From left, Luke Youngquist, Andrew Bauer and Aidan Misfeldt construct fish cribs Monday in Erickson Park in Chippewa Falls. The four fish cribs, each weighing 250-300 pounds, will attract fish, and should improve fishing in Glen Loch along the piers in Erickson Park.

Fish cribs were placed in Glen Loch on Monday off the shore of Erickson Park in Chippewa Falls. Four cribs were constructed, led by Andrew Bauer, who organized the project to earn his Eagle Scout badge.

From left, Luke Youngquist, Andrew Bauer and Aidan Misfeldt construct fish cribs Monday in Erickson Park in Chippewa Falls. The four fish cribs, each weighing 250-300 pounds, will attract fish, and should improve fishing in Glen Loch along the piers in Erickson Park.

Fish cribs were placed in Glen Loch on Monday off the shore of Erickson Park in Chippewa Falls. Four cribs were constructed, led by Andrew Bauer, who organized the project to earn his Eagle Scout badge.

CHIPPEWA FALLS — Andrew Bauer pounded nails into boards Monday as he and his friends worked along the shoreline of Glen Loch in Erickson Park. They were making four new fish cribs.

The cribs, each four-feet-by-four-feet wide and about 28 inches tall, were placed in water that was nine-and-a-half feet deep in Glen Loch. Bauer, 17, organized the project to earn his Eagle Scout rank for Boy Scout Troop 13. The McDonell Central senior gathered friends, family and fellow scouts to build the structures.

“I wanted to be unique from the other Eagle Scout projects,” Bauer said. “I love the outdoors, and I love fishing. So many people use the piers here, and I thought, ‘Why not make it better for everyone?’”

Bauer said he got 24-pound cement blocks from a dump site, and Northern Crossarm of the town of Wheaton donated the wood. The four cribs weigh between 250 and 300 pounds.

Ron Bakken, who served as chairman of the Erickson Park improvement committee, praised Bauer for choosing the project. Bakken has been heavily involved in promoting fishing events for years as member of the Rod and Gun Club, and he was instrumental in the redevelopment of Erickson Park and the shoreline along the east side of 37-acre Glen Loch.

“It’s going to be great because there really isn’t a lot of structure there,” Bakken said. “There isn’t wood debris. It will improve the fishing there quite a bit.”

The idea behind a fish crib is that algae grows on the wood, which will attract smaller fish to eat. They hide in the wood pieces and hollow cement. The presence of small fish then draws larger fish that feed on them.

“It does hold a lot of panfish, large-mouth bass, and northerns,” Bakken said. “This will bring a lot of fish into the piers.”

Typically, fish cribs are placed in the winter, where they can be constructed on the ice then dropped down into a hole. Bauer said he wanted to do the project now, a day before school starts.

The Department of Natural Resources sets some rules for the cribs. Specifically, there must be clearance of five feet from the top of the crib for boats and swimmers, Bauer explained.

“I’m super-proud,” Bauer said. “I’m excited to see how the fishing improves.”

Andrew’s father, Russ, said Andrew researched a variety of cribs and settled on one shaped like a pyramid. He liked that Andrew got the project done early, and can take what he learned back to his troop and share with fellow scouts on what he learned.

“Fishing has been a big passion of his,” Russ Bauer said. “He always fished at Cub Scout camp.”

Russ Bauer said he’s been ice fishing on Glen Loch and has fished there periodically over the years.

“This does get used,” Bauer said. “It definitely has pan fish and game fish.”

Chippewa Falls parks director John Jimenez watched the volunteers work Monday, and he praised their efforts.

“It will benefit the young and the old, and I think it is great,” Jimenez said.

Erickson Park, which opened in June 2019, features the handicap-accessible fishing piers and boat and kayak launches. The renovations at the 15-acre park cost about $2.2 million, including the shoreline improvements, the 140-foot-long footbridge that connects to Irvine Park, bathroom buildings, landscaping and new parking lots. The project won $1.1 million in state and federal grants, with the other half coming from donations, along with a contribution from the city.

Contact: chris.vetter@ecpc.com

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