Reeling in your passion

     We all have a daily routine that includes different things.  Many of us have to get up WAY too early to go to work, or get the kids off to school and/or tend to the house.  These sorts of things MUST be done, always good to keep our priorities in line as hard as it may be for some of us.  What keeps us going is how we choose to spend our discretionary time, after the daily grind or weekly obligations are met.  I, personally, have a VERY addictive personality.  When I find something I like, LOOK OUT !!!  I'm so glad I have never smoked or dabbled with any type of drugs, I would have never made it to my 30th birthday !  I think everyone goes through phases as we evolve.  Growing up, my time-fillers went from catching flies (both bugs and baseballs),collecting baseball cards, to hockey on the backyard pond, and eventually to bowling.  I have bowled from the age of 6 or 7, my dad was a good bowler, so I was exposed to the sport early and often.  I guess if you do ANYTHING long enough, you will more than likely become somewhat proficient at it.  I bowled in the best local leagues against the best local bowlers and held my own for years, but something was missing for me. (Besides the fact that the younger bowlers were starting to embarrass me).  Bowling became a sport, with the proliferation of technology on the equipment and conditions, in which near perfection was more the norm as opposed to the exception. Many nights, after shooting 730 and being lapped by the field, I became disenchanted with the sport. I do miss the guys, but not the smoke-filled (at the time) buildings and aches and pains.
     I can't even remember how it came up, but a friend through bowling, Ken Chappell, mentioned that he used to fish and we went out to my sister Joni's lake one morning.  I used to live on a lake in a previous life....but enjoyed skiing and tubing more than fishing.  This was about 8?? years ago.  We had a great time on the water, and soon it became apparent that this was going to be my new time filler.  My friends and family have varied passions from reading, playing Scrabble, playing guitar and singing, hunting,..you name it.  What ever floats your boat!  We (Ken and I) have gone from borrowing Joni's row boat, to getting a 12' aluminum boat, to getting a very used 19' 1990 Ranger bass boat with a 150 hp Merc.  We went from going a few times a summer, to a few times a week !  Either I have the most understanding wife in the world (love you Alice), or she really just doesn't want me around?? I'm going to go with the former until I hear otherwise.
     OK, why fishing?  Do I eat what I catch, no.  Catch and release all the time. I think a number of factors come into play.  I love being outdoors...until the sun goes down, then I need a warm bed, electricity, shower, cable, computer access...you get the picture. I don't think there is a better place to be on a nice summer morning than watching the sun rise out of the east, or set into the west in the evening, than from the deck of a boat. If we are not in a tournament, catching fish almost becomes insignificant if the weather is nice.  However, this is Michigan, and more often than not, wind, rain, and even snow have tried to dampen our spirits. This is when the premium on actually catching fish rises. I would like to think that after 8 years or so, that we are getting better at this bass fishing thing, but boy, do we have a lot to learn.  We are matching wits (save the editorial) with guys who have been doing this much longer than we have in these tournaments, and it shows.  To me, this is what intrigues me the most about bass fishing.  You will NEVER know all there is to know...until you can net a 3 pounder on every cast, there will always be room to improve. Kenny and I bring different approaches and skills to the dance.  This is why I think in time, we will be a force in these silly tournaments.  I love to read magazines, watch videos, and experiment with techniques that we are neither familiar with or comfortable in using.  Ken, on the other hand, relies more on his knowledge from fishing as a kid, and his physical skills.  He just seems to have a better sense of making a lure or worm move in a manner that is more enticing to the bass than I do (I hate him at times for this).
     The best (or the worst) thing about bass fishing is how the slightest change in a variable can and will change what the bass will do.  I used to love making puzzles as a kid with my Grandpa when he would visit from Florida.  I would drag him downstairs to a card table in the basement before he could even set his suitcase down!  I find fishing to be a race to see who can put the puzzle together the fastest. It fuels my competitive nature, even if I am out on a lake by myself.  It's me vs. the bass.  Hardly an even match as far as IQ's go, but that's why I watch videos and read magazines, to even the playing field !  From the outside looking in, this isn't rocket science, ya throw something in the water and hope. Ken always says that I over-think the situation (Ken is the only person on the planet who has ever accused me of such a thing).  In my defense, to me, the putting together the puzzle aspect of fishing is ALMOST as fun as the the catch itself. OK, is it pre-spawn, spawn, or post spawn?  Are they in shallow or suspending in deeper water?  Are they clinging to cover (weeds or docks) or out roaming the flats in search of a good meal?  Do they want something that moves slow or fast?  What color are they reacting to?  Do they want a smaller worm or lure, or a bigger meal?  What is the sun doing to their mood?  What about the wind? Do they want something that moves slow and steady or loud and rattles? Will they hit a surface lure or not?  This stuff is PURE GOLD to me, and utter non-sense to the rest of the free world. And once you figure out what they want and you start catching a few, one or more of the variables (sun, wind, water temp, time of day) changes and you are back to square one. Wow, I can feel my heart racing....HEY !!!!!!!!!!!!  Wake up, I'm trying to explain this!!!!.
     Oh well, I understand that bass fishing isn't for everyone, but it keeps me out of trouble for the most part.  I have a lot to learn, and that's the part I find most endearing...and frustrating. It makes the winter months almost intolerable for me, but the summer so great !  Fishing has brought Ken and I together from being bowling buds to best friends, and I thank fishing for that (I think??). I enjoy taking other people out, but just don't expect me to be a great tour-guide, I guarantee nothing....if Ken is involved, it ALWAYS means a few belly-laughs along the way!  Our ineptitude is half our charm (runaway boats, catching seagulls, falling in, etc.) I only hope that everyone has something to get their minds off of every day problems and work....bass fishing does this for me.

From my front porch looking in

    
" Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity " - Seneca

     I have never met Seneca, and I'm sure he's a wonderful man with brilliant views on life.  I do appreciate the theory behind his quote, I really do.  I am all for preparation and hard work.  In most cases, this will lead you to better things, reaching goals, and attaining a higher standard of life.  I try to live my life the right way, I do have a good work ethic, I respect authority, and I try to follow that whole.."do unto others.." adage, my parents would have it no other way!!  My parents are the best!!  They have done their best to lead my sisters and I down the right paths, doing their best to shelter us from all the pit-falls and obstacles that life can throw at you. Sometimes, you can lead a horse to water,...well,.. you know the rest!  I sure am thirsty!
     Somewhere along the way, I have contracted a rogue gene, one that likes to play, one that simply cannot get out of it's own way at times. This gene causes one to make some very strange decisions.  I know I didn't get this gene from my dad.  I have never met a man that looks at a decision in a more thorough way, weighing all the pro's and con's, and letting that dictate the direction to go.  Seems simple enough.  I wonder where I was when he was trying to get that message across.  My mother was the picture of organization, everything has its place.  Although I don't keep things in a manner that would appease her keen sense of organization and neatness, I have managed to absorb many of her traits in this area. My wife Alice is quick to say, "ok, Marilyn !" when I let my anal tendencies to organize or clean something get the best of me! (Love and miss you so much MOM !!)
     Life is full of decisions, although I have botched my share, sometimes you make just enough bad decisions to end up in a wonderful place. Had I made the "right" move here, the "more mature" move there, I may be working in a tailored suit, for a large corporation, working late and taking all the problems home that come along with added responsibility.  One thing I can state as fact, I would not have the wife I have or the daughter I have had I made the "right" decisions!  See, there is a method to my madness, it's all part of the master plan!!  What exactly are the odds of hitting the lotto? Then I ask myself what the odds are of hitting it TWICE ?  I have defied the odds and hit the lotto once, no, not THAT lotto.  Sometimes luck just finds you even if you have done your best to hide behind the curtains.  Standing in my home and looking at the company I keep,....Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner !!!
 

Stay in your lane Wags !!

     It's the middle of winter, a time when I'm unable to get out on the water, waste away hours at a time, trying to out-smart a fish.  This leaves me with a void to fill.  Ice fishing is NOT an option, the choice of sitting on a 5-gallon bucket in below freezing temps or the couch is a decision even the simplest of men could make.  So the quest for a time-filler began.  Facebook has helped, I have re-acquainted with many friends and made a few new ones, but I feel like the time spent waiting for someone else to post something fun and exciting and living vicariously through them seems to be a bit counter-productive.  For the past few years, I have become a fan of Craig Wilson who writes a weekly article for the USA Today called The Final Word, which is under the fold in the Life section every Wednesday.  Although his interests and mine are not always intertwined, I enjoy his writing style and seldom do I come away not grinning or thinking.
     Now, I understand that my educational background pales in comparison to...well.... almost everybody.  I know when I call "proper punctuation" on the phone, they ignore me, "spelling" hasn't invited me to any of their parties, and "sentence composition" has a restraining order placed on me.  That being said, I am going to take off my water-wings and jump into the deep end !!
     I am going to try to write a weekly..ish.. blog on whatever comes to mind.  I'm sure sports will dominate most times, but I will try to shoe-horn in a few other things from time to time.  Why am I doing this?  No clue.  I guess I am trying to exercise a portion of my brain that has gone largely un-used before atrophy sets in and turns it into silly putty.  My hope is that some of you will do me the honor of reading, and more importantly, critiquing my work !!  Please let me know if there are any spelling errors (thanks Becky), grammatical errors, etc.  If you think this is a really horse-bleep idea, then blame my sister Debbie !!  You're welcome sis !!