DangerDan
01-27-2006, 05:06 PM
After I moved to Michigan I disposed of my dads salt water boat and decided to put together a nice boat for the lake. I purchased a sound 22' 7" Slickcraft. It came with manual downriggers and some PVC rod holders. The wifes goes, Well it looks set up so you won't need to buy anything else. uh huh I say to her (thats another story) and After a few trip on St. Joe I decided to take the wife on the lake Salmon fishing.
I heard that fishing in Holland was good so this was our plan. To go out for the free fishing weekend (according to DNR). Head out Fri. afternoon fish two days and head back Sunday eve. I live in Constantine so it was about a 2 hour drive. On the way I picked up spare ignition parts as I changed the plugs but hadn't changed the points cond. rotor & cap yet.
We arrive Fri. late afternoon and launch traffic was light so I thought it good to get the boat in the water and settle with the marina first. After launching I told the DNR guy (you'll see these three letters a lot in this story) I would be staying next door at the marina and asked if it would be ok to leave my trailer in the lot. SURE he tells me, not a problem. I've done this at several lots (except St. Joe) anyways, got that done and grabbed a 12r so out we go. We set lines about 160' and began trolling along, a casual conversation, cold beer, the wonderfull wife, what more could a man want.
As we head south I see in the distance this "Orange Boat" heading at a quick clip and on a meaningful course in our direction and thought Hmmm that boats heading right toward us. As they arrive they introduce themselves, As if that was necessary) Hello we are the CG and we want to board and do an inspection. I get through the inspection without a hitch but they did want me to clean my flame arrestor. (I had just done that the day before). Also there was DNR onboard. May I see your fishing lisc. he says. I say sure and hand mine to him and then he asks for my wifes. I replied she doesn't need one its a "Free (you'll see this work alot too) Fishing Weekend". The guy informs me that it doesn't start until Sat. morning 12:00am (Dratts!!! I'm 5 hours early) we have no fish in the box yet and I ask hey Friday is the weekend and Sunday begins a new week can you let HER off with a warning. :D . Nothing doing this guy is bent on writing a ticket. He asks who do I write it to and I said the person without the lisc. of course just to see if he would change his mind and not write a girl a ticket. Nope he says I'm writing it to you.
Afterwards they sped off to hassle somone else while I untangled the mess they made after boarding without giving me a chance to pull lines. I'm Pi$$ed by this time so we cut it short and head in for a night out on the town.
Ther next morning I head out again and set lines at 140' and begin trolling again. The wife wakes up and makes a pot of coffe and comes out. "Gee it sure is foggy out" she says. How do you know where you are? I said "I'm fine and I know" so we drink coffee and plunk along. All the sudden this 36' speed boat cuts about 40' off of our bow and then behind him another. We hear several other boats off in the distance and it's quite apparant they are haulin balls. My wife freaks!!! How do the know they won't hit us she says. I looked at her and shrugged. Well that was it.. Lets go back NOW, RIGHT NOW, she says.
Before we left that morning I had changed the points and cond., cap & rotor and as I throttle up the boat dies. What the heck I says to myself and it won't start. I pop the cap and the rotors cracked. as I put my hand on it it decinigrates. Bummer!!! I say to her.. and hold it up. I say where's the bag with the old parts I gave you? "In the dumpster" she says, "I thought it was trash". :eek: (again)
Well by some miracle I ductaped the rotor back together and onto the dist shaft and we head back slowy as the fog was so thick I couldn't see over the bow. As we reach the channel there a helicopter circling as the fog breaks and about 75 cigar boats huddled in a giant bulge around the channel
entrance. Sherrifs, Coasties helicopters, What the ???? It was the "Smoke On The Water Poker Run" Great!!!!
I fight my way through the crowd, boat dieing every few minutes and try to get into the marina. At Last... I made it. As soon as I dock the boat the wife gets out and on the dock and that was that. She's NOT going back out NO WAY!!!!
I resign to cut the trip short and take her out to dinner At Staceys in Edwardsburgh on the way home. So far We caught no fish, I got a ticket for fishing w/too many lines. a broken rotor, so I go get the trailer. As I walk up to the trailer theres parking ticket stuffed in the hitch. GRRRRRR!!!!!
I hooked up pulled the boat and didn't stop until I got to Edwardsburg and halfway there I lost the tread to one of my tires. Rattle shake rumble about 75 miles.
While were eating dinner my wife looks up at me and asks, So did you have fun baby????? :D Gotta love that girl.
My reply: Free Fishing Weekend My A$$... and I think to myself, Welcome to Michigan.
By the end of the trip:
1 ticket for too many lines $75
1 parking ticket $25
1 broken rotor $ 7
1 blown tire $ 48
2 tanks of Gas $140
1 sweatshirt $38
NO FISH and all the aggrivation I could handle at no additional fee.
Things have gotten better though..
I heard that fishing in Holland was good so this was our plan. To go out for the free fishing weekend (according to DNR). Head out Fri. afternoon fish two days and head back Sunday eve. I live in Constantine so it was about a 2 hour drive. On the way I picked up spare ignition parts as I changed the plugs but hadn't changed the points cond. rotor & cap yet.
We arrive Fri. late afternoon and launch traffic was light so I thought it good to get the boat in the water and settle with the marina first. After launching I told the DNR guy (you'll see these three letters a lot in this story) I would be staying next door at the marina and asked if it would be ok to leave my trailer in the lot. SURE he tells me, not a problem. I've done this at several lots (except St. Joe) anyways, got that done and grabbed a 12r so out we go. We set lines about 160' and began trolling along, a casual conversation, cold beer, the wonderfull wife, what more could a man want.
As we head south I see in the distance this "Orange Boat" heading at a quick clip and on a meaningful course in our direction and thought Hmmm that boats heading right toward us. As they arrive they introduce themselves, As if that was necessary) Hello we are the CG and we want to board and do an inspection. I get through the inspection without a hitch but they did want me to clean my flame arrestor. (I had just done that the day before). Also there was DNR onboard. May I see your fishing lisc. he says. I say sure and hand mine to him and then he asks for my wifes. I replied she doesn't need one its a "Free (you'll see this work alot too) Fishing Weekend". The guy informs me that it doesn't start until Sat. morning 12:00am (Dratts!!! I'm 5 hours early) we have no fish in the box yet and I ask hey Friday is the weekend and Sunday begins a new week can you let HER off with a warning. :D . Nothing doing this guy is bent on writing a ticket. He asks who do I write it to and I said the person without the lisc. of course just to see if he would change his mind and not write a girl a ticket. Nope he says I'm writing it to you.
Afterwards they sped off to hassle somone else while I untangled the mess they made after boarding without giving me a chance to pull lines. I'm Pi$$ed by this time so we cut it short and head in for a night out on the town.
Ther next morning I head out again and set lines at 140' and begin trolling again. The wife wakes up and makes a pot of coffe and comes out. "Gee it sure is foggy out" she says. How do you know where you are? I said "I'm fine and I know" so we drink coffee and plunk along. All the sudden this 36' speed boat cuts about 40' off of our bow and then behind him another. We hear several other boats off in the distance and it's quite apparant they are haulin balls. My wife freaks!!! How do the know they won't hit us she says. I looked at her and shrugged. Well that was it.. Lets go back NOW, RIGHT NOW, she says.
Before we left that morning I had changed the points and cond., cap & rotor and as I throttle up the boat dies. What the heck I says to myself and it won't start. I pop the cap and the rotors cracked. as I put my hand on it it decinigrates. Bummer!!! I say to her.. and hold it up. I say where's the bag with the old parts I gave you? "In the dumpster" she says, "I thought it was trash". :eek: (again)
Well by some miracle I ductaped the rotor back together and onto the dist shaft and we head back slowy as the fog was so thick I couldn't see over the bow. As we reach the channel there a helicopter circling as the fog breaks and about 75 cigar boats huddled in a giant bulge around the channel
entrance. Sherrifs, Coasties helicopters, What the ???? It was the "Smoke On The Water Poker Run" Great!!!!
I fight my way through the crowd, boat dieing every few minutes and try to get into the marina. At Last... I made it. As soon as I dock the boat the wife gets out and on the dock and that was that. She's NOT going back out NO WAY!!!!
I resign to cut the trip short and take her out to dinner At Staceys in Edwardsburgh on the way home. So far We caught no fish, I got a ticket for fishing w/too many lines. a broken rotor, so I go get the trailer. As I walk up to the trailer theres parking ticket stuffed in the hitch. GRRRRRR!!!!!
I hooked up pulled the boat and didn't stop until I got to Edwardsburg and halfway there I lost the tread to one of my tires. Rattle shake rumble about 75 miles.
While were eating dinner my wife looks up at me and asks, So did you have fun baby????? :D Gotta love that girl.
My reply: Free Fishing Weekend My A$$... and I think to myself, Welcome to Michigan.
By the end of the trip:
1 ticket for too many lines $75
1 parking ticket $25
1 broken rotor $ 7
1 blown tire $ 48
2 tanks of Gas $140
1 sweatshirt $38
NO FISH and all the aggrivation I could handle at no additional fee.
Things have gotten better though..