Took a half day off to get out for some stress relief. Not to mention that people telling me that if you can’t get a limit of walleye right now on the lake, something is wrong with you.
Headed out after the usual boat prep issues and was on the water by 130. Ran out to the reefs south of Oshkosh and started to set out the boards for Larry and I. Well I am faster at getting boards out than Larry and as I was getting my third lure ready my outside board goes. A nice 17 eye in the boat. Larry gets his first board out, then his second then the first one goes. White bass. I get my third rod in, the outside board goes. 16 incher. I turn around and see Larry has a board running funny and tell him about it. 10 inch crappie. He resets, then a white bass.
Larry gets a hit but thinks he is snagged as it popped the board off. He can’t move the lure. I know better. We go after it then he realizes it moving. I am laughing inside as I know it is a cat. Get it up then all he– breaks loose with that cat. About a 5 pounder.
We regrouped and got back on our track and I tell Larry that he has a board running funny. 20 incher swimming with the lure. Now you have to understand my fishing buddy Larry. He is a great guy but has not used board often when the fish are biting well and is learning by me showing him what I know. (Don’t know if that is good or bad) He is getting better but I am watching him as a board is dancing then the flag goes. He sees it and is waiting. He then grabs the rod and waits. I make the comment, “this isn’t catfishing. Quit waiting on a bite. The fish is on there and get that board in.” Larry realizes what he is doing and we crack up laughing. 18 inch eye.
It went on like that most of the evening. Us laughing at each other, revisiting fishing trips of days past fishing together between untangling lines and landing fish.
Not to mention the shouting by Larry when he had two huge hits that yanked his boards under water only to lose both fish.
I gave Larry another education on running boards but he gave me an education on size and variety of fish caught. We left with a two man limit of eater eyes, three crappie, a nice cat and a couple of white bass for some friends. We also caught numerous white bass and goats.
We ran flicker shads and shad raps. No dominant color but as everything color we put out caught something. I caught all my walleye on purple and white on the outside board. Larry caught his on blue and silver. Speed 1.8 to 2.3. Water temp 69 degrees.
A beautiful day on the water with a great friend. A friend I made when I moved to Milwaukee. I saw this guy fishing with a kid and just asked, how is the fishing? That was 20 years ago.
BTW…Larry caught the smallest fish of the day and yes the hooks were in its mouth.
Derek
