Baker's Dozen

Open water fishing season has finally begun!  While Reeds Lake is still iced in (although no longer safe), and one of the most common questions at the store is "Where's the ice fishing stuff?",  there are a few signs of spring, including paired waterfowl and overhead flights of sandhill cranes.  I'm due for a new fishing license, and usually my boat has already been out by this time of year.  With the day totally off, I wanted to get out and catch some fish!  But Lake Michigan is likely too cold for success and it was certainly too windy today; and so, much like each of the last few years, I turned to my friends, the Suckers.

I have a favored spot for them, where I visit them a couple of times each spring; and that's where I went today.  There's still snow in the woods, and there have been no signs of the main steelhead run (or the suckers that follow) on the Grand yet; and so I thought I might be too early.  They still represented the best chance for bending a rod today, and so I was willing to accept whatever happened.  But I was relieved when my spot was unoccupied, and I was doubly relieved when my rod's quivering indicated the first bite of the day.

Not quite a Great Lakes trolling spread, but good enough for me, today.

A nice pound-and-a-half golden sucker came to hand and was quickly followed by another; and then I continued a slow pick of the available fish until I'd landed a Baker's Dozen or so.  I don't think too many fish were "in", but there were certainly enough to be interesting, and each put a nice bend in my light tackle and pulled some drag. It's simple fishing, but not necessarily easy; and it took a bit of effort to zero in on today's "Sweet Spot".

Quite an attractive fish, in its own right.

Each fish let me reflect on my tackle and those who have shared it with me.   Katie's home-made ultralight blank proved to be the best set-up today, and it was a pleasure to fish with.  Each fish loaded it to the butt, and it was paired with a reel given to me by my brother.  Other fish came on my fine drop-shotting combo, and I couldn't help but find some humor in the fact that I've spent the last few months surrounded by some of the finest tackle available; and yet my first purchases and success of the year involved forked fishing sticks and worms.

I'd probably rather start my season with a 12-pound brown trout, or a couple of dozen Lake Michigan coho salmon.  But a Baker's Dozen of suckers is quite an acceptable start to my season, too.  I couldn't have asked for anything more, today.