Christmas in May

[Bobby Bass]

Christmas in May, that what's a MN fishing opener is. It should be a holiday, you should get a day off with pay. No one could put a dollar amount on what is spent for that first day of fishing. Bait, tackle, gas, trips to NAPA and Checker for trailer parts. Three last minute trips to Gander and Cabbala's the supermarket for groceries. Other then deer season the Friday before opener is the time when you will see men in the supermarket. A guy has to go to the deli himself to get that special ½ thick cut of lunch meat for the perfect sandwich. Has to hand pick the spuds for that fried tatter shore lunch. Bags of butterscotch buttons and even those little Vienna sausages.

Come Saturday morning it is like the day after Thanksgiving sale. Lights will be on in garages all over MN. Phones will start ringing letting others know they are on there way. Then like a ghost in the darkness the trucks will start moving out. Gliding down streets to pick up friends before heading towards the freeway. Headlights followed by that yellow glow of markers lights as they cut through the night hauling that prized MN possession, a fishing boat. With luck and a lot of work all the lights are working, the motor has been tested and the drain plug not forgotten. After a few minutes a stop is made and a friend shares the cab. Quiet hello's are shared and gear is stowed away in the boat. Once again the truck and trailer head in the direction of that certain spot that has been talked about over a propane stove on a 5 gal bucket on a frozen piece of ice. Lights merge on the freeway, soon nothing but trucks and boats and cars and boats are seen. Once in a great while a car is seen going the opposite direction and a joke is made over the poor sap that looks like they are going to work. You make your first of many turns to go from freeway to asphalt to dirt to trail. The radio station starts to fade in and out till you turn it off and roll the window down. You are getting closer now, don't need to be distracted by some morning fishing show talking about opener. You are the opener, he is back at some station talking fishing and you are going to be on the water in less then 10 minutes.

Back home home wife's are picking up forgotten rods and tackle boxes, standing them up in the corner where they were forgotten. Lunches are put back in refrigerators Garage doors are closed and lights turned off. That funny looking thing with a rubber cork and spring that goes in the back of the boat is picked up off the floor and placed on the work bench. Wife's head back to bed for a few hours sleep with thoughts of rummage sales. From Lake Iwanttobethere, I hope you are where you want to be Saturday morning..

[Dan Thiem]

Good stuff Bobby! (As usuall )

[The_Duckslayer]

Great stuff Bobby! I thnk that there is a lot more truth in that last paragraph than a lot of guys will let on to!!! Best of luck to one and all of ya! Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[Muskieguy]

When I first read the title of this post...I laughed out loud, because I thought you were referring to the weather we normally get for opener...hehehe..

[FL SNIPER]

I thought the title referred to all the gifts we buy ourselves just prior to opener!

Good luck everyone...have fun!!!

[jim2fish]

that was awesome and so true