Home Forums Fishing Freshwater The simple pleasures in life

After 10 years of neglect, my little 14 ft. Lund was on the water again last Saturday for the walleye opener. For the last decade, my boat sat in the yard aging as we chased my daughter around the upper midwest while she played softball.

My recent health issues were a wake up call, and I decided it was time to wet a line again. A two month restoration of the old boat was very therapeutic. It felt good to feel the waves lapping off the hull, the smell of the water, the birds and ducks waking up in the morning.

I even managed to take a walleye-just icing on the cake. One forgets the importance of such things when they get wrapped up in the comings and goings of every day life. When you put aside too many of the things that are important to you, life gets a little contorted. If any of our Minnesota brethren want to go fishing, there's an open seat available. Just drop me a line and let's go.

Glad you're on the water again. Nothing quite like it.

I love fishing, you put that line in the water and you don't have any idea what's going on at the other end.... other than your vivid imagination. Gives you time to contemplate what direction your life is going.
It been said, "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

It was a really nice day to just be outside. 'Talked to a few guys while on the water. One of the spots I fished is a very popular trolling path called The Milk Run by the locals. Several boats came by, and everyone was very cordial that I talked to. There was big ol' white farm duck going down the line mooching off every boat. He darned near climbed in with me. Gave me a pretty good chuckle. The game wardens were out and stopped by to check my license and safety gear on the boat. I was surprised to see the two guys were both Hmong. This is a smart idea, as Prior Lake is a popular destination for the Hmong community to come fishing, and the wardens have always had trouble communicating with them. These two guys were good men. Checked my license, looked the boat over, and were on their way. Checked on me on the way back and congratulated me on getting a nice walleye. I saw tons of ducks and geese, turtles, muskrats and a mink hunting along a stretch of shoreline. Just a nice, relaxing day to be out.

Sounds like a great time Gopher.

Gopher:

Welcome back to the water! As you figured out, working on boats is therapeutic. So much so that I have more boats than I can count. 8+. . Don't tell the spouse! And the fun part is that when I finish my house I want to build boats!

I'm up in the northland - near Winnie. Haven't put my boat in yet because I don't need the distraction. .

I think I banged my head pretty hard on a rafter last week!

I am lucky to have 20 or more lakes less than a half hour from my house. After work today, I'll stop by one of the area bait shops, grab some fatheads and a tub of leeches and head home. I'll throw the battery on the charger, the aerator on the minnows, and call it a night. Up tomorrow sometime between 4 and 5, on the lake in less than half an hour. Enjoy yet another stunning Minnesota sunrise and maybe get some fish to boot. Life is good.

Just always remember, the Hmong fought with us in Vietnam, to the point where they were no longer welcome there when we pulled out.

Its funny how fishing keeps me sain. When I'm at work I think of all the crap I need to do at home. When I'm at home I think of all the stuff that I have to do at work. When I'm fishing, I'm thinking about fishing. Where to cast, what kind of cover, water depth, color and temp. I just enjoy casting. If it weren't for fishing I would be a nut job.

Glad your little lund is on the water again. Hope you really whackem.

The crappies were up in shallow water on the trees. I got three big ones and 7 keepers for a Minnesota limit. Hoping to get at them again tomorrow before they move back out to deeper water.

Gonna get wet again this Sunday. I may go exploring on one of the lakes I've never fished around here. Most of them are supposed to be good for panfish, bass, and the occasional accidental walleye. My "home" lake is Prior Lake, and I know it pretty well, but it's time to try something different. There's a electric motor only lake in a park just a couple minutes from here. They aerate the lake during the winter to prevent winterkill. I might go give that a try. Any Twin City boys want to go fishing Sunday morning?

Rain/thunderstorms keep moving through about every hour and a half here. 'Don't know if I'll make it out tomorrow or not. Hate to miss a chance to get out, but 14 feet of aluminum boat filled with graphite poles spells L-I-G-H-T-N-I-N-G R-O-D.

Was out yesterday in my 12' Porta-Bote, my pond boat. Hit a small SD reservoir thirty minutes west. Beautiful day with the usual- for-here 15 mph breeze. Cattle bellowing east of shoreline which would send up shock gobbles from the still romantic minded gobblers wandering around in the small timber higher up the hill.

Gnats became bothersome but took home a couple channel cats. They hit a fluorescent 1/8 oz yellow jig tipped with crawler parts!

That's some good eating fish!

Yea, they are but I didn't realize until yesterday how much of a field day the gnats and mosquitoes had with me.