Testing out the boat and lsc.

My brother and I decided since the both of us have Good Friday off, might try for some fish. But as we watched the weather, it started calling for rain and we scrambled for a different day to try.
Thursday after work looked about right. Maybe some rain, but only a bit in the evening, how bad can it be?
Thursday rolls around and my brother gets home first and grabs rods, tackle and ponchos just in case and heads over to our parents to get the boat ready after being stored for winter. I race there after work too and find out a family friend is joining us on our little excursion, he was worried about the rain so I said he could use my plastic poncho. My coat will be just fine.

We begin remove tarps and protective sheets and get our stuff in the boat. No pin for the swing out hitch! Test out the motor to get her running and find out that she won't start!
After testers, cables and jumping the boat we came to the conclusion that the battery is dead.
Dang!
Make the call and run up to the closest store for a new starter and a new pin for the trailer. 70 bucks later we are back and the motor starts right up. Success!

Race to the launch and the wind is sending surges of 1 to 2 foot waves at us. Our decision was to fish canals, so the waves didn't worry us. Put everything in, took all of the straps off, even remembered the plug! Boat is in the water, we are getting ready to prime the motor and realise we left the life jackets. Safety first, especially on a blustery day. So we decided my brother will drive the short distance to get those preservers of life, in the event we get tossed out of the boat.

He returns and we start the boat up and motor out on the lake, floatation devices firmly strapped to ourselves.
For at canal is easy going. So we start fishing. Casting to docks, pilings, branches, anything that could hold crappie. Not a nibble. We move around, surely there's got to be a hungry fish somewhere to pull my cork under?
Again,
Not
Even
a
nibble.

Then it began to rain..

Nothing hard, but enough to make us a little soggy. We look at each other and ask where the ponchos are. I didn't grab them, my brother didn't grab them and our friend didn't either. They were sitting, nice, and dry in the truck back at the launch.
After an hour and a half, slowly being soaked, we called it and went back to the truck and home to a nice cold beer.
There's always another, Drier, day to try for crappie.

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I've had days like that. At least you got out. I'm planning on going somewhere Sunday.

That about sums up at least one trip for me every year. Nothing seems to go your way. You forget everything only to forget something else. Mine usually results in a lot more breakage though. Just role with it and say "that's fishing".

Absolutely. We were more in a rush to beat the rain than anything else.
That's just the way things go.

I'm looking to go fishing tomorrow. Probably someplace from shore. Gotta love school days off.

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I don't remember anything about school. And I have a PHD (Public Highschool Diploma)!

you need a bigger boat!!!
that way you have more room to store life jackets ,a change of clothes, spare trailer bearings, LOTS more tackle and rods , etc.
make sure to get one with a built in cooler for lunch and beverages :)
get one of those plug in automatic chargers too!!!!
:) :biggrin

Now that sounds like a proper lsc boat, John.

I got one of those already Rich. Going for that fancy college diploma.

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After the Boat sitting up all winter -- you are now ready Fishing Half a Year before everything Freezes over again

On a good year we get 8 months.

You are hearty souls, that can go 4 months with out being on the water!
Nice post Michigan Man, sometimes you just have to quit fighting the day, and roll with it.


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Who says we go 4 months without being on the water Redge?
We just have to put the boats up for awhile (give them a nap so to speak). Then we break out the ice gear and get back on the water. After you have been frozen enough in your life your either too stupid to realize that your hands are cold, or you simply don't have feeling in them anymore. Heck, unless it is 10 degrees out, I don't even wear a coat while ice fishing.

And I take a few trips south to scratch the itch.

It was a wild ride Redge. We all had our life vests on, safety first of course!

We wait for the water to freeze and proceed to sneak over top of the fish. Haha.

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