No Fish in This Wind

Our charter out of Manistee with Captain Paul Owens of Quality Time Charters didn't sail. Mother Nature blew from the northwest at 20 miles per hour whipping the lake into a froth and rolling the water over the piers.

The weather report from the National Weather Service predicted winds 20-30 and the possibility of water spouts in the afternoon. The cross-lake ferry plucked a man from the water off Milwaukee who said his boat was capsized by the waves.

We arrived at Paul's slip in Solberg Marina at 5 a.m., but decided to wait until daylight so we could see the conditions instead of feeling our way through waves in the dark. At daylight, We stuck our nose outside the harbor and took the waves head on. When the bow of his 32-foot Stamas rose up and blocked our view straight ahead, we decided a fish wasn't worth the risk. If there would have been a trough to travel we probably could have fished, but the water was rockin' and arollin', reelin' and arockin' and we wisely turned tail.

There were boats going out that did not belong there in a 10 mph wind. Some charter captains went out to catch one fish so they could get paid. Thanks, but I'll take a cautious captain any day.

We took the captain and his wife, Vivian, to her favorite "greasy spoon" in Old Town Manistee. We talked kids and grandkids over coffee and a super breakfast and made plans for next year.

Gotta Find the Key

I seem to be in a bigger slump than Pudge Rodriguez. In the last three Salmon trips I have gone 2 for 17.

The action has been hot, but my hookup technique has gone cold. Set the hook; spit the hook. All except a screamer I had on last week. Something took a holographic lure at the end of a full color of lead core, ran well into my backing and broke the leader after 15 minutes.

Things will change this weekend. I'm taking a charter out of Manistee with Captain Paul. He's a Buick skilled tradesman who takes the whole month of August off to offer charters. He's very helpful and he'll get me back on track.

Charters are a great way to correct problems and learn new tricks. Plus a boatload of anglers catching fish is fun.

Lake Huron Has Fish

I am not ready to give up on Lake Huron Salmon fishing yet. All the dire predictions about the Salmon leaving Huron for Lake Michigan could be partially true, but there are still fish on the sunrise side of the state.

Sunrise Sunday morning my wife and I headed out from Harbor Beach after sleeping in the truck to catch first light. Before I could get the second line in the water, the downrigger pole tripped.

A small King grabbed a Chickenwing Spin Doctor trailed behind a Chickenwing Flasher. After a short but spirited run, we had our first fish in the boat.

I wish I could say it was the first of many, but unfortunately it was the only fish we caught. According to radio traffic some anglers were catching fish while others were coming up empty.

The thing that distinguishes the east side of the state from Lake Michigan besides the amount of boats is the civility. On Lake Michigan, the radio traffic is crude and sometimes downright hostile. Yesterday on Huron, radio traffic was helpful and always cheerful.

Last week at Ludington the air waves were full of swearing and off-color jokes. One boater lost his lead core to another boater and threatened the offender with bodily harm. Requests for fishing reports and advice were usually met with silence or ridicule.

I am not a prude, but how can you justify crude language in what is supposed to be a family sport? Why shouldn't anglers be helpful to one another? The resource is meant to be shared and the sport should be a fraternity.

Fishing is a sport of enjoyment, relaxation, not just catching fish. Frankly, Lake Huron provides that enjoyment better than Lake Michigan.

I Should be a Fishy Entrepreneur

I'd like to own a fish camp in the U.P. A nice piece on some good water with several rustic cabins and a fishy clientele.

My friend owned a resort on Munuscong Bay and it was hard work. I'm a hard worker and I don't drink anymore so hangovers don't keep me in bed til noon. I don't have to quit at 5 (it's always five o'clock somewhere). In fact I have so much more time that I have to fill my day with work. I knew there was a good reason for drinking.

But I'm a people person and a fisherman. I could guide fishermen to fish. And if not, I have a million excuses why the fish won't bite.

"The winds out of the east, fishin's the least." "The fish are smarter than you; for an extra hunerd, I'll (teach you some special tricks) (sell you my special lure)." "You shoulda been here last week." That's my favorite. I learned that one from my resort owner friend Joe.

I would have some amenities at the camp. WiFi, Internet access, fire pits. Of course, what is a UP camp without a suana, eh? And fish cleaners in bikinis. I'm not talking Toivo and Eino in speedos.

Yah, dat's my dream, eh. I even practice the Yooper language and write down the homey talk I hear. "She's as beautiful as a fresh-run Salmon and ready to spawn."

But then I wake up to reality. Actually it's my head hitting the keyboard. ggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh