On a return trip from Janesville over the weekend, I took a short jaunt off the beaten path for a return visit.
Memories of Gibbs Lake are limited. During my time at Channel 3, I recall shooting video there during the spawning season for Bluegill. The clear water made it easy to get shots of the fish hovering over their nests created in the sand and gravel on the lake bottom which they shaped into a small bowl.
Jet plumes of bubbles were evident as schools of young fish darted out from under the pier in search of food or away from perceived danger.
I recall a fishing trip or two with Dad to the lake as a kid. It's a lake which really requires a boat for angling. We didn't have a boat and no rentals were available nearby, so whatever fishing we did was from shore. We didn't catch many, but that wasn't usually the point of our fishing trips anyway.
Long bamboo pools and a couple of casting rods were the primary tools for fishing. We rarely used lures, but I think Dad would spend some time trying out some spoons and what we knew as a pinkie.
You may have learned to fish the way I did, with a worm on a hook and a bobber dancing on the surface. The job was to watch the bobber, often a red and white globe, to see if the fish tried to take the worm and pull it down.
When the bobber went down, you tried to set the hook. If you weren't fast enough the fish would clean the hook and get away.
I can only imagine how large the finned foes were who took the bait and got away.Fishing trips might put a mess of fish in the basket for supper, but even if you come up empty you can enjoy the memories for years to come.
My return trip showed off more of the 287-acre park than I remembered. There are hiking and bridle trails and picnic space to enjoy all year round.
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