During a brief “warm up” that in Siouxland that saw temps reach 70 degrees in February, a few people were out and about enjoying it, even though snow still covered the ground in places. In Okoboji this particular day I chatted with a gentleman who was fishing off a walkway bridge on one of the area lakes. He told me a whopper of a fish story that made me smile, although I do believe him. But he wasn’t mad, just enjoying the nice day.
The gentleman said he had caught a 19′ walleye or pike or some other type of fish whose name I don’t recall in West Okoboji Lake just minutes before I spoke with him. He said he has had pretty good luck fishing in the region and got lucky another day. But as he was reeling the fish up to where he was standing on the walkway, a muskrat comes scurrying over the ice on the lake and stole his fish. He said he watched the critter scurry again across the lake carrying his fish and hook. He sounded sad he had lost the hook. The gentleman though didn’t have ill will toward the little guy since all creatures have to eat, and this particular day the muskrat didn’t get unduly wet getting his lunch. And minutes before I was photographing an otter who came out to explore the sunshine along with the humans getting teased by mother nature that spring is on the way, but not quite yet, as later the following week 10-12 inches of snow blanketed much of Siouxland.
Jerry Mennenga
Sioux City, Iowa
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- A small otter checks his surroundings on the lake at Okoboji Iowa , Iowa Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
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- A couple look to take a selfie at the lake at Okoboji Iowa , Iowa Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
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- A fisherman tells a whopper of a tale while fishing off a walkway the lake at Okoboji Iowa , Iowa Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. The gentleman said he caught a good sized and was just about to pull it up to himself when a wily muskrat grabbed it and scurried away over the ice to have a meal by itself. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)
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