I rarely fish off my dock. I literally live on a lake, and I rarely fish off my dock anymore. I’m not sure what changed. I started heading to the rivers more and I just…stopped. Did I think that the fish in this lake weren’t as nice as those in the rivers? Not as feisty and angry as the Steelies, or as determined to crunch a streamer like a big brown? Again, I have no idea.

My partner was with me one evening, and brought out our fly rods. We caught a crap load of crappie (ha), incredible pumpkinseed sunfish, watched 6-7 pound largemouth bass chill out near the docks. He even moved a 30in Pike from under the boathouse.

Sometimes I forget that the fish here are spectacular. That all fish have their quirks, their homes, their habits.

Fish while you can, where you can.

You’ll always be surprised.