Still Catchin The Big Ones...

Haha!  I just love it.  Last night when a couple of buddies called me to see what I was up to I told them "I'm fishin, what else would I be doing!"  They laughed, and said "no...really...what are you doing?"  I laughed and said " honestly, I'm Fishin, I just caught a 47" muskie!" 

What a blast it was!  Not being very big into the video games, last night was the first time that I had played the Rapala fishing game for Wii.  I figured there is no better way for me to keep up on my fishing skills during the off-season.  The best part about the whole game was that I was able to fish on Lake Minnetonka and cast for the elusive muskies.  Technology is really incredible.  I'm sure many of you are familiar with this game, but it was my first time.  It was extremely realistic, and I had to physically cast the bait out and use the remote as my fishing pole reeling and twitching the bait back to the boat.  Trust me, the muskies are still the hardest fish to catch on this game, and it took me many tries and lost fish before I was able to land my first one.  Before the night was finished I managed a few muskies with a 47" being the largest, Several nice bass, and walleyes topping out around 10 pounds.  Not only was the game extremely realistic, but the audience I had watching me made it even better.  You can see from the pic that Mikey really got into the game as well.  Many times I thought he was going to fall out of his seat as he was screaming "SET THE HOOK!"  I know there is nothing better than the real experience of landing that giant out on the water, but since we aren't able to do that this time of the year, this is the next best thing.  Hahaha!  What a ball!  Just another way to keep on Livin' The Dream! 

Tearin' It Up...

Sometimes Livin' the dream doesn't always have to revolve around landing a 30 pound muskie or 10 pound walleye.  There are so many resources and activities that are at our fingertips daily that we sometimes forget to take advantage of them.  Yesterday evening Dusty and I took advantage of a "hot tip" that we received, and this time it wasn't a fishing related honey hole.  We loaded up the 4-wheelers for one of the most intense and exciting rides of our lives.  I never would have thought about such an activity if it weren't for a few local guys that do this with regularity.  We trailered our wheelers to a bridge, and drove out onto the river.  Yep, that's right, the river.  Now normally I would say this is ridiculous, but the river that we drove on is almost like a creek.  It is very shallow, very narrow, and doesn't have a lot of current, therefore it pretty much freezes to the bottom with no worries about falling through.  The winding corners and the fallen timber makes this one of the sweetest obstacle courses you could ever imagine on 4 wheels.  We probably put on 40 miles cruising every which direction with the stream, and every corner gave us a new obstacle.  If you haven't done something like this with your rides, I strongly recommend it.  What a blast!  And to think, this has been in my backyard for years without me ever taking advantage of it.  Just another activity to add to the list that just keeps on growing.  What a ride!  And that's how I like to "Live the Dream!"

A Bid Farewell To Ol' Marble Eye's...

As they say... All good things must come to an end.  Yesterday was the official close to our walleye season across the state, and while I felt like sheding a tear or two as we pulled some houses home, I was able to look back and reminisce to myself with a smile.  We really had another epic year on the ice, and I mean that in many ways.  The laugh meter kept itself at a very high level all season which makes every night a blast.  This season we had times of both quality and quantity with the eyes that we were catching, with the highlight being the 9, 11, & 12 pounders three nights in a row.  We had many first timers in the houses this year, and many nights of filling the jar with eaters.  As always, I was able to report about the "ones that got away," and the laughs associated with the tangles and messes.  We put many hours in those houses and even more hours learning the lake and its structure.  We shared many games of dice and cards, and for living on the ice, the food was pretty spectacular too.  I want to take this time to thank everbody personally for all the memories, however the list is too darn long.  You all know who you are, and I thank you all for memories and the Trophy Encounters!

While this season just came to a close, there are still so many opportunities for us as outdoors people.  This time of year still offers us walleye fishing at its finest, however we just have to travel a little further.  I know it sounds hard to believe, but I plan to be fishing open water very soon as the rivers start flowing.  Boy am I excited to be back in a boat again!  If you have never experienced the fantastic river fishing we have, I highly recommend that you make it a priority this season.  If you would like to learn more about it I would love to have you with on a trip. 

Not only do we have the rivers, but the panfish bite kicks into full stride as the ice fades off the lakes.  This can be the most exciting bite of the year for those big "bull" gills, "Slab" crappies, and Big Bellied Jumbo Perch.  So while the stories from the walleyes in the shanties have come to an end, the Trophy Encounters updates will continue at their normal pace.  If you would still like to hit the ice, we have plenty of it and it can be very exciting for you and a group of people.  Thanks again Everybody, and stay tuned for what is next on the list for us guys that like to Live The Dream!!!

Fishing For Life...

When we think about the great outdoor sports that we all pursue, it is easy to forget how we were brought up in them and how we learned about them.  There are many children that do not have those positive influences that we were so fortunate to have, and many of them have never known the thrill of setting the hook into a fish.  This organization called Fishing For life is doing their best to give those kids a chance at the outdoors.  I have helped them out only minimal in the past, but plan on doing more to help in the future.  By clicking on link above or the picture on the left side of my site, it will send you to their website which will have a better description about who they are and what they are doing.  While I understand that many of you have kids of your own to introduce to our sport, there are many kids that do not have those figures in their lives.  If you would like to help this organization, I know they have a fund raising banquet coming up in the near future, and many very cool donations will be auctioned off.  I plan on being there as well, and would love to see as many of y'all as possible.  Until next time, Keep on Livin The Dream!

BRRRRRR.....Enough Of The Cold Already!

I am not sure if the rest of you will agree with me here, but Dang is it cold out there.  It is almost March and yet last night we hit somewhere in the mid teens below zero.  Normally a guy wouldn't venture far in conditions like that, but at this point we are almost getting use to it, and don't even think twice about it.  Yes, you could call us stupid or crazy, but there is one thing that I do know for sure.  I have never caught a single walleye sitting on my couch at home.  With that being said, and my understanding of how ridiculous I have become this winter, I decided to move the house yet again.  The biggest factor for my decision is that giant glowing ball in the sky at night that generally likes to make big fish bite.  On top of that, there are only a few more days left of season, and I want to locate a good bite for some upcoming guests this weekend.  Although the conditions were sub par to say the least, we stuck it out until this morning, and were rewarded with yet another alarm clock rattle reel sounding off.  As you can see from the picture, the sun was already up when this 4.5 pounder woke us up.  For whatever reason, 7:00 to 7:30 AM has been dynomite this season.  I anticipate the fish cooperating quite a bit better by this weekend once the conditions stabilize and the weather warms a little bit.  However, it was good to know that even that many degrees below zero that we can still hoist a nice fish through the hole.

I also have another photo to share of a catch from last weekends shinanigans on the ice.  This will be Dougy's first visit to the Trophy Encounters site, so my hat is off to him and his catch.  Speaking of hats, it is funny that Dusty told me the story behind the fish, and yet at 2:00 in da morning, Dougy wouldn't take a picture of this fish unless Dusty could find his hat.  Well, he found the hat, and now Dougy is famous and will probably be moving to Hollywood soon!  He will be trying out for parts in movies where they need a super serious guy that shows no sign of excitement!  haha!  Just messin with ya Dougy! Great fish! That's a wrap Y'all, and that's how I still like Livin' The Dream!