Hunt Ducks Hook Fish
Fishing
Just a Typical Weekend
Largemouths on plastics. Perch on beetle spins. Fish for lunch and ducks for dinner. Brake jobs at dusk and a chicken coop first thing in the morning. What a weekend. It was hot. Like sweating in a cold shower hot. I needed some air conditioning. Reeves needed a hand with a few projects so I … Continue reading
You Never Forget Your First
I’ve always tagged along with my big brother Pete in the outdoors. As kids, we caught frogs during humid summer nights. We rode our bikes to ponds where we spent hours fishing for bass and bluegill. As an adult, we’ve seen the wicked snow squalls of big water diver duck hunting. And the early December … Continue reading
The 100th Post
Everything was thick as molasses. The woods. The water. The air. Each breath like sucking a quilt into my lungs. The pathetic breeze couldn’t even move the cottonwood seeds floating on the lake. I was swallowed-up in a late-August afternoon. But it was only early June. Sweat dripped into my eyes. I pulled the flick-n-shimy … Continue reading
Slow-n-Low
Dead calm still. Oak leaves rested motionless. Pines, lacking their signature sway, stood like toothpicks in fully baked cornbread. I fumbled through the dark for a coffee can and filter. It was almost light enough to see the lake. Local on the 8’s predicted perfection. 70 degrees. A slight breeze. Coffee’s done. Shoes on. Carrying … Continue reading
Seven Pound Bass: The Sequel
It felt like a big Northern Pike. A subtle bite with nothing but a small boil on the surface. Then deadweight on the line. No drag-screaming runs. Just steady pressure like reeling in a log. Only an occasional thumping head-shake. Then nothing. Back to being a log. With an attitude. When she was close enough … Continue reading
Installing New Boat Seats
My brother backed through the doorway. He tried to hide the big white boxes but I knew right away what he was carrying. Two big, beautiful, camo, high-back boat seats from Bass Pro Shops. An awesome birthday present. Now I just had to figure out what to do with them. My Lowe 1648 “Big Jon” … Continue reading
Back to Basics
A bucket of bait. Two split shots. A hook. A bobber. It’s 1985. I lay awake in bed waiting for the sun to rise. The anticipation is killing me. I sneak out of my room and into the darkness. I’ll be the first of my friends to the dock today. My gear is tried and … Continue reading
The Derby
It’s Sunday morning. Just before dawn. I can still taste the blackberry brandy. The sweetness is gone. Replaced by a hangover. A few deep breaths of icy air settles my stomach for a few minutes. Branden ran back to the house to get the spud. I stand alone on the ice enjoying the silence. Listening … Continue reading
A Saturday in February
I stepped out of the shanty. The sun stung my eyes like walking out of a bar in the middle of the day. Uncle Pete was back at the house. He hadn’t been gone for longer than ten minutes. I squinted in the direction of my tip-ups. Flags down. My ears rang in the silence … Continue reading
Last Chance
Football is back. The Detroit Tigers are talking about a playoff run. Even the Lions have a winning record. OK so they’re 1-0. That’s good enough for me. Summer is almost done. My brain is sizzling just thinking about duck blinds, ammo, new waders, gear for Zeus, decoys or Fantasy Football. Bad news for fowl. … Continue reading
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Hunt Ducks Hook Fish 