We all like to challenge ourselves. It's just in our nature.
We find things that are difficult and push ourselves to overcome
them. Fishing is no different. I have fished my whole life and
found myself in some pretty dicey situations. From swamped
boats, snakes dropping into boats, terrible weather, engine
trouble, beached on sandbars and everything in between. I have
always managed to overcome these obstacles even though there
was lot of drama and fear involved at times. I've been swamped
by barges in the river, lost in the fog quite a few times and trapped
behind barges parked on the river bank. (curiosity killed the cat..
I wonder if I can fit back there?) The answer is .. yes you can....
until the barges shift and close up the hole you came in...lol. I have
also fished some really large lakes down south in boats that had
no business being on such water. Once on Kerr reservoir we
motored over to the North Carolina side from Virginia and went
several miles up in an inlet in a fifteen foot flat bottom boat with
a ten horse motor only to be greeted with four foot waves on our
return trip later in the day.. that one hour trip over in the morning
made for an almost three hour trip back with both of us bailing
water the entire time. We ended up almost a mile off course when
we got across but luckily we didn't end up on the bottom...lol I
could tell a million stories of stupid stunts I've attempted but that's
not the point of this post. The point of this post is the one problem
that I have failed to conquer and have finally admitted defeat on.
Lake Erie.. the walleye capital of the world. Some of the best
tasting fish to swim in fresh water. Years ago we started going
in a group from the mill where I worked each spring. About twenty
of us drove up, chartered boats and spent the weekend fishing.
Always had a great time.. well almost always. I personally had a
big problem with the lake. Motion sickness. Never ever did I have
a problem anywhere else in a boat or car except there. Back then
it could have possibly been partially alcohol related at times.. but
not always. I usually fished through it and went on my merry way.
The last few years have been different. I've tried it sober.. I've
tried it drunk.. empty stomach.. full stomach.. motion pills.. wrist
bands.. you name it . Same results. We even changed from the
smaller twenty four foot charter boats to the larger head boats that
hold eighteen to twenty people. About three years ago I got really
ill on board. At first I was afraid I was going to die.. after an hour
or two I was afraid I WASN'T going to die..lol Last year I had no
problem what so ever .. great trip.
This past weekend was our trip.. Confident that I had it whipped
I was in high spirits.... for about an hour. Now before I go on you
have to realize that once it starts, It doesn't stop. And the boat isn't
going back in for nine hours so it is what it is. If you have never
spent eight hours curled in a fetal position shaking and dry heaving
into a Kroger bag you have not experienced Hell. And ladies you
now have my sympathy for going through labor. Okay enough of
that grossness. Suffice to say I caught no fish. When we got back
in dock I vowed never to set foot on a boat on that lake again. Oh
but tomorrow is already paid for and were going to calmer waters
and they have this new medicine in the marina that works really well.
No matter ! Not me ! You don't even have to stick a fork in me.....
I'm done !!! It beat me..It won ! I'm broken. So after checking out
of the condo Sunday morning I spent the entire day touring beautiful
Port Clinton. Exciting in that the only places open on Sundays are
bait and tackle shops and a few select restaurants. But I made the
best of it and on the plus side I didn't get seasick walking about
town. Had a great lunch in an old restored eighteen hundreds Hotel
building with a friendly waitress that sat with me for a bit and told
me of the buildings history. And no I didn't order fish..lol
What causes this I have no idea. Maybe it's the motion.. (I've
fished much rougher water), maybe it's being out of sight of land
(been on ocean cruises with no problem) who knows.. All I know
is I'm whipped. I sure am going to miss those tasty fillets at camp
when we have our fish frys though.. Oh well.. there's always Coleman's
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| Giant Walleye |
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| Our headboat coming in on second day |
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