Welcome!

My business is to provide people the opportunity to sample the exciting and challenging fishing available at the southern end of Lake Michigan. This page is dedicated to showing a bit of the behind-the-scenes work it takes to do that and to highlight the trips and fun my customers are able to experience.

Friday, August 15, 2014

UNCURSED

Most writers have experienced the “writer’s curse.”  You head for a hunting, hiking or fishing destination and Mother Nature and Lady Luck team up to cast aside the best laid plans or make the hot bite cold as ice. So it was for many of the anglers who headed for Chautauqua County, New York for the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers annual “Cast and Blast” last May.
The prime fishing destination for the trip was to be Lake Erie with abundant walleye, smallmouth bass and other fish. Lake Erie looked more like a frozen daiquiri than a fishing destination with ice chunks the size of basketballs covering the surface. Lake Chautauqua, westernmost of New York’s famed finger lakes provided a great substitute but only a substitute for those of us wanting to fish Lake Erie.
So the Chautauqua County Tourism people invited us back and I took them up on the offer. You know you are off to a good day of fishing when one of the group boats a mega-walleye in the first few minutes of fishing. Using tactics familiar to me (as a Lake Michigan troller) we boated walleye after walleye (with lake trout, white bass and sheepheads in the mix, as well.)
Western New York is beautiful country. Fields, forests, vinyards, Great Lakes and inland lakes. And good fishing whether you are an outdoor writer or not!

Sunday, August 3, 2014

RESCUED

After a perfect weather day and a few cooperative fishes, I was headed home. Southbound on I-65 in heavy traffic near Hobart, IN, a car pulled next to me, slowed and started honking. I glanced over and the driver was yelling and pointing back towards my trailer. It wasn’t the “hey, how are you doing” friendly greeting that occasionally happens.
Not the way to get home from the lake. But thanks to BoatUS,
the price of the repair will be more than the price of the tow truck. 
  I glanced in the side view mirror and immediately noticed I could see much more of the rear tire on the trailer than is normal. Immediately, I pulled over to the berm lane as far as possible but since there’s a guard rail, I couldn’t pull over as far as I would have liked.
  With cars and trucks whizzing by only a few feet away, I snuck back to see if my instant diagnosis was correct. Yep, bearing failure.
  I carry a spare wheel hub and tools with me when trailering. However, dragging the wounded trailer to the next exit without doing permanent damage to the spindle was unlikely and I’d have been killed trying to make the repair along the road.
   Luckily, when I renew my BoatUS membership, each year, I select the “Trailering Club” option. It’s a sort of AAA for trailer boaters. I called the 800 number, relayed the information to the BoatUS lady who answered and long story short, relatively soon a flatbed pulled up to load up the boat and trailer.
   Forty-five minutes later we were unloading at my house, worse for wear, but home where better tools and cold beer resides!  The BoatUS dispatcher called with perfect timing, I handed my phone to the driver and in minutes, the deal was sealed. BoatUS paid him with a credit card, I owed zero!
   The BoatUS Trailering Club costs $14 in addition to the regular membership dues.  I asked the driver what the bill would have been. Over $300.  Money well spent.
   Even if you only live a few miles from the marina, think about the most inconvenient spot for you to have bearing problems, flat tire or some other mishap. Would $14 for help seem a wise investment?