Just a few short days after arriving from Belize I was greeted in Port Austin Michigan with 42 degrees, overcast rainy skies and my trusted old friend of 20 knot winds. Catch and release season for Smallmouth open just one week ago and in hopes of getting in some fishing before the gear anglers get going for the catch and keep season we made the long trek up to the tip of thumb. The strong cold front that made Trap Pond interesting for you guys put the fish down and my foul mood up instantly. I refused to suffer in silence as I talked my fishing partners ear off about how people have to be mad to live in Michigan when its 40 degrees almost well into Summer. I complained about the warm hat I left behind the lovely waterproof gloves that are safe and sound in my basement and the fact I was on a flats boat in 90 degrees not 7 days ago having way more fun. Not surprisingly he had very little sympathy for me, having been born and raised in Germany I was surprised he wasn’t wet wading in shorts. I am pretty sure I have a self induced eye injury from the massive amount of eye rolling I did every time one of the 40 Michigan fly club members that had been fishing all week in the area said the phrase “You should have been here yesterday, I caught 18, or 22 (one even said over 30)”
We began fishing Friday evening and fished most of the day Saturday. Although people came and went we stuck it out and manage a decent amount of fish for the conditions.We landed around 10 Smallmouth during the two days of fishing. I am extremely happy with the outcome since we must have seen 100 people wade out give it a try and head home skunked. I only saw two other fish landed during our weekend. Of course it is not always about the catch but the adventure of the trip itself……that’s what people say when you don’t catch fish.
