When it is too hot to hunt

[wicklundrh]

Due to unseasonably warm weather in southern Michigan, sometimes you just done feel like sitting in a treestand in near 80 degree heat.

Sitting at the kitchen table drinking some lemonade I pose the question to my buddy and my dad; "Wanna go fishing"? Immediately after the question came out I realize just how stupid it truely was. Although bowhunting is always my passion, fishing ranks a close second. "I have this great lake that I found over in the state game area that is electric motors only" I exclaim. Five minutes later, the boat was hooked up and we were headed to Columbo's for some minnows.

Walking in the door with my bucket, my friend behind the counter says "we don't have any minnows". No minnows, I exclaim. He replies "nobody is fishing". I'm fishing I say. He says "your always fishing, you don't count". Touche' I reply. Hey, no big deal, lets head over to the Unadilla store, get some minnows and we can still be to the lake by 5:45.

Walking in to the Unadilla store the kid out front says "Ain't got no minnows here". I don't know what I was more dumbfounded about. The fact that they didn't have minnows, or the fact that this young man was sitting on the front porch speaking some backwoods english to me! I went inside. My friend.... "We stopped carrying minnows". When, I said. Bout six months ago. Has it been that long since I have been in here, I asked? Sure has he said. Ain't got no Grizzly Straight either. Well heck, now I feel like every store is boycotting the fact that I stopped fishing and started hunting. Hey, what's a government worker gotta do to get some minnows I asked? "Try Corsers" they all said. Since when did you guys start speaking southern english, I retort. I got a blank stare. Time to go I thought.

I know Corsers has bait. They always have bait. Besides, I go there more than any other. I'm a "frequent flyer". They give me free ball caps!
Pulling in the driveway I am amazed when the big lab doesn't come to my truck to great me. The other dog however is going nuts as I am knocking on the house door (Corsers bait is actually at a house and they have an old Railroad Cabose as the bait shop). After 5 minutes of barking, Mrs. Corser comes from the side of the old farm. Mr. Corser is out goose hunting with the boys. "That explains why the lab isn't here" I said. I need some minnows, you got any I asked. "I always got minnows for you" she says. Two scoops later she says, "that will be three dollars". Three dollars I ask. Yes, three dollars per scoop just like always. But I got two scoops. The first one was just to get them out of the bottom of the tank she says. We settled on 5 dollars and I was out the door. I love being a frequent flyer!

It is too late to make it to Mill Lake. Lets head over to Joslin Lake. That is my winter honey hole. We are on the lake by 6pm and at my favorite hole a short time later. Now I buy minnows to keep the pesky little blue gills in this lake off from my hook. Unfortunately, I was just after a storm front and those little buggers were hungry. To top it off, I think we caught a dozen bullheads that evening. Although I like the taste of bullheads, they were not on the menu and all went back to fight another day. In the end, my buddy Brian managed to catch the lone crappie of the evening. A nice 12 incher (his biggest to date). I told the guys to come back in the winter as this is the spot that I catch 15 inchers and let them go.

It was a nice evening on the lake and I had it all to myself. I guess I need to buy more bait to keep my friends in bussiness!