BULLHEADING ON THE GRADE

The state line between Iowa and Minnesota passes right through the lagoon, and a raised earthwork has been built across the water straddling the boundary. Some say that this earthwork was built by early mound building Indians, but the more likely explanation has the work done by angry Minnesotans of Swedish descent who resented Iowans of Norwegian descent fishing in their territorial waters without Minnesota fishing licenses. Another story, which I do not wish to endorse by repetition, would have us believe in ancient visitors from outer space with a concern for future bullhead fishing.

At any event, the titanic rock and earth structure which now carries an arterial highway across Mini Wakan is universally referred to as "the grade". And the grade is legendary as one of the most popular bullheading spots in America A drive down the grade on a spring afternoon will inevitably reveal a multitude of happy 'headers, enjoying their time honored sport in their own unique way.

Angling for yellowbellies at Mini Wakan has a long and colorful history. Like many of today's popular diversions it has its roots in desperation and existential angst. The sport has indeed been shaped by the needs and hopes of bullheaders now long gone. Hungry pioneers, struggling immigrants, and the victims of the Great Depression all had a hand in making grade 'heading what it is today. But even before the white man came on the scene, the bullhead, a living relic of prehistoric times, was there. The native americans knew this noble fish, but because of certain cultural biases, they never ate bullhead flesh. Even in times of desperate famine, the plains Indians as a whole would not resort to eating the "slimy horned fish" that schooled thickly in their lakes and streams since before man's earliest memory. The only known use of the bullhead by these early inhabitants of the Iowa Great Lakes area was as a tool in socializing their children. On gift giving occasions they would give bullheads to kids that had misbehaved, much as our european ancestors gave lumps of coal at Christmas.

The earliest white settlers around Mini Wakan were not prejudiced against the fat bullheads they found nearly everywhere there was water. They seined bullheads in great numbers to supplement their diets, and cleverly used other parts of this multi-faceted fish for tools and clothing. The dried horns became sewing needles, and the tough skins were carefully cured and made into rain boots, not unlike today's galoshes. When the notorious Spirit Lake Massacre swept the region, it was a large bullhead boiler that little Abigail Gardner hid herself under and was thereby saved from the Indian's' bloody justice.

When the railroads pushed through northwest Iowa, a large influx of people of varied ethnic origins came with them. These new people brought their own unique tastes in food and adapted their old-world recipes to include the indigenous flora and fauna. As the tracks were being laid, professional hunters and fishers were hired by the railroad companies to provide fresh game for hungry road crews. We have all heard of Buffalo Bill, who earned his name by slaughtering buffalo by the ton, but few know the story of Bullhead Mick and the stew named after him.

Bullhead Mick was an Irish railroad fisherman who seined carloads of bullheads from Mini Wakan and other area waters. The early gandy dancers were mainly Irish and orientals, and the recipes of the camp cooks reflect their preferences in bullhead preparation. They even record a recipe for bullhead sushi (or raw bullhead meat), favored by the chinese workers. After the railroads were established, there followed wave/ after wave of scandinavian farmers who tamed the rich land. And with them they brought their old traditional methods of angling for fish.

Because these hardy Swedes and Norwegians had been big fishermen and big fish-eaters in their homelands, it wasn't long after the cabin was raised that Pa and the boys were trying their luck on the local waters. At first they were, no doubt, surprised by the bullheads' unfamiliar appearance, but they came to relish the tasty meat and soon adapted their angling equipment and techniques to landing the wily bottom feeders. By the efforts of these born fishermen, Iowa Great Lakes bullheading became the fabulously popular sport that it is today. The tackle and methods they developed are still used by their descendants today.

It was the swedes and norwegians who also located the best spots to angle for "old whiskers." These great "head holes" were staked out like mining claims and were jealously guarded and often fought over by the immigrant families and ethnic clans.

No one seems to remember what group first discovered the exceptional quality of the bullhead fishing at Mini Wakan, as it was probably a well kept secret up until shortly before the time that Iowa joined the Union. At that time, the location of the state line between Iowa and Minnesota was hotly contested. The Swedes, who had largely settled in what was to become Minnesota wished to keep the Mini-Wakan bullhead hole for themselves. The Norwegians, who were mostly on the Iowa side, felt it should be theirs, as an integral part of the Iowa Great Lakes chain. The result was the Mini Wakan Compromise which put the state line right through the middle of the slough. But, like so many of man's efforts to apportion the land and its bounty, the Compromise proved unworkable.

The Minnesota Swedes claimed that the Iowa Norwegians were casting their unlicensed lines into their waters, and vice versa. Terrible arguments and frequent fistfights broke out whenever the bullheads were biting in Mini Wakan. The beer which these scandinavian anglers consumed in quantity while fishing further inflamed their Norse temperaments. Following a near fatal shooting incident the innovative Swedes decided that a physical barrier should divide the waters between the states. The now famous "grade" was built across Mini Wakan, squarely on the state line, to settle the matter once and for all. The Swedes were soon disappointed to learn that the bullhead fishing was only good on the Iowa side. The shallow, reedy Minnesota side produced only emaciated runts. The real yellowbellies grew only on the side open to Spirit Lake.

It is the Iowa side of the grade where the vast majority of Mini Wakan Bullheads have been taken ever since. (These old grudges were soon laid aside and progressive licensing laws now allow everyone to enjoy bullheading on the grade).

During the Great Depression some families, dispossessed of their land, actually squatted along the grade and in the nearby woods of Mini Wakan State Park. There they could stay in their makeshift shanties and eat bullheads, at least until the water began to freeze. These so-called "grade okies" began the tradition of lining up campers along the grade. Today, when the yellowbellies are yumpin', the crowd of pickup campers and Winnebagos evoke memories of the grade's shantytown days and fried 'Hoover trout'.

Now, the typical fishing trip to the grade involves getting the whole family together, packing the camper with gear and finding a choice spot in the line-up along the Iowa side of the grade. This means getting there early and, because many bullheaders come from as far away as Missouri or Nebraska, this sometimes means an all-night drive. Once on the right spot, out come the ubiquitous 5-gallon plastic pails. These serve the bullheaders as tackle boxes, stools and tables, the true aficionado scorning the lawn chairs and boxes used by the uninitiated. Of course, the pails also hold the flopping catch. Indeed, a day's fishing is measured in "pails". On a good day veteran grade headers can easily take two pails or even more from the bountiful waters of Mini Wakan. The Iowa state record bullhead weighed 4 pounds, 8 oz. and was a little under 18" long, and a mere 2 1/2 pounder qualifies one for a listing in the Iowa conservation commission's official Big Fish records registry. But grade headers don't weigh their fish; they count pails!

The cheerful banter of the bullhead busters is punctuated by exclamations of pleasure whenever a big one is horsed up onto the rocks. The atmosphere of camaraderie is like no other in this writer's experience. Shoulder to shoulder they fish with hardly ever a squabble. When lines tangle, as they always will, it is an occasion to meet another bullheader for small talk about tackle and bait and back home.

The bullheader's tackle reflects its heritage: it is simple and sturdy. The preferred rod is a good stiff fiberglass or steel one, usually not more than six feet long. The bait casting level wind reel was, until recently, the most popular and some are still seen, but most grade fisherfolk now use the closed faced spinning reel. The popularity of monofilament line and increased ease of operation explain the shift. The line used is generally 15 to 20 lb. test. This may seem overly heavy to fishing snobs who don't know better. But the grade is known for its tough weed-bed and rocky snags. The hotshot with his 2 lb. test line doesn't stand a chance, especially when the fishing is hot and lines begin to tangle. And, because bullheads are never netted, but are hoisted or dragged out of the water, (those horns are hard to disentangle from a net), a stout line is a must. And, at the end of their hefty lines, most grade fishermen use a heavy steel leader, known as a bullhead rig. The local tackle shops sell them ready-made, with sturdy swivels and big snaps that frozen fingers can grip.

When your travels take you near the Iowa Great Lakes, plan a visit to Mini Wakan. It is near the nationally acclaimed Arnolds Park on beautiful blue Lake Okobiji. The area offers all the amenities of a first class family resort. Excellent lodging, fine dining, shopping and sight-seeing await the bullhead curious visitor. To plan your trip, visit okoboji.com on the Internet.

Last updated on ... October 27, 2002