Just a Guy's Trip?????

[picksbigwagon]

This past weekend, my son, He has earned the nickname Scudly, and I went to Devils Lake for his birthday trip. He is turning 11 in a couple weeks and the last couple years we had gone to Mille Lacs, it was close enough to home, we could fish a little, hang out in the sleeper house a little, rattle wheels at night, fishing while you sleep. Well, I knew this year he could fish all day, not hardcore but he will fish longer than some and he is getting down right good at "gut feelings" when it comes to techniques and bait and lure selection. But I digress.

This was both of our first trips to Devils Lake and we tried staying away from crowds Saturday morning, fished shallow because we had heard that is where they were the day before, but after a couple hours, 35 holes and three seperate set up locations, we went out and joined the crowd. We caught some keeper perch, a few dink walleyes and Scudly lost a pretty good sized northern 8" from the top of the hole, broke the 3# test on his meatstick. We debated about getting a gaff, I am still kicking myself for hesitating and not shoving my arm down the hole and grabbing that pike. It was almost to the top and it's tail wasn't in the hole yet, not even close! That evening (no night bite on Devils Lake, a little weird watching everyone get off the lake by 7 pm) while we were standing in fishing cleaning house at Woodlands Resort, we watched a guy pullout two monster perch, a huge white bass (4 pounds I would guess) and a limit of big walleyes. I asked him how deep he was fishing, he said 45'. We had a plan A for the Sunday.

Sunday Morning we ran into a group at the hotel parking lot who had some tight lipped walleyes from Saturday they were going to chase after. They told us kind of where they were ( rocks in 6 Mile bay, 26 feet) Scudly wanted to go with plan B, so off we went. We drove to 6 mile ( roads aren't quite like what you see on Mille Lacs) drilled multiple spots looking for rocks, never found them, after 45 minutes of searching we raced back to Rocky Point and 45 feet of water. We hammered them the rest of the day, we caught 34 perch, almost all over 10", a couple little ones came back due to yoinking them out of such deep water, and 5 walleyes. Sundown came and we hightailed it back home to Savage.

Somewhere between Grand Forks and Fargo, Scudly said to me, "Ya know Dad, I didn't see any other kids out there the last two days." He was right, I have been wanting to go to Devils Lake for probably 12 years, and we didn't see any other kids while we were up there, fishing that is. It has taken me 3 and a half ice fishing seasons to get Scudly to the point where i can actually fish and njot worry about what he is doing: he can bait, take fish off, has a showdown flasher, and prefers hole hopping to plunking down on a seat for extended amounts of time, although that is exactly what we did yesterday, and I trust he will be safe because he is. How many Dad's here on HSO have dreamed of a trip like this but have not gone or have only gone with the guys. I had an absolute blast this weekend with my son, we fished pretty hard for two days, stayed in a $60 a night hotel room, and spent most of our money on lures at fleet farm before we went and gas. We only took a couple pictures ( my fault I left the phone in the truck most of the time) but here is a picture of Sculdy with that 13.5" perch ( Demon jig and the smallest minnows we could find in the bucket )

And Scudly's sunset picture from Saturday night, first and only sun of the day

[ice_medic]

That is awesome. I loved the story. It is how I got my start ice fishing with my grandpa. To this day I still love every chance I can get with him on the lake. I hope that one day I can pass this tradition on to my kids and share a story like this. Thanks for posting it

[gunner55]

+1 priceless

[Juan Grande]

Awesome story! My son is only 2 1/2, but I dream that he will love fishing as much as I do eventually become my fishing partner.

[BigDogRob]

I pass up on "guys trips" to take my wife and daughter as much as possible! I love seing them pull up some nice fish and My daughter is already showing interest of hooking minnows and wanting to learn how to take off fish! (even more than my wife)...lol There is always something more when you take the kind of trip you did with your son! I still remember my dad inviting me on a fishing adventure as a young child and sitting on his lap while going onto the lake, because he thought it would be safer to throw me out the window in the event of a problem. It's funny how those memories last a lifetime! Awesome read Thank you!

[waskawood]

Great story and thanks for sharing.

[hawgchaser]

My son is now in his forties and lives 14 hours away. Our main time together fishing is a week and a half on the Bay de Nocs (Lake Michigan). Our first communication to plan the next trip began 10/20/13 and we won't be fishing until 5/29/14. Reality is, we "fish together" almost half the year even if we only get together once or twice!

Great story, Picks! Might be the best investment you could ever make in creating a productive member of society.

[Mike89]

all good stories!!

[Trump34]

Great story and thank you for sharing....

My boys (7 & 9) and I are headed to URL in the morning and will be staying in a sleeper house for their first time. Maybe one of them will have a nickname before we get back.

[picksbigwagon]

Great story and thank you for sharing....

My boys (7 & 9) and I are headed to URL in the morning and will be staying in a sleeper house for their first time. Maybe one of them will have a nickname before we get back.

Awesome, take lots of snacks and bring some air freshener like Fabreeze, our first sleeper hourse had a chemical toilet in it and he still talks about the smell.......

[Fred_Bear]

Kudos to you, picksbigwagon. You're son is very lucky and someday he will return the favor.

My dad has taken me fishing, whether just the two of us or "with the guys", since I was 3 years old (finally out of diapers are his words). Through middle school/junior high/college I went on countless trips to Canada and The Dakotas every year where it was my dad, his buddies,and me; I was lucky enough for him to take me everywhere.

Now it's becoming my turn. We started a little tradition of a cast and blast trip out west on Labor Day where it's a couple of my college buddies, myself, and my dad. Last winter on a laker trip to Canada it was 4 kids under 25 and my 59 year old dad. I simply don't plan hunting/fishing trips where he isn't invited and it's the same for him.

You've obviously instilled the passion in your son, now just keep that fire burning and you'll have the best lifelong fishing buddy you could ever ask for.

[bturck]

great job. my son has taken his 5 yr old daughter out twice, my grandaughter. 1st trip out she caught an 11" crappie. thats what it takes dads interested in their kids.,. great story thanks for sharing

[MNCPRGUY]

To each his own, but the "guys trip" philosophy has never made much sense to me. I married my wife because there is nobody else I would rather spend my time with and my children (soon to be 14 & 15) are part of the package. We have done sleepers on URL for many years in a row, trips to Devils the last two years, and this will be our second Ice Team University as a family also. No two trips have been the same and not all have produced a lot of fish, but I can guarantee that they are all great memories that will one day be passed on to the next generation.

[hawkeye43]

I would set up my house so my boys and their friends could fish Friday and Saturday night after school. 6 to 8 weekends a year, they would be out there fishing I would check on them a few times a night and as they got older they were on there own. One rule we had was if I caught them drinking, smoking or chewing, they walked home bare foot. NEVER had a problem with them.

We still go different places to fish and they fish together a lot still. This year they ask if I wanted to go to LOTW with them. I wouldn't miss it. We have a deal that all the holes I cut when they were young, I would like holes cut for me when I can't do it myself any more. It always brings a smile just thinking about it.

[Big Dave2]

Just took my 13 year old son up to Winnie for the long weekend (MLK day). Fishing wasn't so hot but the time spent together in a fish house is priceless!

[chad austin]

I take guy trips all the time, as long as all the guys going consider my son as one of the guys. He's been with me on every trip since he was 4 years old (he's 15 now). He's acquired a couple nicknames as well... Toast by a buddy of mine (long story) and I call him buckshot. He eats minnows with the best of them and has put a few to shame.