It's got to get better...

By Bob Zettler

April 27, 2014

I am so tired of being tired. Between insomnia, turkey season, trying to get my house in order and having to be in Chicago for nearly three days, I needed a break. It was Friday night and I had just returned from our semi-annual conference for where I work, followed by another meeting that morning, and I had no real plans but wanting to go fishing. Yet I hadn’t seen my boat since December!

You see I stored it a friend's home and he had been very good about keeping it safe and secure. So I headed down to make sure all was well and get it home to charge the batteries, clean it up and just see what I had to do in order to take it out – hopefully, on Saturday. Unfortunately, not everything goes as desired or planned in my life.

Got the trailer hooked up after making sure the air pressure in the tires was fine, and I discovered that the trailer lights didn't work! Now I had problem a week ago with my other trailer but attributed that to the cheap wiring from Harbor Freight and this trailer wiring looked fine. So I traced the wiring back in the Jeep and that took my having to remove the rocker panels inside. Finally, I had traced it all back and it looked like my junction box was fried. Had to leave the boat there as it was already dark, and as I headed home, I (hands-free) called several auto parts stores only to (re)learn that this particular part was special order and costs nearly $100+.

Got home and brooded on the issue and finally around 11 PM went out with an OHM Meter and discovered that there IS power at the plug coming from the Jeep. WTH! So instead of getting my fishing gear ready, I tried to get some sleep. Got some but not near enough and finally fell out of bed around 9 AM. Headed down to my friends and discovered that the easiest solution was the reason it hadn't worked – the ground wire on the trailer was loose! Typical. I go through all the difficult possible solutions only to find out it was an open circuit (loose wire). Now I have to reassemble my Jeep...

Got it home and then started getting my gear together and finally headed out around 1 PM. Decided to take my time and check out boat storage potential over by Lake Shelbyville. Went to one and they wanted $70 a month which seemed high to me. Next, went to see if anyone could sell me a year-pass to Corps parking only to discover no one did. Finally, stopped at Leprechaun Landing to chat with the Jones boys who I had known when I lived in Champaign. It had been a long time since we had visited but it was like old times. God, I miss those days...

Turns out they have boat storage and I am now on the list and will hopefully have a space by May 1. As I normally put in at Wilborn after getting my minnows either at the Landing or at R&K in Findlay, I just decided it would be easier and maybe even cheaper for me to store my boat over there. I mean the gas savings each trip would be at least a 25%-35% savings, and when you throw in the wear and tear on the Jeep (and me)...well, I should be ahead or at least break even. I hope...

Anyway, Virgil asked if I was going fishing, and as it was after 4 PM, he said I better get to it! Headed to Wilborn and by God there were more than 30 vehicles with trailers there! The word must be out on the street I thought that the Crappie were biting! Took my time and tried to remember I brought everything and for damn sure that the plug was in! Now comes the most critical aspect – will the boat start AND run!

Now there hadn’t been a single person in the lot as I spent 20 minutes getting ready but as I went to get the boat off the trailer and into the water...well, you know, four boats pulled up wanting to get off the water. Pressure was on as I swerved back and forth trying to line the trailer up and into the water next to the dock. And as ALL the boaters walked past me, I hooked up my rope and put the boat into the water by myself and Jeep parked after tying it off to the dock.

Rushed back and was happy it wasn't sinking and then came the critical moment – will it start? Much to my amazement, it was up and running in less than 10 seconds and never died! Backed away and got out of everyone's way and headed south towards the bridge. There were boats everywhere. In fact, I saw at least five boats fishing around one tree! I thought it was party cove but the fishing must have been hot...

And when I crossed by the first bridge, there were maybe a dozen or more boats in the area I wanted to try – and had been informed that it was the “spot” to go. Went to one spot I like that was out of the way and proceeded to fish! Using minnows, sorry Jerry and the rest. I tried bobbers and trolling and was getting zip while others seemed to be doing okay and even throwing back fish! I was still having problems getting (re)use to my trolling motor in the light breeze and right in front of everyone, I wrapped my line around the prop. It was so bad, I had to unbolt it and remove the line. Embarrassing...

It seemed forever but it was most likely 30 minutes before I caught my first Crappie and it bordered on 10” so into the cooler it went! Pretty soon I had another and then another and while several fishermen were fishing next to the bank, I was doing better trolling with my two-hook rigs that Brian had showed me several years ago, and the cooler began to not only fill up but I had to throw some back. And before dark, I was done with my first limit of the season! But I was having so much fun, I continued to fish and throw them back. And as I went to put my lights on, I couldn't find the transom light. Damn! I finally decided to quit as I hadn't seen a boat in a half-hour and that’s when I found my transom light and it too worked!

As I had a very good headlamp AND searchlight, I thought it would be a cakewalk back to the lot but was it ever dark! Took my time and maybe went no more than 8-10 MPH on the way back never seeing another boat and just as I arrived it began to rain. Not heavy but just God's way of saying “don’t push my luck” after all I was the last vehicle in the lot! With a strong tailwind, I made it home before midnight after a very good day. All in all, it was a great time and made only better because of friends, old and new. It sure is great to be back!