Not sure if one could chew your toe or finger right off but with teeth that look like this http://www.fotothing.com/...82ae5c698873f9dc.jpg I'd be inclined to think maybe I'd rather have one off than remain after a bite.

They have been known to bite humans, but in murky water. A guy in our area was dangling his foot in the water while sitting on a dock. Required quite a few stitches.

I've seen them scuba diving and come within a few feet to one on a Lake Ontario wreck dive. Although they aren't aggressive to divers, I'd definately give them a wide berth and not provoke them.

You must be my neighbor (or at least within 600 yards of my house).

I swim in Wingra 2-3 days per week all summer long. It is fine. There are about 50 people that swim in our group; I don't know anybody who has ever gotten sick

see you at Vilas Beach!

Andy

I would be more concerned with the fact that you're swimming in Wingra than anything else :p

That being said, if one can swim (or flop about like a loon in distress, in my case) safely up in the BWCA without getting eaten bby any fish larger than my thigh, I think you'll be okay in Wingra, where yoru biggest fear shoudl be the noseeums that will be working their way up through all your orafices.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
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I've fished for muskie for about 30 years. They aren't aggressive fish. actually damn hard to get them to bite anything except live bait. I've swam in lakes in Michigan filled with muskie for most of my life. Never heard of them bothering anyone. I wouldn't worry about it.

But if you do get bit post it here so I won't give this advice again ;)

As others have said I wouldn't worry about them. I worry more about Northerns (Pike) than I would a muskie anyday. They are a bit more aggressive. In the off chance that you do get bit, get to hospital right away. My dad got bit a couple of years ago and lost a ton of blood. He does have a pretty good scar and a hell of a story from it though. Guess that is the bright side. Others to watch out for in Wisconsin lakes are Gar, dogfish, and northerns. I've seen snakes while swimming, but they haul ass to get out of the way everytime I've seen them.

loving this thread. i just bought my first wetsuit, and im going to start swimming in wingra soon!

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The beatings will continue until morale improves

I am absolutely mad for the show "River Monsters" with Jeremy Wade. That guy is cool. He is so theatrical, so cool, so dramatic about the fish. Who could sell a show about dangerous fresh water fish? It's all about the dude- pure panache. The accent, the ungroomed "French extreme athlete" beard like he just finished the Raid Gauloises. Super cool.

The fish, I don;t worry about.

The show: My favorite.
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/river-monsters/

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Just dont wear anything shiny like a wedding ring or necklace. If you do get bit dont run to the hospital first buy a lottery ticket then go to hospital.

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Official Polar Ambassador
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The worst part now is that every time I catch a glimpse of a weed moving around a few feet below me, I think it's an animal. See, uh, for some reason I usually stay out there until the sun goes down, so at dusk weeds and fish look the same to me.

Fish are afraid of you.....you shouldn't be afraid of them. Especially since the food chain doesn't usually "go up"...ie: the musky and northerns are much smaller than you, a large seal-like creature that thrashes.

They look bigger underwater! LOL

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

I wouldn't worry about it too much. You've heard about the Okanagan Lake Monster Ogopogo Haven't you? Ogo feasts on the slow swimmers at IMC every year.

Nah, you could end up with a meal though.

http://www.youtube.com/...&feature=related

Looks like the Palin clan has taken up fishing.

gotta love a good noodling video...

I love the fact that hillbilly #2 is wearing a Live Strong bracelet.

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Over 4.5 years bike crash free.

I have been bitten twice by muskies. A little scarring, some blood and a good loud curse.

Since then I wear leather gloves and use longer needlenose pliers to take out the hooks.


Leeches, on the other hand...


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"Maybe you should just run faster..." TM

whoa whoa whoa.... leeches in Lake Wingra?
I was wondering about that while swimming there today, but i thought they needed a warmer water environment...

Where did you hear about that, and where can i get information on that?
I swim in lake wingra and was just curious about all the little boogers in there...

You may want to do a search on our very own ST. It came up last year right around IMWI time ;)

chris

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"You can quit, and no one will care if you do. But you will know."
~John Collins, Ironman founder

Member HED Mafia

Hmm...I don't think I'm impressed with noodling. All they have to do is stick their hand in a fish's nest, and the male fish will automatically bite them to protect the eggs. And apparently "serious noodlers" will put boxes in the water for the fish to make a home in, so they know where to find them later. Seems like noodling fish in a barrel to me.

I would be impressed if they had to go down like 10 feet to catch the fish, because then they'd have to make it all the way back to the surface with that thing fighting them. Otherwise, I see no challenge there.

My family has a plac on the French River in Ontario, about 5 hours north of Toronto. There are Muskies around there, sometimes you see them hanging out just below the surface of the water. One year when I as there a guy hit one in his boat and it bent the prop. We heard it from the deck of our cabin and it sounded like he had hit a submerged roc or a deadhead. Dad and I went out to help and the fish was still floating on the surface of the water with a huge gash in its back. It was the largest freshwater fish I have ever seen,and looked mean as hell. I reached in to try and grab it, and it swam away.

Tough SOBs as well.

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-All You Haters Suck My Balls-

If there aren't any gators in the water, you're just not in Florida!

Not to worry though.....you don't have to out-swim the gator. You just have to out-swim the guy next to you! ;-)

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"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

I wouldn't call Wingra all that cold, really. It's not deep enough to be cold. I'm sure there's plenty o' leeches hanging out, drinkin' in the PCBs and eatin' up the tapir crap that is floating around in there :D

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com