A-fishing they did go, four “good” fishermen. Their hope was to bring their rating back to “very good” fishermen. Three of the four managed to hold their “good” rating. The four slipped to “poor” as he caught one walleye.
Who were these fishermen? Bob Goetz from Austin, Bob Hanson from Albert Lea, Gary Oliver from Fairmont and Paul Proft from Owatonna — that’s who.
With three vehicles, two vehicles pulling a boat, they arrived at their destination, Blue Water Lodge on Leech Lake, Walker, Minn., Monday, May 13, about 4 p.m. (a distance of 240 miles) for one week of fishing.
A typical day was a light breakfast, fish until lunch, play cribbage, donate to the casino, evening meal, fish until 9 p.m., play cribbage, end of day. It rained, snowed, was very windy, plus cold five of the six days. We went home one day early due to bad weather.
Our electronic equipment told us when it would or wouldn’t rain and how much, plus wind, direction and velocity. Thus, we didn’t get caught in heavy rain or high wind while fishing. Sad to say, the electronics didn’t tell us when or where to catch fish.
We stayed in cabin No. 1 on the southwest side of Walker Bay, overlooking Leech Lake. The cabin has a loft with a bedroom, two queen-size beds, a flat screen TV that can be seen while lying in bed, a full bath with shower, a ceiling fan, and log furniture — very nice.
On the main level is a full kitchen with a dishwasher, gas fireplace, ceiling fan, hide-a-bed, big windows with two sliding glass doors onto a deck overlooking a shallow-water bay, log furniture, a flat screen TV — very nice.
On the main level just off the kitchen is a bedroom with one queen-size bed, a flat screen TV that can be seen while lying in bed, stacked washer and dryer, plus shower in the bathroom, a ceiling fan, log furniture — very nice.
In six days of fishing in between wind, rain and cold weather, we caught 24 fish or an average of four per day, one per fisherman (18 walleyes, four northerns, one crappie, one perch). The guy catching just one fish (a walleye in six days) was me. Being Norwegian, it seemed appropriate that I caught it on a Norwegian holiday, the 17th of May.
Short shorts:
1. Gary Oliver was the best fisherman, catching the most.
2. Bob Hanson was the worst, catching only one.
3. Four guys averaging one fish each per day is not very good.
4. Bob and Bob were the best cribbage partners, winning the most games, as usual!
5. The price per dozen of shiner minnows was $8.99.
6. By putting bird seed on the railing of the deck, we had a black squirrel, an indigo bunting, nuthatch, Harrises, sparrows and other kinds of birds every day.
7. Bald eagles were nesting across the bay in front of the cabin.
8. Gas was cheaper than Albert Lea.
9. In cleaning the walleyes, most of them had been eating, yet we caught only three perch — one keeper, two very small.
10. Bob Goetz didn’t catch a loon or turtle. (None of us did.)
11. Where I slept, the sky was in full view. One night I saw a full moon with lightning flashing across the sky while two loons were talking to each other. ‘Twas then I told myself, “This is the day the Lord has made.”
12. As we loaded to leave, we imitated the former actor-turned California Governor Arnold in unison, “I’ll be back.”
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.