Froggin' with the girls
Ah yes, the joys of a family fishing trip are experienced by many millions of Americans every year. I dream of the scenario that begins with an early morning adventure into some pristine wilderness lake as the sun rises leaving a silvery mist sparkling across the water. The views can be spectacular. Our ears fill with the sounds of our engines roaring across the lake, the feel of the wind blowing our hair, the smell of the morning dew fills out nostrils.
The other scenario is heading out with my clan to chase bass at the local state park lake jam packed with every knucklehead in the region who has never backed a boat down a launch ramp. The drive shafts of their vehicles beg for mercy as they shift the poor truck from reverse to drive and back again as they edge ever closer to the water. The pick-ups all breathe a sign of relief when their masters finally drop the boat in the water.
My little girls, Maddie and Katie, and the wifey, Kristin, went with me on one of these public-water jaunts recently and let me tell you what a hardcore crew they are. The girls woke at the ungodly early hour of 9:00 a.m. With eating breakfast, getting dressed and lathering on the sunscreen, I whisked them off on a 40-minute drive and we arrived at the lake promptly at 2:00 p.m. or so.
After waiting out the traditional antics of the launch-ramp heroes, we dropped our slick bass boat into the lake and we were off. Not in a flash mind you. This lake has a 10 horsepower limit, so I was doing the Captain Ahab bit on my trolling motor at Mach -10.
Anyway, the trio of girls hung in the there like the true champs they are. Kristin fished hard, Maddie worked on her casting and Katie yarded out half of the lily pads in the lake (she thinks it's cool to see how many snail shells she can find on them). I, too, fished hard like the true seasoned angler I am.
At the end of it all, two hours to be precise (ya see, we had to get to a friends house to grill burgers and drink beer, don't ya know), I caught one bass. I finally had one on the line after the bass had been taunting me by boiling up on my bait, but never biting. I was actually happy with it, until the girls said, "Wow. That's really tiny, Papa."
The girls didn't catch any, but we had a terrific time flinging frogs on the pads and working on our summer glow. I gotta get out more.
Dave and Kristin Landahl host The Fishing Fanatics, www.TheFishingFanatics.com, radio show on ESPN radio affiliate AM 1360 WLBK in northern Illinois Thursday evenings from 6-7 PM Central time. You can also tune in to hear The Fishing Fanatics at www.1360wlbk.com and check them out at www.walleyecentral.com
