Session VI - Badwater Bass Club - Thompson Lake (aka "The Thompson Tumble")

The Bass Club was off to Howell this past Sunday under outstanding weather conditions. The humidity is quite refreshing at 5:30 in the morning at the boat launch. When it was all said and done, I was witness to the pride of Burwood Lane, Al C., as he narrowly beat out Doke and Gus for biggest stringer and walloped the field for biggest fish (slight exaggeration, nice fish but only 2 lbs). I had a first as Al and I maxed out on fish production. Sound the trumpets! We even had to throw one back late in the game because the pink wacky worm had brought in another. No skunks for anyone out there and that makes for a great day on the water.  

Said writer was so close to getting a point this week but it was not to be. I think we should get a side pool going as to when Raj and I will get our first points for the season. With only two sessions left, I think the bets would probably be a "yeah" or "nay" on getting ANY point, eh?. As Raj would say, "we have to keep hitting them over the head." That is fishing 101 right there. Let the wagers begin!

Fish on.
Trail Head

Crazy Chester Captain Al C.

Heading East

gorge near Ithaca, NY

Two former Redskins jumped in a rental car and took to the east this past week in search of, well, I'm not exactly sure what we searching for but whatever it was, it was all good. 

Our trip started in the finger lake region of New York at the Robert H. Treman State Park in Ithaca. The Treman family must have did something in the area is there is also the Allen H. Treman State Marine Park right down the road. With a mix of gorges, waterfalls, and the hilly region where Cornell University resides, the whole viewing experience was outstanding. We did the camping scene there and while the park is nice, it is a bit too kid friendly. With that, it isn't for those campers looking for a little peace and quiet. We had the pleasure of having our camp site next to the Brady Bunch. The parents took control once quiet hours kicked in so it wasn't that bad.

Lake Champlain

From New York, we ventured northeast through the southern portion of the Adirondacks, over to Middlebury, Vermont, and up to Grand Isle State Park on Lake Champlain. This park was one of the nicer ones I have ever been to. Well maintained, the rangers were very helpful, and of course, the views. A majority of the sites were isolated from one another and travel agent of the year Nancy reserved us an area right on the banks of this gargantuan lake. We took in a Greenfield Village-like place in Shelburne, Vermont along with a tour through Burlington; a cool little college town (University of Vermont).      

From there, we fired up the rental car (put a few miles on the odometer) for the journey back west. We decided on a stop in Pittsburgh for a few nights as neither of us had been to the three river town and had heard some positive things about it from others. The town didn't disappoint. We took a ride up the Duquesne Incline (pictured below) which takes you up about 800 feet to a viewing area overlooking the rivers and downtown. Quite impressive. I got my sports fix as we took a tour of the Pirates' ball park. While I've only seen a handful of baseball stadiums to date, this one was the best I have ever seen. The skyline overlooks the outfield with the river between the buildings and the stadium. They did it up right in Pittsburgh. We concluded our journey on the trip with some good eats/beverages near the University of Pittsburgh.
Two thumbs up to the east.
Trail Head

Taughannock Falls - Ithaca, NY

Middlebury, VT

 Shelburne, VT

Willie Stargell statue - Pittsburgh, PA

Session V - Badwater Bass Club - Pettibone Lake - Dirt Road Magic Continues

Dirt Road Del and the junior dirts

I've run out of superlatives to use for the pride of Tipsico Lake Rd, the dirt road side. Yesterday morning, under incredibly optimal conditions on Pettibone Lake, brothers Dave and Jim again tore up the tour. This time in tandem on the Red Rocket (Jim's boat). It goes to show that the biggest and baddest boat is not always so when it's all said and done (not that there is anything wrong with Jim's boat; it's just a little more primitive). Get a big boat for show, catch a lot of fish for dough; I'll take the latter. Doke took big fish by a hair over yours truly. So close.

What can you say about Pettibone Lake? Well, there is the north side and the south side that run a couple hundred yards or so and that is about it. To accentuate the positives though, it is part of Highland Recreation Area, is surrounded by some gargantuan trees and has no water skiers/jet skis/speed boats. It has the vegetation to produce large bass but that vegetation (i.e. seaweed) can be a bugger sometimes; although there were a good number of fish caught so only a minor whimper there. We caught fish, had ideal weather, again, we we fishing so a great day it was. It's good to be, as Steve Miller says, living in the U.S.A. Happy Independence Day to all.
Trail Head