My Mom

Hey Guys! Life? It’s amazing we live day by day and get into a routine and we take for granted the important people in our lives. I’m going to admit I’m guilty of this. My Mom has always been a women who has put her children first. I love my Mom more then anything and I always have looked at her as being invincible. She doesn’t stop moving and is involved with the community helping so many different organizations and of coarse putting her family #1. My life is so busy with fishing, my family (Kristine and Gavin), running ASPEN and with all the busy things I wasn’t the best son spending time with the women that raised me with my Dad.

Why am I writing this? Well this past spring my invincible Mom was diagnosed with lung and liver cancer. My Dad, Steve, called when they were on their way back from the Mayo Clinic and said, “We are going to stop by and see you.” “Great!” I said as we hung up the phone. They pulled into the driveway and I soon saw my invincible Mom changed to my Mom I had to help walk into my house. The last time I saw her was two weeks prior and I couldn’t even recognize her on this day. I didn’t want to believe this was happening to a women who cared more for anyone else then herself. We helped her into my home and there we sat. I was broken. So many emotions and so many questions, why? I didn’t allow my Mom to see my broken inside and it was all I could take from braking down in-front of her but I needed to be strong. I looked her straight in the eye and said, “You can beat this, we can beat this.” After we spent some time together, drank a cup of coffee, not too strong just they way she likes it, I pretty much carried my invincible Mom to the car and they drove off. Life soon became something so much more.

My Mom is now doing well. She is invincible and she is winning this battle. She has gone through many chemo treatments and it seems to be working. She has had so much support from so many family and friends. We have put together a benefit website at www.suzettebenefit.com. Please take a moment to stop by and say hi. We are holding a benefit dinner on Oct. 4th in Bemidji and an online auction you can get more details on her website. Your support would be appreciated.

As we go through our busy lives remember you are never too busy to pick up the phone or make a lunch date with the ones you love. My Mom has found a way to bring our family closer and hopefully yours as well.

Figure 8 Musky

I had the pleasure of spending the morning in the boat with Bob Johnson (musky fanatic) Bob and I had fished late into the previous evening and nothing. The musky bite has been so spotty with the weird weather we have been having. So we decided to get up early and try a different lake. After a few wrong turns at a detour we finally made it to the access.

The lake we were fishing was pea green with a super bad algae bloom. I was a little worried. We started on a mid lake hump and didn’t move a fish. We then switched tactics and went into the bull rushes and moved a few fish and it seemed like that was the only thing going but still wasn’t much. We made a decision to go out and fish a cabbage spot and not the second cast I see Bob go into the figure 8. I didn’t see the fish right away because of the horrible water conditions but after several turns I saw the fish was right on the bucktail! I told Bob, “Go deep then come up, go deep then come up!” As soon as Bob went deep on the turn and then up the fish bite on about the ninth or tenth time around. It seemed like forever! We landed a nice chunky musky! We were pumped.

We went to the next cabbage spot and they started coming out of the wood work. I was throwing a Fish Stick HD made by Lee’s Lures and I pulled it away from several fish. Bob took the rod and made some a cast right where they came from and a fish unleashed on it but it didn’t get hooks. It was a blast seeing all of the fish react to this bait. I had three different follows in three consecutive cast. Bob really wanted to catch a big one so I kept pulling it away so he could have a chance at them. We never converted another fish but we turned tough conditions into a good day on the water. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many follows we had from one cabbage pile but there is no doubt that these fish feed in packs.

Hey guys,

Toby K and I just finished fishing in the Northwoods Fishing League. This is a multi species fishing league that extends throughout the summer months. We had a blast fishing with some of the best anglers in the Brainerd Lakes Area. We also enjoyed fishing several new lakes. I’m amazed by all the quality lakes that we would never have fished, if we didn’t fish in the league. This is meant to hang out with fellow fisher men and women but of coarse it is pretty competitive. Toby and I were trailing going into the last lake and we pulled out the big WIN! We set a new record for most points in a season. Thanks to all the guys that we fished with and we can’t wait for next year.

Click Here Northwoods Fishing League

Gull Lake Walleyes

Over the past couple of days the walleyes finally decided they wanted eat! It has been a fairly tough summer on Gull but for the last week the fish have been hungry.

I have been using Bigtooth Walleye Snells and catching fish anywhere from 22 to 38 feet of water. The fish have been relating to deep structure. It seems the fish will move up to feed in different spots each day. That is why it is so important to have confidence in your electronics and drive until you mark the fish. I use Lowrance Graphs and they are awesome. It’s so fun when I can say, “Someone's going to get a bit!” and it happens. There has been many spots I caught them one day and not the next. As my good friend Toby K says, “Don’t fish in the past!” Put some time looking for fish and you will catch them. Also boat control has been key. Once I see the fish I have been sitting right on top of them without moving. It seems they want the bait to dangle right in-front of their nose before they bite.

Good Luck!