“There’s something going on with that planer board on the port side,” my sea sick, Aerospace Researcher, chumming the fish, dad of two 20-some-year-old boys shouts. His son, Electrical Engineer, Mike, also looking a little green around the gills… I mean pale in the face, grabs the rod and starts to crank viciously on the reel, pointing the rod straight at the fish. “Slow down, and hold your rod tip up, so the fish has something to pull against and don’t give him any slack,” I tell him, exercising my patience. “Don’t tighten your drag, just let him pull line if he’s fighting,” I continue. After a few minutes, we land the fish, with me on the net, as I always choose to net the first fish. Younger brother, Charles, a Chemical Engineering student at MTU, just looked on, then lost his breakfast over the side.
I think this party neglected to heed my advice about motion sickness and Mother Nature gave us one of those “bumpy” days.
The catch was a 4.5 lb King Salmon… a nice fish to “get the skunk out” since we had been trolling for about 40 minutes so far. The next hour was unproductive, and when I suggested we pull the lines and go out deeper – where I was sure we’d get our share of fish – I could feel mutiny in their white-faced stares, as the business owner dad says, “No, I think we’re done, my boys aren’t feeling well.”
I then suggested we get my Harborcraft for a little fishing in Lac la Belle for some small mouth bass, pike or whatever else we can pull up. He consented, and soon we pulled our lines to head in. That’s what’s nice about our port – we have options in multiple waters. I can even trailer my 19 footer to the other side of the Keweenaw Peninsula to fish out of Copper Harbor or Eagle Harbor.
Today was too windy on the lake. Tomorrow I have another scheduled off day, then 4 more charters in a row for the Labor Day weekend. I hope Mother Nature and the good luck charm is on our side.
Brian Helminen
