Snuggling up to Mother Nature

Got out on the lake about 5:50 a.m. Wednesday morning. According to my Durango, the temperature was a cool 44 degrees on the drive out to the honey hole.

As I load the boat, I watch the fog roll and shift off the top of the water. With the exception of the chill in the air, the conditions are ripe for chasing bass.

Without getting too far off point, still mornings on the lake make for easier days for me — for now, I row. Soon I will motor to my spots, but for now, Dear Friends, I row.

I make the decision to row to the farthest point, which just also happens to be on the northwest edge of the lake. The trees that surround this little bay-like hideaway provide ample shade on a clear, sunny day, but Wednesday morning, the bay is cold.

Even as the fog on the rest of the lake gives way to sunlight, this bay still rolls that dreamy white.

I settle into the eastern curve of the north end of the bay. The timber and overhang is thick, and a new-this-year beaver dam along the way has my attention. But I ignore it for that northern most end of the bay.

I cast with a blue fleck, Texas-rigged worm and manage to pull out a quick, 16-inch bass. This passes the Milt test, so aptly named for a reader who suggested I only count bass 12 inches or longer for my season total.

As I work my Texas rig, getting caught up from time to time on branches and who knows what, I contemplate a change to the buzzbait. This has been my go-to lure, but I figure the water has to be too cold this morning.

Then I hear a sploosh, the kind of noise that whips your head around on a swivel looking for the big splash, the big fish. But, despite my hopes a bass smacked the top of the water, the noise comes from a pair of beavers.

I watch as both go under then reappear, their heads popping to look back at me.

I continue to fish as they head toward the beaver dam.

About 20 minutes later, a deer across the bay on the western shoreline splashes down into the water and runs south along the shoreline. Soon a second deer comes out of the treeline and follows the first deer, except this one stays parallel on land. When the two of them come to the mouth of the bay, each pause, turn and head back the way they came.

Here I am, just a small player in this morning of Mother Nature.

Just as I'm about to give up on this area of the bay and head to the beaver dam, I hear a rustling in the trees in front of me.

I know something big is tramping around in the trees, so I continue to watch deep within the leaves.

More broken branches, more rustling leaves, and then, head high, staring back through the dark shadows of the tree, another deer staring back at me.

I guess sometimes a good morning of fishing isn't always about watch we catch.

McKee, Kramer take Lake Washington

The wind swept in quickly and moved out almost as quickly Tuesday night, providing the right cover for a couple of anglers of the Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourneys series.

Stu McKee and Roger Kramer (McKee is at right, Kramer left in pic) teamed up for a first place finish, boating four walleyes for a total weight of 13.03 pounds. McKee and Kramer also took the big-fish prize, bringing in two walleyes over four pounds (4.57 and 4.35).

McKee said the winning presentation was artificial, namely crankbaits. He said his years of experience with hatcheries led him to believe throwing cranks was the right way to go.

"Most of the fish are staying shallow," McKee said. "So that's why I fish 'em that way."

Coming in second was the team of Dan Griep and Bill Holland. Griep and Holland boated one fish during the opening tournament May 26 at Lake Elysian, but they came in with the biggest fish, thus taking first place.

Griep and Holland (Holland at left, Griep at right in pic) boated five fish at Lake Washington Tuesday, but they weren't able to overcome the two big fish by McKee and Kramer, finishing second with a weight of 11.31 pounds.

Like the first place team, Griep and Holland concentrated on artificial baits.

"We kind of watched the water temperatures a little," Griep said. "When the water switches over to 62 degrees, I like to throw something more aggressive."

The team of Troy Bessman and Steve Wolfe finished third with a stringer of 4.67 pounds.

In all, 14 walleye came out of Lake Washington Tuesday, with cranks and artificial presentations proving the best option. The tourney now shifts to Madison Lake June 16.

The following are some pictures from Tuesday's tournament. The first picture is tournament organizer Tim Hobbs weighing in one of the big fish from Kramer and McKee's stringer. The other are just more general pictures. Enjoy.

Watchin' for walleyes

I'm planning on heading out to Lake Washington Tuesday night for the Tuesday Nite Walleye Tourney weigh-in. Should be interesting. I'm hoping the guys have a good night with lots of fish to weigh in.

I was reading Jason Sealock's blog the other day (he's an FLW Outdoor's edtior based in Kentucky), and he writes about an experience with a pro angler where he didn't realize the pro was giving him a helpful hint, and he just blew him off and continued to fish his way.

Basically, Sealock suggests there is always something to learn from other fisherman, which I find to be very true. And learning something new doesn't have to come from a pro fisherman. Nope, it just involves your willingness to learn something different and to ask questions when you see someone do something so different, you think they aren't in their right mind.

Walleye, bass, northern, muskie, it really doesn't matter. Sealock's sentiments transfer over to all types of fishing, because it's about the chase. Happy hunting.