Bass Players

6 a.m. and the gentle purr of the fishing boat heading down the bay was heard in the land.  Dave and Mike were heading out to continue their quest for the Mythical Fish.

It's not that there aren't fish in the lake, it's that the fishermen are still honing their technique.

Patience, they have been told, is the name of the game, and David took that advice seriously.  A hurried fish never strikes...  And besides, isn't it all about the journey???

On his first cast David thought he felt a tug.  "Probably a dead log," he dismissed it, since he has had so far a stellar career in catching bottom habitat.

But no... it was indeed a fish.  A 17"  bass.  A beautiful fish.  There was much excitement in the boat.

Now, bass are not yet in season, so they handled this one with great care and made sure it was released immediately after the photographic evidence was collected. Bass are on their nests now, the males protecting the fry, and if you are dumb enough to catch them, you will remove an entire generation of fish from the lake.

In any event, the boys aren't so much into the "kill, klean and kook". For them, it's the excitement of the chase, the choosing of the lures, the possibility that out there, just inches away from their hook, lurks some Lake of Bays behemoth just waiting to make their day.

Now, however, they no longer have the excuse that 'there are no fish'. Proof positive... a) we've got fish, and b) the duo have the smarts to catch them.

Rock on!