Fishing Opener

 

The MN Fishing Opener is upon us!

 

Reflections

 

I am not sure how memories pop up into my head, but some how my cranium clay is stirred. A Minnesota Walleye Opener form years ago resurfaced while preparing for the big event.

 

My wife and I headed out on a cold May Saturday morning; our destination a particular reef to bobber fish along the edge. We got there only to find 12 other boats on the same reef. We dropped anchor away from the others. It seemed like an odd thing, a small community of boats arranged in a large oval of about 50 yards. We could make out the muffled conversations and laughter while intently watching our bobbers lay upon the glass smooth lake surface. It was rather peaceful with an occasional fish dragging the bobber under the surface.

 

The serene scene was shattered by a 20 foot Lund Pro V. The asshole boated through all of us at top speed over the reef and through the community of boats fishing along the reef's edge. Rather than going around us, he upset everyone. We all braced ourselves from the impending wake, violently rocking us all from side to side up and down, upsetting many beers into a frothy mess all over the boat floors.

One man who had a few beers in him dropped his cigarette into his lap along with his beer. He stood up slamming his fishing rod down while patting away the burning smoke, and flung a long heartfelt rant of expletives at the Lund Pro V driver.

This string of four letter words echoed off the island's rock surface and hung in the air trailing off across the reef following the wake of the offending Lund Pro V. He spewed what we all were thinking.

 

As the wake settled down, and the ranter calmed a bit sitting down opening another beer while relighting another smoke. A voice called out from across the reef.

A stern voice in a calm manner spoke out, "hey, watch your language. I am fishing with my boy."

 

Every occupant from all twelve boats all looked toward the man who spoke just to see the young boy who had witnessed his first curse words. In unison, we all laughed long and hard. 

 

The voice came from a man that looked no younger than 80 years old. His "boy", looked to be no younger than 60 years old.

 

That was one of the better fishing openers we had.