Set out after work for an "afternoon" fish with Hoover and his friend Jim. (hey, ...with two engineers and a machinist, ....we have to acomplish something,....right?)
As I write this, it is now 2:30AM......I am enjoying my first cold brew of the long weekend,(oh, I forgot, ....you people don't have a long weekend, ...love that overtime now)
Not sure,
....no pretty sure, 
....positive, 
....I've joined the kennel club again.Anyways, ....arrived at the ramp around 2ish, ....I got put at the helm to guide us through all the heavy traffic to the lake....(this would come back to haunt me)
When we got to our starting spot, Jim took over the controls, ...I was to begin my hands on training with downriggers,
...First is the choice of lures to use, ....this will be easy for me for awhile, .....I only have about six...
The rest is basically procedure, ....practice makes perfect...like launching a boat, (always remember the plug, ...first thing I learned, ....this is a bad year, ....procedure wise)
No fast fish this time however, ....could this be an omen....again
So we get set up, .....and wait....
and wait....
and wait some more......
Dipsey goes off, ....grab the pole and despite knowing about, ...and fighting the irresistable urge to set the hook, had a weak moment, ....kept him on for a minute or two though, ....I'm thinkin' this salmon's gummin it for awhile....skooter blew it
So we wait some more...
Geoff finally latches in to a good one, ...screamer I believe is the correct terminology
First fish in the boat finally,
....I said I'd be home around 7, ....caught this puppy about 6:15, ....I can smell the kibbles & bits already...
Set up again, ....Geoff is drivin the boat, Wham!!,....fish on again, this time Jim grabs the pole....
It's a nice one, ....I start clearing the lines on the one side, .....next thing I know, ...Geoff is on the other side of the boat, ....fighting another fish, .....get the last rigger in, ....do a quick number calculation (fish + people= no one driving).
Geoff's fish is not that big, ....and he's just about got it to the boat, ....stumble up, minor course correction, stumble back, ...grab the net off the floor, ....with three spoons in it,(don't ask why, ...none of us know), ...and net Hoover's fish, (think we lost one of the spoons)
....leave him to untangle it, and lunge back for another minor course correcton, ...dash back to the net again.
Hoover gets his fish and the remaining spoons out just in time for me to grab Jim's fish,
... two on, two in, ....and skooter's out...still,
...they even asked me why I didn't get any pics, ....
I'm starting to lose a little confidence in my lucky hat, ...just about ready to throw it overboad when a rigger went off,
....weren't nobody gettin to it before me this time, ....and I can set the hook on this baby, ....yeah!
Something was wrong, ....I set the the hook, ...fish didn't like it I guess, and decided to head to Florida for a vacation.
Let her get as far as Buffalo while Hoover cleared the lines. .....okay, ....come to me baby, ....started pumpin her, ...she pumped back.
Pumped her some more, .....still wasn't comin, ....decided to chase her down, ..
Started reelin her in finally, ....Hoover's yellin crank faster, ..I understand his nickname now,
The worst part is the last 10 ft to the boat, ....You just don't need the devastation of goin through all that for nothing...
However.....my first 20lb'er.....35".....measured this puppy
Mine's the one on the right, ....Jim's is the other one, ...didn't have time for a single pic with my camera, ...the action was toooo hot for awhile
The other guys have a bunch more pics,....
Back to reality, ......
Does this look like 7:00 to you,? ....yuppers, I'm in the pound again
This was back at Geoff's place, ....and those are my steaks....
What an afternoon, ...evening, ....night, ....whatever
Our final tally 7 for 11...we all got one biggie, ....and we all got a little guy,
..I accounted for 3 of the losses, ....done the damn dipsey thing twice, ....so people, if you catch a couple of gummers out there, ....they're partly mine.....
Even better than catchin the fish was the experience I gained today, I'm pretty comfortable now around tthe riggers, ...I think I'm just about ready to go it alone, ...then it's just practice makes perfect...
Nice meeting you Jim, ....Hoover, ...I can't thank you enough for your help, ....more fish, more laughs, ....as for digs, ....well, skooter got buried today, ....but I did get the biggest, ...and I did manage to steer, net, and wipe these young pup's noses all at the same time, ....a little more experience, ...I'll get the pics too
My boat next time for sure....'kay?
The OT that is 
great fishing guys! Sounds like you are ready to hit the lake with your boat Scooter..
