A Memorable Family Trip to Black Lake
When I was about seven years old, my father took us boys on a camping and fishing trip to Black Lake, located near the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River. Black Lake holds a lot of magical moments in our family’s camping and fishing history. However, on this particular trip, the fish were not cooperative, and the black flies were relentless.
Changing Course to Oneida Lake
After some discussion, we decided to head over to Oneida Lake to fish for walleye. I remember it was overcast and a little windy. We launched the boat early in the morning, just as the sun was about to rise. We set up to drift with the wind about a half mile from shore, using split shot twelve or so inches above an eagle claw hook with a bait walker sinker above that. Our bait of choice was dew worms.
Discovering a New Fishing Technique
After a short time, my older brother Bob caught a huge perch. It took quite a while before I started doing what we called a "steechew" – taking the line on your first finger and pulling on it to make the bait hop off the bottom of the lake. I was mostly doing it out of boredom. Suddenly, I felt a tic on the line and let out a little more. This gave the fish time to mouth the bait and commit to eating it. After giving it a minute, I gently reeled up the slack. Bam! I set the hook and reeled in the first walleye of the trip.
The Walleye Frenzy Begins
Excitedly, I re-baited my hook and repeated the hopping technique, hooking another walleye. I was on fire! After my third fish, Dad set his pole down and watched what I was doing. He saw me hook another fish and told everyone, "Everyone do this," demonstrating how I was hopping my bait. After that, we all started catching walleye.
A Warm Welcome Home
Mom was thrilled when we got home because walleye was her favorite fish. She was happy to see us too, I’m sure. This experience taught me an important lesson: pay attention to the little things!
Essential Fishing Gear for Your Next Adventure
To make your next fishing trip as memorable as ours, check out these fishing items on Amazon:
Fishing trips with family are more than just about the catch; they are about the moments and memories that last a lifetime.
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