Day 2

If you are a child, please earmuff yourself. &%$#& ,&#$@, $##!, &%$%, &#@#, balls, halalujah, wheres the tylenol? First off, I have many excuses I could lay on you but if I said that is what kept me from catching fish, I would be lying. Excuse numero uno...The trim went out on my motor at 1pm, I consulted with some people about a possible fix (thanks again Boat Boys, you guys are the shizzle) and after riding around aimlessly for what seemed like hours, I found a boat that had the right sort of tool that I needed to make the fix (I have tools, obviously not the right one, but I will from now on). Excuse numero dos... All week long, the fish I was catching were not up and moving until late afternoon, I'm talking 2, 3 o'clock, that was great for me on the first day because I was last flight leaving the launch ramp which meant I didnt have to be back at the dock until 5:15. Today, I was first flight, which meant I had to be back at the ramp at 3:00. I know it doesnt seem like much but yesterday, I culled 3 fish out after 3:00 and really only caught 1 fish before 1:00. Add to that the insane coldness that started our day and you get slowly activating fish. Excuse numero tres... The spinning reel that I use for all things shakyhead blew apart on me about the 3rd cast. I know, I know, I'm supposed to have ten of them, I agree, if your name is Gerald Swindle or Roland Martin but I just dont have the cash or the backing to be able to have 40 rod and reel combos in my boat.

All this said, none of it kept me from catching fish, I just couldnt figure them out, I waited and waited for them to turn on for me and it never happened. I have no idea what I would have done differently, I didnt panic, I fished all freaking day, I actually checked in at exactly 3pm, my co-angler made the comment that it was the closest he has ever came to being late and it almost paid off, I caught a 13.5 incher (14 inch is keeper at this lake)at 2:55 about 2 miles from the check in. Not that it would have made much difference but it paints a nice portrait.

All in all, I sucked, plain and simple but I cant wait to give it another shot in june at Douglas Lake in Tenessee. By the way, its painfully clear that I need a new boat, hopefully this time next year I will be rolling in a new 20I and I will no longer have to worry about mechanical failures on the water, that shit is for the birds!

Late, S.T.P.