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| My fourth year at Wiley Point Lodge wasn't
as exciting as some earlier years with respect to the fishing; there
was a weather snap right when we arrived, and the fishing practically
shut down. However, I had 3 other great guys with me this time: Tom
Gianakon, Dave Becker, and my Dad, so despite the suboptimal fishing,
we managed to have a great time. We flew up this time, and they managed to break every one of Dave and Tom's rods. My rod case was broken, but the rods were okay, so I distributed them to the other guys. However, on the return flight, the airline managed to massacre my rod case and break every rod. Atleast this was on the way home. My father and I took the photos below (Dad seemed to prefer photography to angling on the trip). I must admit that I guessed at the chronology in places. It's been seven months since the trip, so I had to ad-lib a bit. Click on an image to view a larger version. |
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 Tom with his first nice smallie. |
 The Ceremonial Smooch! |
 Tom, his guide Ray, and Tom's first nice pike. |
 Dave and his first nice pike. Dave doesn't kiss fish. |
 Apparently, the pike mouthed off to Ray, so he had to rough him up a bit. Just kidding - Dave's pike inhaled his Johnson Silver Minnow, and Ray helped extract it quickly so that the fish would survive. |
 Our guide Tommy and a smallie. |
 Cruising to a new spot. The weather was fabulous! |
 Dave, Tom and Ray finally caught up. |
 Dad had to drop everything and sneak up on the elusive wildlife for this National Geographic shot. |
 Then dad caught a pike. |
 And there's me with a nice smallie. |
 It was lunchtime, so Tommy made a firewood run for our Guide-prepared shore lunch. Everyone who has the chance should enjoy the experience of atleast one shore lunch. Yummy! |
 Dad took another nice shot when we were waiting for lunch to cook. |
 Ray cleaned the Walleye we'd caught that morning... |
 while Tommy built the fire and started cooking the bacon, corn, peppers, potatos, onions, etc. |
 After the meal, cigars were in order. Dave enjoys his cigars. |
 We ate what we could, and the gulls got the scraps. |
 Ray needed some alone time, and Dad needed another nature shot. |
 Beautiful scenery, eh? |
 Back to fishing. Me and a nice smallie. |
 Another nice smallie. |
 Smooch! |
 Dad got one, too! He's used to catching much larger fish, so he figured he needed to point out this tiny smallie in the picture. |
 Still worthy of a smooch! |
 What's this?! Another nice smallie. |
 Left behind by the glaciers, this boulder helps me find Joe's bay. |
 Dad took the day off, so Dave, Tom, and I went out in one boat. We had no guides today, so Tom had to confront his fear of the yucky, slimy fishies. I think he's actually making contact with two fingers. Baby steps, Tom. Baby steps. |
 Tom's first Muskie!! So what if it's tiny. When Tom the Fish Squeezer holds a fish on his own, LOOK OUT FISH! |
 Tom is now a master at solo-fish-holding. Very nice walleye. Tom caught 5 fish in 6 casts, and Dave got a bit pissed, because he'd have to stop fishing, take the hook out of its mouth and hold the fish for Tom's pictures...then Tom would cast and catch another fish while Dave released Tom's previous catch. Poor Dave. |
 Tom lands another nice pike. What can we say, Tom's a natural! |
 Then I crush Tom's spirit by landing a 40" muskie. |
 Same fish, but it was the biggest of the trip, so including a second photo is warranted. |
 Dad took this shot back in Steamboat Channel. Behind me is an old steamboat boiler after which the channel was named. |
 Then I landed this 2nd muskie. |
 Another shot. Nice lookin' fish. |
 Dad's chillin'. |
 Nice looking shoreline, but the fishies wouldn't bite. |
 Vicky and her sister Keri had this plaque made as a memorial to their father, Vic, a Wiley Point vet who got me going on these trips. We hung it in the main dining room of the lodge. Vic passed away in February, 2004. He was a great guy, and he'll be sorely missed by all who knew him. |
 Time to head out. Great week. Can't wait 'til next year! |
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