Minnesota Bound - Laura Schara Muskie Fishing

Last summer I was joined on the water by Ron's daughter, Laura Schara, on her quest for her first muskie.  Laura is no stranger to the sport of fishing, which made for a great outing.  We had some good weather, and some not so good weather, along with many close calls of the giant variety.  I think you may enjoy and relate to some of the realities of muskie fishing when you watch this.  I will say no more and let the video play.  Look for episode number two coming soon...

Corporate Fishing Event

The last couple of days I have spent on the water with some truly great people.  As part of the Ranger Boats team, we are invited to partake in their corporate fishing events.  These events are actually bass tournaments with a twist.  Each Ranger Pro gets paired up with two individuals.  Once we get paired up, it is off to the races to outfish the other teams in an all out bass tournament for the 3 largest bass.

Wednesday was an all day event, and I was lucky enough to be paired up with two fishing studs.  Mark Debraal of ROCK-TENN and Joe Bacik from Walter G. Anderson Inc.  Our morning started out of Bayview in Excelsior, and we enjoyed a breakfast buffet while we waited for the rain to subside.  Once on the water, we were on what we called a "Monster Quest," which was basically our motto for the day, and became our team name.  That meant that we were only looking for bass that were giants.  We wanted to catch the three biggest bass of the tournament, and didn't care if we caught any others.  Our morning was rather slow, but so too was our competition.  A quick lunch break and we were back on the water.  Our afternoon was slightly better and filled up our limit.  Our "monster quest" came up a little short, but we had one heck of a time trying.  To top off the great day on the water, Joe was drawn for his chance at winning a brand new Ranger Boat.  A few feet to the left and his jig would have landed in the bucket giving him the new sweet ride.  Almost!

Yesterday was a similar day and event.  Once again we were on the "Monster Quest," for three large bass, however this time I was joined by a couple of water experts, Rod Negus and Dan Robinson of Lockheed Martin.  I say water experts, because I think they may spend as much time on the water as I do.  The only difference is that they are being towed behind the boat while I am fishing from the boat.  They are the guys that all of us fisherman shake our heads at when we are hoping for some peace and quiet! haha!  On this day, we were united and enjoyed the heck out of our time on the water.  After a ride across country to our final destination, Rod quickly got us on the board.  A nice bass, that put some confidence in the boat, and got the mojo going.  We caught several more before our afternoon stint came to an end.  As is often the case, the big ones broke the line and got away, but we still faired pretty well and weighed in a nice bag of bass.  I had two great days on the water, and learned that water skiers and fisherman can in fact get along!  From the bass filled waters of Lake Minnetonka, Keep on Livin' the Dream!

It Doesn't Get Any Better....

Holy Smokes!  Does this picture get you jacked up?  If not, you don't have a pulse.  Lately I have been flirting with a new obsession.  Funny thing is that I'm not the only one.  Our conventional mind of bass, walleye and heck, even muskies, has been totally skewed by a new love.  This new love is overtaking much of our free time.  A quest for what we are calling "the most beautiful fish in the river!"  That's fine, you can call me crazy, I don't care, I'm in love with a catfish! 

When it comes to fishing I find myself always looking for the next big thing.  I have an obsession for huge fish, and I'm always looking for the next battle or heart pumping action.  Kinda fuels the fire so to speak.  I'm never satisfied.  Maybe it's the challenge, or the excitement once the fish strikes, but I can't control it.  I want to see what we can outsmart next, and it has lead myself and a few good buddies to the flowing waters of our local rivers. 

Matt Hennen is the newly appointed "Catman."  In fact, he has the bug even worse than I do if that is at all possible.  All of his free time has been spent experimenting and learning the river.  We have been fishing together several times, and he continues to improve his precise knowleadge of our new favorite fish.  As any new specie and challenge, it takes time.  Understanding the current, timing, presentations, and fish holding areas are key.  But once you get all the ingredients dialed in, it is one heck of a wild ride.  This has been the case over the last few weeks.  You could call it a "lucky horse shoe," or persistance paying off.  Regardless, the past two seasons of trial and mostly "error" are paying off in a huge way.  Our expectations are increasing by the trip.  No longer do we hope to get a strike, in fact, we are almost dissapointed if we don't break the 20 pound mark in an evening.  The results of all the hard work have been nothing short of spectacular.  So much so that I can't stop writing about it. 

Imagine a peaceful evening with waters flowing past you.  Darkness falls and quiet sets in.  Just you and the sounds of the flowing water.  That is until the anticipation mounts to the point that you can almost hear your heart pounding.  A strike awaits that is so fierce that it almost rips the rod out of your hands.  Will it hit my bait, or my friends?  How big will it be?  These are some of the thoughts running through your mind.  The best part, these thoughts are becoming a reality each and every trip out.  Here are some numbers to ponder.  In the past 15 trips, Matt andthe crew have boated at least one fish every time but once.  In Matt's perfectly crafted catfish machine, we have boated fish in the 15 to 20 pound class with regularity.  Not to mention the back to back fish weighing 37 and 38 pounds Wednesday and Thursday evening.  Our most recent trip gives you the picture that you opened with.  This past friday night we snuck out on the water with a goal of 50lbs.  None of us were laughing at our goals, and we never stopped talking about it.  Matt kept his "horseshoe" for the night, because his squirming bait kept on getting throttled.  He landed the first one, which was nice, but small by our standards  50 was still on our mind.  Persistance paid off big at the stroke of midnight.  The near full moon illuminated the sky to watch a battle that I have never before seen.  Man vs. Beast should have been the title, and incredible is all that describes it.  Our 50 pound digital scale exceeded it's limits when it read 53 pounds.  How?  I don't know, but it was almost like winning the lottery.  For Matt, his incredibly growing success for this new monster of the river has been great to watch.  For him to score and see the excitement of his hard work paying off is priceless.  It was almost bittersweet watching the beast swim away, but leads us to wonder, how big will they get, and what is next?

If anybody wants to get in on this incredible action, please do not hesitate to call.  The time is now, and the experience is incredible.  You will never forget this opportunity.  I am putting this excitement right up there with my state record muskie antics, and that is saying a lot.  From the flowing waters of the beautiful beast, Keep on Livin' the Dream!

A Very Cool Intro To Fishing...

Today was much the same for me.  Get the boat, throw some ice in the cooler, and prep the rod and reels before the guests arrive.  The only difference was that I was preparing their rods to fish for the day, then they would take them home.  An unusual request came from Don Webb about two weeks ago.  He said he wanted to get his family out on the water, and wondered if there was a way to get them rods that they could call their own.  He wanted high quality equipment up to my standards so that the kids would know they had the best.  Then teach them how to use it, catch fish with it, enjoy it, and send them on their way.  Along with the this request for his kids came the same request for himself and his wife.  His wife June loves to fish, but he didn't know how.  Along with the rod and reels, he also wanted a tackle box filled with all of my favorite lures.  To top it all off, he was going to lure them to the lake (no pun intended) without any of them knowing what they were about to do, and surprise them with a morning on the water.  Are you still with me?  It gets better.

We hashed out all the details over the phone, and i came up with my plan.  I requested the assistance of Dawn over at Cabin Fever, and after explaining the situation we figured out the best plan of attack.  After all, it isn't easy to stock an entire family with high quality fishing equipment on a whim.  We had to special order much of the large order, and once it came in, assembly was required.  That took place last night, but allowed Dawn and I to catch up on the latest and greatest.  That brings us to this morning and the completion of the two week escapade. 

The surprise went off perfectly.  With boat in water and the last fishing lines being tied together, the fam came without a single clue of what was going on.  It was cool.  All 6 of us hit the water in search of whatever would latch on to our lines.  We had a quick tutorial and soon realized the kids were far superior to the adults in the casting department.    When it came to the catching part, it was clear that MOM was the victor.  She struck first with a large bucketmouth.  A feat that she has apparently come to recognize as her strength in life.  Soon after, everyone was involved in the action.  A few tangled lines, large, medium and small panfish on board, and several laughs to boot.  As quick as the morning started, we had reached our end  As we approached the dock I explained to them that they would be keeping all of the equipment.  A surprise that nobody saw coming, but all found very cool.  Dad walked away looking like the hero, (which he rightfully should for his very clever and unique idea) and another successful day on the water was had.  Does it get any better than that?  I think not! 

Thanks for the great idea and fun adventure.  Also a big shout out to Dawn at Cabin Fever for all the help in making the day possible.  A very neat day that many of you could clearly duplicate.  From the once again windy shores of lake Waconia, Keep on Livin the dream!

One on One...

Sometimes we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.  Work, family and activities  can cause us to lose sight of who we are and what we love.  Not that the previously mentioned items aren't important, but it can cause us to forget to take time for ourselves, reflect, and appreciate all the great things we are blessed with in this life.  I am extremely guilty of that myself, which is why I cherish the times that I get to spend all alone.  I know this may sound selfish, but I truly feel that everyone needs to take some time to just breathe and rejuvinate themselves.  Mentally and physically.  While this may seem foolish to some of you, I do this by going fishing.  The one on one feeling of being on the water is something that I cannot explain.  I truly love fishing with all the great people that I have met over the years, but that one early morning or evening on the water alone can just fill me up inside.  No cell phones, no music, and no conversation.  Just me, God, nature and the fish.  It doesn't get any better!

Last night I took that opportunity for myself.  It wasn't a long opportunity, but after a long stretch of days filled with running every single direction and never stopping, it was much needed and incredible.  I hit the water at about 7:45 for the last few minutes of daylight.  The sun was setting and the weather was beyond perfect.  The sounds of boat motors in the background and a few passing cars on the streets could be heard, but I was at peace.  What makes this all the sweeter, is that I am totally zoned in on the fish and the elements.  I find these few times each year to be some of my most rewarding trips.  So much so that I am still excited to talk about it the next day, here in my journal.  As the sun started to set I could just sense the greatness of the evening.  After a tough stretch of days on the water I felt that I would do well and find those elusive walleyes.  After snapping some epic shots of the sun setting I picked up my rod and pitched the jig into the center of the hotspot.  My favorite walleye hole on the lake was full of fish.  Almost like it was God's reward for my efforts, the fish started to bite.  And boy did they bite!  The first cast gave me a bucketmouth bass.  Same result on cast number two.  Cast number 3 was a beauty of an 18 inch walleye.  The following was almost a carbon copy with another 18 incher.  Then a hard fighting sheepshead on the next cast, followed by another 20 inch walleye.  This scenario played itself out over the next 20 minutes.  Simply incredible!  I caught fish and released them as fast as I could.  Once the sun finally set, I put the rod in the locker and slowly motored back to the dock.  Not that it was a long trip, but I can tell you that I will remember it for quite some time.  A one on one night is something I try to fit in whenever possible.  Next time you are feeling mentally and physically drained, give yourself the experience to rejuvinate and refresh, mentally and physically.  Take a walk in the woods, or jump in the boat to watch the sun set or rise.  Turn the phones off, and if possible just sit in silence to reflect on how fortunate we all are, regardless of your current situations.  I gaurantee you will not be dissapointed.  From the walleye filled hot spot on Lake Waconia, Keep on Livin' the dream!