2014 Wrap-Up

Another year of sport-fishing has passed, and while nothing really earth-shattering occurred on my boats in 2014, it was another pretty solid season.  The boats are put safely away, there's been sufficient time to reflect, and the year's almost over.  I might as well wrap up my 2014 Fishing Season.

*****

The phrase "Polar Vortex" entered our common lexicon last winter, and there was much ice fishing associated with it.  Not many legal-sized pike were landed, but there were a ton of flags, short fish and fun to be had.  As I type this, "Cyclone Bomb" is the current meteorological phrase, and we're just a few hours away from the leading edge of This Year's Vortex.  Well, my tip-ups and the new ice sonar (with mapping and GPS) are ready to go; so I guess I'll make the most of it, again.

Flag!  At this point, anything good is possible.  That pike could be of any imaginable size!  A post-blizzard weekend "Up North" was the ticket to get through the end of last winter.

There was, of course, the February Trip to Florida.  Those events have been fully chronicled elsewhere.  Many fish were caught, my various drag systems were fully and repeatedly tested, and I caught my biggest-ever fish!  But to be honest, my fondest memories of the trip involve my girls; their happiness in the pool; waking up the first morning to a Florida Keys sunrise; and the water's warmth.  Wind, waves and cold water will kill you here in Michigan.  Florida, too, I'm sure, but it's just so much more pleasant!

First outing in Florida, 2014; sleek, fast, meat-eating fish. I'm thinking that this sure beats ice fishing!  Or steelheading!

The local open-water efforts started with my annual Sucker Chase. Once again, they were there for me.  Once again, I got a bonus big-fish (carp) and once again, I went repeatedly!

First (Michigan Open-Water) Fish of 2014.

First Michigan Trophy of 2014.

There were only two 2014 trips to Lake Michigan, but both turned out to be pleasant and productive despite the conditions.  Ice and wind could have de-railed either trip, but once we got out there, conditions were generally fishable.  I got a taste of brown trout, and a youngster caught the biggest king salmon aboard the boat for the last couple of seasons. Both were were good events, shared with good friends who otherwise would not have been out on the lake.  And K even helped, a little bit, with changing out the blown tire on the highway and in the darkness.

A highway blow-out on Numenon's first outing of the year was just a temporary set-back, and represented just about the only mechanical issue of the season.  Let's hope future seasons go so smoothly.

Some icy brown trout started off Numenon's season just right.

This spring king put up an awesome fight.

While my Big Lake Fishing has certainly taken a hit for the last couple of seasons, that is by my choice. Available time is the biggest factor here, weather is always a factor, and I really do prefer to cast rather than troll.  I'm really enjoying the local inland lakes for bass and muskie.  Bass are certainly my Comfort Fish.  Muskies feed My Addiction.

I'll admit it; I have spent a ton of time studying these fish and their pursuit.  I think I've progressed from neophyte to acolyte (????), and while I originally turned to others for advice, I am now able to rely on my intuition and experience (at least to a degree.)  I had a pretty rewarding Fall fishing for them on new water.  And while the actual catch rate wasn't all that impressive, I had several other chances and many other follows, for an Encounter Rate that actually made the prospect of Muskie Fishing seem Reasonable.

Lake St. Clair muskie; at 47 inches or so, the largest ever landed aboard "my" boats.  I didn't catch any that day, but I learned enough to go back with confidence!

A local muskie at the bottom of my net; this was actually my first bucktail muskie.

This season did involve some pretty darn Big Bass (up to an easy five pounds) and one really nice virtual "stringer" that would have weighed about 17 pounds.  These are respectable catches around here.

Usually a bass like this would be my largest of the day, but I was fortunate to enjoy one really fine morning of bassin' on Reeds Lake.

Reeds Lake was pretty much off limits this year due to road construction and access issues.  She's provided a steady flow of nice pike for the last few years, and my single trolling effort of the year targeting pike yielded only one (very nice and fat) bass.  Reeds Lake was proving herself to be difficult, once again, during the Fall Turnover period.  Maybe all the pike I didn't sore-mouth will be waiting for me at first ice.

Have I ever mentioned that I love my boat?  I love her  multi-species versatility, but I also love the safe and comfortable platform she provides for fishing (whether casting or trolling).  Somewhere during my 25th Season of running my own boat this season, I did have something of a Boat Handling Epiphany.  Like many realizations, this one incubated slowly, and it seems almost too simple and obvious to even state; All boats have limits!  There are conditions where the boat will simply not be handleable.  Instead of fighting those conditions and the boat, I should rather find another set of conditions where handling/controlling the boat is possible.  In the end, it'll be more enjoyable and I'll have more success!

Notably absent from 2014 are Stripers.   I can't complain about this; I never even tried for them.  I never wetted a line in either New England or Georgia.  I simply intend for that to change in 2015.

*****

Speaking of 2015, look for me to switch many of my fishing writings to another blog, "NumenOn the Water".  My fishing log recordings have sulfured over the last couple of years, and maybe the new blog will help me sustain and track those efforts.  Meanwhile, certain other aspects of my life will continue to show up here.

A sun-set on 2014 might be more appropriate, but here's to "July 4 Sunrise on Baker Lake."

Summit or Sucker?

My fun, secondary, part-time retail employer recently offered their most favorable employee pricing, here-in-after “Summit Pricing” or “Summit”, to all current employees for a limited time period.  This was in contrast to their Holiday behavior of years past, in which employees could purchase only a single item at this more-attractive-than-usual  Summit rate.  Last year I took advantage of their offer to purchase a nice reel for muskie fishing, a Diawa Lexa 300 (high-speed/power version.)  I was pleased to access this reel for the price I paid; and yet I recognized that my employer hadn’t necessarily “given” me anything, and in fact, they had easily acquired my relatively hard-earned dollars.

Well, this year an additional muskie/striper reel was on my list (an Abu Garcia Revo NaCl 60 HS), and I gladly availed myself to one at their steep discount.  But I still recognized and felt that same conflict.  Should I simply say “thanks” for the gift, or should I begrudge this actualization of indentured servitude?

I look forward to many years of service and many large fish landed with this.

I worked all weekend.  I mean, I WORKED ALL weekend.  I worked hard and as effectively as possible.  The money spent on the reel represents a pretty good portion, if not all, of the weekend’s wages.  I’m there partially for the access to this equipment, and partially to help support my fishing habit(s).  So “thanks” for the Revo; it’s exactly what I want for 2015, and I got it for a fraction of the regular cost.  Moreover, it’s my time, effort and money, so I’ve got all the information I need to evaluate this transaction.  For a single weekend’s efforts, I’ve received a fine reel that should last a very long time and which will be involved only with big, memorable fish.  That seems like a good deal to me at this time; I repeat my thanks.

Meanwhile, I watched my co-workers shop all weekend.  For the most part, these are not wealthy folks, but most were going to town.  The more they spent, the more they saved!  The more they saved, the more they spent.

I too felt the powerful tug of this downward spiral.  I resisted pretty well, but I did partially succumb.  Before the weekend was over, I’d acquired some miscellaneous stuff for the upcoming ice fishing season, some socks, some dog treats for Ollie, various fishing lines, and a few other items.  So whatever money I’d saved, I’d certainly spent; and then some!

Now I’d most likely have bought all this stuff later, anyway, and at higher prices to boot.  It probably makes fiscal sense for me to have acquired this stuff when I had this opportunity.  And yet I can’t help but feel a little bit like a sucker, one which can only say “Thanks for relieving my wallet of those burdensome dollars.”

The Sucker; a personal favorite

The Sucker; torn between two worlds

It’s a good thing that I have a certain soft spot in my heart for suckers, and it’s another good thing  that I’m in a position in my life that I can honestly say we’re not dealing with anything of importance here.  I limited myself to my current version of pocket money, and the daydream of using this stuff properly and successfully in 2015 (and well beyond) is currently priceless to me.  It is, after all, that time of year when the boats are away, the ice is not safe, and the prospects of actually participating in enjoyable fishing experiences are low.

Suckers are easy to hook and catch.  Believe me, I know this from personal experience!

The Sucker