Twas the night before the opener

[Bodofish]

Good for you Stryker! You get a gold star for going above and beyond!!!!

[kevinb]

It's that time again! Good luck to everyone headed out. Like last year, I will likely miss the festivities as my son has hockey on the weekend but might be able drop in for a quick, nearby lake. Either way, be safe and enjoy!

[FishBaitThe2nd]

Ive been home for about 2 hours, limited this morning with a 17 incher, 2 15 inchers, and 2 stockers.

[urbanangler]

Ah, Kevinb, you keep warming my heart by keeping this thread alive. Finally, my Wapato streak has been broken. That trip fell through for me this year, but I ended up soloing in my portabote on Pine Lake in Sammamish, WA. Just wrote up a report for yesterday. Was pretty easy pickings, for sure, making up for all of the other dismal fishing outings. Hope you and others got some good action yesterday.
Cheers!
Urban

[urbanangler]

Ok, Kevinb, here we are again! Pine Lake will be terrorized yet again by me and my portabote. It's on like Donkey Kong!! :D

[Let's_Go_Fishing!]

Anyone here going to be fishing north county lakes? We're up in Snoco by the Stilly

[Let's_Go_Fishing!]

Anyone with a boat going to be fishing north county lakes and has an open seat?

[fishinChristian]

2 versions.


'Twas the night before blastoff, when all through the inn
All the anglers were stirring, thinking ‘bout a big win.
The lures were all tied to the Trilene with care,
In hopes that five big ones soon would be snared.


The big bass were nestled all snug in their beds,
Surely visions of our baits filling their heads.
And brother with his laptop, and I with my maps,
Had found just the spot, or maybe two perhaps.

Then out of nowhere, we both fell asleep,
Not waking ‘til six when my phone finally beeped.
The sun on the edge of the sky in the east,
Gave my stomach the feeling it just might release.

Then, what to my still bleary eyes should appear,
But an empty parking lot, no boats far or near.
Away to the truck we flew like none other,
Hooked up the boat and peeled off the cover.

With both of us sweating, half crazy and sick,
I sped to the main road and the gas my foot hit.
More rapid than ever the back roads we drove,
We hollered, and shouted, as further we strove.

Past Smith Springs, the Junction and County Road Eight,
The marina was next; we were sure to be late.
To the top of the ramp! Into reverse I then threw,
“Now back it straight! Hit the gas! Park it we’re through.”

As numbers were called we sat not believing,
Our boat was next so at last we were breathing.
So up on the waves in our Triton we flew,
Destination a bridge, to catch one or two.

And then, in a twinkling, I had the notion,
To change up our plans and fish on emotion.
As I spun the wheel left, and turned us around,
My brother looked at me, on his face a slight frown.

We were not sure at first, but soon had no worry,
The big bass were biting; we caught four in a hurry.
Jigs, worms and A-rigs we flung in the air,
The hours slipped by, leaving few minutes to spare.

My eyes -- how they twinkled! My dimples how merry!
When the big one ate my bait, but then it got scary!
The big old largemouth was hung under the dock,
Upon seeing his head, we looked on in shock.

A big swimbait he held so tight in his teeth,
And the A-Rig encircled his head like a wreath.
He had thick, broad shoulders, and a big round belly,
He thrashed and it shivered like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right regal old fish,
I lurched when I saw him, and made a quick wish.
A thrash of his tail and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had much left to dread.

We spoke not a word, we went straight to our work,
Brother lunged toward the beast; its mouth turned with a jerk.
And laying both hands around its big nose,
And giving a shout, from the water he rose.

Brother sprang to his feet, and hollered “Yeah Bass”!
And away we then flew to weigh-in at last.
And all heard us say, as we stepped to the stage,
"What a day this has been, let’s see what they’ll weigh!"





T'was the night before fishing,
When toast after toast,
Finally left no one sober,
Not even the host.

The whole camp was in turmoil,
The gear was piled deep.
And the dishes from dinner
Were stacked in a heap.

And the poker chips jingled.
And the cards flashed bright,
To the bleary eyed players,
Glued there for the night.

Course the stories were flying,
Complete with damned lies.
Like the fish that Jake mentioned,
He landed on flies.

Like the one when Mike scrubbed out
Results of that scare.
When he ran to the outhouse,
And into a bear.

Or the one of the Musky,
Max told with a gloat.
That leaped high for his spinner,
And fell in the boat.

Yes the stories were flying.
And the gang was unwound.
As their pent up emotions,
Spilled out all around.

Then a Loon called out loudly,
From far in the lake.
And in sudden awareness,
It jarred us awake.

Each man of us now knew it,
Was time to turn in.
For tomorrow we'd battle,
The surge of the fin.

Just the stillness of darkness,
Remained to make clear.
T'was the night before fishing,
For another long year.

-Red Fisher

[urbanangler]

Stellar work, Red! wow :D

[kevinb]

Best of luck to everyone heading out, enjoy!

[urbanangler]

Thank you for continuing this tradition, kevinb! Sad news for me is I must work a full day tomorrow. Maybe Sunday, but the weather forecast ain't good for the greater Puget Sound region. :+|

[Amx]

Just now on the news they say it's gonna rain in the Puget Sound area at about 10am tomorrow.

Oh ya, and I did my fishing today.

And I actually caught one, ONE, a Largie, today.

[The Quadfather]

Like a fine Christmas story tradition.. Resurrected from deep in 2008.

[Amx]

A fine tradition it is.

[Amx]

Rats, missed a year, nobody posted in 2015.

[urbanangler]

Boogers! I was hoping that nobody would notice that!

[Amx]

I went back and read the whole thing, the thread that is, all the posts.

[urbanangler]

Surprise! I am still alive, still fish, and still have an account here!

I plan on fishing Pine Lake in my portabote again on Saturday. Getting excited since I have not been using that bote much in recent years.

Visions of my tiller extension in left hand, pole in the right, trolling along, and feeling the line load up again and again.

[urbanangler]

Ah, yes, tis a fine tradition to resurrect this thread every year! Thanks, kevinb!

And I seem to be stuck in a Wapato Lake opening day rut. Another year, another 3 hour trip to the Lake Chelan area. Got new back-supporting seats for the portabote, to replace the flimsy canoe seats. And I sprung for one of those fancy Optima batteries for my trolling motor, as the seven year old Trojan has faded. I am ready and raring to go. :+P

May all of us trout chasers get some violent strikes to break up the looking at the great out of doors!
Urban

Funny thing... I just told the story in the car, not 10 minutes ago, about your trip last year when the Volvo got turned into a Subaru on the way over there. That was a funny one!

That story never gets old. Hope you are ruling your word, Quad!

[The Quadfather]

Ah, yes, tis a fine tradition to resurrect this thread every year! Thanks, kevinb!

And I seem to be stuck in a Wapato Lake opening day rut. Another year, another 3 hour trip to the Lake Chelan area. Got new back-supporting seats for the portabote, to replace the flimsy canoe seats. And I sprung for one of those fancy Optima batteries for my trolling motor, as the seven year old Trojan has faded. I am ready and raring to go. :+P

May all of us trout chasers get some violent strikes to break up the looking at the great out of doors!
Urban

Funny thing... I just told the story in the car, not 10 minutes ago, about your trip last year when the Volvo got turned into a Subaru on the way over there. That was a funny one!

That story never gets old. Hope you are ruling your word, Quad!

Urban,

It’s firing on all cylinders here.
Got a new boat, life is good. Will reach out to you soon.