My last column was about my upcoming fishing trip. Well, been there, done that, and here is my takeaway from the trip.
First and foremost, no injuries for me this time. If you recall, I broke my big toe the last trip racing another camper to the showers.
The fishing was fantastic, the weather was like always, hot, cold, windy … and this year, for a change of pace, heavy Canadian smoke cut out the sun, and visibility was down to maybe a couple hundred yards at times on one of the days.
The keeper walleyes ranged 15.5 inches to 19 inches, and we caught our limit every day. In addition to the keepers, we also caught hundreds of walleyes just under the 15-inch minimum. I hooked a 14-inch crappie that seemed to catch everyone’s attention at the fish cleaning station.
Although the fishing was great, it wasn’t like they were jumping in the boat. We, (three of us) fished between five to six hours a day in a 20-foot Lund boat. It was mostly comfortable, but five hours in rough waters can test one’s patience.
Trying to thread the fishing line through a jig in a rocking boat without my cheaters on was … well, I have no printable words that can justify the frustration I endured.
Next patience tester was hanging on to the slippery minnow while trying to bait the jig that took me the better part of ten minutes to tie on.
That darn (not the word I use on the boat) minnow was able to escape my grip every time. Picking the minnow up off the boat floor was no picnic either.
Every time I dropped something or needed my tackle box or needed to grab the net or the fish measuring tube, it was always just out of reach ̶ not far, but far enough that I had to stand up in the rocking boat to reach it.
Standing up in the boat for the previously mentioned items was nothing compared to trying to stand and take care of business when nature called.
As always, the good far outweighs the bad on the fishing trip. We caught plenty of fish, ate too much, hydrated enough, and spent three days with friends, which is never enough time.