Fishon

Fish On!!

I guess the appreciation for fishing started early. I don't recall catching the fish in the photo at left, but I'm told it was the first fish I ever caught. From then on, I grew up catching bass, perch & bluegill on the lakes up north, rainbow trout (my favorite) from the trout ponds & catfish on the lakes in Texas (picture at far right). Most of the fishing I remember was with my grandpa, and I know he would be proud of me today!

But, the fishing I knew of before was blown away with what I've learned now. It's a whole new level of fishing that I've been lucky enough to experience, with every experience an incredible one. My first trip was on the Betsie River, where I caught my first Chinook Salmon using yarn flies. It was an absolutely amazing experience to be right in the river with the fish. Also, notice I caught the bigger fish, as it became a pattern with my friend and 'guide', Dan Ervay.

The second trip was for fishing on the Crystal River, where it was salmon again that were our target! This time, Dan got the credit for the bigger catch. But, notice...no evidence!

The next trip was again for salmon, but on the Pere Marquette River this time. I have to say, this was the best trip for me. I caught a huge Chinook Salmon and it took me about 40 minutes to land the beast. But, for every exhausting minute, there was one behind it that was equally exhilarating! My heart still pounds thinking about fighting that fish up and down the river! Needless to say, I got the biggest fish! Trips to follow included the Little Manistee, and even one trip that was cut short by getting shot at (by accident, but way to close for comfort). See what I mean? Nonstop excitement on the river!

I'd say the next one that was a big event for me was the first time we went Steelhead fishing, which we did on the Sturgeon River. That was a blast and a totally different experience from the salmon fishing I was used to. It was a much faster moving river then I was used to and was a challenge. I loved every minute of it! But, notice that my fish (bottom one in the picture at right) is bigger again!

Then, there were trout! That meant a trip fishing on the Tobacco River, where I caught my first Brook Trout and Brown Trout (3 of those, in fact). Again, let me point out that the big one of the bunch is mine. Yup, 15.5" of yummy trout! And, yeah, I'm bragging! This was totally unique from the fishing for salmon or steelhead, and was another excellent day! I have to say for those of you that have not experienced fishing on the river, you must! The thrill of being right in the middle of it, in the fish's element is just incredible. Even if you don't catch a fish, the feeling of being out there with nature is worth every cast.

For me, the next catch was an unexpected one...Carp on the Pine River! Yes, you heard me...carp!! And, of all things, we caught them with corn on a trout rod. Hey, don't knock it until you try it. I thought Dan was nuts, but turns out they are a lot of fun to catch and put up quite a fight. So, you can't eat them, but that's okay. They are a suprisingly beautiful fish, and I loved being able to gently release them back into the river. I had a blast!

But, the thrill of the fight made me want to try something new again...this time it was charter fishing on Lake Michigan! Now, that trip was absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to anyone, no matter what their level of fishing experience. I think having the right captain made all the difference on this trip, so if you decide to give it a try, you must go with Captain Ed on his gorgeous Baja Cruiser, the Edventure! The group I went with caught a total of 7 fish, the biggest weighing almost 14 pounds. Wow is all I can say! It was a trip to remember, for sure, and definately something I will be doing again soon!

My next hand was back to part of where it all started...Bluegill fishing on Sanford Lake. That is so much fun too. The bobber would barely hit the water and a fish was taking off with the bait. It was quite removed from the battle of the big fish, but is relaxing and fun (until you have to clean them) and they taste incredible!

The next date I have to mention was a gorgeous early November day on the PM! Believe it or not, by 1:30, we had our limit!. The catch was all chrome steelhead except for a single lake run Brown cought by yours truly. We used bobbers as strike indicators on this trip and it was thrilling to see the bobber slam down when one of the big fish hit the bait! I'll definately be trying it this way again! It was fabulous and you just can't beat a day like we had..but I'll keep trying!

It was another trip to Manistee to get on Lake Michigan with Captain Ed's charter! It was an incredible trip. It was a much shorter trip this time because 6 foot waves and lightning storms drove us in early, but I caught the big one and am now even more fueled to try and hit the big lake one more time before the season is over! Awesome time as expected!!

Check back often for new trips and stories, as I expect to continue fishing for quite some time! To view some more pictures of my fishing adventures, click here to go to the next page! I hope you enjoy seeing the big, beautiful fish as much as I enjoyed catching them. If you are ready to return to Cove Rattery's home page, click the return button fish to the right! Enjoy!