Good Morning!

Evidence that fishing isn't entirely about the fish; sunrise on Lake St. Clair on Saturday, October 21, 2017 successfully countered an all-day/full effort skunk while searching for muskies.  I never touched a fish, although maybe I am making progress; I had a very brief hook-up and three follows from small muskies.  My pursuit of them gave me just cause to be first at the ramp and to witness this.

In Celebration of a Better Work Schedule

With my recent relocation and work adjustment, I have been able to work on a "Flex Schedule" for the first time.  This gives me every other Monday "off" in return for slightly longer work days for the rest of the pay period.  I'm working the same amount, but now my work days have been reduced by 10%, while my "off" days have increased by about 25%.  I've tried to make the most of this situation; I am certainly getting used to it!  

But before such an arrangement seems normal or mundane, I'd like to take the opportunity to celebrate what this time has allowed me to do.  Here are some pictures, in chronological order, of each of my "Flex" days so far:

A Monday on Lake St. Clair; Check This Out!   The Premiere Flex Day featured a 6-pound smallmouth bass, a large and scrappy catfish, and bonus white bass and walleyes!

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Who can argue with Fun Family Fishing for panfish at Kensington Metropark?  For details -  go here!

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A day on Traverse Bay is always rewarding; details are here!

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An entire week of Maine Fireworks!

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Reeds Lake comfort and fun is discussed here!

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M with her first bass in a while!  What details there are... are Here!

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A week of work in Baltimore, a family week of travel and a Sesquicentennial Striper; it's mostly a blur, but certainly included a sanctioned Flex Day in there, somewhere!  Read all about it! - Here!

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The bass fishing wasn't great, but this fine pike was a welcome by-catch of my Lake St. Clair offshore drop-shotting efforts.  For a summary of another weekday crack at this fishery, Look Here!

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OK, I'm cheating little bit here.  I'm not sure which day was the official "Flex Day", but when combined with a couple of vacation days and a trip North, good things happen every day!  Here's the Summary!

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Each day has been filled with adventure (big or small), and each has produced noteworthy fish and/or experience.  What a gift!

Muskie Banquet!

A and I have been together for almost 35 years, and this past weekend we did something new.  We went to a Muskie Banquet!

As I've eased into the sport, I've relied on the teachings and expertise of many others.  While nothing beats time on the water, reading and watching pretty much everything available on muskies has been an important part of my ongoing education and preparation for improving as a muskie angler.  One can't do too much of this type of research without encountering the strong Catch and Release ethos of virtually all muskie anglers; they are my kindred spirits.  Moreover, I strongly identify with the Youth and Education outreach efforts of the their flagship organization (Muskies Inc.)  It's been a natural progression for me to join and maintain my membership with them (I am really not a "joiner"), and then this year to earmark a few extra dollars for their causes.

When the timing of my membership renewal triggered an invitation from the local chapter to their annual fundraising event, the prospect of spending a dark late-winter's evening surrounded by like-minded fish hounds had some appeal.  A and I were soon booked to attend.

We were both experiencing some momentary regret as the prospect of 2+hours of winter driving and the idea of spending time with dozens of strangers was upon us.  But we did go, and it was a good night!  I could easily say that I'm feeling 38% better about spending my time and money with this group, because this local chapter accounts for this percentage of state muskellunge stocking funds.  The evening also included a talk about Muskellunge Genetics in Michigan, and this was both interesting and informative.  I learned that I should definitely be fishing H Lake, I made a couple of serious Lake St. Clair contacts,  and I even won a couple of prizes.  The evening provided both tangible and intangible fuel for my late-winter daydreams, and it spawned a new, local fishing project for me; I am on a quest for an L Lake pike!  More on that, later!

Last Chance

The open water fishing season is winding down and I knew that Saturday's quick trip would probably be my last one with the boat for 2015.  Since my only success on Friday on M Lake had been spotting a couple of lethargic followers, and because it's a bit closer and so would afford a bit more fishing time, I chose to go to C Lake.

I had perhaps three hours of fishing time available, and so I focused on known fish spots and presentations that were successful at the end of last year.  I threw plenty of jerk- and twitch baits over the musk grass, and I probed the deeper water near my best spots with the Bulldawg that had attracted the previous day's fish.  I apparently moved nothing.  With only a half hour of light left and my Muskie Season on the line, I was confronted with a choice.  I could choose to do more of the same and rely on past experience with perhaps a little luck; or perhaps make some luck by doing something different.

I decided to cover some slightly new water as quickly as possible by trolling.  I chose to concentrate on the same familiar weedbeds, but on their very outer edge.  I ran one plug short and up high (for weed-free simplicity) while the other (a Bucher Depth Raider) was chosen to run just above the scruffy weeds in 10 to 12 feet of water or so.  With two plugs swimming weed-free at 4.2 mph or so, I could cover a lot more water in my remaining time than I could by casting.

Ten minutes later, the drag on my deep rod voiced its distress, and the bucking rod confirmed it was Fish On!   It was a smallish muskie, probably less than ten pounds, but it was the targeted species, and it came in the last few minutes of my season.

I think I made the right call to switch tactics!  It's never as exciting to catch them trolling as it is to cast and experience the strike, but occasionally catching one is important, too.  Especially when it is probably your last chance for the season!

  

Not the biggest 'llunge, but it is the first one that I've been able to capture in a self-portrait! The intersection of these fish with available cameras and charged batteries is pretty darn low; but I'm getter at all these things!

Go Big and Go Home!

My recent conclusion that successful local, summer-time muskie fishing is only a marginally viable proposition did nothing to scratch my current muskie itch.  I could choose to apply a temporary balm incorporating bass or salmon as ingredients, or I could seek a cure.  I knew that cure should be available about four hours away, in the Canadian waters of Lake St. Clair.

As I crossed the border at about 7 AM, the Canadian Customs Agent asked the usual questions; Where did I live?  Why was I here?  How long was I staying?  Based on his reaction, I guess not too many folks cross the border from afar for a day trip.  But I had a desk to be at the next morning, there was no other choice.  He simply wished me well, and Numenon was launched and clearing the protective arms of the Belle River harbor by 8 AM.

I was greeted by a sustained east wind and a bit of chop.  Neither was a surprise and the waves were within the “half-meter” forecast; but there was a choppy nastiness to the seas that made moving around much more difficult than expected.  My radius of fishable waters instantly shrank, and so I chose to focus on the Belle River Hump.  This is the only significant “structure” in southern Lake St. Clair, and it proved to be a busy spot (by Canadian standards) for the rest of the day.  Trollers, casters, walleye drifters and bass fisherman were all working this area.

I started near the Hump’s northern tip in 20 feet or so of clear, green water.  Scruffy weeds and bait were both clearly evident.  What else could a muskie want or need?  I started my day of casting Big Rubber (Pounders, Dawgs, and Medusas) with some confidence.   That confidence easily sustained itself for several hours as I made repeated drifts over different sections of the hump.  Conditions looked fishy, and clearly the bass guys were catching fish.  (Mental note filed.)  And, I knew each cast could be intercepted by the fish of a lifetime; that’s always enough to keep me throwing!

I’ve only fished for muskies on Lake St. Clair once before, and the guide on that trip seemed to focus on water clarity as much as anything.   He was seeking a certain “look” to the water, and the water I’d been fishing was perhaps too clear for his liking.  I took a short troll into shallower water, and when I shut down where the easterly wind hit the southern base of the hump, I noticed the water’s green soupiness.  Visibility was greatly reduced, but plankton means shad and shad means…muskies? 

At about this time (12:15 PM and half way through my allotted fishing time), I noticed that I wasn’t feeling so well.  I slowly realized that I was sea-sick!  This possibility had not even entered my mind in preparing for the trip, and it’s tough to maintain a positive attitude while sea-sick.  But cutting the trip short was not acceptable, so I continued to fish.   Once the inevitable kneeling and heaving took place, I felt a bit better, and I finished out the day, casting Big Rubber* all the while.  My confidence was diminished, but I also believe in occasional Good Luck when fishing, so I simply made the best of it.  Plus, Lake St. Clair (and muskie fishing in general) has that “every cast could be intercepted by a fish of a lifetime” thing going for it.

I was back in the harbor by 4 PM, and as I slid Numenon onto the trailer, the ramp attendant noted that very few muskies had been entered in the current derby; local catch rates were way down.  I was perhaps in the Right Place, but at the Wrong Time(?)

I was home, safe and sound, with Numenon garaged by 8 PM.  It was a long day with minor pitfalls and with no really interesting stories.  But, it was still a day full of interesting pursuits.  In the end, it was a good day!

Of course I am disappointed in the lack of fish action for the day.  I’d much rather have seen, hooked, or caught fish during the trip, than not.  Reverse for the sea-sickness; I’d rather have not been sick.    It clearly was by no means a perfect trip, but at least I tried.

In recent leadership/work/blog explorations, I’ve came across the following notions:

·       If one is truly happy, motivation to take action is low.  Why risk upsetting the cart?

·       Seeking happiness provides the necessary motivation to act.

·       Action is necessary for results.

·       This action might be uncomfortable and not provide the desired outcome.  But it might be fulfilling. 

·       This action is necessary to grow, to improve, to achieve; to be our full selves; to be alive; to be “happy.”

 I’d not have wanted to subject anybody else to this trip, but it probably laid a foundation for future trips, and I don’t think I used up all of my available Good Luck on this one.  Perhaps there are better outcomes in my future… if I keep trying.  And I think I’ll have to!

*Not quite true.  I trolled twice while moving up or down the Hump, and I ended the day in soupy green water with a dozen or so casts ripping a giant Sebile rattle bait.  All to no effect.

2015 Season Update

Without the second job, 2015 has been declared my Year of Fishing.   Of course, life, weather and family needs will dictate the frequency and final logistics of any of my fishing efforts, but I’ve generally been encouraged to temporarily adopt a line of thinking whereby if I can go fishing…I should!  I’m finally starting to embrace and act on this new philosophy, and I’m enjoying some fruits of my fishing labors.  I’ve just about squeezed more quality experiences into the last month than my last two seasons combined, and I’ve enjoyed every minute on the water.

In the last month or so, I’ve:

• ·    Shaken down Numenon on icy Lake Michigan, catching a nice Brown Trout to kick off the season;
• ·    Hauled her up to Big Whitefish Lake for some windy, early season bass fishing; and, I caught a real pre-spawn lunker!
• ·    Explored South Haven for Lake Michigan’s first Silver Fish of the season, only to take advantage of the available Lake Trout, including two of the largest ever aboard Numenon;
• ·    Stepped onto DC’s docked Lund for another crack at Big Whitefish bass; and confronted with a tough, wet bite, scratched out a culled “limit” of fat pre-spawners; and
• ·    Caught a beautiful muskie from C Lake on my second cast of the morning!  And to make it even better, I caught her on the Figure 8!  A First for me!

Each of these trips could have been easily modified or aborted based on conditions (ice, wind and rain all come to mind), but buoyed by my new attitude, I’ve done my best with the available conditions.  I’ve enjoyed the experiences for what they are and I’ve caught some nice fish, to boot!

My only complaint is that it sure would be nice to fish for the same targeted species for multiple trips in a row!  It takes a fair amount of work to assemble and prepare appropriate tackle and then switch the boat over from Browns to Bass to Great Lakes Trout and Salmon to Muskies.  Oh well, can I really call that a complaint?

Hungry pre-spawn bass

The astute observer will note traces of black bucktail remaining on her face.

First muskie release of 2015!

And, once again, if you're more interested in the details of my angling efforts than in any miscellaneous ramblings, check out my Open Diary of Modest Fishing Exploits at 
NumenOntheWater.

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.

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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.

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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."

Vote for Muskie!

My 2014 Election Day voting duties were completed by 7:30 AM, but I still had the rest of the day “off” from work.  The current weather was pretty crumby (windy, cool, and raining), and the forecast was for more of the same, but even worse (with increasing wind and cold.)  It would have been all too easy to choose to spend the day in cafes with lattes, or on the couch with Ollie; and while any of these options (and many others!) would have been pleasant, “pleasant” doesn’t seem to be much of a factor when it comes to putting muskies in the boat.  With Daniel Lugo as my omni-present virtual guide (“Are you a Do’er?  Or a Don’ter?”), I launched Numenon on a desolate M Lake.  I launched into the teeth of a stiffening wind and some horizontal rain, but I was wearing my best rain gear; and I had another set (plus a complete change of clothes) in the truck.  I had a packed lunch and a full thermos of coffee on hand.  And, inexplicably, I had some hope for success.

The wind was bad enough that I first chose to troll.  M Lake offers lots of deep water.  This environment serves as (mythical?) cisco habitat, but also as a certain refuge of safety for the muskies.  My biggest fish on M Lake have generally been hooked in deep water, away from the weeds, so they are out there; they’re just difficult to find.  I was marking an abundance of bait/fish/activity on the sonar, and so I remained hopeful.  But it was windy enough, and the weed lines irregular enough, that I was having a difficult time consistently presenting my big crankbaits in sweet spots without fouling the salad.  Plus, I’d spent all last fall plying these depths without a fish!  Moreover, I could not ignore the observation that many of these weeds were still green.  So within an hour I chose to switch from trolling to casting to the shallow weed beds and edges.

By recognizing Numenon’s limits for control, carefully picking locations, and by using the wind as an ally as opposed to fighting it like an enemy, I was able to consistently present some weed-free baits more effectively.  My sexy shad Bucher Shallow Raider got a work-out as a personal favorite, but I mixed in various bucktails, topwaters and big rubber-baits, too.

I wasn’t exactly surprised when I detected a faint ”tick” on my line after a cast over a shallow, wind-swept weed edge.  But I was surprised when I swung, the rod fully loaded, and my line instantly parted.   My 65-pound braid must have been damaged during a previous casts and use; it didn’t break at the knot, but rather about half-way between the fish and me.  There was no swirl, no leap, really no external indication at all of the biter.

I repositioned the boat to get away from the windward shore, and promptly re-tied each of my rigs.  I fished for a little longer, but I was somewhat soggy and now a tiny bit deflated.  Plus, the whole idea of this day was to be on a known hot-spot at 4:30 PM’s moon-rise.  So I took advantage of the rare benefit of surplus time to go get lunch, change clothes, start over again and try another lake!

An hour and a half or so later, I was repositioned on C Lake.  My favorite Shallow Raider was now gone, but I’d recently purchased a Drifter Tackle Believer for exactly this situation.  On about Cast Number 5 for the session, I instinctively swung on a slight hesitation in the lure’s cadence, and a lit-up muskie, crank-in-jaw, appeared 20 feet or so away from the boat.

Her fight was less than spectacular, but she found her way into my net!  At a confirmed 42 inches (and a probable 20-plus pounds), she was the first “legal-sized” muskie aboard Numenon in quite a while.   We treated each other as gently as possible; I took a couple of unsatisfactory snap-shots, and I was pleased to feel her vitality return as I supported her in the water, boat-side.  She confidently swam off, and I’ve got every reason to think she’s going to be okay.  Her beauty was only enhanced by the fishing line scars scattered across her head and back; she’d clearly been caught and released before.  I hope to see her again.

Just after I released her, the rain stopped and the winds shifted from SW to NW.  Lake C fishes pretty small, and I kept pounding my spots, but nothing else moved for me.  Until exactly moon-rise, that is, when a slightly smaller muskie followed my Believer and stayed with my Figure 8 for quite a while.  I didn’t trigger this fish to bite, but I’d already had a great day. To stay any longer appeared to be lunacy.  What better way to celebrate Muskie’s Election than to be home, with the boat put safely away***, by dinner time?

There's no justice in this photo for this fish.  I've simply not figured out how to get a satisfactory selfie while respecting/protecting their physical needs for a safe release.

Such a beautiful smile...

Without a trace of doubt in my mind, I'm a Believer!

*** As I write this, it appears that Winter is Coming!  Soon!  This might turn out to be my last session of the year with Numenon!