We had a mini get together on Spirit Lake over the week-end.Wade Kuehl,myself and my son Austin were joined by Eric and Brenda Goodale for a week-end of camping,food and fishing!! Eric and Brenda make a few trips up North each year to fish the IGL area.Eric is a very good angler who has a great fishing partner in life and in the boat.I’ve always enjoyed the limited time I get to spend with the Goodale’s,the only regret is I wish we could do fun things like this more often.We started the angling side of things very early on Sat. morning with slip-bobber fishing a shallow rock reef.Wade and Austin were on fire and put many quality bass in the boat.It was fun to watch them go head to head in fish #’s.Here is Austin with a fine 17.75" smallie.He lost a fish in the 20" class at the side of the boat.
After the sun started to rise a little the bass move out of these shallow rock reefs and piles and move into deeper rocks and weeds.We deciced to try our luck on the perch bite and got set up in 18′ of water.We all chose different colors of pilkies and went to work.Wade was the hotstick,putting many perch and small walleyes in the boat.We went in early and had a fine campfire meal of perch,potatoes,and brats,It was a great way to relax and tell "fishing stories".Here is Wade with a perch.
Sunday morning found us back working shallow rocks but the bite was very poor.We did boat a few fish but decided the perch bite would be the best choice.When the perch start their annual summer bite on Spirit it cna be alot of fun with many boats fishing very close with alot of friendly comments being tossed back and forth.It is very important to maintain close bottom contact while going for perch.A lift and drop action with letting your jig hit the bottom of the lake and gently lifting it up will produce the most bites.These perch can be very fast and you have to be quick on the trigger for the best results.Here is Austin with a nice perch early in the morning.
Wade had the right color combo with a firetiger pilkie producing many bites for him.We did catch many walleyes and a few huge bullheads in the 2# range.Here is Wade with a healthy 15.5" eye.By the time the week-end was over we put around 25 nice perch in the livewell.It was a great week-end to spend with friends.Best of luck.
Ryan Hale
Sounds like a great weekend! Even of it was with Goody!
Nice fish Austin—and even a nicer jacket!
–Whitey
I’d say you had some pretty good company for the weekend. Wade, Goody and Brenda are pretty top notch. It appears Austin was the one puttin”em in the boat-AGAIN
Not to open any old “wounds” mind you, but the question bears asking. With you and Goody together again, were there any of those yellow bellied whiskered critters caught? 
Gramps
Ryan:
Great to see the boys with some nice fish! Glad to hear that you experienced some good fishing. Brenda and Eric are great people, I’m sure that you had a great time putting those smallies in the boat. Keep up the good work and always glad to read your reports.
Eric and Brenda are good people, wish I could have gone up there myself, Eric told me about last week I had his tent pole from a earlier outing with him. glad you had a good time.
Yes, it was a GREAT weekend. Thanks to Ryan, Wade, and AUstin for helping make it that way. Me and Brenda always make a trip to the lakes at least once a summer as it is beautiful and usually wonderful fishing. All said, we boated a ton of small eyes, some nice crappie, a few nice perch, a ton of smallies, pike, and big bullhead. I got on a few 18″ smallies, and Brenda got her biggest….a thin but long 17 3/4″ fish. The weather and company couldnt have been too much better. The only thing that would have made this much nicer is if I could have stayed longer or if the lakes area was closer to Des Moines
Thanks for a good weekend guys!
goody
Another GREAT job Ryan!!!! What’s going on with Cole? Haven’t seen him in the last couple reports. Austin beating up on him? Keep the reports coming. Hope to see you on Sat. in Des Moines.
Clay
Here’s a couple more pics of this young pro angler, Austin Hale…
One more of Austin with a couple of the hardest workin’ fresh water fish known to man. And Ryan, Thanks for a great weekend!
I don’t know if it shows well in this photo but here is a shot of Goody and his wife-to-be, Brenda with a nice double banger on a couple Spirit Lake bigo-bigo smoothy bullheads. Some folks have suggested that Goody is the Bullhead king of Iowa and it’s only fitting that he has found himself a queen who can truly measure up. Sure, we had a great time sitting around the camp fire, and we really enjoyed Ryan’s outstanding perch fry (mmmmmmm good!). But, the most enjoyable part of the trip was watching Goody study hard and finally solve the Spirit Lake bullhead pattern. Nice job Goody! Hope to see you and Brenda in Ottertail Co. in August.
Now I know who you guys are Ryan Hale and gang. I recognize the picture of the boat that you posted. I was in the south end of Big Spirit for a little while. I came in by Ryan and he made a comment about my Lab pup. I was the guy in the Alumacraft 175 Tourney Sport with the black Lab pup. By the way did you see him fall in the water. I did not have my anchor so did not stay long fishing perch. That morning caught the normal number of sub-legal walleye and an 18″ walleye. Caught some nice perch also dragging bottom bouncers and crawlers. Next day fished West Okoboji. Caught some nice gills and a 19″ walleye in Haywards Bay.
SLDUCK, I remember seeing you. Ryan loves dogs so he was getting a kick out of your pup. Sounds like you had a good time on the water – nice eyes. We were mainly hitting perch but did get one legal eye at 15.5 inches. If you ever see us on the water again stop and say hello. Hopefully we’ll all have In-Depth Angling hats to identify each other a little easier!
SLDUCK,yes I remember you and that fine looking lab pup.We did not see him fall in but that’s always fun lifting them up over the side of the boat isn’t it?If you see any of us on the water again stop by and say hello.
Gramps,do I need to say anymore about bullheads and Goody?
Clay,Cole took a few short vacations with family and friends.Plus I think that maybe the girls are starting to look better to him.I keep telling him he has plenty of time for those girls when he gets older and SMARTER!!!
Ryan Hale
That was any easy retrieve getting him out the SECOND time. I was off Big Stoney in the basin trolling lead-core and snap-ons and he fell off the bow. I had the kicker on and he had swam away from the boat. I frantically moved the port rod and put the kicker in neutral at the same time. Of course he thought it was great getting wet and cooled off. Life with Labs. I will stop to talk to you guys the next time I see you.
Those are NOT bullheads in that picture! They are really short and fat eyes! (I am glad that pic didnt turn out any better than it did!)
goody
All I can say is if I ever see that FISH HAWK boat on the water I’m heading the other direction!!!