Lazy days of summer!

By Bill Bartusek

Wow! This was the kind of weekend summers are noted for. Maybe a bit warm for the anglers but definitely very nice. When summer gets warm like this we will start to see some big fish caught. I don't mean just muskies either. It seems the big fish, of a lot of species, show up at this time of year. I know one of the reasons is that most fish are fattened back up after a tough spawning ritual in the spring. So keep these big fish in mind when you are headed out on the water. This is the time of year it can happen.

I also want to take just a moment to talk about catch and release. I saw a couple anglers trying to release some walleye near shore this past week. One guy worked on reviving this fish for over 10 minutes. I finally told the guy to put the fish back in the livewell and see if it recovered. They apparently kept the fish out for pictures for some time. That doesn't work when it is this warm outside. Your best bet is to catch the fish, unhook it, take a picture and put it back. Sometimes when I catch a picture fish I put it in the livewell until I get the camera ready so the photo session is quick. We see people haul fish around on television but we must remember they have elaborate aeration systems and sometimes treat the water to calm fish down. I even put a bigger pump in my boat to provide more circulation. So keep the photo session short. If the fish can't swim away from your grip in minutes, he probably won't make it.

I spent the weekend up north with the Johnson's. Jodi, my daughter, Brian, her husband, and my two grandson's, Riley and Grant. We enjoyed picture perfect weather, along with swimming and fishing. Jodi outfished her dad on Saturday. Brian caught a bunch of fish and the boys, well, they were just a hoot! The little guys enjoyed fishing with Grandpa, playing in the water, watching the ducks and otters as well. I think they will like fishing too! Maybe not as much as Grandpa, we’ll just have to see. I really enjoyed watching them for three days and can't wait to do it again. I know I'll be reminded of their visit by the fingerprints on the patio doors next week.

News Flash: Billy Bartusek and Bob Hennen won a 70 boat Bass Tournament on Lake Minnetonka last week. Details next week.