5-21-05 - a cloudy, rainy day on Minnetonka.

I had some competition on the water....

Talk about crowding in your fellow angler...come on man...you have all that great water that I can't get to...move on!

5-21-05 - Last Minnetonka

Waters Fished: Lake Minnetonka
Fish Caught: 0/1
Outing Date: 5-21-05
Weather: Mostly Cloudy
Air Temp: upper 70's for the highs
Water Temp: N/A
Water Level: N/A
Water Color: Brown, visibility approx 2-3 feet.
Fish Species: Unknown
Pattern Fished: Flying Bunny
Pattern Color: red/white, black/olive, tan/white
Fishing Quality: tough

Minnetonka! Renee's folks are MOVING to Sugar Lake (yee ha) so we had to make one last trip up to say goodbye (and put in a solid effort at Minnetonka's fish!). We arrived late Friday evening - overnight it did nothing but pour. I wanted to wake up early and DID, but I didn't find myself in the mood to put up with the morning rain.

Around 10:00 AM I finally hit the water and fished hard! In addition to Renee's pier, I spent a good portion of my time off the public pier which happens to be at the end of the driveway.

Most of the fishing was uneventful; sure the coffee table sized snapping turtle was exciting, but the fishing just wasn't living up to what I hoped for. Towards afternoon, I found myself back on the front pier, working the cattails and weed patches, hoping for some action. Renee gave it a fair shake too, but until now the fish just weren't cooperating!

It all changed in an instant...a slow retrieve was simply hammered. Whatever was at the end of my line BOLTED to my left, underneath the pier! I jumped up on the bench, holding my rod horizontal. The tip throbbed in a 90 degree bend as whatever was at my line tried to get away. All too soon, my line shot out from underneath the dock, up into the air and across to my right. DAMN!

And so it was, the afternoon's fishing ended with one haunting loss. Not that I'm the slightest bit disappointed...it's a fight I'll remember, and a fitting goodbye to the Kullberg's Minnetonka pier. Sugar Lake is in our future :)

  MP