a fishing story - from my archives

From weekend of 7/13/07 -7/15/07 - Twin Lakes, MI

Got lost on friday the 13th, 11pm, SW MI, trying to get to a house I've been to several times before.
Seems there are no street lights, and few street signs in the middle of nowhere, SW MI, and good luck with the cell signal.
thank goodness I had my very pregnant wife with me, to add just a little more pressure....
I was almost desperate enough to stop in a bar we passed, walk in, say "Hi, i'm one of those FIP's you all love to hate, and I'm lost, who wants to help me out?" almost, but not quite. made it eventually, I'd say we took the scenic route, but it was too dark to see anything.

woke up early saturday morning.
Real early.

Seemed the dog wanted to be let out of the bedroom. the sun was almost up, my wife had just recently gotten back to sleep, so I figured I'd get up with the dog.
Not another soul was stirring at 6am, EST, which is saying something, as there were aprox 12 adults and 10 children on the premises.
That's a lot of possible stirring souls...

I had brought a pole and 1/2 dozen surface lures with me, with the assumption that I'd probably get 1/2 hour of solitary quiet dock-time in, if I was lucky. I tied on a frog patterned hula popper, started the coffee pot, and waited for someone else to get out of bed, so they could hang with the dog.
Dog + lake does not = quiet solitary dock fishing.

Finally I was sprung, when my 7 year old nephew came in from tent sleeping. he gave me a hug. I offered him a cup of coffee. He thought I was hilarious. "OK, how about a chocolate chip cookie?" he took one. "Y'know, they tast great, with a cup of coffee."
He rolled his eyes at me.
I get this a lot.
Got cereal bowls down for the parade of children who seem to have all woke up at the same time, left the milk on the table, and scooted.
walking onto the dock, looking out at the weed beds beyond its' end as I stepped onto it, I spooked 1/2 dozen bass that were hanging out under a paddle boat, 2 feet from shore, in about 8 inches of water.
sonofa.......
Put down my coffee, began casting. Immediately had a fish on, and lost it. 2 minutes later, another fish on, another fish lost, another sip of coffee.
Many small bodies and a couple larger ones start filing out the kitchen door onto the porch, clutching individually sized boxes of fruit loops, coffee cups...
Time was running out for happy quiet dock time....
Another fish one, and I landed it. Smallmouth. 9 inches. Nephew sees me doing this, came running out to see it.
I would have let him release it, except - still clutching the fruit loops.
All the sudden, the fishing pole became a child magnet.
I continued to cast, as I heard the re-telling of a children story, where the main character hooked something big, but didn't know what it was.
It ended up being a turtle. Good story. I've actually done this.

I had another fish on, but wasn't giving it my full concentration... fish off. Child #2, who was all of about three years old, saw my lure, and praised me for catching a frog. Had to explain that it wasn't a real frog, and I didn't catch it.. I cast again, I reel in again.
"did you catch one?"
No, kiddo, not this time. Two more kids showed up on the shore, brandishing what appeared to be butterfly nets. "we'll help you catch some!" they said, approaching the waters edge.
"hey, that'll be great! how about you wait a couple more minutes though, OK?"
I cast out, watch a couple very small bass swat at my lure on the retrieve, which was not hard to see, because I was fishing in a about 18 inches of water.
The kids all made noise when this happened. I finish reeling in. "Did you catch one?" "no I didn't, young lady." "I'm not a young lady, I'm a girl!"
"how about I just call you Emily?"
"OK! how come you're not catching any fish?"

I'm sure I don't know.

And that, my friends, is my fishing report from Big Twin lake, Mi. And, I must confess: It was a blast. Except I couldn't talk any of them into getting me a re-fill on the coffee whle I was standing out there. Maybe next time...