Something New...
Travis Frank
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. Fishing for walleyes in the cold frontal rain 2 nights in a row and expecting the bite to suddenly turn on, seemed kinda foolish. Besides, anything I learned that day was sure to change by the next. So, to avoid insanity I decided that prepping for my upcoming guide trips was not a solid move. Instead, I decided to throw a curve ball into the mix and try something new.
With the evening free, I chose to hit a lake that I've never fished. I had no clients, no expectations and no pressure to perform. It was a mind free outing. To make it better, I was after Tigers. The cross between a gator and a muskie. A hybrid. In my opinion, it's the coolest looking freshwater fish. My goal was simple: just catch one. I didn't care about the size or the details. Joining me were my fishin' pals Eric and Sean. I told them that I wanted to leave the lake with a sweet picture.
Tonight I am speaking for a group of anglers at the Gander Mountain in Blaine. At lunch today I asked my friend, Mitch, what I should talk about. He told me to talk about my passion. The passion for what I do and why it never gets old to catch a fish. Even after thousands have come and gone.
Would it make for a good speaking topic? I will soon find out. But for now, I can tell you that the passion was out in full force last night. In the wind and rain we threw our baits for 3 hours straight. We had no idea what we could catch, when, where or how big it would be. Heck, we didn't even know if the lake froze out from the severe winter. It was a new adventure to us and it brought the excitement of trying something different. In my world of guiding the same lakes over and over, it's something that I often forget about.
One hour into our evening a giant gator exploded and grabbed Sean's lure boatside. It pulled line and threw him around the boat like I haven't seen in years. It was pure, simple and clean fun. I believe this was the climax of the passion Mitch spoke of at lunch. It wasn't the tiger muskie that I was after, but in some respects it was better. Finding a gator that big stuck in the metro is like finding a needle in a you know what. Before we were soaked completely, we managed 3 more pike (smaller of course), 1 big bass and a close encounter with a trophy tiger. Even though we left without my muskie, the night was perfect. There is nothing better than trying something new. Plus, I got my sweet picture. What would I do if God didn't create fish? I'm so glad I don't have to answer that. Until the next fish strikes, keep livin' the dream!