Rockman's Report

[rockman]

1/18/10

It was a warm one this weekend, we go from below zero to above 30 and the ice starts to release all of it’s built up pressure right at the landing. It has been advancing and retreating for the past 4 days. We were sure that it was going to pop this weekend, so I had my son-in-law bring his big trackhoe over and park it in the yard so we would be ready if it did. But we got lucky and it just bulged up about 2 ft. You could still go over it, but you could surely notice it, as you approached it. It was a little bit higher this morning and as it gets cooler this week, maybe, just maybe, I can get lucky once again and not have to put out $300.00 to knock it down. It takes about 3 hours of busting it up and 2 days of letting it freeze over. I do have an escape rout planned to go around it if it does pop. So we will be good to go for vehicles either way. I also still have a last resort, the bridge if worst comes to worst. I just rebuilt that this fall, and I guess I would not mind if I had to put it out, then I could check out the new approach ramps, that I made easier and faster to put on, It was a pretty decent bite this weekend, and as usual some  got into them and some did not. The second reef was the best bite out in 28 to 30 ft just as the sand turns to muck and also down on the first reef in 23 ft of water. I will be moving all of the houses this week for the third time this season, which makes for 1 move per week for 12 houses. It is a lot of work to move them, but it is what we do to keep you on the right structure to give you the best odds of getting fish. I wish that I could get everyone bit out there, but being in this business for 20 years, I know that it is impossible to do, but I still feel bad when you did not catch fish. I do what I can to give you the best odds of catching fish and the most up to date information on, where and when and what bait is being used to catch them and I leave the rest up to you. I personally fish these spots before I ever plow a road to them. It takes up all of my spare time to fish and I probably have put in over 40 hrs of fishing this season into these 10 different areas, with great success I might add and I say that with great pride. I have had many outings over hundreds of hours over many seasons that where not that great and when I finally can dial in on a bite  and a pattern to catch them, it makes all the hard fishing hours of not getting bit worth it. I know that it sounds crazy, but I am crazy about the sport of fishing! I have a great story for you also this week, I checked in on my Iowa buddies this morning with rod a vexlar in tow, as I was not able to hook up with them this weekend as I had to work of course. I had put them out on the hump for a couple of days and it was actually in the foam house that I have been fishing out of for the past week with great success, hoping that they were getting into the walleyes. They had a great time and did catch a few small walleyes and had talked to some of the guys that were out there the day before that had some good success, so day two they were definitely pump that they would have a shot a some eyes. To make a long story short, I went out this morning and fished with them and gave them some tips for the next trip, we had a couple of hook ups and releases and one broken line by lets just call him J. Now J has been known to catch a rock or two, but to have fought one rock, for over 15 minutes, thinking it was a huge walleye is a little crazy J. I am waiting for the picture of the fight to be sent to me and will definitely post it on the album. So I gave J my only solid orange # 3 pimple to use this morning and of course he did the unthinkable with it. He set into a big fish and snapped the pimple off and lost the only orange pimple in my box, or in a 40 mile radius of the resort. Every one must be reading the report and buying up all of the Swedish pimples stocked in the area. It was so funny and I gave J so much grief about it that I think he was ready to cry. Not really, but it was a shot at a big fish after three days of effort and once again, a missed opportunity was had by the J mister. Next time, you will get him J. Thanks for the memories and we will see you guys again when the perch bite is on. Speaking of memories, I would like to say a few things about them. I know that everyone wants to get bit and I know that everyone is different and has different degrees of how they see fishing. But the true sportsmen that simply love to fish, really want to have a great experience along with a few shots at catching a fish. If it were possible for me, to have you, have the same experiences as I have had over the years of fishing. You too would be hooked on fishing. Even with the many outing that were a total bust on the catching part of it, I just love to challenge of, what it is going to take to catch them, in the end with persistence and commitment to the sport; you too will experience the great and wonderful memories of going fishing and catching. It does not get any better than to be with the ones that are important in your life and too feel that joy of being together that will make the memories that will last you a life time. I still to this day think about the many great years that I have been fishing for all kinds of different species of fish and all of the people that were with me at that time. I guess what I am trying to get at is; enjoy the sport of fishing for what it is, Fishing and as with anything, if you put in the time you will be rewarded with the catching part of it. For me in this business it is about Honor and trust. I think that I have earned the trust from many of you over the years. That is who I am. I just want you to have great memories at the Rock!

That is it for now or I will start to get all sappy.

Have a great week

We will see ya

When we see ya.

The Rockman