Taking time to look beyond the title of this story, you must hold some interest in sharing Wisconsin's fabulous fishing opportunities with your family.

For sure, the state of Wisconsin -- where along its western border the Mississippi River offers big discoveries for families seeking wide adventures -- is blessed with dozens of escapes in the great outdoors, from the Northwoods to the shorelines of our two Great Lakes to the root-beer-colored waters of the Namekagon River and our namesake Wisconsin River. And when the bite wanes at any of the venues listed below, there's always something else fun, entertaining, maybe even exciting, to do in the area that has nothing to do with fishing!

MISSISSIPPI RIVER
"Ol' Miss" is the second longest river in the U.S., annually sharing its backwaters, sloughs and mainstreams with hundreds of thousands of Badger State outdoors enthusiasts.

Among the feats of waterway engineering that helps keep the big river's shipping channel clear is the strategic placement of riprap along the river's shoreline and on its islands. These rocky fingers include "wingdams" placed perpendicular from the shoreline extending toward the channel. "Closing dams," too, are placed parallel to the main river to cause flowing water entering the river to flow parallel to the mainstream for some distance before rejoining the river farther downstream.

These areas, and the backwaters that are often found around them, can congregate fish of many species in unbelievable numbers. Most wing dams appear on good river maps. Watching for riffles off the main channel is a better way to locate them. Riffles are always on the downstream edge of a wing dam. Use your electronics to keep the boat over them in about 8 feet of water. Probe the upstream side of the wing dam first making long casts toward the riffles. If you get snagged up when casting from upstream, allow slack to "belly" the line. The current will free your lure about 60 percent of the time. Fish are often ready to pounce on a bait once it comes free from the rocks.

A great place to start your adventure is the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. No, it's not in Wisconsin proper, but after a visit across the river, you and your family can take a seat on the fishing barges in place across the river from Dubuque at Lynxville, Genoa and Alma. Cost is about $15 per day. Tackle, lunch and other amenities may also be available. Bring a stringer or fish basket to hold your catch.

For more information about fun outdoors on the Mississippi River, contact the office of the Upper Mississippi National Fish & Wildlife Refuge in Winona, Minnesota (the refuge extends into parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois), phone: (563) 873-3423, or online at www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver; Capt. Hook's Bait & Tackle in Genoa, phone: (608) 689-2800; and the Grand View Motel, overlooking the Mississippi River in Ferryville, phone: (608) 734-3235, or online at www.grandview-motel.com.

WISCONSIN DELLS
Wisconsin Dells, a small town on the scenic Wisconsin River, has been a tourist "Mecca" for decades. Its perpetual carnival atmosphere all summer long offers kids lots of fun riding everything from a giant pirate ship to go-karts to the famous Wisconsin Ducks amphibious vehicles, while slurping down a diet of foot-long chili dogs and cotton candy. Cheesy souvenirs are available everywhere.

Ancient rock formations, which give the Dells its name, still stand on the Wisconsin River, where giant catfish and smallmouth bass hide in the shadows of Hawk's Beak and other towers of limestone. Try tight-lining a piece of fresh cut bait on the bottom, using a pyramid sinker fished Lindy Rig style for big catfish. Smallmouth bass are often hiding in the shadows of rocky towers and aggressively strike small in-line spinners or topwater lures.