Monday, September 13, 2010

THE BAYLINER

We did fish yesterday. First to Prairie Lake, then on to Leek Lake. When we came off Prairie, we talked with a fellow who pulled up in his refurbished orange GTO, a gift to himself when he retired. His dad owned all the land in the area, and his sister lived on the homestead just up the hill. He was charming. He is retired military and fishes in waders for sunnies, (Bluegill), cleans them and gives them to the widows in the area. We caught 8-8 there, but no smallies, just bass and pike; the lake isn't deep enough for smallies. The GTO guy told us where the big bass lay in. Get those hummers yet!

On to Leek where the fish just spit out the lures. The best thing about it, other than the weather, was the Bayliner boat, three teens, and a couple trying to load the boat. Obviously when people live on the lake and only put the boat in around Memorial Day and take it out this time of the year, they forget how to do it.

Three teens brought the boat to the launch. Momma was on the dock in her stocking feet and short pants which where gobbed up in her butt crack. She stood with her hands on her hips telling the boys to slow down as they brought the boat to the dock and stay out of the weeds. Well, you can't stop or slow a boat without putting it in reverse, so they hit the dock and she was screaming.

Meanwhile, father brought the vehicle and the trailer. He was wearing tennis shoes and the boys were shoeless. He backed the trailer in a few feet and since no one was sentry to how far he backed in, he was short, try again, he was long, and finally, he was just right according to him.

The process of loading a boat includes unlocking the winch and attaching the strap with hook to the eye on the front of the boat. One generally pulls it out a little, then hitches it up. For some reason, the man decided to pull ALL the strapping out. He stood there with a bundle of strap in his hands. Momma insisted all three boys stay in the boat, so man tossed the winch strap with hook into the boat, which missed and fell in the water. The boys seemed clueless. Father hand over handed the strap back to himself and tossed it once more. This time it landed in boat and the tallest boy asked what to do with it. Momma said. So he crawled out of the boat unto the trailer and hooked it on the eye. Three boys were still in the boat when man started to crank. First Momma said to be in back, then she told them to move to the front. Now, you have to realize those boys just added extra weight.

The boat, once loaded, will cradle into a rubber stopper. The rubber stopper is only for cradling the boat. But man put the winch strap OVER the stopper when he started to crank, whereas it is supposed to go under which makes it a straight pull from winch to eye. Are you with me? Once the strap was taunt, he started to crank and would stop to rest and say, "I have never heard that sound before". The sound was the strap screaming against the rubber. He would stop to puff and rest, meanwhile three well fed boys were in the boat and a momma was still on the dock.

Father stopped again and told them to get the log out of the live well. The engine would have to be hand raised because the automatic was broken. Once the engine was tilted, it would have to be held long enough to put the log so the engine skeg wouldn't drag on the concrete.

The biggest of the two boys got the log, which was a piece of a tree split four times out of the live well. It was covered with mold; most likely it had been there all summer and never saw daylight. Big boy said "Yuck" and dropped it. He decided he would lift the motor so he wouldn't have to touch the log again. And he did, and since there was no chair to sit on, only the post from the chair, he did and I would think his butt must have gotten sore because the helper didn't want to pick up the log either. Momma screamed and the log was in place.

Father began cranking again. I could not be quiet. I suggested to Momma that the extra weight of the kids did nothing to help father load. I also suggested that the boys do the cranking. They did get out of the boat. But they did not help and father stopped often to puff. Knowing that my suggestions might make Momma sit on me.

Finally the boat was on the trailer and the screaming of momma and the winch strapped stopped. The lake was high, and momma without her shoes was not limber enough to jump off the dock unto dry land. She got into the vehicle with truly soiled slippers. Off they went with the boat off the center in the back. I hope the trip was short.

All of that made up for the count of only four fish on Leek Lake.

Tom asked me if I wanted to stop for lunch. After burnt burgers the day before, I suggested we have pure food at home, after all, a nice roast was cooking in the crock pot. We had dinner, put stuff away, and went to bed at 8:30. I think I got wore out watching them load the Bayliner. I wish Tom would not have been at the truck waiting to load the Lund, he would have enjoyed it but, of course, helped them, too!

And that is the crap ola from Fargo.

Hugs.

e

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