Waukegan 6-6 thru 6-8

[Captain Rick Bentley]

Ahoy Everybody,

Mother Nature threw us some interesting curve balls over the weekend and into yesterday afternoon. Fishing remained pretty good but we were unable to post the 20+ numbers that we chalked up a couple weeks ago. The fish are indeed still here and getting larger but I think the volatile weekend weather had them a little more moody than usual and I have expectations of big catches in the near future still.

The Manning Crew and their friends, who hail from Ohio but now currently reside in downtown Chicago, came aboard the Independence for the first time Saturday morning. Despite some nice chop on the water and a chilly north wind, they enjoyed themselves while hauling in 11 Coho Salmon. These guys were a lot of fun and while we didn't get a voice impersonation, we got a visual - hat & glasses - showcase of a 'Bobby Bowden' (intentional or not) which also included a very unique series of celebration hollers after bringing in fish!

Saturday afternoon's crew - friends of mine from when I lived in the city myself - braved the continued chilly north winds. Fishing was slow to start but we managed 9 fish before calling the trip a little early after the last fish - a stocky 8lb Rainbow Trout - was reeled in. Rumor has it that part of their catch was was prepared & cooked up late Sunday afternoon at one of my old haunts up the street from where I used to live while several other fillets were dropped off at a fish market to be smoked. I highly suggest inquiring into any local fish markets near you regarding smoking service or trying your own smoker on the fillets you bring home. Smoked salmon remains a close second as my favorite preparation only to my own personally-crafted recipe for Salmon Cakes. Whether you serve the 'Cakes' with a remoulade sauce straight out of the pan or even in a larger version as a salmon patty-burgers on a bun, if you haven't tried this prep and have some salmon left, you don't know what you're missing! I'm getting hungry......

And moving now, after about 23 or so some odd years, George Hogan and I met face to face and fished again on Sunday morning on a near flat-calm Lake Michigan. Now, George and I were next-door neighbors when we were kids and did just about everything together back then but probably most of all we did was fished. So, after all that time we were able to get back in touch just a few weeks ago and he set up a trip to come fishing with his girlfriend Sunday morning. Despite a little distraction with a bit of a bug hatch on the still waters, they expertly hauled in 12 fish like the outdoor enthusiasts they are; 11 Coho and Katryn caught her first Lake Trout ever, a 7lb'er. It was good catching up and fishing with George again after all those years. Remarkably, we seem to have just as much in common now as we did back then and I suspect we'll be in closer touch now.

I fished again yesterday afternoon as part of a 6-boat group that accommodated a kids fishing club from the Quad Cities. We set out into a moderate fog but the trip was called about an hour early ahead of an approaching storm cell as we had 8 fish in the box that included a nice 12lb Chinook Salmon. We tied up in the slip just ahead of the squall and unfortunately the rain prevented us from shooting any photos.

There are some prime morning slots available this Saturday and Sunday as well next Saturday - what are you all sleeping in?! - but those afternoons are booked. Father's Day, June 21st is still open as well. Don't get him a dozen golf balls, a coffee mug, a power tool, or a new golf shirt....snore...

I always seem to make these updates a little more long-winded than I originally intend to but it seems that with every fishing trip, a unique storyline goes along with it. Maybe that's part of what makes the experience of fishing exactly that and fishing 'big-water' only seems to accentuate it. My hope is that you also enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them! And if you do, thanks for taking the time to do so.

Thanks to all the crews that came out last weekend. Attached photos are all updated on the website 'Gallery' for your friends and family to see.