Vilas County Guide Service Northern Wisconsin Fishing Guide
Northern Wisconsin fishing guide Vilas County Guide Service
Vilas County Fishing Guide Service Northern Wisconsin Fishing Guide
Welcome to the
Fox Valley Outdoors Home Page
Guided fishing trips across Northern Wisconsin and the U.P.
WI: Vilas County, Oneida County, Iron County, Green Bay
MI: Lake Gogebic, Ottawa National Forest, Ontonagon River
Come fish with Captain Curtis "Cletus" Cecchi Wisconsin's most personable fishing guide
It's Trophy Bass Season in Northern Wisconsin!
Special Rates on Northwoods Bass and Panfish Trips till May 3rd
1/2 Day $275
3/4 Day $350
Full Day $400
Now booking Open water trips for spring and summer 2024!
Rates for Wisconsin and Michigan Waters
Walleye, Bass, Pike, Panfish Rates
Full Day (8hr*): $525
3/4 Day (6hr): $425
Half Day (4hr): $350
Price includes up to three people. All rods, tackle, and live bait provided
Trophy Walleye Peak Seasons: May, September – October
Trophy Smallmouth Bass Peak Seasons: Late May, Early June; September-October
Musky Trip Rates
Full Day (8hr*): $550
3/4 Day (6hr) : $450
Half Day (4hr): $350
Price includes up to two anglers casting and three anglers trolling / live bait fishing
The cost of suckers for fall live bait fishing is not included in the price of the trip. An additional cost for suckers will be added at the end of the trip. Clients only pay for suckers that are put on the hook. I usually run 2-3 suckers at a time with 2 in reserve.
Musky Peak Seasons: Mid June – July; September – November
Specials:
UP Stream Trout Adventure: Explore the streams and rivers of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the hunt for wild native brook trout. We target these fish on both fly and conventional gear. The rates are $50 off our regular multi species rates, but you must provide your own wading gear. Be prepared to do battle with bugs!
Peak season for stream trout: June
Guided River Floats: One of the most under appreciated aspects of the Northwoods is its rivers and streams. The lakes seem to get all of the attention, but there are plenty of opportunities to paddle and fish the back country. We work with local canoe and kayak outfitters to provide the boats. We provide fishing gear for groups of up to four. Rate is $30 / hr plus your kayak/canoe rental. We fish the Manitowish and Flambeau rivers primarily, but ask about other opportunities.
Rate: $30/hr for guide and tackle plus boat rental fee (you can bring your own!)
Peak Season for River Floats: Mid June – mid September
Fish guarantee insurance policy
Multi Species Trips
$50 for half day trips
$75 for 3/4 day trips
$100 for full day trips
Musky Trips
$100 Half Day
$150 3/4 Day
$200 Full Day
Insurance is a separate cost from the trip. Insurance is non-refundable. If no one in the boat (including the captain) catches a fish greater than 12 inches or we don’t see a musky behind a bait. Then the total cost of your trip is no longer due. Fox Valley Outdoors (FVO) keeps the insurance fee and the $100 none refundable deposit for reserving your trip. whether you purchase insurance or not Captain Curtis Cecchi and all other associated FVO guides will work their hardest regardless to put you on fish. Some people want grantees, so that is why we offer insurance.
All trips require a $100 deposit to reserve dates. Your deposit is refundable up to one week prior to the date of your trip.
If any acts of god, poor weather, or my personal emergency causes cancelation within the none refundable period, your deposit will be refunded.
Fully licensed and insured
Call Captain Curt @ (715) 621-0061 For Availability
Where we're located
Fox Valley Outdoors your Vilas county guide service
Fox Valley Outdoors Guide
Associates and Sponsors
Chambers of Commerce
Tackle and Outfitters
Use code CLETUS15 for 15% off your Vexan order
Lodging
Contact us today to book your Northwoods fishing adventure!
Availability and bookings
Text or Call Curtis:
(715) 621-0061
Email:
Foxvalleyoutdoors@gmail.com
Fishing Trips & Rates
Full Day (8hr) Open Water: $525
3/4 Day (6hr) Open Water: $425
Half Day (4hr) Open Water: $350
Full Day (8hr*) Ice Fishing: $500
3/4 Day (6hr) Ice Fishing: $400
Half Day (4hr) Ice Fishing: $300
$100 per person over 4 people for ice fishing
**Open Water 1-3 Anglers**
**Hard Water: 1-10* Anglers**
All trips require a $100 deposit to reserve dates. This deposit is refundable up to one week prior to your trip. If an acts of god, poor weather, or personal emergency causes cancelation within the none refundable period, your deposit will be refunded.
Boats Available
The Cletus Express
Lund Predator
Ask about customizing your day, shore lunches, multi-day packages,
special rates for kids, and veterans outings!
What is Provided?
What is provided
- Guide knowledge
- Lunch (Full Day)
- Boat: Nitro 185 F&S or Lund 1650 (Open Water)
- High Quality Equipment (Rods/Reels)
- Tackle (Line, Lures, hooks, weights, etc.)
- Bait (Live and artificial)
- Ice Shanty: Eskimo 450 XD insulated (Hard Water)
- Ice for fish (Open Water)
- 8″ 24v Strikemaster Auger (Hard Water)
- Helix Ice 7 Transducer (Hard Water)
- Fish cleaning services
What to bring
- Valid Fishing License
- Appropriate Clothing
- Food & Snacks (Ask About A Guide Prepared Shore-lunch)
- Drinks
- Your favorite fishing equipment
- Sunscreen
- Fishing Chair (Hard Water)
- Soft-body cooler (Open Water)
- P.M.A. (Positive Mental Attitude)
- Personal Transducer (Hard Water)
- Ice Shanty (Due to COVID-19)
What NOT to bring
- Any and all illegal substances (YES, This DOES include all forms of Cannabis)**
- Weapons (Guns, large knifes, etc.)
- Anything that could be deemed hazardous to other guests and the guide
- Bottles of hard Liquor**
- Glass bottles (Please bring your beverages in either aluminum cans or reusable plastic bottles)
- A bad attitude
Ice Fishing
Fishing Days (Fridays-Monday)
Full Day (8hr*) Ice Fishing: $500
3/4 Day (6hr) Ice Fishing: $400
Half Day (4hr) Ice Fishing: $300
$100 per person over 4 people for ice fishing
Max group size 10
Scout Trips (Tuesday – Thursday)
Full Day (8hr*) Ice Fishing: $400
3/4 Day (6hr) Ice Fishing: $300
Half Day (4hr) Ice Fishing: $200
$50 per person over 4 people
Max Group size 6
Specials:
1 on 1 Run & Gun (4hr): $150
Only one angler, fast-paced, minimal equipment
6 Person Ice “Party” (6hr): $650
Comes w/ stocked fire pit, grill, speaker, card table, chairs, and games
** Catch & Release Only / Cleaning Services not included **
Lake Gogebic Trophy Perch Hunt (8hr): $175 per person
2-4 anglers. Let’s get these PIGS!
Peak season is March/April for Jumbo females.
What is provided
- Guide knowledge
- 2003 Polaris 700 Touring Snowmobile
- High Quality Equipment (Rods/Reels)
- Tackle (Line, Lures, hooks, weights, etc.)
- Bait (Live and artificial)
- Ice Shanty: Eskimo 450 XD insulated (Hard Water)
- 8″ 24v Strikemaster Auger (Hard Water)
- Helix Ice 7 Transducer (Hard Water)
Add-ons
- Fish Cleaning Services $20/hr (Ice Fishing Season ONLY, Included in cost of open water trips.)
- Fire pit: w/ wood $50 BYOW $25
- Grill: w/ Charcoal $25 BYOC $10
- Games: Just ask
- Card Table: Just ask
- *** Ask about package deals***
Ask about custom ice "party" trips and single angler run and gun specials!
Release Waiver
Release Waiver will be filled out before getting on board
You can find a digital copy by clicking the button below
Your Guide
Captain Curtis “Cletus” Cecchi
Raised in Saint Charles, Illinois. Curtis got hooked on fishing young. “It all started when my dad put a rod in my hands at the age of four and I caught my first black bass out of a retention pond in Fairfield, California back in 1999.” He has been fishing ever since. From the Mangroves of Florida, to the wild rivers of Alaska, Curtis has fished all over the United States. At the age of 27, he has over 20 years angling experience, 8 of which were spent competitively fishing for Bass in high school and at collegiate level for the University of South Carolina. It goes without saying that Curtis has a fish brain on his shoulders. When Curtis discovered the Northwoods of Wisconsin, he decided to make Vilas County home for a reason. “Fishing opportunities up here are like no where else.”
Curtis is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed Captain with ratings inland and on the Great Lakes. He is also a CPR certified and a registered EMR with the Presque Isle Fire Department. You could hardly fish with anyone more qualified to ensure your safety out on the water while getting you to the fish.
Check out his personal fishing instagram @theecaptaincletus or click the icon below
- Over 20 Years Fishing Experience
- U.S. Coast Guard Rated Captain
- Registered EMR
- CPR Certified
Why Fox Valley Outdoors?
Why Book with FVO Guide Service?
If the smiles in the photos don’t speak for themselves here are a few words from Captain Curtis to his future client.
You will be hard pressed to find someone more consumed by the art of fishing than I. My passion for the sport runs deep and my love of teaching and passing on knowledge is a very important part of the fishing culture. I didn’t get to where I am today as a fisherman without the help of others sharing their knowledge and teaching me a few things they know. I’m 28 years old now and have been collecting fishing knowledge for 24 of those 28 years. Nothing brings me more joy than passing on knowledge and watching my clients turn it into success on the water.
However, I am also aware that time on the water is not all about the fish. Its about spending time with friends and family in the great outdoors that we enjoy here in this great country. So my other main objective to create an environment on my boat or on the ice where you can relax and take in what’s going on around you. Not worrying about launching a boat, or making sure the bait days fresh, or toiling over a tangled line. When you’re in my care, all you need to do is focus on taking in the moment. If your blood pressure doesn’t drop while you’re out on the water with me than I haven’t done my job.
Thanks and I look forward to fishing with you.
Why Fox Valley Outdoors? You don’t guide in Appleton?
A word from Captain Curtis:
Some of you might be wondering why I named my guide service “Fox Valley Outdoors”. I’m not exactly guiding in or around the Wisconsin Fox River valley currently.
Well the name comes from the fact that I originally started this business when I still lived in Saint Charles, Illinois. St.Charles straddles the Fox River and the region stretching from Algonquin to Ottawa is known as the Fox Valley to the locals down there.
To many here in Wisconsin the name has been confusing as the Fox Valley is known to be the region that stretches from Appleton to Green Bay. Being a transplant, I didn’t know any better. I felt it was a good strong name for a guide outfit, so I stuck with Fox Valley Outdoors and continued to poor my time and effort into building my business around this brand.
So I apologies for the confusion and I hope this doesn’t deter you from coming up north and fishing with me.
FVO Brag Board
Fox Valley Outdoors Guide
Fox Valley Outdoors Guide
Vilas County Guide Service
Vilas County Guide Service
Where we fish
Fox Valley Outdoors operates out of Presque Isle, Wisconsin in the legendary headwaters County of Vilas. We focus on guiding the Presque Isle, Manitowish, Cisco, Trout, and Flambeau Chain of lakes. Here you can find world class specimens of a variety of game fish. Trophy smallmouth is the forte of this outfit, but we guarantee opportunities at the walleye or musky of a lifetime.
Nearby Boulder junction long considered itself to be the musky capital of the world. Boulder, as it is locally referred, was home to the musky world championship for over 40 years. So it goes without saying that this region is known for its musky fishing.
However, Vilas county is lesser known for its smallmouth fishery. Giant smallies over six pounds are not unusual in the lakes and rivers of Vilas. Fish that weigh seven to eight pounds are caught every year.
You won’t find the quantity of fish here that you’d expect to find on the Mississippi River or Great Lakes, but what the region lacks in quantity it sure makes up for in quality. If you’re looking for a true smallmouth of a lifetime you’ve come to the right place.
The region’s reputation for producing trophy walleye and musky speaks for itself.
If you’re looking to get out on the water and start chasing some of these giants or just want to learn some of the many bodies of water the Northwoods has to offer, let Fox Valley Outdoors be your guide!
What We Fish For
Fox Valley Outdoors prides itself on being a versatile multi-species fishing outfit. We target everything from gamefish like musky, bass, and walleye; to panfish and stream trout.
The Northwoods offer a wide diversity of fishing opportunities. Whether you want to chuck big baits for musky or roll midge flies for trout, Fox Valley Outdoors can help you fish the Northwoods how you want to!
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Fishing Lessons
Kids Fishing lessons & Private Training Sessions
Private Training Lessons
Want to plan a guided trip specifically geared toward make you a better angler? Fox Valley Outdoors offers technique specific trips to broaden your angling repertoire. Whether you want to get better at finesse or power fishing techniques, nearshore or offshore; Fox Valley Outdoors is here to help you up your game. Check out rates and techniques by scrolling down or click the button below!
(**Bass Only**)
Kids Fishing Lessons
Fox Valley Outdoors is dedicated to getting young people into the sport of fishing. We believe that learning the basics of fishing combined with a positive experience on the water is all it takes to get a young person hooked! It is important to us that our students (and their parents) walk away from our classes with all the basic skills needed for a successful day on the water. That includes setting up a fishing rod, tying the basic knots needed to attach hooks and lures, affixing bait onto hooks, where to locate fish, and a few other tips and tricks. Our goal is for our students to be prepared and excited for their next outing on the water!
Fly Casting Lessons
Have you ever wanted to learn how to Fly fish, but have never been sure when or where to do it? Now is the time with Fox Valley Outdoors. We offer fly casting lessons by appointment as well as before fly fishing trips. Scroll down or click the button below to get rates on classes by appointment
Fishing Lesson Rates
Fishing Basics (kids): Tackle and Equipment, Stringing rods, useful knots, making bobber rigs, making bottom rigs, casting spinning reels, Intro to artificial, where to look for fish, unhooking fish. Lesson includes a pond pan fishing trip from shore.
Classes available on open dates
Class is 2 hours long
$75 per kid
Fly Casting (All Ages): learn how to cast a fly rod using two major techniques as well as tips and trick on how to fish moving and still water.
Classes available by appointment
Class is approximately 1 hour
$30 per person
(Lessons included with fly fishing trips)
Learn and improve on specific bass fishing techniques while fishing!
Drop shot, finesse swimbaits, flipping, pitching, skipping, Shallow cranking, deep cranking, jerk-bait, finesse plastics, bed fishing, top water, reading graphs, patterning, etc.
Full Day (8hr) Open Water: $750
Half Day (4hr) Open Water: $400
Questions? Drop Us A line!
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