Now that fishing season is upon us I sometimes long for the days when I would be in the boat with my father, waiting to see what Middle Cormorant had for us to cook up back on shore. He’d be sipping on a beer (SHHHHHH) and me on my can of orange Shasta soda pop waiting for that whopper.

Now I like fishing but for my entire life I have never been any good at it, technically. Let me give you a couple of examples: I do not mind the feel of worms, minnows, leeches or any of the live bait. But I have always had a devil of a time trying to get those things on a hook. They would slip out of my hands, and then they became impossible to pick up off the boat deck. I had easier times threading a needle then putting a worm on a hook.

Some of my best memories of fishing came on a homemade pontoon. Dad and a few of his friends actually built their own pontoon back in the 60’s. They welded together several 55 gallon barrels. They built a plywood deck, surrounded by a fence, with a gate at the front. A little extra welding and bingo, you’ve got a frame for a canvas cover. I can’t remember if it was “water” legal but we had fun. It was on this pontoon I caught my largest fish, EVER! Now, I’m about 10 years old and we’re doing a slow troll through some dead trees and my fishing rod almost flies out of my hands. I thought I had snagged an underwater tree but then all of a sudden I saw him shoot out of the water. It was biggest danged fish I ever saw and did he fight. But being so young I was struggling to land it. I told Dad to take the rod but he came back with a quick “No son, you’re doing fine.” “Excuse me?” After struggling for more then 20 minutes, dad puts the net in the water and we pulled out a 5 pound largemouth bass. The toughest fighting fish in Minnesota lakes country…so they say.

The camera came out, and there’s a picture lying around somewhere. Dad was proud and I was happy it was over with. And the next day this 10 year old couldn’t move his arm because that fish put up such a fight.

I also remember as a kid that we were fishing for sunfish and we had found a hot spot. Everybody on board the pontoon was catching fish. Then, we ran out of worms. Dad really didn’t feel like going in for more and then going back out. If Pop brought the boat in we were in to stay. Then mom had a great idea! On board was a bag of rubber bands of different colors. Why they were there I don’t know. “Let’s try these.” Sure enough the sunfish went for it, we had our limit, and then back into Swen’s on Middle Cormorant we went.

Another problem I had at fishing was what they called “backlash.” Seemed like every time I cast the line I would get this bird’s nest of fishing line bundled up in my reel and I’d have to spend the rest of the day trying to untangle it. You have to see one of these things to know what I’m talking about.

Dad came up with some pretty good lines in his day. We were in the boat catching nothing. After catching a Northern the size of a cigar, I told dad let’s go in to shore. He reeled his line in and there was nothing on the hook, the bait was gone. He looked at me and said “I knew that. I didn’t want anything to interrupt my nap.”

Hey dads, its things like this that will make your kids remember you forever.