Hunting & Fishing Stories

First Catch - by Karen Smith
     My husband Dale and I were invited by friends to go walleye fishing on Lake Erie last June. The invitation was accepted and I eagerly looked forward to the trip. You see, I have never been fishing, ever. Sure, I went along with my dad and brother in my younger years, but mostly I just messed around. According to them, what I did best was make noise and scare the fish! At least I provided a ready excuse if no fish were caught.

     As our fishing excursion drew closer, I became a little worried that I wouldn't have any experience at all to draw from. Finally the big day came and I was excited to get out on the water and see how it was done. The alarm rang at 4:30 AM and I resisted the urge to dive under the blankets and go back to sleep. "What have I gotten myself into?" was the question running through my head. My enthusiasm was tested further when a peek outside showed a dark, gray morning threatening rain.

     After about a gallon of hot coffee on the ride to the marina, things started looking up. The sun was peeking through the cloud cover and the rest of our party seemed to be in good spirits. I took my cue from them and decided to have a good time no matter what!

     Our party consisted of Ross and Karol Wallingford, Daryl Haid and Brenda Dolan, Mike and Judy Green and ourselves. All but Dale and I had been on charters with Sunrise before and had great experiences. There were two fishing boats being readied for us and the activity in the marina was exciting to me. I love the water and was really looking forward to catching some fish. Even the boat ride out into the lake was fun to me! The water was rough and choppy and the boat was bouncing out of the water with waves splashing all over us. I loved every minute of it! I also enjoyed the scratchy conversations of the Captain of our boat and his dad on the other boat. The "codes" they used to talk to each other were interesting, giving information about the areas the fish were running without giving our position away. Finally a good "spot" was chosen and the Captain readied all the lines and we began to troll.

     Mike and Judy were on the boat with us and a drawing was held to determine the order we would take when fish were hooked. Just my luck - I drew the first position. I really wanted to watch for a while, but in a few short minutes, I was called upon to take my turn. My heart was racing and I prayed I wouldn't make a fool out of myself. I took the rod and began the process of bringing him in. I reeled and reeled and reeled! It was very heavy, and I felt sure I had hooked something much bigger than a fish. I was beginning to tire, but no way was I going to let on to anyone. At last I saw something golden come to the surface! Could this be my very first fish? When it finally drew close enough for Captain Bob to get him in the net, I was astounded. He was huge, he was pretty and he was mine!

     We had an excellent day to fish and I was able to repeat this process many times. Conditions were just right. Not too hot, not too cold, the water temperature was favorable for the fish. Captain Bob was working himself to death trying to keep up with the poles and netting everyone's catches. We all caught our limit and our companion boat did as well. My first fishing experience couldn't have been better. We are still enjoying our catch and just about the time we finish it all, it will be time to go back. Our reservations have already been made for June of 1999. I can't say enough about the professionalism shown by Sunrise Fishing Charters and Captain Bob Stevens that helped make my first fish a memorable one.