It is puzzle time. We spend the morning working a jigsaw puzzle. By noon its looking ok to head out so we pile our plunder (including long pants and windbreakers) into the boat and head out. Our neighbor calls out as we pull away from shore, “we limited out across from mile marker 5”. Ok then, that’s where we are heading.
Advice also says fish are at 40 feet. Check, three poles out with bait at 40ft. We drift and wait “patiently”. Fish on! Of course, Kent is the one that has the bite. He has the biggest grin as it swims deeper and peels off more line. It isn’t a long fight but it is a satisfying one as a huge lake trout comes into view. Dip net in hand I do my part getting it into the boat. 29” long and an estimated weight of 25 pounds. Note: Kent has a fish weighing scale on his Christmas list. It’s his first lake trout catch ever and they are supposed to be tasty; but, we don’t have trout stamps on our license so back into the lake it goes. Kent seems to prefer catching to eating anyway. We float a while longer but with no luck.

No more rain for now so tonight is campfire night. There are lots of people in camp but things are quiet enough to enjoy a few hours contemplating the flames and basking in the wood smoke. We have all the fixings so we end the day with s’mores. MMMMM

The fog is thick this morning and rain forecast for early afternoon. We fiddle around camp then get out on the water around 9. Today we try trolling. Kent and I each choose very fish-like lures that we are certain those bass won’t be able to resist. “They” say the bass are feeding on minnows so we go for minnow-like lures. Kent fires up the 5hp motor and we dawdle our way around our little bay…for a couple hours. Nothing! In desperation Kent puts on a spoon – that looks only slightly like a minnow – and we try one more pass. A strike but a miss. We can’t stop now! As the clouds gather over the ridge we turn for another pass and “bang”. Fish on. Our (Kent’s) first real fish of the trip is a 4 pound 20 in long smallmouth bass. He is pretty pleased. The fish is happy too, we release it then gather up to get back to camp before the rain hits. The rain is faster than the required no wake speed back to camp but it didn’t dampen spirits.
A bit damp, we settled back in at camp expecting Carol any time now.

We head up lake about 10 miles. It is cool enough to need a jacket when we are running but it is a lovely morning. The hilly, heavily wooded shoreline is just beginning to show fall color. Orange and yellow of maple and oak are a beautiful contrast to the pines.
Time to fish. We float shoreline and changes in depth working hard to find those stripped bass with absolutely no luck. Eventually I need an easy fix….find a bluegill hole. Kent finds a perfect spot and we feed nightcrawlers to a batch of hungry little pan fish. We probably catch 20 between us. It was not exactly the plan for the day but it was fun and it was out on the lake. We will try again for those bass tomorrow.
We had some aerial entertainment while we were out. A juvenile eagle tried his best to force an osprey to drop its lunch. Both birds showed pretty impressive maneuvers. The osprey outlasted its tormentor and disappeared over the ridge with its lunch.

We have LOTS of batteries and once again some are not performing up to par. Kent loads 5 of them up and halls them to Napa to see what’s up. 4 of 5 test ok, that’s good. We replace the odd one and move on. Next, the bilge pump; it quit working back when we were at Wakami last summer and it is not something one ought to run without very long. Kent takes on the task of replacing it today. Of course, it is mounted way in the back of the boat in a tiny opening where he has to wriggle way back in then twist every way to reach it. Like most jobs, it took considerably longer than anticipated. It is 5:30. Tomorrow we will get the boat in the water!

We moved campsites this morning because of inconsiderate neighbors. All of you who own a motorhome with an outdoor entertainment system, please keep in mind that folks around you might consider your “entertainment” noise and light pollution. While I am on my soapbox; think about how bright lights dangling from your awning and left glowing all night might spoil the outdoor experience for others around you.

We pick up the big trailer from storage then it’s on to the lake. We arrive by 3 and find a lakeside site that will suit nicely. After the circus that is unloading boat, kayaks and all the associated plunder, we are settled in. Tomorrow we launch the boat, we hope.