Memorial Weekend Fishing & Camping

Pre-loading of the truck for the weekend. Whether its for two nights or two weeks, the amount of stuff we take remains fairly much the same.

Ray is thinking that its a bit too early to start taking pictures already. I took a few pictures as we started to hit the road, wherein Ray said.."we've been on the road just twenty minutes. It must be genetic." LOL

My handsome prince driving us away into woods paradise.


This was the leftover burnt log that I used last Thanksgiving for our very last camp fire before we returned home from that extremely cold weekend. It's truly amazing to return to the site and see so much of what we left behind still in its place...even with all the snow, wind, rain and such having also left its finger print - yet here is my burnt log tip. I feel very close to this log now and its going to be sustaining us for several more camp fires to come.

We got to the site and Ray brought up this beautiful large hammock this time for us to use. It was one of the first things he put up and we relaxed in before hitting the grounds hard with up-keep.


With 80 and 90 degree temps now, its funny to see how just a few weeks ago we were still wearing layers and long sleeves...for as much wind/cold protection as well as some serious Bug Bite protection as well. We layered and used some great mosquito repellent wipes.

Rarely is the camera out of my reach,
but when it is Ray occasionally gets a
chance to shoot a few pics of me at
camp too.

We groomed the grounds and Ray had lots to do for getting the boat ready for use - so this first day we decide to stay inland, cook our meal and enjoy the evening outside before the big fishing days ahead.

We had a very funny mis-communication - wherein this time I had done some homework to come up with camping-oriented meals. We brought up the menus and the food, but I presumed Ray would still cook it and he presumed since it was my menu I'd be cooking. So we sat around a bit before realizing we were each waiting for the other. Hilarious. No hard feelings...Ray is such an awesome cook and I'm the killer little fire / charcoal maker.

The canopy and the hammock really add to the campsite look. I raked the leaves for hours to settle around the large tree stumps while Ray worked on getting his boat in condition for some long runs...

My new fish hat that I picked up
for less than two bucks at the
village discount center.

Ray says... I have an idea!

Yeah! Our first day on the lake. We dressed for the wind and the chance of rain - two weather conditions that can often bring some good fishing opportunities.

First on Ray's agenda...get Steph to catch an easy Blue Gill fish and start to get the feel using the rod to "set the hook" and snag her a fish. And guess what, I get a pretty big sized blue gill that we keep for a little bit...

Its a spinner bait.

I know my lures and baits now...so watch out.













My big Blue Gill. Yeah! It happened to
fast that we didn't get a pic of me
with it at first. We kept it in this basket
with the hopes of getting a few more
this size for dinner. But then we
went through some logs and the basket
opened up and the fish swam off.

Thanks fish!

Ray gets a beautiful large mouth Bass. It was just a few inches short of being legal, so it got thrown back. Its called CPR fishing... Catch - Photo - Release.

The sun goes down on us and we return home for a fire-pit steak dinner (we did bring up some food just in case we couldn't catch our meals). I love catering to the fire and starting them up. I really started getting down the technique for creating fire-pit charcoal.


After dinner we hung out, drank some beer (mine is spiked lemonade) and played some tunes.

What a Boozer with my hard lemonade~ LOL

The next day was even more beautiful - though quite windy out on Buffalo lake.

We had no bites however.

So I started spending some time just taking photos of around the lake.

All this time on the Lake with no fish biting is how I was starting to get used to the whole idea - so I didn't know what I was missing. Ray, however, was getting a bit more antsy.

There are two ducks on this pier.

So we head back to camp and take a mid-afternoon nap under the trees.

Then we awake and make some food. The sun has got about 90 minutes left and I ask Ray...do we go fishing again? And he said Yes!

As we pull up to the dock, some older fellas are coming in and I ask them how the fish are biting this evening. They said the fish weren't hanging much around the banks tonight, and can be found more in the deeper parts. I spread this word to Ray and he decides to take this advice.

Very soon after putting down our anchors Ray caught a HUGE Northern Pike that was putting up a real good fight ~ and just as I had the instinct that I should get the net to help him bring the fish in the boat, the fish cut himself loose.

I too started getting many pulls and bites on my line, but my skills at setting the hook just weren't there. We were clearly in the right location this time, and Ray brought in about two more decent sized Pikes while I was just getting bites that I couldn't bring in.

I started to get discouraged and confessed to the possibility that I may have some kind of handicap in this area. I sincerely told Ray that I might just be a "special needs" fisherman and just then I got a solid hard bite.

Man, I yanked that rod up to the sky so hard that all I was seeing was bright blue and praying that the strength of my pull was going to be enough to get my hook in. When I started reeling in the line and feeling the force still on it, I knew I had a chance this time.

It was so killer exciting!

Ray put his reel down immediately and helped me out.

This poor Pike had nearly swallowed the center hook.

Ray had to pry-open the teeth-filled mouth of the fish, where we find the hook down the throat and through the tongue. And after all that coaching I was getting from Ray about how to set-the-hook, how to pull on the rod at the right angle, and the fast speed needed...what's the first thing he says when he see's the hook in the fish's mouth?...

"This fella really hooked himself bad."

And I laughed... "What do you mean hooked himself? After all that work, now the fish gets all the credit?"

Very funny.

So here's my first official fish catch photo...

17 and 3/4 inches, thank you very much :)

As you can tell, we're nearly to sun down and Ray gets himself a pike or two as well...



Keeping a watch on the sun, Ray decides to give us 5 final casts - knowing that the next morning we'll be probably sleeping in a bit and then tearing down camp. I decide to start counting my five after his first one... and on my forth cast I catch myself my first large mouth bass...

I think the big smile on my face says it all ... I'm so happy and proud by my achievement.

Looks like Ray "set the hook" in me with this sport.