Fishing for the first time of the year tomorrow. Boat has been detailed, got my license...

[cherokeeprogressive]

and my childhood best friend is coming up the mountain.

Less than twelve hours from now, we'll be trolling at exactly 3 mph, teasing 2-3 lb rainbow trout with shiny things.

The lake opened up April 1st but I've been lazy this year. It's been cold, rainy, and snowy until two weeks ago. Tomorrow it will get all the way to 70, probably 65 on the water.

Breakfast at 6:30, boat in the water by 7:30, and I'm betting the first fish will come over the gunnel by 8.

I'll be thinking about my DU friends tomorrow...

Okay I lied.

[madinmaryland]

1. Bookmarking, for the post in a couple of days when you tell us you caught a six pounder!!

Or will it be ten pounds?

Or will it be twenty pounds?

Or will it be thirty pounds?

Or will it be fifty pounds?

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. I'll post pictures butthead. Tomorrow night.

So there.

For me, it won't be so much about the fish I catch. It'll be about spending the day with a guy I've known and loved since jr. high (I'm 51, he's 50). Our fishing rag is the IZOD polo shirt that was the favorite of a dead childhood friend, who died two years ago of liver cancer.

I hooked a 50 lb fish once... actually I could tell by the way it fought that it weighed 53 lbs 7.2 oz. I got it up next to the boat. Just before he shook the hook out of his mouth he winked at me. Yup yup. I nicknamed that one Moby Trout. He's still in the lake... I can feel him sometimes when he swims under the boat.

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. I got skunked...

My best friend limited though. The biggest of his fish was about 20". We used the same lure, at the same depth, and the best I could do was a 12" smallmouth bass first thing this morning. Get this... the bass was in the middle of the lake at about 20' and hit a trout lure. It was a keeper, but not why we were there... so I let it go. I think it was retarded.

[Scuba]

3. If you can't get up in the morning, try fishing in the evening.

Breakfast at 6:30? How do you sleep so late when there's fish to be caught?

[trumad]

4. Sweet...

Good luck