of meat, long and narrow – usually about 1.25 – 1.75lbs each. Pork loin is shorter, has a larger diameter and is from a different part of the pig, it also requires different cooking times. So, for this recipe, make sure the package clearly says pork tenderloin. For this recipe, you likely already have the ingredients in your pantry and spice rack.

2 pork tenderloins, 1.25-1-75lbs. each

¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark

Pickled Northern | Contributed

2 tbs smoked paprika

2.5 tsp kosher or coarse salt

2 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tbs vegetable oil

½ tsp cayenne (optional, but highly recommended)

The preparation is as simple as mixing all the dry ingredients, trimming the fat from the meat, coating the pork with vegetable oil, the rubbing in all the seasoning mix.

You can season the pork and go directly to the grill. Or use the seasoning as a simple marinade and apply to the pork, place in a zip-top bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.

A seasoned grill is a happy grill. Whether you’re using a charcoal grill or a gas grill, scrape the grates clean and apply a generous coating of vegetable oil. Wipe away any excess with a paper towel. This is called seasoning the grill. It will make for a much better grill experience and prevent a recipe such as this from sticking to the grill. With the grill cleaned and seasoned, fire it up to high heat with the lid closed for 5 minutes. You want those grates to be good and hot, so we get a nice sear on the meat.

When grilling, nothing is quite as satisfying as getting those classic crosshatch grill marks on the meat. To achieve this, use medium-high heat and place the pork tenderloins on a hot, preheated grill and leave them alone for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the meat will begin to release from the grill. This is exactly what we want. Then use tongs and give the meat a ¼ turn and continue grilling another 3-4 minutes. Then it’s time to flip the meat and grill an additional 3 minutes. We’re real close to being done, but since the meat is round, give the sides a quick sear by holding it with the tongs on the remaining sides for about 1 minute each. Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. We want to an internal temp of 145°(F).

After removing the meat from the grill, let it rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting in. This allows the natural juices to redistribute and keep the meat tender

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

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GRANUM’S LEGACY LIVES AT THE LANDING OF NORTH TWIN

By April Ziemer Editor@theameryfreepress.com

A born leader enter the world in Amery, WI. In 1922, his name was Oscar Alfred Granum-better known as “Al.”

Granum served in the U.S. Navy during World War II following his graduation from the University of Wisconsin. He joined Northwestern Mutual in 1946, and within eight years qualified as a life member of the Million Dollar Roundtable (MDRT).

"Success may be visualized in an instant, but it must be reached a step at a time," Al once said, "By looking at the job as a series of relatively simple activities, the way will be found to the top."

He is one of the most well-respected men to ever work for the company.

Al was a recipient of the Solomon S. Huebner Gold Medal, the highest honor given by The American College. In 2011, Northwestern Mutual honored Al Granum's lifetime achievement by funding The Northwestern Mutual Granum Center for Financial Security at The American College. Through its research and engaging experts in the industry, the

Granum Center stands to further the profession – just as Al himself did throughout his lifetime.

. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Al Granum was a treasure to all who knew him. He found the "positives" in everyone and made sure they knew their strengths. He was a true servant leader who deeply valued relationships. His generosity and grace were beyond measure.

Al loved his family, cared deeply for them, and wanted the very best of life and happiness for each of them. Whether in his community, industry or country, Al was steadfast in his belief in service and had an insatiable passion for lifelong learning.

Granum passed away at 91 years young in 2014, having impacted countless lives and leaving a legacy of contributions to the world.

Before the time of his passing, Granum’s son Al was good friends with the current Director of Public Works in Amery, (another Al) McCarty.

“Granum is a good friend of mine and he approached me two years ago and he said his

Al Granum | Contributed

LAKE MAGNOR | FROM 2C

Lake Magnor. It was settled by ballot the town should be called “Clayton” after Capt. Clayton Rogers, “Who,” says S.M. DeGolier in a history of the town written in 1876 or thereabouts, “is the life of the town—a man who travels thirty miles every day and does more mental and physical work than any other two men in Polk County.

The railroad was built to Clayton Village in 1874. Prior to this, supplies were hauled from Stillwater or Osceola and for a couple of years, from the terminals of the railroad at New Richmond. Up until this time, mail was received at Lincoln Center, then called Bear Trap. The first Post Office in Clayton Township was established at Hay Lake.

Before the spring of 1872, Lake Magnor, Barabo and Paulson Lakes were all one, and drained south into Hay Lake. It was called Hay Lake from the great Blue Joint hay marsh south of it. In the winter of 1872, Mr. Elm Greeley of Stillwater, Minnesota, had logged along Beaver Brook and landed about three million feet of pine lumber in logs along its banks. Since there was very little snow melt that

spring, he needed a lot more water to float his logs down into Apple River. He took his crew of men up to Hay Lake and dug a ditch from its north bank into the little stream now called Nepadogen Creek which flows northwesterly into Beaver Brook. This drew the water level of Hay Lake down so low that it left three distinct lakes, one of which is Lake Magnor, loved by many today.

The lake actually sits in an area known as Richardson, with the main landmark being the Lake Magnor Store.

The store boasts they have everything you need plus a little bit more.

This includes:

• Groceries-Gas-Hot Food

• Live Bait-Hunting supplies-Tackle

• Cold Beer-Liquor-Firewood

• Clean Restrooms

We have everything you need to enjoy our area! Supplies for your day on the lake-covered! Need milk for breakfast tomorrow-yep! S’mores for your campfire-got-’em!

Ice Fishing-we have it all!

The store has a large display of big bucks as well as moose, elk, bear, buffalo, prong horn and caribou. ■

The Sarsland family was star-struck when they ran into Channel 9 news personality Randy Meier at Lake Magnor Store. You never know who you'll run into in these parts!

dad was in bad health and he knew that he would probably pass away before long and that piece of property (owned by Granum near North Twin Lake) would be sitting there,” McCarty explained to the Amery City Council in 2015, “He said he’d like to see the city take that and make a park or something out of it and I was the one who said, ‘well I know they’ve been looking at improving the boat landing because we’ve been talking about the hazards of that.”

McCarty said the safety issue had to do with speeding on the road and when Al Granum Senior passed away, the city became involved with the project and they got the ball rolling.

The Amery City Council authorized the purchase of 1.4 acres of land from the Granum family, which was developed as the new boat access on North Twin, named after Granum. It offers safety, convenience as well as beautiful landscaping near the water Granum loved for years. ■

HERE FISHY, FISHY, FISHY... CHOOSING BAIT TO MAKE ‘EM BITE

By April Ziemer editor@theameryfreepress.com

If it were only as easy as grabbing a few worms from your own front lawn-well sometimes it is. Other times though, before you even think about casting your line, you need to stop and consider the best bait for your fishing scenario. While the classic idea of fish bait might be a juicy pink worm on a hook, there are oodles of baits you can use. In fact, there are multiple types of worms you can use.

When it comes to freshwater fishing, bait comes in two forms: Natural bait, which is an animal (or part of one) on the end of your hook, and artificial lures, which is everything else.

Natural Bait

When you use natural bait, the nice part is that you don’t have to fool the fish into thinking an artificial lure is food, but you will have to keep the bait alive, which can be harder than you think-especially in colder months.

Natural bait is easy to use, but there may be regulatory restrictions in place that limit your bait use and selection, make sure to ask the bait shop where you are purchasing.

Natural bait can attract all kinds of fish as long as you make sure you’re offering appropriately sized bait, and it tends to be inexpensive and easily acquired at bait shops. Many times you have to re-bait the hook each time and you have to make a decision on how to handle leftover bait, but most people just enjoy fishing until it is gone.

Artificial Lures

The great thing about artificial lures is you don’t have to worry about keeping them alive, but they are much more expensive than live bait and they tend to have a harder learning curve, especially for retrieval in weedy water.

While they are less messy than threading worms onto a hook, they are also less attractive to fish as they do not have the natural scent and taste of live bait.

They last for more than one bite but are an environmental hazard if they break off in the water. There are lots of designs and selections.

In the final analysis, there can be no overall winner in the bait-versus-lures contest. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, and each will dominate under certain conditions or on a particular day. Smart (and successful) anglers will strive to be adept at both

forms of fishing!

Each style of angling has its strengths and weaknesses, and expertise in any form requires dedication and skill. We should celebrate them all! ■

BAIT SHOPS NEAR THE WATERS OF POLK COUNTY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Speedway

Amery

Mork’s Big Lake Store

Osceola

Deer Lake Sports

St. Croix Falls

Highway 46 Store

Balsam Lake

Jonzy Market

Balsam Lake

Pap’s General Store

Balsam Lake

Lake Magnor Store

Clayton/Richardson

Welcome to beautiful Balsam Lake, a village living in natural harmony.

Established in 1905 the Village of Balsam Lake rests on the southwest shore of Balsam Lake in one of the most prime tourist locations of northwest Wisconsin. Whether you are looking to relax or take part in a wide variety of activities, both on and off shore, the Village of Balsam Lake is the place for you! The Village is nestled on the largest lake in the area, (2,054 acres), which is teeming with fish to satisfy the most avid of anglers. The unique shoreline stretches 65 miles and the lake is dotted with picturesque islands and bays. Fine Dining and casual eateries abound and over 50 businesses provide a vast array of services.

Live & Work Where You Love To Play