Shooting master angler fish in a barrel. Doing the Docy-doe

[davetclown]

[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Shooting master angler fish in a barrel. Doing the Docy-doe[/size][/font]
[center][/center] [left]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Well it is that time of year again with the air is turning cold. The deer are beginning to rut. The salmon are doing their annual runs…[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]After last weeks near miss with the salmon slaying Lonehunter at the Tippy Dam Site in Manistee Michigan we decided to hook up closer to his homestead on the east side of the state over at the Foote Site Dam in Oscoda Michigan. [/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]After weaving through half of Oscoda county I finely came across the “Queen” this is the Foote dame site fairy that runs in the lake above the dam. The moon was just breaking over the horizon of the dam across the lake bright orange in color and just a couple days passed full. Truly a magnificent site to behold, wished I had my good camera with me. I stopped at the dam store at the corner where I was to make my last stop before reaching my destination. Seeing a glow in the dark cleo’ I just had to have the $5 dollar spoon. I had no real intentions of ever casting it in the water but later I found I had accidentally picked up the spoon of choice of the successful anglers.[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Pulling in to the Foote Dam Site, a state of horror dawned upon me. Only two vehicles in the entire parking lot, one belonging to the Lonehunter and the other would soon be gone shortly after I arrived. [/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]The splendor of the dam site was not regaled in its former glory of latter years. The dam site itself compared to the last time I was there 15 some odd years ago has undergone dramatic upgrades. The muddy fishing hole area I once mulled through in the quagmire was now pristine in appearances and the quality of the workmanship is outstanding. Once upon a time we could fish in the dam itself now we have to fish below the break wall. The once 2 foot muddied pathway that led away from the dam at the rivers edge is now 20 feet deep from the rivers edge back to the brush line and levied with fresh crushed gravel and the grade was now a good 8 feet above the river bank and a nice hand rail was set in place to keep you from falling over. The site now has a handicapped access ramp for those in wheel chairs. The ground is stable enough for a person in a wheel chair to fish comfortably and safely. And if anyone has not yet caught my drift, I am impressed. The D.N.R. certainly outdid them selves on this project.[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]The Lonehunter was already casting away in the dark when I strolled up with his lantern burning away lighting the night sky.[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]After discussing several ideas of what to use and where to work and present our offering to the salmon gods we commenced to fishing for several hours with little success. That is the Lonehunter was up on my by two rock bass to my fist full of zebra mussels and one good bite which could have been anything. He suggested we move on down river a bit to see if we could drum up some action there.[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Once we arrived at our new location we saw about 20 vehicles in the lot and were met with lots of wind. The upside was the wind was to our backs. We ventured over towards the harbor walls where we met a man with a 30+ inch Chinook hanging from his cart. He had just recently caught it shortly after midnight. With this encouraging sign we ventured swiftly down the harbor wall to try our luck there. We fished there till 4 in the morning till we were too cold to fish any longer and decided to worm up a bit in his trailer.[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"]Not hearing any hoots and hollers a short nap was in order. Dawn rose and apparently we missed 5 fish being caught, tho’ I didn’t see any one carrying off with any. [/font][/size]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]The day wormed up, the sun came out, the wind stayed steady at our backs, all in all a nice day. We fished for the better part of the day. The best we had to show for our efforts was a half dozen Gobies for which I threw to my dog to kill before placing them back to the water. We saw no perch all day. There were plenty of ducks and seagulls and one cormorant. I watched the cormorant while concentrating on the salmon. After watching it for several hours swimming and diving for bait fish I felt my conclusions about them being the culprit for the missing perch was strengthened and what was being stated by many sportsman’s and bucket biologists is profoundly overstated. A reason being is that if these birds were going after the perch then why were they not going after the Gobi? Gobi is similar in size to a small perch and live at the same depth of a perch. Yet there are more Gobi than I can shake a rod at.[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"]Bow season was calling the Lonehunter back to the woods, and rightly so…I enjoyed our fish together, and look forward to our next line wetting adventure. [/font][/size]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]This time around the salmon won but not with out the Lonehunter hooking in to a few. As a rule catching fish is a hit and miss situation, one day they are there and the next they are gone. And we agreed that catching fish was just a matter of being at the right place at the right time….[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I had heard the weather forecast the night to come and decided to stick around and tempt pneumonia in the cold rain and wind. I had remembered years past that when the rain begins the salmon will start making their runs and since we had not had any rain to speak of in the last 30 days. I figured that the salmon would start up an hour in to the rain. And sure enough I was right. Exactly one hour after midnight when the rain set in I heard the first screams of “FISH ON” echoing down the river. It wasn’t long before I too was hooked up. I had managed to tie in to three brutes, and all three ran straight in to the rocks and cut my line, one taking my brand new shiny glow in the dark $5 dollar spoon. Mad, not in the least…. I would had gladly paid $10 dollars for a fight like that, for you see the salmon not only to they put on a good tug-a-war they put on a mighty fine two step above the water in the process. [/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]After three hours in the rain with out a slicker and soaked from the inside out I decided to take a short siesta to worm up in the ride. Closing my eyes and opening them again the sun had already arisen the rain gone with the wind. The majority of the next day I spent pitching and casting again with no success. No were on the river or the lake was any one bring in a fish. [/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]After two days on the bank of that river I decided I needed a change of scenery but not the menu. Right there in town McDonalds has the best fish sandwiches of anywhere. So I headed back over to the Tippy. [/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Casting all night long and not getting a single hit I was beginning to doubt my methods of approach and presentation. After exhausting my arsenal I went to Andy’s tackle there in Brethrens where I commented on being fishless one of the pro’s there in the shop was more than eager to reassure me that I was doing every thing right and my presentation was right on the mark and all I had to do was get back out on the river and keep casting. And sure enough he was right. [/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]In the last couple hours of daylight I hooked in to one right after another, my voice echoed across the valley and down the river and I drew an audience of on lookers as I hooked in to more than a dozen monsters jumping and dancing on top the water only to free themselves before landing. I finely landed one, half hour in to the dark but was no ways even near as big as the ones I battled earlier. How big was the one I landed, it was 34 inches, that right a master angler sized fish! So just how big were the ones that got away? At least master angler size. It was like catching master angler fish in a barrel as they did the Docy-doe….[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]So if ya think you are just about to give up on the Tippy drop in to Andy’s Tackle where they will be more than happy to put you on to the fish. They will also fillet your fish for you for 2 gills or will steak them for 4. [/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Andy’s is also having a bigfish contest. The winner will win a new salmon rod. (valued at pretty good deal for having so much fun)[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"][/font][/size]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"]**** side note, this is not as big as AL's but still a master angler fish #6 for me this year. good thing I was making a resolution and not a prediction for 2004 and my catches....[sly][/font][/size]
[/left]
[signature]