Old Ironmaker
Captain
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2015
- Messages
- 3,050
I met a gentleman at our local fishing club where I was a new member. To make a long story as short as I can we made arrangements to go out for Perch on Lake Erie. We headed from the marina in May and quickly saw no less than 75 boats all anchored. I didn't want to jam my rig up some guys keister so I anchored outside the pack in 40 feet of water. We were on the fish immediately catching 2 at a time on the line, nice large foot long jumbos. The gentleman who goes 6'4" and close to 300 pounds was sitting up from in my bow seat. Every time he had a hit he set the hook like he's driving a hook into a Tarpon. He's getting more and more exited with each fish and he is now setting the hook so hard the reel is way above or behind his head and he has all 300 pounds braced with his size 15's firmly braced into the gunnels. Now I don't really know this beast and don't really know how he takes criticism. So I remain silent, who am I to judge his angling style.
I am unhooking a nice 14" Jumbo and hear a load cry of "woe, woe, woe" Just as I look up all I see is this entire 6 plus feet of humanity do a complete 360 into the crystal clear waters of Lake Erie feet first. I can see him until he is out of sight 20 feet below. A few seconds latter he appears and I will never forget the look on his face. I didn't know a mans eyes can get that big without them popping from the sockets. He grabs onto the side of the boat and thought he was going to bend my gunnel. I wanted him to remain clam and told him just that, he is fine. It took all my discipline for me not to burst out laughing. So I asked him "Albert is the water temperature really 52 degrees?" I explained to him how to board the boat using one of those fold out ladders and the bottom of the engine to get back in. In one felled swoop he swung his legs over the side and he back in nearly knocking me over board. I always have towels except today and it's not exactly balmy. Off come his clothes down to the Fruit of the Looms. I hand him basically a rag to use and right on cue we get a warm blast of a Chinook wind. He has laundry hanging everywhere, sits back down basically naked and says "I hate when that happens, I knew I should have brought a towel" We fished for another few hours and filled the wells full of nice perch. At the next months meeting I mention to a few guys I took Albert out onto the lake with me, they all stopped dead and looked at me. One of the guys asked " How many times did he fall out of the boat?"
I am unhooking a nice 14" Jumbo and hear a load cry of "woe, woe, woe" Just as I look up all I see is this entire 6 plus feet of humanity do a complete 360 into the crystal clear waters of Lake Erie feet first. I can see him until he is out of sight 20 feet below. A few seconds latter he appears and I will never forget the look on his face. I didn't know a mans eyes can get that big without them popping from the sockets. He grabs onto the side of the boat and thought he was going to bend my gunnel. I wanted him to remain clam and told him just that, he is fine. It took all my discipline for me not to burst out laughing. So I asked him "Albert is the water temperature really 52 degrees?" I explained to him how to board the boat using one of those fold out ladders and the bottom of the engine to get back in. In one felled swoop he swung his legs over the side and he back in nearly knocking me over board. I always have towels except today and it's not exactly balmy. Off come his clothes down to the Fruit of the Looms. I hand him basically a rag to use and right on cue we get a warm blast of a Chinook wind. He has laundry hanging everywhere, sits back down basically naked and says "I hate when that happens, I knew I should have brought a towel" We fished for another few hours and filled the wells full of nice perch. At the next months meeting I mention to a few guys I took Albert out onto the lake with me, they all stopped dead and looked at me. One of the guys asked " How many times did he fall out of the boat?"
