Outing from a Past Season

The reality of the current weather prompted me to look at old photos on my hard drive. Just to let you know, this was the view from the front window last week after we received eight plus inches of snow.

Although I know we are all ready for a change, I won't deny it's beauty.

July 2012

Up North for the weekend with my dad and brother Alex. I took my kayak, Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5. My brother and dad paddled the 15 foot Old Town canoe. We have a small cottage in the Higgins Lake area. Since we do not keep a boat on the lake anymore, we car top the canoe and kayak for day trips on smaller waters. On this Thursday we decided to stay close to home and launched at Marl Lake, at the state park boat ramp. This is a really nice, shallow, quiet lake. It is undeveloped along the shoreline. They say there is good fishing on the lake, but I honestly do not think any of us have ever caught a fish on this body of water. I don't know who "they" are, but they must be compulsive liars. The whole lake is maybe two feet deep, with a very mucky bottom. Don't fall in. There may be only 18 inches of water, but you will sink up to your shoulders. 

We paddle towards the Cut River. Although we have done this dozens of times, we never fail to have a difficult time locating the river's entry point to the lake. It is a little inland river delta, a tiny mess of small islands.

It is a typical hot, muggy summer day, with a chance of showers and/or thunderstorms. Early on in our paddle, a shower manages to find us.

Dad covering up in rain gear, and me following their lead.

Once we reach the river, we decide to paddle upstream. After much uneventful time fishing, we stop to have sandwiches for lunch. I decide to continue paddling upstream. I reach the the road crossing. I've been here before, but have never been brave enough to attempt the upstream paddle under this road crossing. And it's not claustrophobia. It is arachnophobia.

Seriously, would you go in there?

I stay put in the area for a while making casts on my old, short Shakespeare fiberglass WonderRod. I thought I saw a bass, but even if I did, I spooked it with a overzealous, sloppy cast. What did happen next surprised me. 

I was using a pretty small Mepps Spinner, almost out of commission. I clipped two of the hooks off it, as I hate treble hooks; they are nothing but trouble. Appropriate name, right? As I am slowly retrieving this tiny spinner back to the kayak, a dark shadow rises up towards me and gently grabs the lure. It could not have been more than six feet from me. This very nice sized pike takes the spinner like a labrador gently stealing a cookie from his toddler companion. It seemed like I was giving it a treat. 

It didn't seem angry until it realized it was hooked. That was things got interesting. Keep in mind, I am in a river not more than thirty feet wide, and I am naturally a clumsy person. I don't recall absolutely, but I had to have been anchored. If I was not, there is no way this was going to end well.

After a relatively short battle, with plenty of water getting splashed on me... 

It's not easy snapping pictures while battling a "good-sized" pike on 6lb test line.

This happened a few times...

This guy (or gal) finally relaxed for a minute for this pic

This was the only memorable fish to "hand" this day. With larger fish (large to me, anyway), I do not bring them in the boat. It's easier on them and it is easier on me. I'm less likely to hook myself and make a mess, and less likely to hurt the fish. I am almost an exclusively catch and release fisherman. There were likely some rock bass in this story, but I don't have pictures of them. And in the fishing world, if you don't have a picture, ______. You fill in the blank. 

Right Alex? What 8 and a half foot tarpon? Really???!!!

I was alone while all this was occurring. Dad and Al didn't paddle upstream as far as I did. I head back downstream after this fish. I didn't know where they were. Back in the lake? Did they go downstream after the river meets the lake?

As I paddle downstream, I thought I heard thunder. A minute of two later, I know I hear thunder. At this time I didn't know where the storm was located and what direction it was heading. I paddled hard to get back to the delta area in the lake. 

At this point the sky is getting dark to the west and I realize I am going to get wet, again. This time the situation is a little different, being it's accompanied by lightning and possibly strong winds.

I realize I am not going to be able to get back to the boat launch before this thunderstorm arrives. I am nervous. I calm myself and try to think logically. If I am going to be stuck out here in a storm, where should I hunker down? I do not want to be paddling across the lake, even though it is a small lake. I know I should not be in the open, especially with fishing rods in the boat. I didn't think taking shelter on the shoreline was a smart move either, as it is full of tall, mature trees.

This does not look encouraging...

Pop quiz: stay in boat or leave boat? 

I'll get back in and lay low.

I decided to ride it out here.

This doesn't look too bad. It didn't until I saw cloud to ground lightning. I didn't manage to catch that with the point and shoot camera, though.

Here comes the wind with a little rain...

And more wind...

I got cold. I was absolutely drenched and the wind on wet skin didn't feel great. I was shivering, too, probably a little bit beyond the temperature comfort factor, if you catch me.

I don't think it lasted more than ten or fifteen minutes.

Once it pasted, I decided to paddle back to our vehicles. I still didn't know where my dad and brother were located. As I made my way back to launch spot, they spotted me. Turns out, they made it back to the car before it hit. I think my dad was more scared for me than I was. He was actually panicking. He was convinced I was hit by lightning. In his defense, I sometimes expect the worse in situations and there were three lightning strikes very close to us.

I love the calm of the lake after this storm.

Here we are heading in for the day...

This is perhaps my favorite picture that I have taken. I love that steam rising from the lake.

Another shot showing the beauty of the lake. I don't like the metering of this image though (I think that's the correct term). It looks too gray. I don't think it was that gray in person. 

This was a great day on the water, as far as I am concerned. I caught a fish, simple victory in my book, got to paddle the kayak, spent time with dad and brother. I experienced some excitement. All good stuff. 

The following day we paddled around Higgins Lake. No fish to hand. We had the same kind of weather, though. We managed to avoid the rain and lightning, though. It was sunnier than the pictures convey. 

Notice the short spinning rod up front, but I still always take the long rod along for a ride. I've caught a total of 2 fish on Higgins Lake with a fly rod. Both rock bass.

If any of you readers have any advice for fishing Higgins Lake, PLEASE SHARE! We've been going up here since 1984. Fishing used to be predictably GOOD. Now, we can predict a few rock bass. That's about it.

And now, back to the reality of March 2014...

Two more days until spring.