This Story was Originally Posted on Fishin Fanatics.com so the screen names mentioned refer to members at that site. But hopefully I will chase a few of them here as well!

PART I

As those of you who know me realize, in order to write my crazed reports, I need to be amped up on a few pots of coffee. If you notice the times I post, you will realize that I am finishing the first pot by 7-8 am and then starting the second while I get geared up to begin my day. Coffee is a fisherman's best friend! After a few too many cups all of my baits are jerk baits and I begin to twitch uncontrollably.

I also twitch the baits really well but my attention span is set somewhere around hummingbird! Hard to watch the line when it keeps moving so much. It is later in the afternoon before I level out and can actually fish. As I sit here now specks of light keep shooting around the room and the keyboard is covered with my caffeine induced sweat. Crack heads have nothing on me and the dark brown liquid speed.user posted image

So the Galena adventure:

I have not bass fished the Mighty G since FishingNotCatching forced me out in a torrential rainstorm last month. Last evening it was not raining but there was a wind out of the south west. Derek777 (aka Lord Derek I, Ruler of the Smallies) arrived at my domicile with the Fishing Machine of Ultimate Karama in tow. (For those with an interest Fishing Machine of Ultimate Karama makes a very descriptive acronym). I hear, but do not see, the Smallie Lord heading in my direction, Now you need to understand that this is three O'clock in the afternoon and there is a fairly busy road near my secluded and quiet street. It was not always a busy road, but since I moved out of the city to the "county" it seems like everyone followed. I keep telling my wife that they were following me and she keeps telling me that the reason our street is quiet and secluded is because no one would want to live anywhere near me. I blame my crazed dog. . . .

So I hear the Lord approaching. One would hope that royalty would be announced with a fanfare of trumpets and perhaps accompanied by an official looking escort. Not the Lord of the Smallies, he arrived to a din of blaring horns and squealing tires. He slides around the corner and stops abruptly in front of the house. I greet the Lord with the normal salutation, "Your Highness, what is the plan this evening?" He announces that we are going to catch "striper and walleye" and fish for nothing else. Again, the Lord is delusional, I fished Galena from April on this year, often four to five times a week, and have not caught either species. To be fair, there are both present in the Mighty G, they are just difficult (read that as impossible) to purposely catch in a brief period of time before dark.

Then it hits me, but I hold my silence, both Walleye and Stripers are best caught after dark - God no, he is going to keep me out all night, trapped on the %^^%$#'ing boat in the middle of a cold lake. Good thing that I was wearing only shorts and a tee shirt. I meekly get into the Ford Truck of Fishing Karma and hope for the best. "You remembered the camera, right?" is the next thing I hear. While I used to find this encouraging, anyone who has seen my voluminous illustrated posts realizes that: (1) I always have the fine camera and (2) everyone else I fish with hates my camera because I am taking stupid, pointless and potentially embarrassing photos during every fishing excursion. I know the reason he is asking has nothing to do with encouraging my photo taking; rather he wants to document his fish for the $%^##$& contest!

I inform the Lord that I indeed have the trusty camera in my bag and we proceed to the launch ramp. Arriving at the ramp, I place my two rods and small bag into the Fishing Machine and then set the boat up. The Lord is removing boxes, bags and something that looks like a steamer trunk loaded with fishing tackle and equipment. In these bags and boxes I see gear suitable for everything from Marlin to dry fly fishing for Dolly Madision trout. He then stands and ponders over rod selection, first picking up several bait casting outfits, then putting one back and replacing that with a spinning rod then adding several more spinning rods.

I gently ask, "do you think we will have time to use that many rods?" I am really concerned about retting for dinner and perhaps my dawn coffee! He replies "No worries, plenty of time it will not be dark for hours." I hope this does not mean that he really does not plan to start fishing until it gets dark! I start whining as usual but the Lord ignores me and continues whispering sweet words to each fishing rod. "My precious, my precious" he tells each, "oh yes you will catch me a fine fish and I will win my contest, hmmmm."