I had one of the best charters in a long time last night, a really nice father who wanted both of his really nice kids to catch some fish. You never know when kids are involved. I’ve had some who were a pleasure to have on board, and some who made you want to pull your hair out after 20 minutes. The two I had the honor of guiding last night were certainly the former. It was a little crowded on board, so after the typical flattened ear stare down, Drake stayed home and watched TV. He likes the chicks on Fox News, so he didn’t have it too bad.

We set out for largemouth using plastic worms and circle hooks (again), and when I explained the conservation virtues of the circle hook to them they took to it immediately, having used them before. The father wanted me to focus on his kids catching fish, and so that’s what I did.

I pushed the boat along the drop off with short bursts of the trolling motor, in 20 feet of water, and had them cast toward shore, perpendicluar to the boat. This way, the cast landed in 5 or so feet of water, and with an in line swivel only as weight, was perfect when reeled slow, as it slid the worm slowly right down the face of the drop off. I explained our strategy to the kids, and I’ll be darned if they didn’t understand it immediately.

They got bites right away, and it wasn’t long before the first largemouth came to the boat. It was about 12-14″, but it didn’t matter, as the rod and line was matched for just that kind of fish. We were using the 9′ steelhead rods with 6# line. Not only did that fish fully bend the rod and take some drag, but contrary to popular belief, kids can cast longer rods much farther, set hooks better, and control fish better than the conventional “short rod for kids” mentality would have you believe. It just plain isn’t true, and I’ve proven it over 4 years of guiding kids - they fish better with longer, more flexible rods.

Each of them caught 5 or 6 bass that evening, with a couple of giant rock bass too. One bass the younger son had caught was in the 17″ range. I told him to hold his arm straight down, laid the tip of the bass’s tail at his fingertips, and the jaw tip was dang near his armpit! He put his other finger on that spot, and after releasing the fish, I looked up to see his finger still marking the spot near his armpit. “You don’t have to leave it there the rest of the trip”, his dad said. “We’ll remember”. We all had a great laugh over that one.

We moved to a sunken island where we usually anchor in the middle and cast in a 360 degree pattern as the bass constantly move through us feeding, and there is no need for us to keep moving. As we set up, I saw a small splash on the edge of the island in about 15 feet of water. Then another, and yet another. Change of plans.

The father brought his flyrod, and was so patient making sure his kids caught fish, that I was happy when I offered to rig up his rod, move over to the fish, and “give dad a shot” at some flyrod action, and he agreed. He caught a bunch of bluegills on the fly, and had a ball. I switched the spinning rods over to fly and bobber, and the kids caught several bluegills, too.

Darkening skies and lightning flashes in the northwest told us to use our better judgement and pack up, as it was time anyway. Another day on the water with some pretty special people.

I dropped off the folks, headed back out the skinny canal, and noticed the sky had gotten alot darker, and the lightning was flashing brighter. No sound yet, but rather than idle home watching the spectacle, I knew Drake wasn’t a happy guy, as he hates lightning.

As I got out into the lake, I stood the boat on its end, planed off and ran for home. Every time I drop off clients and head for home I feel I have alot to be thankful for.

It was a tough decision, and not a tough decision. After 50 years on Big Portage Lake in Washtenaw / Livingston county, I’ve decided to sell the lakefront home that has been in my family for over 70 years and leave the lake.

When I was a kid, I spent almost all of my waking hours on the water. My parents were kind enough to let me live a fantastically free, adventurous life on the water. Learning to sail when I was 7, able to navigate a wood row boat with a 3 horse evinrude motor at about 8, the “water world” was mine, all mine. A typical day found me gone from home at around 8 am, with a requirement to be back home by dark, which in mid summer was about 10pm. Most times I was gone that entire time. No cell phones, no checking in, if a problem came up like engine trouble, thunderstorms, finding something for lunch (or not), etc, etc, I was expected to just plain figure it out on my own…and I did. We were tough, skinny, wiry, smart little kids.

We swam, fished, snorkeled, caught turtles, pulled each other behind boats on my parents’ wooden front lawn table top “circle board”, and the days ran by so fast. I was never, ever bored. I was frustrated that the days weren’t longer, because I just couldn’t get enough of the outdoor stuff. I never thanked my parents enough for the wonderful, wonderful freedom, and for forcing us to figure stuff out on our own. It made us into adults who feel like there’s nothing we can’t do.

Our parents taught us respect and consideration of others. If we went to close with our motorboats to someone fishing, our parents would ground us from the boats, a fate close to death in mid July. We learned fast, I tell you, to give others a wide berth and not disturb their enjoyment of the lake. We saw to it that we didn’t bother others. Yes, even back then the lake was sort of busy, but everyone showed consideration to others, so even those busy weekends were manageable, safe, and fun for everyone, regardless of how you chose to use the lake.

The years went by. The lake became busier. But something else happened, too. People became pushy, selfish, and downright ignorant of boating laws, and in general lost their consideration for others on the water. I suppose it went with a general lack of respect and consideration in all of our society, but on the water it’s even more important, and more evident when folks just think of themselves.

So what am I talking about? What do I mean? It can’t be that bad…but it is. I’m talking about trying to fish and a boat coming by at full speed no more than 50 feet away. A joy riding boat, a wreckless and loud jet ski, or a 5 foot wave generating wakeboard boat, or zig-zagging tuber has the whole lake to run around on. Why come so close to people when they are fishing? Why bring their chaotic sport right over to someone trying to enjoy a peaceful sport? Either they don’t understand that the boat noise and giant waves are very disruptive to those that are fishing, or they know and don’t care, or worse, they know and want to disrupt others on purpose. You know, the “in your face” crowd. Yes, the latter does exist. On more than one occasion, I have held out both of my arms to the side in a “what are you doing” gesture to a boat speeding by very close, only to have instant finger signs as a response. They knew exactly what they were doing, and were just waiting for me to say something.

2 years ago a tuber circled around me as I was fishing. As I watched them go all the way around, I didn’t know the waves were compounding and heading right for me. I was caught standing up in 7 foot waves, lost my balance, fell, hit my shoulder and face on the deck and rolled overboard, losing a $200.00 fishing rod and almost my life. As I held on to the boat trying to regain my senses, I saw the boat going away. Those in the boat were laughing and had their fists held high in, I don’t know, some sort of victory sign.

This year I was watching a female loon on the lake for about 20 minutes when all of the sudden I couldn’t believe my eyes. A boat ran her over at full speed, on purpose, as they looked back to see if they “got her”. She of course dove and surfaced unharmed about 100 yards away, but I don’t think I surfaced unharmed. That hurt.

And the l-o-u-d stereos. Why sub-woofers that can be heard around the entire lake? Why try to sing (yell) over the top of them? Why drive your boat slowly, right past someone trying to enjoy the peace and make them hear it? As my Dad would say, “why force everyone else to hear your crap”?

I know what your’e thinking. “Who do you think you are?” Or, “too bad, get over it”…but I can’t. I’ve tried for several years now. I’m sorry, but it was a better world then. If you haven’t been taught (part of the nobody’s gonna tell me what to do crowd), or haven’t experienced the outdoors in a setting where folks are considerate of others, then there is no way anyone can convince you that consideration and respect is better. Conversely, if you have experienced consideration and respect, then you know exactly what I mean, and feel just as desperate about the state of our lake society as I do.

But the lake. I just can’t take it anymore. Most people will admit “it’s crazy, wreckless, and insane out there”, but no one has the guts to do anything about it. So I’m leaving. Forget the childhood memories of a better time. Got to move on to a lake where there is far less of everything above. Big Portage has become, as one of my friends said, a “party lake”, or a “people lake”, as opposed to a place where quiet enjoyment and all sports can co-exist.

So, I leave it to those who would continue to destroy it. They can tear it up. Choke it out with weeds from fertilizer. Tear up the shorelines with the 5 foot waves from the wake board boats that actually pump in ballast water to make bigger waves. Drive the small fishing boats out of Little Portage so they can have it all to themselves. Get in everybody’s face and don’t take any crap from anyone. Rock the fishing people and make them sit down as they go by. Screw the fishing people. I leave it to the destroyers who take over 1/2 of the lake at a time as they zig zag back and forth with thier tubers. They got rights after all. I leave it to those who would shatter any remnant of peace with the jet skis even as they cut in and out of swimming areas and just make the whole environment unnerving general chaos. They can continue to turn up the boat stereos so everyone has to hear them. Damn all others. All that matters is the “woo hoo and yee ha” crowds, and their fun, and nobody better go up against them.

Like a foriegn invasive species, they’ve moved in, arrogantly dominated, and pushed out those that were before them…and were better than them.