7-04-04 - We're hopeful for another fun outing...

I thought I was stuck in the weeds, until they started moving...

Not very big, but this largemouth ensured I wasn't skunked.

Fat's Musky Spinner gets nailed right at the boat...

It's a northern pike!

We try the pads....I miss two hits here!

7-04-04 - Independence day at Silver Lake

Waters Fished: Silver Lake
Fish Caught: 1 personally
Outing Date: 7-04-04
Weather: WINDY!
Air Temp: low 70's
Water Temp: didn't take it
Water Level: normal
Water Color: Murky in most spots, but clear in the lilypads.
Fish Species: Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Musky
Pattern Fished: Flying Bunny, Monster Clouser
Pattern Color: white and/or chartreuse were the hot colors
Fishing Quality: Slow

MP took a LONG nap between Saturday and Sunday...by the time Renee and I headed over to meet FAT it was probably 9:30 AM! Oh, and I slept for 4 hours on Saturday AND crashed at about 10:00 PM.

Silver Lake was our destination...Renee's 2nd fishin' trip, this time with the FATMAN and Duke. I MUST thank Rich for helpin' Renee out with an "easy to cast" Zebco (easy except when it tangled up).

We launched and cruised across the lake...far side would be our initial destination. The wind was strong, probably 20 MPH or more. I would be the only one dumb enough (hard core enough?) to insist on sticking it out with the fly rod. Turns out this would be the last trip I'd make with the 7wt. Justin built...

As soon as we got into position FAT cast out a muskie spinner and got a missed strike....the rest of the day we all chanted (in our hearts and minds...not out loud) "here musky musky musky".

So Rich has a drift sock...let me tell you the thing ROCKS. We'd get set up along the shore and pretty much the wind would just carry us along, the wind sock slowing our movement by dragging in the water. Boaters...I like this thing a lot...they DO WORK! Now all I need is a boat...

So we're casting along the shore, about 5-6 feet of water, maybe 2 foot visibility, and I get stuck in the weeds...or so I think. I tug, and the line tugs back...starts slicing through the water....FISH ON! The rod pumps a bit, and in short order I land a small Largemouth Bass (small largemouth?).

Shortly thereafter, for no reason at all I've turned to look at Rich as he's retrieving a spinner....right at the boat I see a northern take it and the fun begins. Not a keeper, but 2 folks are now off the skunk.

As we continued to drift, I hooked into another fish down in the weeds. Saw that it was BIG...a big black eye, never broke the surface though, and with one twitch the fish was off. I am STILL disheartened about this over a week later.

Eventually we made the move to the shore close by the access...got briefly grounded in a foot of water (gravel bar we knew was there but thought we were out far enough). Round the bend and down in the lily pads....across the channel from the boat launch and deep in the pads.

I switched up to a popper in frog colors and managed 2 missed hits. I think big enough that they weren't panfish, but they COULD have been carp, as that's all I saw tooling around.

Eventually dinner called, it was time to pack up, but at least the fly had paid off (BTW, Spin, recognize that fly? Somehow it made it into my box back in the U.P....at least I got a fish on it this time!)

So we had a great Prime Rib dinner, mashed potatoes and pork gravy (a perennial MP favorite) and spent a pleasant evening on the Lake Como dock watching the 4th of July fireworks. Enjoy the pics below!

  MP