Full Moon Reflections

This full moon trip to Mille Lacs was filled with reflections. Mostly because there was a lot of time between bites to remind one of the Glory Days of fishing with the likes of James Holst and Dustin Stewart in what I would consider the birth of what we see as the Fall bite at Mille Lacs today. Many presentations, baits and rods were made famous by some epic guide trips providing many anglers with their personal best walleyes! Articles on IDO showed what a great fishery Mille Lacs can be, and how virtually anyone could catch a fish of a lifetime! And many did! And this trip, another person experienced just that! As far as tactics and baits, the same Husky Jerks, Thundersticks, Rogues and jointers produced. Speeds of 1.3 MPH and depths of 6-8 feet worked best for us. Waypoints from years past proved invaluable during this tough bite! We caught fish on almost every old waypoint.

I also reflected on how time changes people and situations. I (We) lost a best friend in Tim Hukriede to ALS. Not a fishing trip goes by without quotes from “Hook” as we knew him. One of the best quotes was never spoken…but seen. While Hook was in the midst of fighting ALS, we were fishing on the west side of the lake at moon-rise. Fishing was really good (We were fishing “Stairway to Heaven” as some of you reading may know), but Hook was having a hard time holding onto his rod, so he set it down quietly and watched the moon come up. I took note of it, put the boat in neutral and reeled up myself. I caught the glimpse of a tear falling down Hook’s cheek. I matched his tears with many of my own. A memory I will never forget. Since then I have faced a couple of health issues of my own. Facing your own mortality slaps you upside the head and makes you face some things in your life that you may have let slip by you. I found out that catching the biggest walleye for the tournament, full moon week or the Opener is not that big of a deal. What is a bigger deal is watching your child catch the biggest fish of your life. Or to see a great buddy do the same! That is what builds the legacy you leave behind.

This year I re-connected with one of my best friends from High School, Ernie Companion. In the late 70’s Ernie and I were inseparable! How we lost touch is anyone’s guess. Marriage, kids and the day to day functions of life stepped in and we lost touch. Re-enter Ernie in 2013! Ernie was with me this Opener when I caught my personal best Largemouth Bass. Since then we have been getting together on the water and have been reminiscing about some of the things we did and still managed to stay out of jail! But hey, this is a fishing report. Normally the October Full Moon bite belonged to my son Ben and me. Ben had to work, and the only too eager Ernie stepped up to the plate with the promise of maybe catching the biggest walleye of his life! Boy, there is nothing like setting the bar high in the midst of a less than stellar bite! We managed 5 the first night, and the second night I rattled off 7 straight. Off the pace of years past, but that was not what this trip was about.

Day 2 started out with a plan to try an approach that my son Ben and I found a few years back. Corking big suckers over one of our favorite rock piles where both Ben and I got personal best smallies. It turned out to be a fantastic multi-species day with walleye, smallies and pike being caught. Ernie corked up and pitched out the right side of the boat and the cork disappeared as soon as it hit the water! He popped a respectable 17” fish, nice by any standards! But I told him “It will get better than this!” As the day went on, Ernie got his personal best smallie, Pike and walleye! All on the same day! As the time progressed I reflected on trips past with the likes of Kooty, Matt Grow, Ted Merdan, Jon Jordan Dave Koonce and his brats and many others who celebrated this Fall ritual with us. Man, I miss those days! But more than that, I have memories that will last forever. Good luck to you all who continue to do the same!

Tuck