2017 Fall Crappie Outing:

Highlights, and filling in some blanks.

As a Noob, to the gatherings, I thought everything was exceptional, with the exception of one thing……
The heat was BRUTAL, & learning curve of names, and faces, was just as brutal, because I am horrible with names.

Anyway, Here we go………..
I drove Thursday amid a huge Thunderstorm, going down 94, the temp dropped almost 30 degree’s, and later it was learned that Gary & Tonda had parts ripped off their truck, compliments of the same storm. The winds and rain in the Battel Creek area were that rough.

Upon arrival, to my site, and moving SLOW, (I had left work, and was “Winding Down”) the first thing I needed to do was a message, and it went to SpartanNation. “Hear that Thunder, it’s me bringing the STORM” SpartanNation, VBottom, and Fishing Couple came over, and enjoyed the only fire of the weekend. I actually started that fire to cook my dinner, as I was feeling too lazy to start the grill.

The tent went up in 20 minute increments, laid out the bottom, Talk, with everyone, 20 minutes later, sort out the poles, Talk with everyone. On and on, until dark. Then the ribbing started, too proud to ask for help, etc, Really, I was just “De Programming from Work” Anyway, the tent is really easy to assemble, its color coordinated, but it still took a Spartan Nation, a VBottom, and one Pollack to get it complete in the dark………I am sure SpartanNation will chime in….
I think we were really having more fun meeting in a social environment than anything else………

Friday Morning…….Got up, cooked breakfast, uncovered the boat, and by 10am was on the water…….
My pre fishing did not go anywhere near as good as that of VBottom, & SpartanNation. They killed the Gills, en mass……. I got 1 Gill, & 6 Perch. Not the start I was expecting, but it was a Crappie Start to the fishing, and I fished from 10am until 4:30pm ish. I had went through BOTH Hydro Flasks of my PMGT (Peach Mango Green Tea) so pretty much 4 liter’s of water, and was still exhausted.
SpartanNation, & V Bottom graciously or maybe through thoughts of pity, cleaned my measly pickings of 7 fish. (Snickers were involved of my abilities, I am sure of it……..)

Anyway, I eventually wandered over to Steve’s place, helped move picnic tables for Judy to lower the cost of ½ hour Air Conditioning that Steve was going to charge me. Drank another flask of PMGT. Still felt slow and exhausted.

By the time Liars club came around I had not hydrated enough and was moving SLOW, & Exhausted and probably dehydrated due to the heat. In all, honestly I am usually off the water by 10:30, 11am ish to avoid the sun as much as possible. Another Flask of PMGT was consumed, and 8 liters of water later, I started to feel better. Was not the best, or my usual self, but better.
BassnLady arrived, tossed down the Gauntlet, and some great humor. I told her if she thought I knew what I was doing, she could WIN. If there were an award for the best LIE, if she told everyone I knew what I was doing, she would have won.

Liars club was a Q&A session for the Noob’s lead by Tonda, the inquisition was in progress. SpartanNation, VBottom, Myself, BassnLady. Those questions were numerous, and lengthy, so I will not add what I remember here today.
Liars Club ended with who was on what boat, and the strategy that would be employed…….
I was fishing with Steve, the person who “Chummed” the side of my boat, and my first thought was “I hope the waves are small” he is 1/1 on chumming while going out for “Adventures” with me. That’s right, it is an adventure, cuz we never really know what’s going to occur. A 7:30am launch time was decided, and to bed with visions, of Crappie I went…………..NOT knowing that Steve had never caught a Crappie at Crappie Camp I might add. Had I know that, it may had been nightmares……..lol

Saturday morning started out like this, once on the water, Steve: So What do you think so far????
Aaron: Takes phone points it towards Steve, and traces Steve’s body,
Steve: Aaron, what the hell you doing???
Aaron: Scanning for recording devices!
Aaron & Steve: Bust up in laughter, and that was the start of the day, and we hadn’t been on the water for more than 5 minutes, and the whole day would go by in the blink of an eye, and an eternity of laughter, between the two of us for the day.

We checked out one location, and it was bad, then looked at the map, after some Polish, HOW to, and check this out on the graph, we relocated to another location, and there was BassNLady (Aka Lip Ripper) Cuz Crappie are not Bass, it’s a “Gentle Hook set”, not pitch and RIP) & Bob. They had 4 and we were in the hole already, as we had NONE.

As Steve and I employed out first tactic, Steve had caught a few gills that he tossed back. I had caught nothing, and the Crappie were non-existent, until………….
Therefore, with a bobber in the water, using what I usually try, and nothing I tried a secondary method. The very elusive, only to be performed by proper Pollack’s, the “Poor Man’s Spider Rig”. On the first cast, I caught a Crappie, I slipped it into the boat quietly, and said
Aaron: Steve, I got one.
Steve: Holy S*%#, It’s a Crappie
Aaron: Of course, isn’t that what we are fishing for?
Steve: Yeah, but I have never caught one before at Crappie Camp, ever!
Aaron: SPEECHLESS………. <- Yeah, that’s how one makes me speechless.
More laughter from our boat.

Then the realization that as the NOOB, I was on the board……… I had 1/3 the fish of the prior outing, and had 1/4th the Fish of BassNLady. I was ON THE BOARD with FISH, I was happy.
So Happy was Steve, that one was caught, and I was so happy I was on the board that from the front deck, and “Muscle Pose was struck” and the I Yelled to Bob & BassNLady, “We got one, we are on the board, WE ARE CONTENDERS……” More laughs from our boat………

So then is was the same tactic for a bit and then BassNLady & Bob left. After about 3 more Crappie they seemed to shut down, and due to the heat it was getting frustrating. We went full Pollack Mode and did a Polish Spider Rig, Minus 2 legs to keep it legal. It was the beginning of a Legendary Day for the two of us, we just didn’t know it…….

Each pass was at least 1 fish, and one pass while on the phone I got two of the largest fish. While Steve was all excited and wanting to measure the first one, I caught, I am on the phone with my Son, and catching another, and said
Aaron: Steve, just drop that on the floor, and net this one.
Steve: Aaron WTH? I cannot find the tape measure.
Aaron: It’s on the floor at the back of the boat.
Steve: Oh SH*#$%, it is a Crappie
Aaron: Really, I thought it was a Bass.

By this time, it was HOT, Roasting, and I changed into my long sleeve SPF Shirt, but still had on my shorts. My Tilly Hat was on, Sun Glass’s were on, and Fishing was still ON……..

One pass we had all 5 rods go off, and as we were catching them, and un hooking them, to the floor they fell, and we tended to the next rod. I am sure it was a site to behold, Crappie flopping around on the floor, catching, netting, and then the next rod.
After some deck clean up, fish off the floor into the live well, and reset of the rods, my calves were getting a bit sore from the sun. Not wanting to burn, I dropped my short, and put on my long legged SPF fishing pants. NO ONE KNEW OR SAW, we continued to fish……

At one point, Steve thought we were being “Greedy” as we had allot of fish. We had to count.
In went the “Lie Separator” Most people call them “Dividers” for the LiveWell’ss but I call it the “Lie separator” because when I am with my kids, it separates my lies from their lies.. That and I was out of Crappie at home....

We counted, and still had a about 20 to go, so we went for it, and eventually got out limit, in about 10 more pass’s.

Was kind of funny, ever heard of Pavlov’s Dogs? Well we have OneidaEagle’s Steve.
As Steve was in the back of the boat, we would be talking, and watching all the rods, and I would blurt out whatever Rod of Steve’s I saw a fish on while he was talking. “Left Rod”, “Right Rod”, “Left Rod”, Left Rod” Steve’s head would turn, grab that rod, and I would go net for him. I pick on him about that, but we had that process down like clockwork, and we hammered the Crappie.

We had never left our original location. Bob & BassNLady returned, and said that it’s a rough day, no Crappie anywhere. All I could do was smile, and Steve told them EVERYTHING……….

It was time to GO, but I still had on all my SPF, so I changed my shirt, no one was looking, and changed my pants back to my shorts, then that Cat Calls and Whistles. Steve said he had not heard anything, he LIED. But I have to tell ya, getting out of full-length pants on a day like that regardless of whomever got to see my Superman briefs, it was worth it,……..
The Spin Doctor Meat rig, with green flashers had done the job of catching fish for the weekend; the secret weapon had paid off.
With cooler clothes on, and my legs tucked up under the Console to avoid the Sun, we motored back as self-declared CHAMPIONS. We had no idea who had what, but we had a good day, and Steve’s 0 for 7 Record for Crappie Camp was SHATTERED.

When we got back, the heat was as brutal as the day before, but we were off the water, dinner was moved back, which was an excellent idea, as it was too hot, and I was too low on PMGT again. We sat at Steve’s, he enjoyed a beverage, and I drank another entire flask and started to feel better. Moved the picnixc table again to get at least 30 minutes of FREE AC from Just Judy before Steve would charge me $29.95 per ½ hour again.
It was onto Dinnertime. For people, the food was excellent, two flavors of the Gills that SpartanNation slayed the day before, crab Salad, cookies side dishes’, Grilled Salmon, French Fries, (I forgot to get vinegar though) all was excellent and no one went hungry.

I got a phone, call, and found that my Wife had arrived. Although late, she was there. Introductions were made, she nabbed some excellent food, and we ended up using all but 45 seconds of free Just Judy AC.
The heat was brutal enough that by that time, Just Steve slowed down to a HALT while sitting in the AC, it was hard to stay awake, and active.

Morning plans were made, & some made them, some slept in………. I slept in.
Steve, BassNLady, SpartanNation, VBottom, Fishing Couple all made it back out.

Every one caught some Crappie, and Steve taught Lip Ripper to set the hook gently I am told.

Unbelievably, SpartanNation, & OneidaEagle joined in a huge laugh in unison, at the expense of VBottom. (VBottom, you were a great sport about it too)

VBottom & SpartanNation came to my location, and VBottom wanted to look over my boat. I had no objections, and he hopped onto the trailer, was looking in when I told them I have an alarm on my boat. HUH? Yeah, I have an alarm, I explained why I have, it, and use it, etc, and while he was still looking I looked at SpartanNation, grabbed a shirt, and SpartanNation just SMILED, so I tossed it to VBottom.
VBottom: Whats this for
OneidaEagle: Drool, you’re drooling on my boat.
VBottom: Nothing but a smirk
OneidaEagle & SpartanNation, busted up laughing together as if on the same team, despite the stories of bad throws, and poor catching you may have heard in the past.

Steve & I cleaned fish, posed in victory circle as CO CHAMPIONS, for photos, and laughed allot. It was our day, (Or day after actually).
On our way home, it was still hot the wife and stopped at the DQ in Lakewood for a date/ice cream, then went home to our hectic lives.


Now I know this is a weekend recap, and some of it may sound like a fish story, and may or may not be loaded with a possible lie or two.

Honestly, the only part I would believe is that Steve & I had enough laughter that the heat was bearable, and we got lucky. We will probably fall flat and embarrass ourselves next time, in matching Superman suits.

As the NOOB,

I thought it was an AWESOME weekend.