The Life of a Minnow...

I think that being a minnow would suck. The past few days I was in the presence of minnows most of the time and just couldn't help but think that they really don't have a lot going for them. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be a dog - eat, sleep, play if you want - pretty much a stress free life. But I would never want to be a minnow - especially the kind that are used for fishing. Think about it. You are kept in a tank and when avid fisherpeople come in and make a purchase you might be one of the unlucky ones who gets netted and transferred to a plastic bag. That remains your new home for a but a few short hours. Eventually you will be chosen and then a hook gets inserted through your mouth - you are still alive and wiggling but you are attached to some color of jig head which is probably quite intimidating for such a little guy! Then you get put back into the big lake - what should be your home. You try to swim free but are confined by mr. jig head once again. Then it's the worst thing that could happen...you see a fish of a larger species come by, and you could be unlucky enough to get eaten. You have no chance to swim for freedom. I think if I were a minnow I'd find some satisfaction knowing that the bigger, meaner fish got hooked...at least it's some payback for picking on the little guy!

So that was one of the many random thoughts that ran through my mind as me and my dad spent the last few days fishing. It was just him and me...me and him. We headed to new territory this year and explored the depths of Bird Lake. We were privileged enough to take the motorhome so our sleeping quarters were comfy. The camping is primitive though so we do have to make do with outhouses, and only the water that was brought in the tanks. Well worth it however.

Just to quickly sum up the results of the weekend...I want to get this over with! I got outfished. I caught 15 and dad caught 27. I got shown up...big time. I guess his experience reigned supreme. It was a very successful few days. I will go on record to say that I caught the first fish, the biggest fish, and my "keeper" fish ratio was substantially higher. The nerd in me came out on the boat when I started figuring out statistics as to who had a higher percentage of fish kept, etc. I had to build my confidence some how! I also managed to catch two fish at once (to be explained later).

We arrived Sunday evening and got everything set up. We then headed out into the lake and tried our luck with some fishing. We went to the end of the lake which happens to be by Tulibee Falls. They weren't big falls but it was still fun to watch, and peaceful. We each caught a couple of fish which made for a great start to a fun few days.

The first night in the camper - well I slept alright. I woke up numerous times, twice to people driving around the campground. Can you believe some city dudes showed up at 4:00 to go fish and then sat around and waited for it to get light? I was surprised.

The first full day of fishing was awesome. We headed out to the falls and we both caught a couple. Then we decided it was time for a new spot. We were driving back and I had a feeling we were at a good spot...it was one of those gut feelings. We drifted back and forth while jigging and it turned out that I my feelings were true. We spend the rest of the afternoon there and had a fair haul of fishies....well dad did. I got good at manning the net. Then we went in for some grub and headed back in the evening. I proved to be more successful come evening. We caught more at "my spot" and then packed it in for the evening.

The first full day got me thinking something. I don't know what is more frustrating: 1) sitting out on the lake all day and not having many bites or 2) sitting out on the lake and getting "nibbles" very regularly but only being able to hook maybe 10% of those dang fish. I was a victim of #2. This is what I kinda figured; I don't mind sitting out on the lake all day, it is enjoyable. The fish are an added bonus, and a fun one at that. If NOBODY is catching fish at least I know that I'm not the incompetent one. BUT I had a lot of experiences the past few days, getting hits but then failing at landing a fish. Part of me thought this was worse because it made me look unable to succeed. Knowing that you are so close makes the pain of letting the big one "get away" that much harder to swallow. However, with every nibble the heart does race, so maybe it isn't so bad!

The evening we had a fire and ate some smores. It was delicious. I was tired from being out all day so I thought that I would sleep well...little did I know that thunderstorms were brewing. I feel asleep and woke up due to some intense thunder. I few times I also thought that the lightening was coming through the camper, but I didn't end up safe. I woke in the morning to a wet bad! I guess I didn't deem it necessary to close the vent on the roof that was right over my bed so it rained on me. No wonder I was so cold!

Unfortunately Tuesday didn't bring the nicest weather. We went out and were bundled in rain gear. The showers were intermittent but on occasion there was a downpour. I think the fish were scared from the thunder the night before cause they too seemed to be less active. We did what we could however, and I still enjoyed the day!

One last story: On Tuesday I did catch 2 fish at once. We were trolling and I just let out my line a ways. I felt something and then I felt something a lot more substantial. I reeled in to find the coolest thing. A tiny walleye was hooked on my spinner, but half of the walleye was in the mouth of a much bigger, and slimier, jack fish. The jack wasn't hooked onto any hook it was just clamped on the poor walleye. We netted them both and took a picture. It was awesome. I guess in that case we saved the life of the walleye, and denied the jack some supper...but once again it was the minnow who really lost out!

So it was a great couple of days with beautiful sights, crazy ducks, lost lifejackets, gourmet meals, no lettuce, lots of fish, and a few games of cribbage (which I won!). I am so happy that my dad is willing to take a few days out of his summer and take me fishing. I know that he loves to fish and am just happy that he shares that with me. It wouldn't be the same with anyone else. It's something I cherish. It's good to get away with just him. Maybe next time I will outfish the champ!