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Fishin report for Lake Iwanttobethere..


Bobby Bass

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RAIN DROPS ARE falling here at the cabin on the shores of Lake Iwanttobethere, what a surprise! But I did get the grass mowed. Normally by this time of the summer I would not be worrying about mowing grass as the rain would be sparse and the grass growing season all but done. Not this year though, no lack of moisture falling from the sky and the swamps are full of water along with the roadside ditches. No complaints from anyone about having a hard time launching boats and even some of the pot holes that hardly ever get fished are seen now with a boat or two on them. Duck hunters are going to find a few new places to hunt or if you are an old hunter you will be able to hunt a few places you have not been on for awhile.

Need to go down to the General Store today and buy myself a frog net. Had an accident on the riding lawn tractor yesterday and I need to replace the net I had. Grand daughter number two is already back in school so I if I want to catch any frogs I was going to have to do it myself during the week. I was thinking of going to the Resort this weekend with her, at least that was and is still the plan. Yesterday I filled the lawn tractor with gas and I didn't get ten yards into the yard mowing when a big old frog hopped up in front of me and headed for the brush. I hopped off the tractor in pursuit but that was probably all in my mind as that frog was long gone before I even got out of the seat. I kicked the grass some but no frog. I returned to the garage and looked through the rafters in search of my frog catching net. Nothing more then one of those big aquarium nets attached to one of them pickers you use to grab stuff with.

I found the grabber/net and replaced the duct tape holding the net to the grabber. The tape had dried all out and was not doing much to hold everything together. Next was to get a gallon plastic square jug that I had borrowed from the wife's kitchen a few years back. I took the jug and with a bungee cord I secured it to the back of the garden tractor. With grabber/net in hand I mounted the garden tractor and was now ready to mow the lawn and catch frogs. I imagine I looked something like one of them guys on horseback with a lance, except I was riding a lawn tractor with a aquarium net attached with duct tape to a grabber. You may laff but this system actually does work, sometimes. It does work better on grass that has already been cut as then the grabber does not get hung up. I usually mow in a circle herding the frogs into the center of the yard as they avoid the tractor. Sometimes a frog will break away and try to escape to the tree line and this is when the race is on. The wife says I look silly chasing down a frog with a garden tractor. I see myself as a knight in battle leaning down over the side of my steed with my lance, er I mean grabber in position to snatch up the fleeing frog from my kingdom.

On a good day I can catch a dozen frogs, yesterday was not a good day. I saw that one frog and did not see another till I was almost done mowing. The problem and I never remember it till I it comes frog catching time is what to do with the net/graber when it is not in my hand. I need to put hooks or something on the tractor to carry the grabber. Yesterday I kind of propped it alongside of me and kind of forgot it was there. I spotted a good size frog fleeing across cut grass and I was already thinking that it was a perfect size to be fishing off the dock with. I cranked the wheel and floored the tractor and I was zipping across the yard in hot pursuit, probably doing about six miles an hour. I pulled out the grabber and swung it ahead of me getting in position to make a graceful sweep and pickup when I hit a bump in the yard. The grabber dipped under the front wheel and was pulled from my hand and a split second later the blades of the mower chopped it up. I let off the gas to see the tattered net/grabber behind me and the frog escaping to the woods. So that is why I need to go to town today and buy myself a new net and a new grabber, it looks like frog jousting season is here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,166,748}

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SO FAR A quiet holiday weekend here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Today I have my hat hanging a at the Lodge as I am filling in for Gus who has gone to the state fair. He did not go alone as all the FELLOWS went, along with Elmer, Marv and Dock Burriem. Yesterday they all left in Reeds bio-diesel RV and Big Earl and Junior followed in the support pick up truck. I did not go with as I did not think my back would be able to handle the ride sitting in a fold up aluminum chair. Instead I told the guys I would stay back and handle things here. The FELLOWS then put me in charge of bail money, you know just in case things get out of hand down at the Fair.

With a lot of stools empty in the Lodge yesterday was pretty slow. Did have some tourist come in from time to time and their kids would leave behind fingerprints on the glass case of the candy counter. With Gus gone I let Honey Sauce do the cooking and I sat back and watched Vinnie take care of customers. I did have some chats with a fishermen sending them out to different parts of Lake Iwanttobethere. I told them they have to come back to the Lodge and give me their fishing report. I have already found a few hot spots this way and also have eliminated some water that I was thinking about fishing. Have a small fire going in the fireplace, a lot of post it notes and telephone messages written on them yellow and pink slips. I just tossed in some that were dated June 22nd, I think they were birthday well wishes. Guess it has been awhile since I checked my mail here at the Lodge.

Already this morning I got two fishing reports and sent a couple of groups out with some hot spot information. I had to get a map out of the lake so I can mark down my fishing reports. I have it right here under the bar so I don't have to go far to add the good reports and mark off the bad spots. No breeze at all moving the leaves on the trees this morning, cloudy sky but no rain, yet. Lake looks pretty calm and there are a number of trailers down at the landing. No one in the fish cleaning house that I can see and the seagulls are just about done cleaning up the park. Campground does not seem to be as full as it should be. Still a mess of different colored tents can be seen from the Lodge and towels hang limp from clothes lines with no breeze to dry them.

Twitch and his dog Zap were in early this morning. Looking for a couple of conies to go. They were heading out fishing and wanted the conies for lunch. They like them cold especially Zap. I think Zap gets the bun and Twitch gets the hot-dog, nothing strange about that other then they are cold. Another reason why it was quiet yesterday is the ladies did not hold their Saturday meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary. The small meeting room was quiet and the double doors were wide open. I of course did not get my apple/blueberry/strawberry/rasberry pie but I guess it was a fair trade for the quiet.

Today I am looking for more of the same, quiet that is. Might find myself over on the wicker couch and sit in Elmer's spot and watch a little baseball. It is a good spot to watch the TV and still be able to look out the big windows of the Lodge. I expect that sooner or later the park will start getting busy and the boat launch will get crowded. Campground is already starting to stir as I write this and I can see some kids heading up the trail with dollars in their hands. Got a feeling I am going to have to stock the candy case today here at Lake Iwanttobethere. 2,172,017}

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THAT TIME OF the year that I only have time to wtite fishing reports is when it is raining out. Guess what, it is raining out. Well actually it is just dripping now. For the past several hours a mess of thunderstorms moved over this end of the lake and I was woken up by a close lightning strike and of course the cabin rattling from the boom of thunder that followed. I open my eyes to see Duncan sitting on the edge of the bed looking out the window at the falling rain. Dog has no problem with loud noises and being a lab he could be the poster dog for his love of having any excuse to be wet.

Yesterday afternoon the threat of rain was with us just about all day and heavy rain did fall on the other side of the lake. A few sprinkles here just enough to make me put tools away. The playhouse is completed all except the door which I need to hang but every time I get around to it the rain comes. Already granddaughter number two is declaring it hers and is starting to decorate inside. Told her she will have to share it with her cousins when they come to visit but she just shrugs her shoulders and asks me if I think she should have grandma make curtains.

School is back in session and the cabin is quiet without grand kids around during the week. Means I have to water the gardens and pick up after the dogs myself. Have been turning over a few of the tatter mounds and this year's crop is much better than last years. Tomatoes are turning red which is way better then last year and onions and spinach have been harvested. Still some raspberries to pick in the morning but the corn is a failure. Might get stalks big enough to do some Halloween decorating but if I want any to eat I am going to have to go out and see Clive at the roadside produce stand.

Fellows made it back from the state fair with no incidents to report. Some of them were sporting state fair, I SET THE RECORD tee shirts as the fair set an attendance record. The Fellows are saying that they were the ones who put the fair over the top and are proud of the attendance record. First good attendance record they have ever set although they have other attendance records at the Lake Iwanttobethere high school that are still talked about. Reed likes to bring his Bio diesel down to the fair on the last weekend as he usually scores pretty good on the last day picking up cooking oil. This year as soon as the RV rolled into the fair grounds they were granted permission to just go ahead and pull right into grounds. The security guard at the gate smelling the RV thought they were just another food truck. Talking with Reed yesterday he mentioned that the fuel he is brewing in his garage has a different smell to it, might be because of all the different kind of food they deep fry at the fair.

Around the cabin here I have been busy, picking in the garden and cleaning up around the place. Making a big effort to get things put away early so winter don't catch me and I plan on fishing here as soon as the rain stops. Matter of fact I had to double pinkie swear with the granddaughter that I would get her out fishing one more time. Saturday I am going out with the daughter and the granddaughter and we are going to make a day of it. Down to the Gas-N-Go to fuel up and pick up snacks then over to visit Vicki at the Masterbaiters where we will buy some crawlers and check out fishing tackle. Then the ride to a quiet access that should be out of the forecasted wind. We will do some fishing and take a boat ride and on the way home we will stop for ice cream. I hope the day will end with us having a fish dinner and maybe spend some time out by the fire pit and watch the stars. Some crickets should add to the background noise as we listen to the popping wood and no doubt we will have to put our flannel jackets on here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,181,386}

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WOKE UP TO a taste of fall this morning here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Overcast sky, windy and the red needle on the bass thermometer is stuck on fifty-five. Stepped out on the deck and wearing shorts might not be such a good idea today. But I just went back in the cabin and slipped on a hoodie and I was dressed for the weather then. Getting the Puddle Humper ready to take daughter number two and grand daughter number two out fishing tomorrow. Batteries are charged and I switched up fishing rods. I just have a couple of rods in there as I was making room for the daughters poles and I need a little extra room for the lunch/snack cooler. Already made a trip down to the Gas-N-Go and fueled up the Tahoe and put some more gas in the boat tank so I will not have to stop tomorrow. Looking forward to taking the girls out as I am not planning on fishing much but I am going to bring along the video camera and see if I can get enough action to make a short movie.

Yesterday was a little warmer then today, some wind but also some sunshine. Got the yard mowed and a few other chores out of the way. Had a fire going in the fire pit all day and pretty much burned up all the scrap wood left over from building the playhouse. I still have that door to hang and maybe today I will get around to doing it but it is nice not to have the door in the way when going in and out as I am putting in shelf's and hooks. Was cooking at the same time as I had a slow cooker going filled with chili makings. Had some bread rising and daughter number one and her husband were coming over for dinner and Elmer was following his nose at lunch time and invited himself for supper. The long do list of fall is now sitting on the desk and just like every other year I try and get an early start on it but get distracted with fall fishing and a few last rounds of golf and then the leaves start falling and it is time to take a walk with Bud and Duncan in the woods with the old twenty gage in the crook of my arm.

I did manage to mark off a few things on the list yesterday but they were replaced with some more things that got added to the list. I stayed busy all day but today I don't remember what I was doing. With the sun setting a few minutes earlier everyday we seem to lose day light a lot quicker. Mosquitoes are still around though, little sob's are out in the middle of the day and along with the black fly's summer is still hanging on a little. A lot of crickets in the evening for some reason and I guess now that I think of it the crickets have replace the sound of frogs as the sun goes down. Last night we did sit around the fire pit as I added some real wood to it and we ate chili along with chucks of hot bread and Elmer brought over some bourbon to sip on. Not a kid's meal but sometimes us older guys enjoy sitting around the fire and sipping.

The wife was inside canning stuff from the garden and I saw the lights of Chuck's pickup come up his drive, he saw the flickering of the campfire and came over to join us. He missed out on the chili but he found a empty canning jar sitting out on the table and a few inches of bourbon was splashed in the jar. A minute later and he was stretched out on a wood chair with his boots pointed toward the fire and we all just kind of got caught up without doing any talking. Guys seem to be able to do that better then the ladies do, peace and quiet here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,183,543}

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REAL GOOD DAY here at Lake Iwanttobethere, just got done watching the football game and for a change the states professional team won! This morning was spent cleaning the Puddle Humper of worm bedding in the carpet and putting stuff back in its places. Yesterday I did get out fishing with my youngest daughter and my number two granddaughter. The day almost went as planned as we were on the road only fifteen minutes after we had planned. First stop was the Masterbaiters Shop and the granddaughter looked at all of the lures hanging from the pegboard hooks and then tried her hand at dipping some sucker minnows. When she was done we picked up a couple of dozen night crawlers from the fridge, paid for them and were back in the Tahoe where the youngest daughter had already called shotgun.

We made a game of counting boats on the highway and then started counting ATV's on trailers to, a lot of both for a first Saturday in September. Arrived at the out of the way landing and as I worked on getting the Puddle Humper ready to launch the girls headed to the high grass alongside the landing in search of frogs. They saw a few but only managed to catch one which was put inside a foam coffee cup that had a lid. A little more wind then forecasted by Stormy Clearweather so we headed to a protected spot out of the breeze and soon the girls were fishing with worms and I was reduced to being the bait boy. Granddaughter number two was soon swinging sunnies over the side and the daughter had to relearn the fine art of bobber fishing.

Of course a boat ride was in order and we went out of the shelter of the small bay and ran the motor hard across the wave tops. Much better then the fair grounds rides I heard the granddaughter yell as she held onto her ball cap and grinned away every time her aunt got hit with spray from a waved jumped. We found another spot with a little deeper water and some shade out of the wind and Team Papa soon had a big lead over Team Auntie. That is when the daughter starting to pitch a spinner bait and turned the worm box to her niece. Not five minutes later the daughter held up her line with no spinner bait attached. In a solemn voice she announced that something big had just bit her off and she had lost her lure. I then reminded her she just lost my lure and she smiled at me and just said "Right, sorry" and dug into the spinner bait box for a replacement.

At dusk we put the frog on the hook and pitched it to a dock with deep water on one side. The frog made a few kicks before it was swallowed and the granddaughter's line and her rod tipped downwards as something big pulled it. I was trying to get some pictures of the short battle as the line got hung up in some Lilly pads and when she got the hook back out it was frog less and fish less. We headed to the landing and the daughter helped me put the Puddle Humper on the trailer and the granddaughter searched the cooler for cookies and fruit punch box. We drove home to the sound of old music on the radio and the heater on. The daughter and granddaughter were soon asleep from the afternoon of fishing and of course the warm truck and the sound of tires humming on the highway. My girls, twenty-seven and seven are still both just kids when it comes to fishing here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,189,666}

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HUM OF THE battery charger can be heard here at Lake Iwanttobethere. Last night I went fishing in the wind and waves and today my back feels like I was stuck on the twenty-five cent bucking horse ride in front of the drug store. Time of the year when we can't be too picky on the weather as there are not that many good days left to fish so what is a little wind. Got to the access to see some small white caps but still fishable water. Not five minutes into fishing I already had landed a bass and had a northern miss me at the boat. I let the wind drive me down the shoreline till I thought it might be better to go find some slack water as I was getting wet from the spray coming over the side. Started up the big motor and headed to the other side where the wind was coming from and after a few minutes the ride got better as the wind didn't have so much time to build the waves. I did have to wipe my glasses off a few times and I had a passing thought that those eye glasses with the build in wipers might not be such a bad idea.

I went down the shoreline and was kind of tucked out of the wind, but if I ventured out too far the wind would catch me and pull me away from shore. The trolling motor got a work out as I used it to hold my position when fishing a few good spots. Spinnerbait was the lure of choice for the day, I would have liked to fished a few other things but just to much wind and the waves were too big. I did find a few calm spots and I dropped a fake frog in some pockets and got a few hits but did not land anything. Buzz bait did catch a few small northerns and a carpet of Lilly pads produced the big bass of the day. A fat seventeen inch fish that tipped the scales at three and half pounds. Catching a nice fish in wind is always a memory maker as trying to land the fish, steer the boat and fight the wind all while catching it on video by yourself will do that.

I was looking forward to the wind dying down and maybe staying on the water after dark for awhile. A super moon was in store for the night but just around six the clouds started to roll in and the wind kept blowing. I made a command decision to run up to the beginning of the lake on the blowing side and figured I would let the wind drive me down to the access and maybe pick up a few more fish. The plan worked as no sooner did I start coming down the wind blown side of the lake then a nice northern smacked my spinnerbait and the fish made a run that pulled line on me. I didn't see the fish right away and I was hoping for it to be a monster bass but then a nice northern came up to the surface to splash me before diving down and pulling more line. I managed to turn the fish and not wanting to play around with the boat bouncing in the waves I pulled out the landing net and made a scoop to net the fish all in one motion. Good plan except the net was caught on a screw in the handle and would not open. Now I was stuck trying to get the fish into a net that was not open in a bouncing boat with the wind driving me towards shore, fun eh!

Well I did get the fish in the net, managed to turn the boat back into the wind and pull away from shore. Fish measured out at thirty-one inches and tipped the scale at seven pounds even. I eased her over the side and for my reward she splashed water in my face. I sat in my chair and tried to find something dry to wipe my glasses and I noticed it got dark out. I figured that was as good as any way to end the night so I set my rod down on the deck and turn the trolling motor on high and with the wind at my back I headed down the shoreline to the access and the waiting Tahoe. Surprisingly getting the Puddle Humper up on the trailer was not a problem and the wind kept any mosquitoes who any ideas about bothering me at bay. I drove back to the cabin with the CD player on and the super moon lighting the way. Of course the clouds had parted letting the super moon be seen as soon as I was driving here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,194,563}

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SO WHEN IT rains it pours is the old saying and I would have to agree that the saying is true. Yet another night of pouring ran here at Lake Iwanttobethere. The sky was bright as lightning flashed out over the lake as the storm made it to my side of the lake. This morning the wind is still blowing and everything is soaked. I checked the outbuildings for damage and roofs are intact and the new playhouse is dry. More branches down to feed the fire pit and what little corn I had growing in the garden is down on the ground. Not a fishing day that is for sure. Wind is still stirring the waters of the lake and a few ducks are out just past Elmer's dock but they look like they would rather be somewhere else.

Not to much of any doubt that fall has arrived. I don't see any linger summer hanging on. Of course this was not much of a summer heat wise, I am not complaining I am not a big fan of the heat and the A/C hardly got used this summer. Of course there is a trade off to be made as what we lacked in heat we more then made up for in the abundance of black flies and mosquitoes. Yesterday before the wind started to pick up and the rain fell I got to mark a few more things of the Honey Do List. The play house is officially done as I finally hung the door. The granddaughter and other granddads will now have to finish up the inside. No doubt with art work, rocks, shells, bird nests, stashes of pop and what ever else they think needs to be stored in the play house.

Had a fire in the pit during the afternoon and just when I thought I was done burning brush the overnight wind has dropped me a few more branches. Wind was still blowing so I left the branches where they fell and me and Duncan took a ride to the Resort to see what was happening up there. On the drive in I see we have some standing water in a few potholes, will have to get the tractor out and fill them in. Place looked pretty quiet when I drove up and parked. Not even any of the FELLOWS were around. I could hear the radio from up at the wood shop and Duncan and I took the path to it and found Chuck tinkering with the saw mill. He was changing the blade getting ready to cut the big white pine. We or I should say he took a break and we sat just inside the big double doors that were open and listen to the wind going through the tree tops. Duncan sat on my foot and pretended to be interested in what we were talking about.

After as few minutes I saw Hank in the tractor with a bucket full of class five heading for the potholes. Not much for me to do around here I can't even make up chores for myself. I waved at Hank and got a wave back. Told Chuck I will talk to him later and Duncan and I headed for the Clubhouse. Open the door to hear the sound of music and Vic dancing with the carpet cleaner. I watched for a moment then thought better of interrupting him. He was cleaning the entrance carpet and I figured that is one less chore for me to do. Matter of fact this morning was becoming a day for getting out of chores, if the wind was not blowing so hard I should just go fishing here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,197,833}

Here is a shot of the Play House and of course Duncan inspecting.

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THERE IS A chill in the air this morning, unfortunately the chill is inside the cabin. I told the wife we should have added a few sticks to the fire last night but she said it was warm enough in the cabin. This morning the fireplace was cold and so was the floor when I got out of bed. Not to much teasing this year from Mother Nature. She must be upset about something and just dropped fall on us ten days early. I talked to Vic up at the Resort this morning and he said there was frost he was certain of it as it was down right cold taking the boat out to get the morning paper and the mail. While I chatted on the phone I started a fire in the fireplace, nothing big just some kindling and a few pieces of slab wood. Soon the flame was licking around the wood and heat was coming out. Don't want too big a fire as it looks like we might get some sunshine and the place will warm up as I uncovered the solar collector yesterday. By the time I hung the phone up in the kitchen all three dogs were laying in front of the fireplace, stealing the heat.

Yesterday was a typical bad fall day, not one of those fuzzy feel good fall days that writers write about in the outdoors section of the Sunday paper. You know the kind. The soft warm breeze and the colorful leaves falling to the ground, the rich smell of earth as you walk along the trampled brown grass path in search of grouse with your trusty bird dog. The sun low in the sky making shafts of light through the branches of the trees as it filters it way to the ground. No yesterday was overcast and windy. From time to time the sun would break through and tease you a little and then just as quickly the clouds would block it out. From time to time a few rain drops would fall and not the warm drops of summer these are the cold drops of fall. I spent the afternoon stacking firewood and cleaning out a spot to put the work trailer away for the winter. Somehow the parking space got to be a resting spot for things that are not supposed to be there. At one point while I was taking a breather the wife told me I should just chuck it all and go fishing. She threw a change up at me and I of course stop working to look her in the eye and ask her why did she want me gone.

I did return to work because now I was figuring she wanted me away from the cabin because she was going to start a project that I was going to have to finish or she had other reasons. Of course there is always the chance she was telling me to leave so that I would stay. Either way I didn't go fishing because I had a granddaughter's soccer game to go to and that comes before fishing. At least for two more games then the season is done for her. The weather was not all that bad, as long as you kept moving around you stayed warm enough. A few times I had to duck into the wood shop and once under the overhang of the play house to avoid a shower. No sense in getting wet when you don't have to.

By supper time I was done for the day, went inside and had dinner then off to the soccer game. I dressed a little warmer as I was going to be standing on the sidelines and the daughter's game was the last of the evenings. I arrived just in time to walk her to the field from the parking lot. I have told you before the field is in the softball outfield and we had to cut across the infield to get there. The geese have been doing their thing on the infield dirt. We had to walk around turds to get to the grass. I was thinking the ground's keepers can't be to happy but softball season is pretty much done for. I stood on the side line and watched the game. Seven year old boys and girls having a blast running on the fresh cut wet grass. A few showers fell during the game and parents and grandparents huddled under umbrellas or pulled up hoods along the sidelines while kids played on. The game was stopped for a few minutes as in the second half a rainbow appeared and all the kids stopped to jump up and down and point at it. Once again Mother Nature had to show off here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,203,595}

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SILENT SUNDAY AND I think it is going to be one. I have my day all planed out already and there is no talking scheduled. Football game at noon and then I am going to spend the rest of the day in a marathon watching the last three shows of True Detective. Yesterday was a busy day as I spent it working on the Honey Do List. The greenhouse was cleaned and all the pepper plants that are in pots were brought inside along with a couple of tomato plants and some herbs that the wife is growing. The citrus plants that have been growing on the deck all summer were pruned and brought inside and put on small rolling carts. They are now too big to be just set on the floor. About half of the tobacco has been harvested and are hanging in the greenhouse and you add the smell of pepper plants, herbs and tobacco and it smells like one of them shops that the Ladies Auxiliary goes to buy their mushroom tea bags at.

The threat of frost has made working in the garden a top priority, a lot of tomatoes were harvested and now find themselves inside glass canning jars awaiting their fate at a later date in spaghetti sauce or chili. Another batch of pickles were canned and some spuds were dug up also. Part of the yard was mowed down tight for winter but where leaves are known to fall I will let go for now. The last brush pile was cleared away to make room for a new brush pile as I will work on clearing trees of branches around the big garden as soon as the trees lose their leaves. I even have a plan for next week as I have the OK from the wife to work on the decks. The plan is to clear off the decks and power wash. The next day I will go fishing the day after I will stain and then the following day I will go fishing again. The weather forecast by Sunshine Ray looks like it will match up with my work schedule.

As I write this the sun is out and suddenly fifty degrees with sunshine is way better than fifty degrees and no sunshine. The only trouble is the wind is back and it is making waves on the lake. I figure I am almost a month ahead on my fall do list which is unheard of. I might just be able to pull off this working around the cabin and fishing on nice days. As far as the cabin getting stained that is on the back burner yet again. I am really going to have to make an effort and stain the place next summer and not wait till I run out of days or count on a dry spell. Speaking of dry spells it rained last night, I could hear it as I still have the bedroom window open to let in the fresh air.

Puddle Humper is clean and waiting, batteries are charged and I have changed over some of the lures on the rods to bigger ones that I favor for fall fishing. Warmer clothes are packed in the Tahoe and the knee high boots are there for launching. I think the days of wading are just about over. The banged up aluminum thermos is now resting on the kitchen counter. It will be filled with hot chocolate or hot apple cider for fishing trips. Not to much need for the cooler to keep things cold in the boat but instead it will be there to keep things warm. A couple of towels in a plastic bag under the seat and some hand warmers and gloves. A bag of Kit Kats just in case I need some energy or to munch on while I move from one fishing spot to another. A few fishing days in the seventies will be welcomed but I am getting ready for some cool time out on the water. Funny how catching a few nice fish can warm you right up though here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,209,958}

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A PLEASANT DAY yesterday with ample sunshine and winds blowing through the tree tops at ten to fifteen miles per hour with a few gusts in there that made the flag snap on the flag pole. The deck was powered washed the day before and all the furniture is now resting on the grass. Yep a perfect day to stain the deck so I went fishing instead. To tell the truth there are a lot of perfect days to stain stuff but not so many days this time of the year to go fishing. I gave the wife the story on how after power washing the deck needs a good day to dry out and she just handed me the brown paper bag lunch from the fridge and said just go fishing, so I did.

I had a plan to go fishing on Lake Iwanttobethere but with the wind kicking up I went to plan B and I headed to a small backup lake to get out of the wind. It was a drive so I had to dig into my stash of cigars as it was just a little over an hours drive away. You know you are getting away from people when I lost our local radio station KCUM and had to turn off the static. Not many cars travel where I was going and I was still twenty minutes away from the little lake when I saw the last truck going by heading in the opposite direction. By two- fifteen I was on the water and by two-thirty I had caught my first bass, a chunky fifteen incher and I was not going to be skunked today. Always a priority is catching that first fish of the day and with the bass caught I then worked down the West bank of the small lake tucked away from the wind and I caught a few northerns. Three and four pounds they tugged at the line and made me think they were nice bass till they broke the surface.

With the wind kind of at my back I only needed the trolling motor to change direction and when I got to the big Lilly pad covered end of the lake a seventeen and half inch bass ate up my spinnerbait and came to the top to do a dance across the surface. Always fun to be fighting a fish and running out of water as the wind was pushing me toward shore. Boated the fish and turned back out to open water. Flipped my hat around on my head and started the big motor and ran the length of the little lake back to the calm water where I started from. Decided to take a lunch break and dug in the cooler where the bag lunch was. Kicked back in the chair and sipped on some Lake Iwanttobethere root beer and ate a bologna sandwich on a Kaiser roll from Amy's Bakery. A handful of cookies followed and I dusted off my beard of crumbs and went back to fishing.

Wind had shifted and I was not going to get away from it. I tossed the buzz bait a few times but no hits so I went back to the spinnerbait which was getting hits. Boated a few more smaller northerns till a larger one smack me hard so I smacked her hard back. My reward was a battered spinnerbait that fell apart on the deck of the Puddle Humper when I got it back. Had to tie on a new bait and made a mental note I need to make up a few more of these ones with the double skirts and blue blades. Hit a good stretch of water and five chunky bass came over the side in about twenty minutes. Sun was getting low so I had a decision to make. Normally I would head to the Lilly pad field and end the evening there throwing top water in the calm water but I have had some success throwing buzz baits in a little cove close to the landing. I decided to hit the cove and I started up the big motor and headed that way.

Another small bass was caught but no big northerns, I did have a couple of misses but they were not the big girl kind that I was looking to dance with. With some light left I loaded the Puddle Humper on the trailer and headed down the dirt road that would lead me to the asphalt that would take me to the road back home. Eight bass and seven northerns came over the side of the Puddle Humper, not a bad fall afternoon of fishing. Water is cooling as it was only fifty-eight degrees when I pulled the boat out but the lake had finally gone calm as the wind died and no bugs to be found. I still had a stump of a cigar left so I put flame to it and drove slow down the road, I was in no great hurry to get back home here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,220,012}

Too bad you could not go fishing with me, I had an open seat !

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SO FAR SO good the plan for fishing around working on the cabin is working. Yesterday I did have some doubts as I was just starting to stain the big deck and the sun was shinning and hardly a breath of wind. I was thinking maybe I should have stained the deck the day before and gone fishing today but three boards into the deck the sunshine was gone and the wind picked up. Halfway through the deck I had to go into the cabin and grab a sweatshirt as it was noticeable colder. The wife cranked open the den window and told me it was a good thing I went fishing the day before. Got the back deck all done except for a small section I leave so the dogs can get out to do their thing. Was going to stain the front porch but baby M was coming over and the wife didn't want the daughter to have to walk around the cabin to get in.

Funny how as I was staining leaves started to fall from trees and land no where in my yard but they did find there way to the deck. I was staining the deck almost a month earlier then I usually do just to avoid falling leaves but it did seem to make to much of a difference. My daughter and baby M arrived at the same time that I was putting the roller and brush away. I went inside and somehow got conned into watching her for just a few minutes. My pretty firm line about baby-sitting is the kid has to be out of diapers and talking before I will do it. The wife and daughter promise to be gone just for a little while and baby M flashed her eyes at me and held her arms out to be picked up and I took the bait, hook line and sinker.

Baby M also known as granddaughter number three is still working on the walking thing. She is just a little over one and does fine as long as she can grab on to a finger or hold onto a coffee table. She will take a few steps and then stand still before doing the flop on her butt. She will then crawl at the speed of light to something she can climb up on and do it all again. Duncan is very curious about anything smaller then him and especially anything that moves and holds cookies at his mouth level. The wife gave Baby M a cookie before they left and Duncan had a lot of interest in the cookie. I came around the corner and Baby M had a firm grip on Duncan's tail and the two of them were walking toward the den at a very leisurely pace. I stood and watched and the thought came that this was a good photo moment. I went to the den and got my camera but by the time I came out Baby M was heading in a speed crawl back to the coffee table and Duncan was licking his lips of cookie crumbs. I don't know if a theft had occurred or if it was just payment for the walk support.

A few more cookies later and the wife and daughter were back from there rummage sale jaunt and I was relieved of baby duty. Of course baby M first had to pass inspection and somehow I got a "That was not so hard was it" comment and Duncan got another cookie. I stepped out to check the deck and the now roaring wind was doing a fine job of making quick work drying the deck. Matter of fact only a few leaves were on it and as I watched a gust of wind cleaned them right off. As I write this right now the wind is blowing some and the sun is trying to come out from behind the clouds, cool out and I do have it on the schedule to go fish this afternoon. I am thinking maybe I will get the porch stained and work on a few other things. I saw Sunshine Rays forecast and it is calling for rain this weekend but then a nice stretch of sunny sixty plus degree days for next week. Might have to tell the wife I am working today so I can fish a lot next week here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,223,561}

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I DISLIKE TOUCHUPS mainly because the lead to paint or stain jobs. After Baby M left the other day I went outside to check on the stain job on the deck. Was looking pretty good so I decided to go ahead and close up the can of stain until I saw I needed to do a little touch up around the gate which happens to be the same color stain as the deck. Yesterday I got the stain back out to finish up the last spot on the deck by the door and as long as the stain was out I put a second coat on the railings. While the railings were drying I went and checked the front porch which I had managed to talk the wife out of staining till next week when the weather is forecasted to be warmer and drier. I thought maybe I should touch up around the window so I went back to the shop and got out the paint can and before you know it I was going around the cabin touching up window trim and then down to the road to paint the mailbox. Won't be long here and Mark the mailman will be back to driving the road to deliver our mail so now was a good time to do it.

I was eyeing the wood gate but I was holding only a one inch paint brush in my hand and that was going to take way too long to do both sides so I put the can away, washed out the brush and marked several things off the do list but added painting the gate to it. Wind was still blowing strong and Buddy and Barney were both fast asleep taking up both ends of the couch. Duncan however was busy trying to get my attention. I let him out the deck door and he ran across the deck hit the grass and did not stop till he got to the back trail. Then he looked over his shoulder to see if I was following and I got the idea of what he wanted to do.

I found the orange vest right where I left in the front closet and putting it on I see it still fits, that is as long as I don't try and button it. I went to the den and open the gun cabinet and open the locked box and grabbed a few twenty gage shells and made a mental note I need to buy shells. I then remembered that I had made a mental note last year to buy shells so now I thought I will replace the old mental note with a new one. I also went over to the desk and wrote it down in case I misplace the mental note again. I took out the old single twenty gage from its resting place and broke it open. From habit I looked down the barrel and with the jingle of some shells in my pocket I grabbed my hat and followed Duncan out the door.

I made the walk across the yard and as I got to the edge I asked Duncan if he was ready to go. He dropped low on his front paws and gave me a couple of short whines. I dropped a shell in the chamber and snapped the gun closed and stepped on to the trail. Already Duncan's nose was sounding like a leaky vacuum as he sniffed and snorted at the grass along the trail. Trees are full of leaves and the grass is green and I was not expecting to see a bird, wait too early but Duncan wanted to go and I am not so dumb not to see if a dog wants to hunt you should follow. The trail breaks off to the left now where my neighbor Chuck has been spending the last two summer building trails. I followed Duncan as we crept on to Chucks property, Feeling like a kid raiding the neighbor apple tree I followed Duncan and was busy making up excuses and ways to blame Duncan when I heard a grouse get up and fly away, at least I think it was a grouse. Hard to tell in the thick cover and with the wind blowing. I looked down at Duncan and he was giving me his "Did you hear that look" and I took a step over to him and patted him on his head, I am thinking it might be an interesting bird season here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,227,451}

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ON SATURDAY DUNCAN and I made the short road trip to the Resort as I had a few things to do up there, mostly spend some time in the wood shop on some projects. A nice enough day and I should have gone fishing but I had heard Stormy Clearweathers forecast about rain heading our way in the afternoon. The rain forecast did not stop Vic and Dock Burriem from taking the small boat out into the bay. They were still hot on the trail of crappies and they even caught a few but when the wind was right I could hear the sounds of a football game from the radio that Vic has in the boat. I did stop and watch and it looked to me they were doing more smoking and sipping from Dock's flask then they were doing fishing.

Duncan was in and out of the wood shop. He would come in and check on me and then go back out and make the rounds of the Resort. Some of the FELLOWS were at their campsite and he was there for awhile and then he moved on to the Bait Room when Arlo came to buy some worms. Chuck came with his trailer and I helped him load up some of the wood that he had cut on the sawmill. It was ready to be moved down to his cabin where he had a spot to dry it. I spent the afternoon cleaning and putting tools away in the wood shop. I wanted to make sure it got done before I forgot about it and had to come clean it when it would be cold outside. I did have a barrel of wood scraps that I dumped in the wheelbarrow and hauled down to the Club House. I dumped the load in the small fire pit out back and went back and got a load of maple from the big pile.

With the shop clean I closed up the double doors and took the trail back down the hill. Duncan hooked up with me and I made my way down to the dock just in time to help Vic and Dock land their boat. The sunset was blocked by a bank of dark clouds coming in and I thought I could have gotten some fishing in after all. I followed Vic into the Club House and was greeted to the smell of pork chops on the grill. I ate dinner with the guys and decided to go out and sit for awhile and watch the rain roll in. Seems that Elmer and Vic also had the same idea and I sat down next to them under the big overhang that protects the deck. No rain was falling so I went ahead and tossed a few matches at the kindling in the fire pit and it caught. In no time a snapping crackling fire was burning and I added some of the maple chucks to it before settling back down in my chair.

Something about falling darkness and a pending rainstorm that triggers ones senses. As I made myself comfortable in the chair my nose took in the smell of wood smoke and also the heavy smell of pine. Don't know why but it seems rain carries the smell of the woods in front of it. I was watching and waiting for the first streak of lightning to zip across the sky but it just kept getting darker. Vic got up and returned a few minutes later with three glass tumblers of single malt that he had been hiding, mostly from the rest of us and made a toast to summer. I tipped my glass and the first wind driven rain drop fell into it. Elmer produced three cigars and not wanting to be left out I pulled a lighter from my pocket. With rain drops hitting the fire and cigars burning between our fingers the three of us sat and watch the rain and maybe watched summer slip away here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,234,840}

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TODAY IS THE last day of summer so I am all set to go fishing, yes I know all the calendars say today is the first day of autumn but autumn does not officially arrive till around ten thirty tonight. By then I should have the Puddle Humper back under the roof of the boat house and the trolling battery will be plugged into the charger. Fish should be all clean and supper plates will be in the dishwasher. I will be headed for bed to get up and do it all over again tomorrow. This morning I was up early and in town running errands. Filled the Tahoe up at the Gas-N-Go right up to the cap. Didn't even flinch when the clerk told me how much I spent. Next stop was Amy's Bakery where I bought some Kaiser rolls and a few donuts. Ma and Pa's grocery was the next stop, some thick sliced bologna for sandwiches and a couple of bags of Kit Kats for munching. I also bought a bag of Mcintosh apples, normally I would be chewing on apples from my own trees but I am apple poor again this year.

Forecast for this week is outstanding for staining and getting the cabin ready for winter so that also makes it an excellent forecast to go fishing, Yard is mowed, garden is in good shape. Deck is stained and the front porch needs a second coat on the stairs but that is a job that can be done in a few minutes not hours. No rain in the forecast and there will be some wind but not anything that can't be fished in. I have my calendar penciled in with where I want to go fish at. Mostly a bunch of smaller lakes around Lake Iwanttobethere that will turn over before the big lake does. I am going out by myself this afternoon but will be out with my neighbor Chuck tomorrow who is going to take the day off from working just to get some fishing in. I'll take the single shot twenty gage with me and store it under the seat. Some of these little lakes are kind of out of the way and early in the fall like this I may get lucky and spot some grouse on the drive in and get a shot off.

Duncan will have to stay at home and I put the shotgun in the Tahoe last night when the wife had him distracted in the kitchen. It is best he does not know I am getting out with out him. Later in the week I have both Elmer and Vic penciled in to go fishing. I will go and fish from the Resort those two days as I am hoping Vic will set me up on top of them crappies that he and Dock have been chasing all summer. Elmer and I will go chase northerns in the places where Elmer has been chasing them for years. In the past we have caught a few and lost a lot or so it seems as time and Elmer's stories have it.

Yesterday I spent the day watching football and going through tackle boxes. I was stocking them and retying lures on to rods and checking air in boat tires and shooting grease into hubs. Boat tank is full and batteries are all charged up. Dry clothes in the Tahoe along with gloves and towels and some bottled water. Rain gear to but the forecast is calling for temps in the seventies and mild wind. But this time of the year as soon as the sun hits the treetops it cools quickly out. Some of the best time of the year to be out fishing and also a great time of the year to have a heated truck seat to sit in at the end of a day of fishing. Yup this week I am going to be retired and on vacation here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,240,030}

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TODAY IS THE first day of Autumn and if it is like the last day of summer it should be interesting. The day went as planned for the most part. I was on the road by one in the afternoon and was pulling a fish over the side of the Puddle Humper by two-thirty. The forecast of seven to fifteen mile an hour winds was a tad off as I think the fifteen was the low side with a couple of twenty mile an hour gusts pretty common. Not to worry I have fished this lake in the wind many times before and I just let the wind take me down the shore with a couple of course adjustments with the bow trolling motor. I fished around a small island and got a hit from a northern, I eased the fish up to the boat and decided to just hop her up over the side till I found out the northern was a little bigger then I had thought. Twenty-eight inches of thrashing northern soon greeted me and I figured the bite was on.

Air was seventy out and the water here on this little lake was sixty-six could be less wind but I was soon to find out I was going to have to deal with it. I say that because as I came around the other side of the island it was time to move and my big motor did not want to turn over. Back to the protection of the island and I worked on getting the motor started till I gave up and figured somehow the battery was dead. The rest of the afternoon was spent fishing with just the trolling motor but I had a plan and as long as I ended up on a certain bay at dusk I would be OK. I got fish but it was slow going. Of course I was throwing a big willow blade with a pretty big chunk of plastic on it. I was not looking for little fish but I was in search for something that would put a nice bow on my rod.

There is a dock on this little lake that always has a fish or two on it. We call it the frog dock as I have taught all my kids and a few of the grand kids how to fish a live frog around it. It is off a little point with deep water close and it is a pretty big dock with several sections to it. I came up on it and hit the corners with the spinnerbait but no takers. I would have tossed a worm but just too windy. As I was going by I shot one last cast deep down the side and was rewarded with a wrist jarring hit. It actually hurt my wrist it was so quick and hard. Matter of fact the last time I felt a pain like that on my hand was the last time a nun in grade school slapped me with a ruler. I figured it must have been a northern it was so quick and slashing. My next thought was I wished the big motor was running so I would come back at dusk and give it another try.

I did end up in my little bay just at the right time, the wind died and I pulled out the buzz bait rod and started to catch fish. A couple of northern and then two sixteen's, two seventeen's and with the sun setting a nineteen and a half inch bass decided to hit my buzzbait for supper. Pretty much made my day as I held her up for a photo with the sunset in the background. This morning I was down at Dan's Auto Shop, I bought a new starting battery for the Puddle Humper. The old battery was so old it did not even have the sticker where you mark down the date you bought it for the warranty. It is in the boat and the trolling battery is on the charger, will be going out again this afternoon, fishing the first day of Autumn here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,243,417}

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RAIN DAY HERE at Lake Iwanttobethere, every vacation should have a few rain days just so you have an excuse to get out of the boat and fix things. As I get older I seem to be the one that needs the break for fixings. Night before last I forgot to mention that I had brought home a couple of fish for dinner. I was getting the first one ready for the frying pan when I slipped with the knife and took a chunk off the tip of my thumb. Bled pretty good there for awhile so I ended up putting a carpenters bandage on it. That is where you put a band aid over the cut and then wrap the whole mess up with some duct tape. Yesterday before I went fishing the wife insisted on putting a more professional dressing on it but as soon as I left the cabin I wrapped it up with some green painters tape because I knew her professional bandage was going to come off when I was out in the Puddle Humper.

The new battery took care of the starting problems of the big motor which was good as I needed to run the motor several times fishing yesterday. I met up with my neighbor Chuck and we fished a lake that I had tried to get to earlier in the summer but was driven away from the landing by a swarm of wasps. Since it was a new lake to both of us so we brought two boats and Chuck took the North end and I took the South end. Chuck did much better then I did. After an hour all I had caught was one seventeen inch bass but did see the granddaddy of all bald eagles. It took off from a point just as I came around it and she was huge. I see eagles all the time but this girl was by far the biggest bird I have seen in a long time. The little lake we were fishing is shaped like an hour glass with a channel in the middle. The wind was coming right down it and the channel was a little choppy. I met up with Chuck just past the channel and we exchanged scouting reports, he had boated six bass and two pike to my one fish.

Chuck did have a good Pike beat him up, biggest pike he has seen for awhile and he said he had it up to the boat and was staring it eye ball to eye ball when the pike straighten the clasp on his leader and left him with a splash. He gave me the general area where he had hooked the big fish and then we traded ends of the lake. I did a little better throwing the spinnerbait in the upper end of the lake catching a couple of bass and a pike. Chuck did nothing on the lower end just like I did and he came back to the upper end of the lake to join me. At dusk the wind died and we started throwing buzz baits and I quickly boated two more seventeen inch fish and Chuck caught one. Snapped a few pictures and called it a night and we loaded the boats back on the trailers. Of course after we hauled the boats out of the water we leaned against the truck and talked till it got dark making plans for Thursday nights fishing.

Today a few rain drops have already fallen and some more showers are in the forecast. I have the battery in the Puddle Humper on charge and I need to do a little boat cleaning. Tomorrow we will head out to another lake and do it all again. I like this vacation fishing as the wife asked me about doing a few chores today and I simply pointed to the calendar where it is written in big bold letters VACATION. So the talley so far is 200 miles driven, one new battery, 14 bass , 9 pike with a 28 inch northern and a 19.5 bass as the big fish I have a modest goal of catching a 100 fish on my vacation here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,247,201}

The tape job

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HAD A GOOD day fishing yesterday but I had a feeling I was going too as soon as I got out of bed. Forecast was calling for an overcast day and temps in the sixties with almost no wind. In the past a fall day like what was forecasted called for buzzbaits and as I got the Puddle Humper ready for the road I tied on a buzzbait with a big clacker on it. Chuck was supposed to go with but had to bail so I was hoping for a good day just so I could rub it into him later. Actually was on the road right on schedule and as I drove north the overcast sky was above me all the way. Just before I made the last turn on the dirt road to the access I saw a grouse staring at me trying to figure out what I was at the same time I was trying to figure out if it was a grouse or not. As I drove slowly the grouse finally did his road runner imitation and ran across the gravel road and into the forest.

I parked the Tahoe and got out, made my inspection of the landing and saw deer prints in the sand, another good sign. I like fishing when there is some movement in the local wildlife. I never seem to do very good when it is quiet. Yesterday I saw a grouse, a deer on the shore some geese overhead and a lot of ducks, all good signs for me. The first hour of fishing was not so good, I was tossing the big buzzbait and I had only boated one pike and lost a football size bass. I was getting hits but mostly misses. I was thinking the buzz bait was not what they were looking for. By three I was on the base of a long reed point that sticks out into the lake I was fishing. I must have hit the buffet line as in the next hour I caught only one nice bass but did catch eleven pike. I went back down the other side and caught eight more fish. Twenty-one fish in just a couple of hours had me smiling that and the fact that I figured out they wanted a spinnerbait.

Next stop was a cove where I do good on bass and I was not disappointed as four bass all over sixteen inches fell for the big spinnerbait with the blue blades that I like to throw in the fall. With maybe twenty minutes of light to fish by I had to make a decision so I pulled up the trolling motor and went to fire the big motor up and nothing. Not good I had just replaced the battery and I was having problems. Easy fix though, somehow the motor was in gear, I took it out and turn the key and it started right up and I was on my way to the tip of the reed point. Five minutes after I was there I was admiring a three pound bass that fell for the blue spinnerbait and I had another decision to make. In the past there is a little hot spot on the lake that I have pulled fish out in the fall. I could either stay on the point or have enough light to fish the spot. I sat down started the motor and headed to it with the light failing.

Had a feeling I should give the buzzbait a try and sure enough the second long cast disappeared into a boil and a jumping fat three pound bass fought all the way to the boat. I took a picture and eased her over the side and decided that was as good as any way to call it an evening. This morning finds me a little sore as catching all them fish can be tiring. Will take a walk with Duncan over to Chuck's and let him know just what he missed by not going fishing. The battery is already charging on the Puddle Humper and I already told the wife I am going fishing today. Think I am heading back to the same little lake, might be a few fish there I didn't catch.

So the talley so far is 300 miles driven, one new battery, 2 smashed spinnerbaits 23 bass, 35 pike with a 28 inch northern and a 19.5 bass as the big fish. I am halfway to my modest goal of catching a 100 fish on my vacation here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,251,432}

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THE THING ABOUT fishing or hunting for that matter is it is never the same every time you go. So having read that I am going to guess you are assuming that I went back to the same lake and did squat. Actually I did catch less fish then the day before but I still boated twenty-two fish and I will take that any fishing trip. Not as many fish as the day before but they were bigger this time around. Weather had changed, the water was still around sixty-two but I was fishing in shorts and just a tee short as it was a balmy seventy-six out with a warm south wind. I was not too happy about the wind but that is something you always seem to have with you when fall fishing.

The plan was to skip all the water where I didn't catch any fish the day before and head right to the big reed point where I did so good. I caught a few fish but it was pretty wind swept and boat control was an issue. I did catch a nice fat thirty-one inch northern that I dipped with the net and then had the fish trash the net and get himself so caught up in it that I was considering taking the clippers to it. I was shooting some video or so I thought but I had turned the camera off instead of on and then when I turned the camera off I really turned the camera on. This left me with seventy minutes of video of the floor of the Puddle Humper and a dead battery. So not many pictures of yesterdays fishing except I did get a picture of the nice bass I caught just shy of nineteen inches. Five bass came over the side of the Puddle Humper and the smallest one was sixteen inches and two and half pounds. No little bass at all but then I am throwing a big spinner bait with a big chunk of plastic that seems to be well liked by the bass and the pike this fall.

This morning I put the Puddle Humper's battery on charge and headed into town, needed to go to the Masterbaiters shop for some more plastic as I have gone through the three bags that I had on hand. While I was in town I took the opportunity to hit the car wash and turn the dust covered Tahoe white again. As I drove by the Lodge I saw the lot was pretty empty which is a surprise for a Saturday but then I saw that the landing was just about full of trucks and wet trailers. This may be the last chance for some to go fishing and it seems that a lot of guys are taking advantage of what is forecasted to be a very warm day. Still lots of leaves up and it is to warm to take the dogs out bird hunting so fishing or a round of golf is what it appears the Lodge members are doing today.

I also got a call this morning from granddaughter number two who told me she had the afternoon free. Soccer is done and no birthday parties to attend as she asked me if I would like to go fishing with her. I chuckled on the phone and told her I did have plans to head to the Resort and fish for crappies with Vic. She told me that was OK Vic can come to. I called Vic and asked if it was OK if the granddaughter came fishing with us and he grumbled some and finally said OK, I asked the wife to pack a third brown paper bag lunch and told her the granddaughter was going fishing with me and Vic this afternoon. Told her that Vic had given his OK but not with out a little complaining, "Why is that" the wife asked and I told her the last time we all went together the granddaughter out fished both of us, here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,252,855}

So the talley so far is 410 miles driven, one new boat battery, 2 smashed spinnerbaits a trip to the bait shop for more big blue trailers and a fish total of 80 which breaks down to 28 bass, 52 pike with a 31 inch northern and a 19.5 bass as the big fish. I am a good afternoon of fishing away from my modest goal of catching a 100 fish on my fall fishing vacation here at Lake Iwanttobethere

I know just another nice fat fall bass picture.

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MORNING DEW COVERED everything here at the Resort this morning. I was not up at the crack of dawn but several hours after. I took a glass of orange juice and a cherry turnover that Marv had made yesterday out on to the back deck of the Clubhouse. I found a wood chair that was not to wet and sat down to enjoy a little early morning peace and quiet, it was anything but that. A flight or a pod or a flock or I just call them a mess of grackles had taken rest in a pine tree and they were louder then the local grade school outside for morning recess. A few crows flew in acting like the local traffic cops and cawed to the grackles to move on, you don't belong here. From the roof of the wood shop I could hear the cooing of morning doves acting like spectators at a car crash making soft comments but not quite loud enough to understand. After awhile the grackles moved on, they left the tree in groups of five's and tens and suddenly the whole tree got a lot lighter as the entire group just took wing and went well I don't know where they went they just left. I always wonder who is the leader of them groups and why they land when they do and take off on a whim.

Now it was quiet out and I could hear the click of the orange juice glass when I set it down on the table in front of me. Like I was saying the morning dew covered everything and it was calm out and the deer jumping the log thermometer had its red needle just above sixty. It felt a little warmer then that. I looked at the tree tops and they were still and the water of the little bay was quiet. I was just thinking about maybe getting up and getting a second turnover when I heard a shot, then another then a third. Someone was out grouse hunting and from past experience one shot could mean either a bird or a miss, two shots most likely a bird and three shots, well there is a good chance that a bird is still flying.

Wood screen door slammed behind me and I heard Vic talking to himself about having to fix that one of these days. He came over and eyed the wet chairs and looking over his glasses at me said morning, I nodded and said morning back at him. Like me he had a glass of orange juice and a cherry turnover wrapped in a piece of paper towel. Not seeing much of a difference in the chairs in front of him he sat down in the one across from me and sets his OJ down but not till he took a sip. "Quiet out here this morning" he said and I just nodded yes.

Yesterday afternoon Vic and I shared some time in the mail boat along with granddaughter number two, fishing. Actually I spent a lot of time just leaning back in my seat with my hat down low over my eyes enjoying the rocking of the boat and watching. The granddaughter did all the fishing and Vic was the first mate doing all the baiting and undoing hooked fish and having a great time of it. I did try to help but Vic would have none of it saying it was his boat and his job. I just relaxed and watched the two of them fish. When we ran out of bait we headed back to shore, Granddaughter steering the boat and Vic close to put his hand on the tiller if needed. We tied up and Vic handed the small fish basket to me to carry up the trail. He and the granddaughter started up in front of me but not till Vic turned to me and said "Thanks" I nodded and just waved at the granddaughter and holding up the fish basket I said " She is going to make us look good inside" here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,255,343}

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TO HOT TO fish, never thought I would be saying that in the last few days of September here at Lake Iwanttobethere. I was sitting on the back deck of the Clubhouse trying to find a reason to go fishing. I was having a hard time as it was in the low eighties, hardly a cloud in the sky and a brisk wind was making it hard for even the crows to fly where they wanted to. There was a lot of yelling coming from the FELLOWS campsite as they were watching a football game that neither team that was playing were local favorites, but it was a football game so they were still watching. Having spent most of the last week fishing I was content to just sit and take in the smell of pine and watch colorful leaves fly across the deck. Every now and then a gust of wind would take the leaves and turn it into a Leaf out, so thick you could not see past them.

I was not the only one who thought just sitting was a good option for the afternoon. Chuck was up working in the pole barn but he came down to get something to drink and sat down and just never got back up. He asked me about going fishing and I told him maybe when the wind dies down some and I heard that there was a chance of afternoon rain. He nodded his head and told me that sounds like a pretty good excuse not to leave the shade of the deck. I had a lemonade in a big glass and ice cubes that were melting, normally this time of the year ice cubes could pretty much stay being ice cubes for a couple of hours but not today, today they were melting away.

Marv came out and sat on the deck and right behind him Elmer came out and pulled up a chair. We made small talk but we also did a lot of just sitting and watching leaves fall and listen to the sound of the FELLOWS yelling or cheering, we could not figure out which. Guys don't have much problem just sitting and not saying much. Around campfires or hanging over the sides of pickups we don't really need to have someone talking all the time. Winds started to die down some, I could tell because leaves were starting to gather on the deck around our feet. I was thinking maybe I should go out and fish a few hours, could get it in before the rain was supposed to fall and the weather is going to get cool. I almost had myself convinced to get up when Vic came out the screen door dragging the TV with him. Hammering Hank was right behind him with a couple of loops of antenna cable. TV was set down on the table and turned on and Gee there was a football game just ready to start. So I decided to stay and watch the first half and see how the new rookie QB played.

I didn't go fishing, the game got entertaining and a couple of beers appeared and Marv went in and cooked up some wings for lunch/halftime and then the FELLOWS came over because our TV was way bigger then their TV. I said that guys don't need to talk much when they are together but you put them in front of a TV with a couple of beers and everyone becomes a football analyst. Throw in wings and some pretzels and before you know it I had ran out of time to go fishing. Cheering and clapping, dogs barking wind blowing and leaves falling I could have spent a quiet afternoon out on the lake but sometimes perfect fall days are meant for watching football outside here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,257,508}

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YESTERDAY I SPENT most of the day trying to stay out of the wife's way. She was canning and the kitchen was a busy place. Multi tasking she calls it as she was slicing up cucumbers for making pickles on one counter while she had canning jars soaking in the sink while other jars filled with tomatoes were taking a hot bath on the stove. A pot of tomato sauce was brewing on another burner and bread was rising for supper. All three dogs were also in the kitchen but they were tucked away under the table, once you get your tail stepped on you learn to keep it out of the way. I was just the assistant to the chief chef as I was sent out to gather cucumbers and tomatoes and bring in onions that are hanging out in the wood shop. Greenhouse trips were made to harvest dill and peppers that are growing out there in pots. I foolishly asked if she was going to have any time to make apple pie but was greeted with just a stare, I took that as a no.

I got a couple of bags of apples in a round about way. My trees are bare except for three apples that are hanging from one branch just out of reach. I did a little bartering and some trading and in return I got some pie making apples. The wife I think was hoping that there would be no pie making this fall but when I showed her the bags of apples she just told me they will have to wait their turn. Taking the stare as a clue that I was not needed I asked if there was anything I could do, her reply was to go into town and see about picking up another case of canning jars. I was going to offer a suggestion that there might be some more in the basement that she overlooked but decided against it, one can never have enough canning jars.

Duncan was up for a ride so we headed out to the Tahoe, he jumped in and I had to climb in, I called him a show off and patted him on the head then lowered a window so he could stick his head out on the drive. I took a round about way into town as figured the wife was in no real hurry for the canning jars. The strong winds and rain of the past few days have done a number on the leaves. A lot more down on the ground then last week. I had a stretch of road that was just carpeted in pine needles as the wind had even knocked them off trees. I had my window rolled down and the heater on even had the heated seat clicked on to low. About a forty degree difference in twenty-four hours and a lot of bird hunters are happy with the cooler temperature.

As I was driving past the Gulp-N-Go I saw that I could use a little gas myself. I pulled in and stuck the nozzle in and leaned up against the side of the Tahoe and waited. A couple of other guys were doing the same thing, waiting that is. Back in the old days the pumps did not seem to pump as fast as they do now and they were noisy. You could stick the nozzle in the fill pipe and listen to the tell tale click that the meter made when it pumped a gallon of gas. The real old pumps had a bell that would go off every time a gallon of high test was pumped. They were slow to, in the time it took to put ten gallons in the truck you could check your oil, and wash your windows. Now you don't even look at the gallons, you just watch the digital numbers flashing dollars back at you. Except here at the Gas-N-Go there are still old pumps, no digital they still have black numbers on a white back ground that chase each other as you pump gas. Gives one time to wash windows or just lean up against your truck and watch gas pump here at Lake Iwanttobethere {2,258,567}

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ALMOST THIRTEEN YEARS ago to the day I lost my lab Bud. Bud was a year and half old and my son took him out bird hunting with a buddy. They lost Bud in the woods about an hours drive from home. The son came home well after dark to tell me they lost Bud and as hard as they looked they could not find him. I called into work telling my boss I was going to be late and with the youngest daughter we grabbed flashlights and drove the hour drive and under the stars we started calling out Bud's name. My daughter found Bud or I should say she found her. At the edge of a field she saw eyes reflecting in her flashlight as Bud ran across the field to jump into her arms, no doubt as happy as we were to see him as he was to see us. On the ride back home Bud laid on the seat next to me with his head leaning up against my thigh and for the next thirteen years he has never left it till this morning.

Bud was having health problem and we knew this day was coming. Early yesterday morning Bud had several seizures and it was time. As I sat up with him during the night I didn't leave his side. When morning came I called the daughter who made arrangements with the vet and a afternoon appointment was set. I spent the time outside digging a grave in the rain, my tears mixing in with the rain drops. I made several trips inside to check on Bud, he was in good hands as Duncan the young lab was at his side. The time came and the daughter and wife took Bud to the vet, I didn't go, I could not handle seeing my Bud go.

This morning I woke up to the first time in over fourteen years and did not see Bud's face in mine. I went in search of my slippers and I could not find one. I finally did under the kitchen table where the wife without thinking said that Bud probably put it there. I left the slipper where it was and put on my boots and went outside. Going to take me awhile, everywhere I look I see Bud I grow very attracted to my dogs and losing one is o so very hard. Bud was by best pal, my wing man, the one I told secrets to as he was very good at not telling anyone them. He was always there for me and as I type this I am crying like a baby and I don't care. Bud, Buddy, The Old Man and also called Budrick when he was in trouble was a good dog, a good friend.

I went back in the house and took off my boots and went looking for my other slipper that was under the kitchen table. When I got there it was gone. I asked the wife and she said she had not moved it. I went into the den with one slipper on and in search of the other. I found it, under my desk in Duncan's mouth. He has learned well from Bud...

Thanks for reading this, pet your dog or rub your cat they are never here long enough so love then hard while you can, Bobby.

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Right off I want to say thank you for your comments. Somehow sharing has a way of diminishing bad moments and improving good moments. I am better today then I was yesterday but there are just so many triggers around it will take awhile to get used to Bud being gone. I caught myself this morning taking three biscuits out of the box when I only needed two and counting dogs coming back in the deck door. Duncan is looking a little lost with out his mentor and Barney, Bud's brother is still sleeping on the floor by the side of my bed, he has not taken Bud's spot. House is quiet with out Bud's barking and now I don't know when the mailman comes, that was Bud's job.

I have gotten calls and e-mail's and a few hugs from some of my buddies who have gone through the same thing over the years. It will take a while but I know I will be able to talk and write about Bud, we did have a lot of adventures together, down the road I would like to share them with you here at Lake Iwanttobethere

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