Another year has
come and gone, our 4th annual trip was a great success.
Roger couldn't make it and we had great
weather.....hmmm....just an observation. This year we
brought a small rowboat and outboard in the hopes that
we could get to the "good" spots if the water was too
low. The water was actually above normal for a drought
year thanks to Tropical storm Isadore. Towing the boat
proved to be more trouble than the benefits so it's off
the list for next year. We did enjoy an early morning on
the river and caught a mess of perch from the rowboat.
The fishing this year was probably the best yet. I
managed to catch a few nice Bass (largemouth and
smallmouth) as well as some Pike in addition to all the
Perch and one Sunfish. That's 5 species. Jon caught
Pike, Bass and Perch as well.
One moment really stands out for me, it was late in the
day, the sun had set and the twilight was reflecting off
of the now glass like water. We announced the official
"last cast" because we had to get back to the island
before it got too dark. I sent my lure toward the
twilight and watched as it gently touched down on the
still surface. Almost immediately, I saw a huge swirl
and a splash and I had a Northern on my line. This only
happens on television, right? After a short battle, I
landed my best fish of the trip. The surrounding view
only made it better. What a way to end the day! Another
defining moment was on the last morning, we heard a Loon
across the lake calling repeatedly, so we cruised over
to check him out. Before we got too close, Jon shut the
motor down and we drifted closer and closer. We ended up
very close to him and were able to get some good video
of his calling and diving antics. I am amazed at how far
they can swim underwater. At one point he popped up
right next to the boat but by the time I went for the
camera, he realized his mistake and dove again. This
time surfacing very far from us. He never let us get
close after that. We also saw an Otter and a Bald Eagle
again this year as well as a variety of waterfowl. At
night we were treated to the howling of Coyotes in the
distance and the haunting call of the Loon. Let's not
forget the awesome display of stars in the clear north
country sky. As I type this, I am already looking
forward to next year. |
Here's the twilight view before and after the "last
cast" |
Jon with a nice pike, sorry Jon, he's too small to eat!
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