The Doctor Is In!

I’m recalling the Early Summer of 2013; the store was buzzing.  The Fishing Department was crushing it, and I was filled with energy.  A potential customer was holding back as I dealt with another.  As I finished with the first, I turned to the next, and we easily slid into a long conversation about Great Lakes fishing.  “Doctor M” was looking to try it out, and wanted to get set with the basics.  We spent an enjoyable hour and a half or so getting him set up with a couple of downriggers, rod holders, a couple of complete trolling outfits, basic lures and a few necessary accessories (dipsey divers, swivels, net, etc.)  Doctor M was a notable customer with his obvious honesty, enthusiasm, and willingness to listen and part with (more than) a few bucks.  And it turned out that we are veritable neighbors, so we exchanged contact information, too.

I was pleasantly surprised when I returned for my next shift and I was enthusiastically greeted by my manager.  Dr. M had completed an on-line survey regarding his store experience and could not have been nicer or more specific about our interaction.  I got a handshake and a few dollars bonus, and the department and the store got a little corporate recognition.  The Man got a prolific customer and Dr. M got a chance to scratch that itch, the itch of a fisherman recently introduced to Great Lakes Fishing.

We crossed paths a couple of times at the store (his cart was always full and we always shared fishing strategies!), and I got to check out his boat on the trailer in his driveway.  He’d done a good job of mounting the riggers and holders and maximizing his available cockpit area.  All indications were that he was enjoying himself and catching a few fish, but we were never able to get our schedules aligned to fish together.

Another season passed, and I was pleased to learn (through a surprise common acquaintance) at a school function in the Fall of 2014 that Dr. M had purchased a new boat.  But the real surprise was that Dr. M had purchased not just a boat, but a 37-foot yacht, was going to keep it at GH, and was looking to upgrade his Great Lakes fishing experience.

Dr. M called me in the early Spring of 2015 (I’d just left the store) with some questions about electronics.  He was on-board with radar and chart-plotting, he’d just purchased a temperature down-probe, and he had a digital depth meter; did he really need sonar?  He was balking at spending any more money, and while I left the choice to him, I argued that for a few hundred more dollars he could know what was (or perhaps more importantly, was not) under him.  And then we both got predictably busy, missed out on a couple of short-notice opportunities to connect on the water, and generally proceeded with our respective lives.

I’d just about decided that I’d declined one too many invitations and had been dropped from his list, when I received a text message from Dr. M at work, with a fishing opportunity that evening.  It’s been unseasonably hot and the fishing has reportedly been very sporadic (if not down-right slow), but I was open.   I took care of a few things, grabbed some deep-water gear, and presented myself at his home at 3:30 PM.   Our mutual acquaintance arrived, we all climbed into the SUV, and we spent the commute sharing fishing stories, reviewing the day’s on-line data of lake conditions, and discussing strategies.  We were soon on-board.

37 Feet, just waiting for me.

Getting ready and looking comfortable.

I am not used to fishing in such comfort!  A yacht doesn’t protect t you from biting flies (the night’s only negative), and to be honest I’m not used to netting fish from such a height, but I was super pleased with how the boat handled itself, trolled down, how it was rigged (locally designed and milled rod holders), and just how fishable it was.  As for the fishing, it exceeded my expectations for the night (see this), we all got along and seem compatible, and there have been future plans made for derbies and tournaments.

Leaving Grand Haven behind us.

Team-work.  Concentration.  Real Men doing Real Work.

Nice night!

The specifics don’t matter, but this is why I’d gotten involved with C’s; to share some expertise, stories and enthusiasm, to meet some new fishing companions, to share some time on the water and to catch some fish.  Success!