A Much Needed Weekend: Saturday

The Eberhart clan decided to come earlier than expected and made their trip Friday night instead of Saturday as planned. This was no problem for us and we were able to accommodate. We could have made it out first thing in the morning, but we opted to just hang out at the apartment and wait for Rachel's parents and brother to come up before we did any fishing. Mocha sure did enjoy the attention she got from the boys.

 Nearly nap-time for Myla.

 Throwing the ball around before Rachel gets off work, and before Jerry, Sara, and Austin get here.

Once everyone had arrived and was accounted for, we licensed up, and headed to the water. It was just the guys this time around as the weather was not exactly cooperating. There was rain in the forecast, but it was not about to stop us from getting out. Because it was the four guys, we opted to just take the kayaks out and we headed to Cottonwood. This was my chance to get these guys on some fish, as well as get off of the shoreline that I had access to previously. Austin started us off before we even got the boats in the water.

Once we got everyone in the boats and out on the lake, it didn't take long for us to start catching some snot rockets!

We struggled with the kayaks and the wind a bit, and snags were absolutely everywhere, but we were still able to catch fish. Between being soaked to the bone, and the fishing slowing a bit, we decided to call it an evening and head back for dinner.

The ladies ended up getting a pizza, as well as making a few pizzas for dinner and they were ready when we returned. It was a great start to the weekend indeed.

It was time to get some sleep, as Sunday was another day to get out!

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Giving Antelope a Shot

Dad was up in there area on business on Wednesday, and we had to take an evening and try to catch a fish. We were not in the mood to go all out, but with Antelope so close, it was hard not to give it a shot. As a storm front worked its way into there area, we drifted around and pitched everything we had in the boat. With the water being rather green, the visibility is poor at best. We tried everything and it looked as if we would come off of the lake without a fish; and than Dad came through.

A nice fat waldo for the stringer!!!

We didn't get much longer after boating this one, and with distant thunder, it was time to call it an evening. WAY too easy having this right out of my back door, but conditions could be better on the lake. Hopefully, with some more rain, our clarity issues will improve.

Rachel's family visiting for Memorial Day Weekend so;



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Spring has Sprungeth and Summer Doth Bringest Forth...Wind

It has been a wonderful change of pace having spring here at our doorstep instead of winter. People have warned me since before we arrived in Clark that "the winter's are brutal and you haven't seen South Dakota until you have lived through a full winter..."


Yes, I agree winter was just that, but we had a mild winter this year and got lucky.


It's the spring wind that I have been under-prepared for. Most days my nerves are shot before my day has even begun because of the wind. I can't do anything outside, I can't fish, so I have been stuck inside twiddling my thumbs, just as the winter doldrums forced me inside. When the wind isn't gale-force, I have been able to get the boat out a few times, even with the Mrs.


The first decent evening we had for awhile we took out the boat and trolled Bailey's Lake for the evening. We didn't really slam the fish, but a few bass found their way into the boat.

I sure to like fishing with the MRS!

I took a morning to get out before the wind and I got the usual weird selfie pike photos. Nothing big but with my struggle to boat real fish it was nice to hook into a fish again.Cottonwood always produces something!

With a general short ability to schedule things, we made a blasting trip to Dave a Laura's over the weekend. We enjoyed fine spirits, good conversation, a fantastic bonfire, and we got to see the progress Dave and Laura have made in the back yard. Buckthorn be gone!!!


Sunday Morning we took a stroll on the lake with the boat and I was able to get one pic of the boys on the tube. I got video but it made me seasick just watching it....

Things are improving here in Clark and I hope things get much better in the future. There are a fair number of things in the mix right now with Rachel's job, and at this point, things can only improve.


On another fantastic note, we have put a deposit down on a puppy!!!!
We will be getting another hairy Mocha-dog, a wirehair pointer this September. It will be an adventure that's for sure.






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The Boat Hits the Water 2016

The weather has more or less sucked the last week or so, and I had been waiting for my usual flex time to hit the water again.

As on schedule, Friday of the 29th after work I took my drive to Cottonwood and threw spoons until I was blue in the face. I managed the standard 30-40 pike before I called it a day on that lake.

With the bug still working it's magic within me, I was still not completely up to snuff. I have been functional, but I fatigue quickly. It's going to be great to be able to eat actual food again.

I headed to Indian Springs and figured I had nothing to lose by throwing a few baits there and seeing what happens. Shortly after starting, I found a decent one, larger than anything I had caught at Cottonwood earlier in the afternoon.

Still, nothing huge, but a fish nonetheless.
By the time Saturday rolled around, the wind was hellacious, and it was cold and spitting rain. I figured this was a projects day. Rachel and I made a trip into town to collect supplies for one of her projects, and I vowed to make her an actual dinner. Because I haven't been able to eat, we really have not done structured meals in a little under a month. I made her a giant sirloin steak, a garlic baguette, and snow pea pods. At this point, I was about ready to eat my own arm, so I literally said, #$!@ it, I am going to eat too. I picked a good meal to come back to the real world with! Real food, here I come!!!

On Sunday, Rachel said we should take the boat out and she would go fishing with me. I was elated to say the least!
I spent the morning and early afternoon getting things prepped and ready to go for the afternoon outing. Having stored the boat outdoors all winter, I was really hoping everything would still function properly come game time. In the later afternoon hours, we headed out the door for Indian Springs. Rachel backed me in so the motor was in the water before we launched, and in three pulls, the old beast purred to life! I unhooked, Rachel parked the car, and we launched into the lake for the 2016 inaugural boating trip.

It was beyond wonderful to have Rachel with me on this fine spring day. Fishing may not exactly be her forte, but the thought of sitting in the apartment doing nothing was the last thing on her mind. We headed to our standard shoreline and begun our fishing. I was in search of a gator pike, and I equipped Rachel for waldos. It took all of 15 minutes and Rachel broke the ice with a dandy walleye!

Because of the statewide size slot limit, this 22 inch first was one of two we could keep over 20 inches. On the stringer it went!
We worked the shoreline a few times, and I was able to pull in a few smaller pike, and even Rachel was finding the pike, but on our final pass through the section, I found a stout fish in the shallows. Hoping for pike, I was greeted with another dandy walleye. Even at 25" I was not about to release this fish. It was our final legal fish, so to the stringer it went with Rachel's.

We moved to another bay hoping to get out of the wind, but by that time, what little battery life I had left for my trolling motor was toasted out. We drifted through and at the end of the bay, I found a couple more beautiful walleyes. Over the size limit, these fish swim another day.

The wind was getting brisk again, and the fishing was slowing a little, so when we came to the end of the point I wanted to fish, we called it an afternoon. A heavy brace of walleyes always looks great, but it is an even more beautiful site when my wife is holding them up.

Our first boat outing of the year was far more successful than I had anticipated, and the frosting on the cake was having my lovely wife with me. I love doing anything in the outdoors with her. I get to share my enjoyment of being out with the one I am sharing the rest of my life. I can't wait to get her back out there with me again!




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