Instead of battling potential rain and a busy park this weekend, decided to fish today, 11:30-4:30pm. Good decision as it was cloudy and not hot, 61 degrees, 65 - 67 water temps and wind on and off. The lake was fairly busy with watercraft and swimmers, but not obtrusive.

We weren't on the trout troll five minutes when K hooked our first rainbow. We only took about three loops on the trout troll with each of us hooking up, sometimes landing, sometimes loosing the fish boatside and numerous bumps but no connections. We have always joked and dread how stinking trout smell. Occasionally throughout the years a trout ends up in someone's lap or pocket so the trout stink becomes literally a long-running prank. Today a trout was being displayed by P to K when the trout wiggled and flipped K on and up his nose. Trout impalement!

Knowing the water was warming we concentrated on bass fishing and did more casting to shore. Good move as we had lots of catch and release fun with dinks, medium and nice big bass. P. had the magic touch landing three very nice largemouths (15" the longest). We saw K's equally nice bass get away and I lost two big ones - seen but not landed. Cruised around the deep end of the lake and watched some adults jump from the "swimming Ming tree". When they departed we took a floating lunch break of deli sandwiches and P's brownies.

We proceeded to cast the other half of the far shoreline and found plenty of fish and tree limbs. Also found a new shore rock slide that occurred either winter or this spring. K. had a good day as he got rid of his crap reel and this week was on the money cast after catch with a different/new reel rather than battling a poor payout of line. Many times we all three would cast the same hole, one right after the other and cheered for one another to get the fish when the last cast failed. It's always fun to see which lure/presentation the fish wanted.

Time went so fast today. Our hands and arms were aching from casting so many hours and realizing it was close to 4pm, we decided to wrap up with a trout troll. We each caught one and a few bass along the way as well. The final catch and release was Me 26 (2 pumpkinseed, 2 trout, 22 bass), P. 24 (3 trout, 21 bass and the largest fish), and K with 11 fish (2 pumpkinseed, 2 trout, and 7 bass. A great day of 61 with the best fishing trio I know and love.

---