Last week my daughter and I completed our third annual may fishing trip with Captain Hans the Carver. Lissa is 40 + years old (is it okay to say that?) and takes vacation if necessary to do this trip. In our previous two years we have had great fishing and unpleasant weather, so this year we moved it to the end of May rather than the beginning, hoping for better weather. We had better weather, good fishing, and good times.

Weather Challenges

We try to get a day of prime bass fishing and a day of perch. Linda, my wife, loves perch so we try to get her a batch of those lovely snow-white fillets each spring. Sometimes however, we have been close to getting snow also. Well, not quite. But each of the first two years we have battled colder temperatures than Lissa would like, rain, and wind. Each year I watched her freeze while claiming to be fine. But she really does not have clothes for these conditions. Nor should she, since she only needs them two days a year. So, this year I ordered her a set of light weight rain gear, so she would be protected from the wind and rain. It is a very pleasant blue, so she would not object to wearing it. And this year we did not need them! They never came out of the package.

We had temperatures near 80, a mild and pleasant breeze, and a brilliant blue sky on both days. Perfect days to be in a boat. Not so perfect for fishing.

This past winter there was no ice on Lake Erie and warmer than usual temperatures had everything happening two weeks earlier than they do in most years. We had planned on hitting the end of the perch bite, but Hans had already told me that the perch bite was over a week before we were there. The lake was already in the low to mid 60’s and the breeze was so slight that we could not drift fast enough to effectively present our bait. But as usual, we left it to Hans to put us on the best available bite.

Day 1: Hunting Big Smallies

The day before we were to fish Hans told me that we should “go to the sand flats” and hunt big bass. I know that Hans has boated at least 3 smallmouths over 7 pounds this year. I had visions of a 7, maybe even his first 8 pound fish dancing on the end of my line. Now, I know that I repeatedly say that you do not have to catch the most or the biggest to be a good angler, but who doesn’t want to have their personal best surpassed?

We were field testing the Bad Ted bass rod, designed by Hans and yours truly. It is an outstanding rod for walking jigs across the rocks of the harbor and the lake. But this was a different technique. We were dragging shiners about 80 to 100 feet behind the boat, due to the crystal clear water and the need to run the electric motor to simulate a drift. The bottom was mostly featureless sand, occasionally rippled sand, and gravel in spots. Still, the rod conveyed that information to us. Even with that much line out, we could feel the bass nibbling on our minnows and clearly knew when it finally grabbed the bait.

It took us awhile to find the smallies. Then it took a while longer to figure out that we had to have a lot of line out in order to get bit. The bite was slow but steady enough to keep our interest. We kept grinding away and by the end of the day we had 15 football shaped smallies, all between 4.5 and 6 pounds. They put on incredible fights, coming from 25 to 30 feet of water and 100 feet out.

The Bad Ted Grinder

The Bad Ted bass rod was dubbed the Grinder by Han’s friend and well-known Buffalo fisherman Josh Ketry. On this day it did just grind away, showing extreme sensitivity and an amazing capacity to battle big smallmouth. Our field testing had now demonstrated that the grinder was flexible enough to excel at different presentations. The Grinder has proven to be lightweight, comfortable, powerful, and extremely sensitive.

Day 2: a Perch Surprise

Our weather on our second day was just as beautiful as the first. We arrived at the boat expecting to head back out to the sand flats. But Captain Hans had heard that there was a chance that the perch were gathered a little farther out than usual. He brought bait for bass or perch and gave us the choice. We knew the bass were a pretty good bet. Hans had cautioned us that the perch may not be there and that we may have to give it up and head back to the sand at some point. We decided to give the perch a shot, hoping to get Linda a pile of fillets.

It took about an hour to find the perch. They were smaller than the perch we normally catch, but still bigger than perch caught almost anywhere else. The bite was varied. We would catch 2 or 4, then slide a little and catch 8, slide a little more and catch 4, slide a little and catch 10. It went on like that all day, and in the end we had almost 7 pounds of fillets for Linda.

Our Thing

At some point during the day, I told Lissa that I was glad that we went perching, partly because I knew that she really did not want to hunt big bass again. She said that was not really true. “I don’t really care what we fish for” she said. She went on. “I like fishing, but I am not the dedicated fisherman that you are. I love being in the boat, and I enjoy Hans’ company and conversation. But this is just our thing and that is why I come.”

And that is why Bad Ted supports fishing for fun with friends and family.

Conclusions

We had another great trip to Buffalo. Once again, Hans found fish. Nobody else was even in sight when we were fishing for perch. After all, the perch bite was over.

Another Great Trip

The best part of this trip was simply the time that Lissa and I shared. It really is the only time in the year when we get each other’s full attention. We are blessed to almost constantly be surrounded by family, so this time is precious. It does this Dad’s heart good to have his adult daughter want to spend time alone with him. This annual fishing trip has truly become “our thing”, our special thing.

Please share any special fishing moments that you have had with friends or family. And as always, Have fun. Go fishing.