As you know, fishing has been a little more challenging this year with our Fisch aboard.
So, it is particularly frustrating when we must deal with issues beyond diaper changes, naps and navigating the boat on North Dakota’s notoriously windy waters.
Since purchasing our boat last spring we’ve had reoccurring issues with the batteries that run the trolling motor and front depth finder.
At least we can get on the water, but not having a trolling motor makes fishing effectively more difficult and makes our already limited time on the water nearly fruitless.
I’ll spare you the many rants I’ve gone on and the lecture the marine service manager got recently after driving over an hour only to launch and find out, despite the reading on the charger, the batteries were thrice again, dead.
I was furious.
After letting Fins swim briefly since we were already at the lake, we drove back to town to make it to the shop in time to speak with someone and set up an appointment to get the issue looked at that week.
After a few weekends in Minnesota visiting family, it had been a while since we’d been able to target walleyes in North Dakota, and after a rough work week I was looking forward to doing so on this Saturday.
Not only did we not get to fish but we wasted the morning and gas in the pursuit.
We tried to go out to dinner to salvage the day but the wait for a table started pushing too close to someone’s bedtime and we headed home.
Just one of those days.
I was regretting that we made plans on Sunday to fish with friends and their young daughter.
Granted, we were going to mainly target bluegill (me and Scott’s remaining 2023 Fish Challenge species), and probably not last long with an infant and toddler aboard, but I was still grumpy from the day before.
Maybe it was the pit stop for coffee or the timing of the rain clearing up for a sunny day on the lake, but I put on a smile and began to forget Saturday’s woes.
After a little boat ride to appease everyone, our friends rigged up their daughter’s “Moana” spin-cast rod and reel and in just moments they were hooked up with a small sunfish and she was squealing with excitement, although hesitant to hold the yucky fish.
I toted Fischer around the boat as he wriggled and squealed with joy just to be outside and a part of the action.
Of course, it didn’t take long for Scott to land his bluegill and we traded so I could catch mine, too.
After an hour or so of fishing and chatting about life, it was clear the little tykes needed a nap and some snacks, so we dropped off the dads to handle nap duty and my friend and I went back out to fish a little.
She commented on how peaceful it was just to fish and we talked about motherhood, hunting and the ups and downs of marrying the two.
Then we picked everyone back up for another short stint on the water before it got too hot, but not before their daughter took the boat for a little “drive” while I went to get the truck and trailer.
As we exchanged photos in a text thread on the drive back to town, they thanked us for a great day, and I was reminded that we got this boat for more than just “serious” fishing.
We got it so we could fish effectively, yes, but also to host friends and family more easily and ultimately make lifelong memories on the water.
Trolling motor or not, we did that today.
With Fisch passed out in his car seat in the air-conditioned vehicle after a day on the water, I couldn’t help but smile.
